Business Coaching Expectations and Outcomes
Farm Businesses can choose from two program formats that support a range of learning styles, time availability and participant goals in joining the program.
Intensive Coaching Program (online only)
What’s involved:
- 3 month program delivery (flexible over Christmas and busy periods, like harvest)
- 1 hour of one-on-one online business coaching every fortnight with your own coach minimum 20 hours coaching required in the 3 months
- 3 months of personalised coaching - just focused on your farming business
- Phone and email support at any time - from your coach
- The subsidised co-contribution is $1,400 per eligible farm business. We encourage every business to have at least 2 participants join the coaching program.
All coaches will provide all participants the below in scope tailored business coaching requirements:
- Strategic Business Management and Planning
- Farm risk Management and Informed Decision Making
- Strategic Natural Resource Management
- Social and Personal Resilience
All participants in both coaching programs will:
- Complete a pre and post evaluation Farm Performance Assessment Survey
- Develop a Business Plan (which can include a Drought Management and Risk Plan)
All participants who complete one of our Business Coaching programs are eligible to be part of our Alumni Network which offers continued support, access to tools and resources and the opportunity to connect with fellow coaching graduates.
Farm Business Resilience Coaches identify the strengths of your business and the opportunities for enhancement, allowing you to set business goals to build on the viability and overall resilience of your farm business. They offer guidance to help participants identify options and narrow choices and focus. Coaches do not offer specific advice on course of action. Wherever professional advice is required, coaches will refer participants to qualified and regulated industry professionals.
Hear more from one of our valued Business Coaches Stuart Goodfellow on the Farm Business Coaching Program in this case study.
How to Access the Business Coaching Program
Who will be my coach?
The application process involves an online application form and interview where we match your farming business to a member of our Farm Business Resilience Program coaching team. You will be matched based on your coaching needs and location.
Farm businesses are allocated business coaches by the Farm Business Resilience Program team. All allocations are final, and participants cannot change or choose their coaches. The NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development reserves the right to make changes to the program at any time.
Participant Co-contribution
The Farm Business Coaching Program is subsidised by the NSW Government and the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund.
Participants are required to co-contribute to the cost of the Business Coaching program.
Hardship provisions are considered on application and determined by the Farm Business Resilience Program Manager.
Business Coaching Case Studies
The Farm Business Coaching Program is designed to support participants to develop or update existing farm business plans through providing individually tailored professional support and advice to complete your business plan.
Hear from some farmers who have been part of our coaching program.
Ravenswood, Rylstone, East of Mudgee NSW
Meet Sam and Clare Hamilton
Running merino wethers as wool cutters, fattened lambs on crop and beef cattle.
Dyres Crossing, east of Forster NSW
Meet Darren and Jodie Wand
Supplying free range eggs and running beef cattle.
Cooperabung, mid-north coast NSW
Meet Jo Houghton
An avocado orchard, trading as Avocado Jo.
Claverton Farm, Culcairn, north of Albury NSW
Meet Cam and Bianca Schultz
Running 7000 head of sheep on 3000 acres.
10km inland of Ballina in northern NSW
Meet Andrew and Ann Leslie
A 50acre farm, planted under macadamias, in-ground stock for the nursery industry and a value-added macadamia range of skin care called Avilla Farm.
Salt house Oysters, Greenwell Point in the Shoalhaven NSW
Meet Michael French
Oyster farming in the Shoalhaven and Crookhaven Rivers.
Roseville Park Merino Stud, 35kms south of Dubbo NSW
Meet Matt and Sheree Coddington
Enterprise farming in merino sheep, cattle, prime lambs and cropping.
Amazona Farm, 30kms south of Bathurst NSW
Meet Will and Sophie Comiskey
Farming sheep and cattle for meat, along with boer goats, pigs and chickens.
Branch and Burrow Farm, Braidwood NSW
Meet Susie Worsley
Farming pasture raised chickens and lamb selling direct to customers in the local community.
Kiora Farm, 30kms from Gunnedah NSW
Meet Brodie and Taylah Cross
Enterprise farming fat lambs, fattening beef and cropping.
White of Morn Farm, Gundagai NSW
Meet Katie and Lachie Donald
Producing fat lambs on fertile river flat land.
Armidale, Brewarrina and Dubbo NSW
Meet Rachelle and Derek Schneider
Multiple properties across NSW include The Plateau, Armidale, Willoh, Brewarrina and Mundawa, Dubbo. Enterprise farming sheep.
I'm ready to get started
The Business Coaching Program is now open for expressions of interest.
If you have further questions, please email us at farmbusiness@dpird.nsw.gov.au
Business Coaching Alumni Program
As a graduate of the Farm Business Coaching program, you automatically become a member of our Alumni Program.
The Alumni aims to support continued engagement, networking, cooperation, and new practice adoption through activities such as:
Support continuous learning in the areas of:
- business skills
- risk management
- personal & social resilience
Support farm business growth:
- identify and share opportunities to support business growth
- access to business tools
- access to industry specialists
We currently have 238 farming businesses participating in the Alumni Program and it continues to grow as more farming businesses complete the farm business coaching program.
The Alumni will provide you with the opportunity to connect with fellow graduates of the Farm Business Resilience Business Coaching program as well as giving access to tools and resources to continue to support your farm, business and personal growth.
As part of your Alumni membership, you can expect the following:
- bi-monthly newsletters
- six- and twelve-month check ins with a business coach
- access to informative webinars
- continuous learning opportunities from webinars, business support tools, training programs on business management, climate, carbon or focusing on yourself and your personal growth
- access to Farm Performance tools
- information on State and Federal Grants and funding opportunities
Whole Farm, Whole Business, Whole Family
In addition to these you have the opportunity to access Whole Farm, Whole Business, Whole Family - developed by Rebecca Fing from House Paddock Training and Consulting. This program is for Alumni members and their family to improve Business Strategy, Risk, WHS and HR processes within their business.
This is a coaching opportunity for family members and employees of farm businesses who have participated in the Farm Business Resilience Coaching Program. The program aims to ensure everyone who actively works in a farm business has a basic understanding of farm business management.
The program will be delivered in an informal small group format through online content webinars and group sessions over a series of weeks. Check-in emails and peer to peer mentoring will help keep you on track and check lists, templates and work books will help put your learnings into practice.
- Weekly webinar covering 6 content areas
- Workbooks for each module
- Alumni Facebook group to share ideas and questions
- Online portal to house all resources, recording and with links to further learning
- Peer-to-peer mentoring program to provide support and accountability to each other
Alumni Program updates and all upcoming opportunities for continued learning will be published in the Alumni Newsletter.
I'd like to know more
To find out more about the Alumni Program, please send an email to farmbusiness@dpi.nsw.gov.au