Dig gold in the farm

An entrepreneur is one who not only finds an opportunity in a problem or obstacle (remember FIPPO rule), but also in future needs and demands.
I can declare without dissent that food items will be the most demanded commodities in the near future (by the end of next decade).
Well, given this situation, a scientist would think of how to increase the productivity, how to produce maximum with less water etc.
A politician would think how to make the food available to all, affordable to all, who to implement ration and reservation of food to different sects etc (LoL).
An engineer would think how to improve the existing tools and machinery to help farmers to reduce the effort.
A business man thinks how to procure at less cost and sell at a higher cost, and how much would be the profit margins.
However, an entrepreneur thinks how to turn this opportunity into a business. (Please understand that there is a lot of different between business man and an entrepreneur.)

Here are a few points to ponder on:
1. What to produce
2. How to produce
3. How to market
These represent some form of direct Agriculture and Farming activities, which are nothing new.
Farmers are already aware of and to some extent following - Which crop to grow in which area in which season, crop changing from harvest to harvest, manure, machinery. Storing, procuring directly from farmers is something which is done by the retail market chains like FoodBazaar, Reliance, Heritage etc.
However, my blog is about a new kind of opportunities which I would like the term as Agri Enabled Services (AeS), similar to ITeS.
These kinds of services are something which are dependent on Agriculture, but not direct farming. These in turn affect the Agriculture either in increasing the productivity or accessibility to markets, or increase the rate benefit to farmers etc.

Wondering what they are, here are some examples. As I always say, these are some, and not limited to them.
Get the history of price fluctuations of different agricultural products in the market on a monthly basis for the past 5years. Make a trend and analyze when the prices are high and when they are low. Based on that analysis, find out when the price of a particular good would rise and accordingly advise the farmer to store their product till that time and sell it then.

Or, procure the produce from the farmers at the time when the price is low, and store them and sell when their prices rise. Though this process is being done already, no one is doing it using the statistical data. Thus, they either end up storing it for a longer time or don't store sufficient quantity.

Just think the reverse way. Say that the price of rice is going to be high in the month of May, and say growing paddy would take 3 to 4 months. Exactly....what you are thinking is right....cultivate paddy by sowing in the month of February or March. Your crop grows along with the price and your harvest will be ready when the price is at its peak.

Think of the Organic food items that are growing popularity. Well, producing organic food items is not what I am going to talk about. I am talking about the AeS, for this Organic food items sector. It needs organic manure. So, making organic manure and fertilizers is a good opportunity.
This is a double edge knife. To produce organic manure, you need organic wastes. Getting that organic waste itself is a profit making business. As an example, organic wastes from sugar factories, fruit pulp industries, disposing the leftover food in school canteens, cleaning the dried leaves inside university campuses etc. Doing these cleaning activities itself is a business. How about taking all that waste to convert into organic manure? Isn't it a double edged blade?

Well, as said earlier, these are only some examples. What more, any business related to Agriculture is going to be a sure success. Take if for granted.
That's why I always tell my friends that if we have a piece of cultivable land with enough water, then we are having gold mines. Sow seeds and harvest gold.

Time to say Jai Kissan!
Dig gold in the farm!!

How to identify an opportunity?

Well, one who wants to be an entrepreneur, needs to identify in which field he should start his enterprse. Usually, depending on thier education and/or interests, one arrives at a specific branch...like IT, medical, financial, agricultural, educational etc. However, opportunities are plenty in each branch, so do wows when one tries to select one of those opportunities

First of all, one has to identify the opportunities. The following steps help in identifying an opportunity. These steps can be considered as - FIve Point Path for Opportunity (FIPPO)
1. Look into the problems faced by end users (also called as customers).
2. Find out what the market is currently providing to resolve the problems faced by customers.
3. Analyze why those market supplements are failing in completely resolving the problems faced by customers. This helps in identifying the gap between the "need" and "supply".
4. Think what needs to be done to fill the gap.
5. Formulate the solution to fill the gap in resolving the customers' problem.

If you start counting customers' problems, then you will find it easier to count the grains of sand along the Indian coastal line. My intention is tell you that opportunities are abundant in this world. I certainly did not mean that opportunities in a country can be estimated by measuring it's coastal line.

Anyways, going by above FIPPO, whenever you face a problem, then its time for celebration, because, you just landed up hitting an opportunity...Hurray!!

Now...nay...later...nay...now....huh! When?

Now...nay...later...nay...now....huh! This would be there in everyone's mind on a variety of tasks....especially more on their life goal. In my case, it is all about entrepreneurship.
When to start walking on my own....in my own way....into my own destination.
Lot many factors determinted...determining and will determine the decision.
NOTE: Though I use the word "I" here, everyone can read it as their own "I", because this is applicable to everyone.

EARLIER I used to think that - I was too young and naive......I should gain some experience, and know the industry....should prove ourselves in this competitive job market....should have some job to get married (otherwise difficult to ge a bride) - were the factors that made me postpone the decision.
In this EARLIER phase, there was no tantalizing activity (now or later) in the brain. I was sure "it is later...not now".

After a few years of work experience - NOW - Well, this is time to move to management position. Why to quit now? Let me learn gain management experience also......I am married now. Have got more responsibilities. Let my wife also get job, so that we will have at least one standard income.....I should buy a home. If i take a loan and quit my job, then how to repay?.... First let me learn and analyse the market......what kind of enterprise? Services or products? Technical or non-technical?....Let me go abroad and gain some forex so that I will have some financial security (no one knows how much of such security is needed?).....Will I succeed or not? What if not?.....Damn this bureaucracy.....What work should I do to establish and improve my enterprise? Oh Man! Why to take such risk when we are comfortable in this position? Can we work hard at this stage of life?....Let me learn more about entrepreneurship.....That requires lots of guts. Do I have that? - were SOME of the factors that make me keep postponing the decision.
However, if carefully observed, in the NOW phase, there is some thinking about taking the decision. Some planning is also being evaluated to lay the path. However, the decision is not made.

LATER phase - I am yet to experience this phase. In fact, I do not want to end up in a situation to list some of the factors for delaying the decision. In many cases I know, when they think at this stage, then they feel it should have been "THEN". This is the worst case...because THEN never comes back.

The above factors are be there in most of the minds. So, Now...nay...Later....finally When? My answer for this is - NOW. It is easier said than done. Why it is not easy? I will keep blogging on this topic in the coming weeks, giving more insight into the factors, decisions, and probably some feasible ways to decide on to arrive at the decision to start up an enterprise.

With so many inspiring souls looking at me, I am sure to march ahead in life, fulfilling my dreams......and realizing priya vadanam.

Ravi Landu

Note: Your feedback is welcome