Programme: Owner Operator Programme 2014
Name: Will Foley
Business: Foley Farming Enterprises Ltd
Year founded: 2008
Industry: Agriculture
Location: Hawke’s Bay
Will Foley is the Managing Director of Foley Farming Enterprises Ltd which is an agricultural business farming sheep and beef.
Since 2007, the Central Hawke’s Bay area has experienced a combination of droughts and fluctuating product prices. So by 2013, Will was fed up and realised he needed to refocus on what he wanted to achieve out of the business. This started the process of establishing a new business plan, giving Will the ability to reassess the strengths and weaknesses of the business. Will discovered that he was managing the business in the wrong way especially when taking into consideration the effects of the climate.
Once the business plan was complete it was time for the execution but Will needed help and so he called upon The Icehouse to provide assistance.
The key objectives for Will when he started the Owner Operator Programme was to better manage the business and the growth he wanted to achieve. “I have always been good at working alongside my team, getting stuck in the day to day chores but have struggled to step above them and lead with better management.” He also struggled to make decisions that would have larger impacts on the overall profitability of the business. So this was a key thing he had to work on as well.
The programme has provided Will with a chance to meet and work with other business owners from Hawke’s Bay. “They are all there for the same reason and it’s great to be alongside completely different businesses in what they do, sell or service but all have similar problems or issues to overcome. Michaela, The Icehouse representative in Hawke’s Bay, is a great asset to the programme because of her competency and knowledge.”
For Will the programme has helped him focus on what is really important to the business and himself as a person. He is now able to leave or delegate the small stuff and work on the business. “It is important to stay focused on the larger goal as this determines the specific tasks for the day to day and outlines what actions really matter. All the changes that I identified and implemented have simplified the business resulting in a decrease in costs and ultimately an increase in revenue.”
Will hopes to continue to identify areas where he can step away and free up more time to better monitor and direct the business. He is motivated to continue to see how things can be improved and done better. Participants of the programme are encouraged to have a lofty almost unachievable goal, and Will hopes to achieve his goal in the near future through continual improvement in what they do and through expansion.
The sky is the limit for Foley Farming Enterprises and we expect to see great things from Will.
