Secret to a Successful Business Plan

MacFarlane Pheasants, Inc. didn’t get to be so successful without a plan. We began by developing core values, followed by a mission for our business and careful communication with every employee on the farm.

We believe our plan can effectively help any business owner get on the right track toward running a pheasant business. One way to effectively carry out a good plan is to have daily, weekly, and monthly interactions between highly qualified staff that explain the who, what, when, where, and why of daily operations.

Almost every manager at MacFarlane Pheasants, Inc. is cross-trained, as are many employees. The importance of regular meetings and daily communications cannot be emphasized enough. If staff is trained only to perform tasks, but not to understand why procedures are followed or why a procedure might change, it is more likely that mistakes will be made that could negatively affect our core values and business mission.

Some procedures must be done automatically every day, but many  daily and long term decisions are based on new circumstances.  If we don’t talk to each other as individuals and as a group, our birds and our business are negatively impacted.

A good rule of thumb, if you want to be successful in any business, was shared by our Research Manager, Trudy DeRemer, “Never train a staff member to just do a job. Always explain why specific procedures are followed.”  New staff members, especially, do not always intuitively understand procedures, but when they know why a procedure is followed, they are far less likely to take shortcuts that would be detrimental to our birds!

We have developed a team approach to the successful operation of our farm and  would be glad to answer your questions about how we  keep our staff trained and current on the daily operations. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you would like more information about our business.

An overview of our core values, mission statement, and managerial system follows:

Core Values

• Humane treatment of our birds
• Customer satisfaction
• Profitability with integrity
• Employee job satisfaction
• Stewardship of the earth
• Support and encourage community involvement

Mission Statement

• Sustained profitability focused on integrity and accountability to employees, vendors, and neighbors with respect for our birds and the environment.

Owner Operator

• Financial Officer
• Division Managers
• Production Managers for Janesville and Milton
• Office Manager
• Food Products Manager
• Hatchery Barn Manager
• Brooder Manager
• Hun Partridge Manager
• Bird Care Manager
• Process Crew Manager
• Saw Room Manager
• Maintenance Manager
• Construction Manager
• Assistant Managers in all divisions