Author: bzsuper

Bringing Balance by Investing in Youth

Getting involved. Giving back. Sharing a passion and her knowledge. These are all actions that have helped Riley Faris, Pueblo, Colo., get her business going during her first summer as a BioZyme® dealer.

Faris, who was involved in youth livestock projects growing up, has stepped up as a volunteer the past three years at the Pueblo County Fair in Southeast Colorado. She showed at this same fair as an exhibitor, and now enjoys coming back as a volunteer, assisting the swine superintendent with the hog show including duties ranging from weighing in the pigs, to breaking classes to helping manage the show on show day.

“I’m trying to help the youth with showing and to learn how to take care of their animals. Coming from an agricultural background, it is important to instill in the youth the importance of agriculture and the role it plays in our everyday life. Plus, when I was growing up, I had a lot of people help me, so now that I’m older I want to return that to the younger kids,” Faris said.

Faris is not only helping youth understand the importance of agriculture and assisting with the annual hog show, but she is also trying to teach the young exhibitors and their parents the importance of keeping their animals healthy with the use of a good nutrition program. As a newer BioZyme dealer, she takes the opportunities of being at the Pueblo County Fair and other surrounding livestock shows to discuss the Sure Champ® line of products and the Amaferm® advantage.

At this year’s Pueblo County Fair, Faris was able to sponsor showmanship awards for the Grand and Reserve Champion showman of each species, while promoting the products that help their livestock stay on feed and water and keep healthy.

“This year because of BioZyme and all of the support they offer, I was able to get showmanship banners for hogs, sheep, goats and beef.

I am also giving each of the winners a little goodie bag with some additional fun things and added information about the Sure Champ line, specifically designed for show animals,” she said. “The kids were so excited. Typically, the grand and reserve champion animals get banners, but they have to give them to the buyers, so the kids were excited they got to bring their showmanship banners home with them.”

In addition to the awards she provided at Pueblo County, she sponsored awards for the Grand and Reserve Grand Market Animal classes at the neighboring Otero County to Fair. Both sponsorships led to product awareness, and with the county fair and state fair about a month a part in Pueblo, she said she sold some additional Sure Champ between the county fairs and the Colorado State Fair.

“The most rewarding part is watching the new kids that come up through the programs or the kids that reach out to me and watching them succeed and seeing the look on their faces when they know they have accomplished something,” Faris said.

Although Faris genuinely enjoys watching the youth grow, learn and succeed, she knows that being involved in the local shows has created awareness for her business, and helped increase her sales.

“Give a little bit of yourself and your time, and people will start supporting your business,” she said.

Finding the Balance Between Leadership and Management

When it comes to running your business, would you rather have a leader or manager in charge? Seems like a trick question until you really think about it. However, it is best to have someone who can balance both the traits of a leader and a manager and work in the business while also working on the growth of the business.

A leader guides or directs. We often think of leaders setting behind large mahogany desks in big cushy chairs. They set budgets, give inspirational talks at the company’s monthly meetings and cheer on the employees who have reached milestones. Everyone wants to be an all-powerful leader.

A manager on the other hand, sets among the employees in a not so cushy chair, and lives by the budgets set forth for them. They often oversee one team or division of the company, and make sure that tasks are assigned and completed on time, team goals are met. Managing can sound dreary and sometimes like the controlling force behind the worker bees.

However, both leaders and managers are needed in successful business settings. Are you a leader or a manager? The problem with this either-or thinking is that both are needed in a well-run enterprise.

According to a post at www.inpserity.com: “Leaders focus on high-level objectives such as inspiring and motivating the team to success, which can be exciting and powerful. Managers focus on organizing, planning and overseeing daily operations and that can sound mundane.”

You might be thinking back to Lisa’s letter, and wondering, in your position, should you be working in the business or on the business. The answer is, both.

A well-balanced supervisor, regardless of title, will have some traits of both a leader and a manager. Although a manager’s first priority is to make sure employees get their job complete in an efficient order – working in the business; it is also important to the employees to hear from their manager positive feedback on how they accomplished the task – working on the business. That is a good example of how a supervisor needs to balance the roles of both manager and leader.

Here are six questions for you to ask yourself, according to Insperity. com, to help you balance your manager-leader role to make your employees and your business more efficient.

1. Is the work getting done well without my intervention? If yes, concentrate on motivating the team to keep performing well. If not, put on your manager hat and ask the team what’s getting in the way of better performance, then help them implement changes.

2. Do you focus on results or the process (how the job got done)? If you focus on results, good for you. That’s what is most important. If you tend to focus on process more than results, challenge yourself to become more comfortable with the reality that many alternatives may exist to getting the same result.

3. Do colleagues in other parts of the organization come to you for advice? If yes, you’re probably seen as a leader. If not, look at what you can change to support and inspire others. What do you spend the most time talking about? The tasks at hand, processes and deadlines, or the big picture and strategy? Managers need to discuss both but pay attention to whether you’re leaning too hard one direction or the other.

4. What do you spend the most time talking about? The tasks at hand, processes and deadlines, or the big picture and strategy? Managers need to discuss both but pay attention to whether you’re leaning too hard one direction or the other.

5. Do you ask employees to accomplish objectives without explaining the need behind the request? Employees are more likely to go the extra mile if they understand why they’re being asked to do something.

6. Who is responsible when things go wrong? Do you blame the team or yourself? A leader understands that it’s ultimately his or her responsibility for the success or failure of a team.

Remember, there is no one right to lead or manage your team, but you will need to balance your skills so that you can encourage them to get the work done while also serving as a coach and motivator. Being a manager and a leader at the same time will allow you to work in and on the business, achieving the best results for everyone.

 

Information from this article from: https://www.insperity.com/blog/leadershipvs-management-strike-right-balance-business/

Letters From Lisa – October 2019

Balance: How to spend time on your business, not just in your business

Balance is defined as “a condition in which different elements are equal or in the correct proportions.” To be honest, having all the elements of life in balance has never been easy for me, because I love to work. I am always thinking up a new, amazing change to implement with all sorts of “positive” ramifications, and I just don’t take much time for balance.

I don’t think I will be able to change that about myself, and to be quite honest, I do not desire to change. However, what I also do not do very well, but do desire to change, is the time I spend working on the business versus in the business.

In entrepreneurial circles, there’s a well-known book called “The E-Myth Revisited,” by Michael Gerber. He popularized this concept of working on the business as opposed to in the business. Easily put, working in your business achieves results for your customers, while working on your business achieves results for the company and your customers.

If you want to achieve sustainable long-term results for your business, you’ll need to do both. For me, staying focused on working on the business is hard. I know it is the right way, but before I know it another month is gone, and all I have done is work in the business. One way to check yourself on this is to start a journal and record everything you do for a week and then categorize everything into either an “in” or “on” column. Your time must be weighted to “on” if you want the financial results of the company to continue to grow. Here are some lists to help you choose the right column in your journal and keep you honest.

I know from experience how easy it is to just work IN your business for weeks and weeks and even months without doing anything to work ON your business. Every day stuff happens so you deal with that stuff, and if you aren’t very careful, the day will end without achieving much at all to help your business move forward.

So, give the journal a try. It doesn’t take much to get started, even 30 minutes a day to begin with to get into the habit. The great thing about working ON your business is that very quickly it will make working IN your business a lot easier and more rewarding.

Our VitaFerm Power Keg is now Available!

Are your customers looking for another alternative to keep protein costs down this fall and winter without sacrificing quality?
We are excited to offer the new VitaFerm Power Keg. This 20% natural protein pressed keg is perfect for beef cattle on low quality forages needing extra supplementation. It is an economical option for customers who are not calving this fall but still want to provide protein and the Amaferm advantage to their cattle. Learn more about it here: https://dealers.backofficeapps.com/products/1978

Our Gel Products Campaign is Now Available on PromoBoxx!

Do you need a little social help promoting our gel products? We have you covered with our new Gel Products Campaign on Promoboxx! This campaign features promotional posts and product information for you to share on your social media accounts. We have content available on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Dealer Spotlight: K Triangle Feed

Personal Experiences Lead to Protein Promotion

When a dealer has walked a mile, or 20, in his customer’s shoes it makes it clear to understand the trials and opportunities they face each day. Master and VIP Dealer Keith Micke, Glendo, Wyo., knows what it’s like to try to survive in the cattle business and have Mother Nature against you. He is making strides to help his customers stay profitable while providing high-quality nutrition to their herd.

“I ranched at one time, and I have always been one to get the biggest bang for my buck and save money where I could, and my customers are the same way,” Micke said. “If they are having a bad year, I might have a bad year. I am trying to help them get the best possible product for their money.”

Sufficient protein is always a concern going into the fall and winter months, and BioZyme® offers several options to supplement protein in the cattle diets. However, in a year where some ranchers have too much rain and some are suffering from drought, Micke is trying to make sure his customers also get the most for their dollar, especially in a time when calf prices are depressed. Therefore, he is turning his focus on marketing the VitaFerm® Concept•Aid® Protein Meal.

Micke said he typically offers a slight discount on a protein product for about six weeks each fall; and this year, making the choice to focus on the Protein Meal seemed logical after hearing from his customers. The product contains 20% protein, Concept•Aid and the Amaferm® advantage, while being conveniently packaged in 50-pound bags, which he said is easier for older ranchers and lady ranchers to handle than the 200-pound tubs.

Micke said promoting and selling the Protein Meal is two-fold. The Protein Meal offers an affordable value; however, it does require a feeder. He said if his customers order a mass quantity of the Protein Meal, yet to be determined, he will provide a VitaFerm mineral feeder for them.

“The mineral feeders will pay for themselves over time. They are big, and have the VitaFerm label right on them, so each time they are out in the pasture, the producers see ‘VitaFerm’ and think about the value they are receiving when they put mineral out,” Micke said.

He said since he has started keeping the mineral feeders in stock, they have become great sellers. When people see them, they want to try them, and they have great results. He has heard from producers who use them with bulls. They don’t tip over and keep the mineral protected from wind and rain. And, perhaps most importantly, they don’t blow around like the empty tubs.

“The Protein Meal is a hell of a product. It’s not new, but it’s one that producers need to think about when trying to save some money this fall,” Micke said.

He will start marketing the Protein Meal with a mailing that the Marketing Team helped him develop and will launch his promotion at his producer meetings in mid-September. He suggests always working with the ASMs, who are insightful and can help with ideas.

Experience is the best teacher, and having fed the Protein Meal in 2012, when coming through a drought, helped Micke understand the value of the product. To offer a product that helps producers succeed, and helps dealers stay profitable is a great example of care that comes full circle.

Congratulations To Our VIP Dealers!

Congratulations to our dealers who have achieved VIP status so far this year! To achieve this, these dealers had to have at least $250,000 in supplement sales and $2,500 in Vita Charge and/or Vitalize Sales (not including tubs). These dealers will receive VIP Benefits including:

  1. BEST PRICING.  Guaranteed best pricing (truckload) on all orders regardless of size for volume items and Level 2 pricing on all Vita Charge & Vitalize non-volume items.
  2. PRIORITY SUPPORT.  Priority support from your Area Sales Manager, the Customer Support Team, Plant/Operations and the BioZyme Marketing Team.
  3. FUN STUFF.  You will receive free PR in your local and regional papers, a special token of our appreciation for all you do and special perks at our Annual Dealer retreat.

Don’t Forget Our Action Rewards Program!

Don’t forget you receive points for actions including training and for promoting BioZyme products. You can redeem your Action Rewards Points in the Online Dealer Center for merch and other prizes. You can redeem your Action Rewards Points in the Online Dealer Center for merch and other prizes.
For more information on the Action Rewards Program visit: https://dealers.backofficeapps.com/dealer-rewards/details
And as always you can see your points for this period here: https://dealers.backofficeapps.com/dealer-rewards

High-Resolution Photos of our Gel Products are Now Available.

We wanted to remind you to update the product photos and information for any paste products that you may have on your website, marketing literature and/or catalogs to the new gel product information and photos. Below you will find links to download high-resolution photos of all of our new gels.
To save them, click on the link below to open the larger photo and then right-click and choose “Save As” to save them to your computer.
If you need any help, please comment below and we can help you out!

Show Your Customer’s The Power of Protein

Need help positioning Concept•Aid Protein Products? We have you covered.

Is Your Customer’s Forage Quality Low?

Then, it’s protein time as proper protein supplementation is essential to overall animal productivity and performance that pays! All VitaFerm® ️Concept•Aid® protein products provide the convenience of Concept•Aid along with a natural protein source so there is no need for additional vitamin and mineral fortification when forage quality is low.

Why Your Customers Need it:

  • 20% Natural Protein: Provides the convenience of the highly bioavailable Concept•Aid breeding mineral along with a natural protein meal so there is no need for an additional vitamin and mineral source when forage quality is low.
  • The Amaferm® Advantage: Amaferm is a precision prebiotic that provides more intake, feed digestibility and nutrient absorption resulting in amplified breeding performance of the cow.
  • Two Form Options Available: You can provide customers with the product in their choice of a convenient 200-lb. tub or a more economical mineral form available in a 50 lb. bag.

Marketing Services:

The BioZyme® ️ Marketing Team is available to help you develop materials about the protein products targeted specifically to your local audience. If you would like help, please reach out to Ashley Fitzsimmons, Regional Marketing Manager, at (307) 575-1082 or afitzsimmons@biozymeinc.com.

Hay Testing Services:

Taking hay samples is one step that can help your customers determine if the nutrient requirements of their animals are being met. By having a general idea of the quality of the forage, it will enable you to help provide them the lowest cost ration possible to meet performance expectations.

To learn more about hay testing or help your customers analyze the results of their hay test and choose the best products, visit www.vitaferm.com/hay-testing.