There is a lot to think about when putting together a succession plan for a farm: Will it stay in the family or be sold? If it does stay in the family, will all or some of your children remain active? How long do you want to stay involved in the operations? The path to get where you want can be daunting. Luckily, there are certain steps that can be taken now to make the process easier when you are ready to transition. One step we suggest is to separate the farm land from the farming operations.

Over the past two months, we have been discussing questions to consider when entering into a joint venture or merger (see Part 1 and Part 2). Once you and your potential partner have aligned on your business philosophy and products or services, it’s time to start thinking of your employees.

The Indiana Commercial Court Pilot Project has now been up and running for 3 months, joining the 22 other states that have specialized commercial courts. The pilot, which is not to exceed three years, began on June 1, 2016, and has since been implemented in six courts throughout the state of Indiana.

If you’ve been going to the Venture Club of Indiana’s Innovation Showcase for the past few years, you will have noticed that there was a change in the process this year. One of the major changes we saw was the addition of a pre-screening to the selection process. Because of this, companies who made it through were able to pitch for five minutes rather than one.

Last month we discussed questions to consider regarding character and philosophy before entering into a joint venture or merger. After you have a foundational understanding of what is important to your future business partner philosophically, it’s time to begin asking how your products and services will integrate.