Lunch Lesson 10 - Regulation and compliance

The box is easily seen

Business ideas can have the most unlikely origins.

In Peter Lawler's case, it was the aftermath of foot-and-mouth disease.

Since the outbreak nearly three years ago, farms have been under pressure to stop the spread of disease and, of course, to protect their own livestock.

To trace the source of an infection, officials need to be able to track who has visited which farms and might have carried the disease with them.

One way to do that is for all visitors to farms to sign a register.

Quality marks

A code of conduct has been introduced, and although the government can't force farms to comply, it encourages them to keep records.

Peter: Spotted an opportunity

And schemes which give farmers quality marks for the meat they produce, like Little Red Tractor, have stepped up the pressure to keep visitors' books.

How to make it easier to do this was a question taken on board by Peter Lawler, a former herdsman, organic farm inspector, agricultural consultant and now an inventor.

His visits to farms made him realise that what was needed was a standard system.

"There's no point in keeping a visitors' book in the kitchen when people visit a farmyard," he explains.

Laughter

His solution is a weatherproof blue box which can be fixed to the farm entrance. Inside is a register to sign, a pen and a pouch to hold messages and delivery notes.

William: Some early scepticism

Wiltshire farmer William Brown has a box at his premises.

"Initially there was a lot of laughter about it. People thought nobody would ever sign it," he admits.

"It's beginning to be very useful - it's growing on us."

It's not just foot-and-mouth that worries farmers. TB is a problem on cattle fams in William's area.

"If you can pin it down to somedbody who's visited the farm, or hasn't visited the farm, it makes your bio-security and therefore the Environment Agency or anybody else who's responsible that much happier," says William.

There could be other applications

So far, Peter has sold 100 boxes at £55 each and more orders are coming in.

It's a start, but there's nothing to stop people making their own.

However, Peter thinks it could be applicable in other areas, such as building sites.

"I've got pipedreams of tens of thousands," he says.

"It's true there is a very large potential market for it but accessing that market becomes a problem."

But his invention shows that even unfortunate circumstances can inspire business ideas.

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Student Guide

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Farmers have been through hard times lately.

Many are only just recovering from foot-and-mouth.

Animals are still reappearing in fields that have been empty since the disease stuck.

Keeping disease at bay means being able to track where farm visitors have been.

Having to sign in makes people think about where they have been and increases animal protection.

Any visitor to a school has to sign in at reception - so why not make it work for a farm, too?

Keeping records helps protect animals

Keeping track of people isn't just good for the animals but means that farmers know when deliveries and collections have been made.

A quick check in the visitors' book will tell the story - but most farms keep the visitors' book in the farmhouse and there may be no-one in.

You'll also need to take your boots off!

Just think...

Why is it important for schools, businesses and farms to know who has visited?

Good practice

The government wants to prevent outbreaks of foot-and-mouth and other diseases.

WHAT DOES THE TRACTOR MEAN It's a sign that farmers and food processors are working to the highest standards. It covers food produced under various assurance schemes - meat, dairy, cereals etc It was introduced in June 2000.

If there is an outbreak, it's important to be able to track where people have been before and after a visit to an individual farm.

To encourage farms to do this, Defra - the Department for the Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs - set up a code of conduct.

This is much easier to do than changing the law and sets out rules for good practice.

Because it's not law, it can't be enforced but other organisations have taken it up.

Have a look in your fridge and you'll find products with a little red tractor on the label.

To earn your little red tractor, a food producer has to follow a code - which includes being able to track people who have visited farms.

Just think...

What benefit does this have for producers and consumers? Check out the website for the

little red tractor organisation.

Turning rules into opportunity

Peter Lawler has been in the agricultural industry for a long time. He knows the business inside out - and he spotted an opportunity.

To make the code of practice work, it has to be easy to carry out.

If farm visitors don't go to find the visitors' book, take the visitors' book to them.

He came up with the idea for Farm Visitor Plus - a smart blue waterproof box that can be fastened to the wall in a conspicuous spot in the farmyard. Visitors drive by and can't miss it.

Getting the product right was important.

It's a plastic box.

It has to be waterproof.

It contains a visitors' book.

It contains a safe space to leave notes, invoices and messages.

It can't contain anything valuable as it must be accessible to all.

Its price must be right. Farmers don't spend readily!

Just think...

Peter had to put together a business plan for Farm Visitor Plus before he began.

What should go into his business plan?

How should he decide whether to go ahead?

Finding the customers

At £55 plus VAT, the Farm Visitor Plus box doesn't seem very expensive but for many farmers, every penny counts.

It can be hard to persuade them to buy things they don't regard as essential - so Peter has to work at making it a necessity.

He's sold about 100 but needs to sell many more to make the business work.

Members of the little red tractor organisation send out leaflets to their contacts and people who are interested. This one good way of getting to potential customers.

Just having more in farmyards will help because visitors will start to look for them and the word will spread.

Just think...

Can you help Peter market his product?

What promotional strategies would you use to persuade people to buy a Farm Visitor Plus box?

Developing the business

Businesses can't stand still. Although this one is only just beginning, Peter is already thinking about the future.

What other sorts of business might use the box? Many organisations want to monitor visitors but do not have a reception desk where they can sign in.

Just think...

Can you think of other businesses that might find the idea useful?

If you've got good ideas about promotion or the future of the business why not tell Peter about it? You can e-mail him at [e-mail]