“If you’re not first, you’re last” —Ricky Bobby
It is good to be first — first place at the county fair, first in line at Thanksgiving or first in a race. In agriculture, we’re often called to be first at adopting something new, but it can be hard to make a big change knowing so much is riding on the decisions made each year.
While being an early adopter has its risks, it also has its fair share of advantages.
Innovation Leadership
Early adopters are often seen as leaders. Incorporating new products and services before they are proven is certainly a rare thing in a business that has much to do with commoditization and price taking. But standing out could have its advantages. I once had a client who loved to be seen as a leader and was always testing a “beta” product. I assume he does a lot with carbon credit programs.
Brand Reputation
Being an innovative thinker can also be part of your operation’s brand. While a strong care for the legacy of the past is inherent in most farmers, being open to the future and working to stay relevant could sure help bridge the gap in those multigenerational conversations.
Regulatory Preparedness
Early adopters have the advantage of being well-prepared for future regulations. Consider the much talked about SCOPE 3 in the supply chain. While the ruling on it is in flux, growers who begin to consider and adopt ways to track emissions or implement reduction strategies could have the necessary systems and processes in place to comply with potential future regulations.
Learning Curve
By starting early, individuals and businesses have more time to learn and refine their strategies for a changing market rather than having to catch up when they are behind on what has become the norm. Early adopters often tend to be leaders who are both adaptable people and have the capacity to bring on something new and build it into their production system with relative ease.
Competitive Edge
Being among the first to adopt new technologies allows those who do to differentiate themselves from competitors and demonstrate their commitment to staying ahead of the curve. This can help attract young and ambitious talent or impress the next landowner you’re looking to bring on.
While this list provides a few advantages, being an early adopter is really about the situation, the financial pros and cons, and the operational capacity to bring in the new system or process. It’s called calculated risk.
To evaluate your personal comfort with risk and challenge yourself to take the advantages of being an early adopter, here are five questions to think about:
- Am I always seeking ideas, or am I the one who comes up with the new tool and then seeks a supplier?
- Do I often get bored or frustrated with current conditions, technology or equipment?
- What are the most recent risks I took in the business, and did I consider them risks or innovations at the time?
- When evaluating my last season, do I often ask myself what is something new that I tried and how did it go?
- Do I believe the benefits to innovating out weigh the value and stability of remaining the same?
