#014 (Part Two): Vincent Carton (Manor Farm)

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Vincent Carton’s story reaches back into the 18th Century, where the Carton family began a poultry business involving breeding, feeding and selling in the Dublin area. This is one of Ireland’s oldest surviving companies!

With so much experience and wisdom to share, we’ve brought this conversation to you in two parts. Following on from Part One, where you heard how Vincent came to own the business and how he nearly lost it, in Part Two you'll find out how Vincent and his team got the business back on track and the strategy they used to grow profits from 500 thousand to 13 million in just 7 years!

Check out these videos I mentioned in the episode:

The Whirl Wind
The concept that top management can’t focus on growing and scaling the business if they are caught up in the day-to-day work of the business. Getting out of the Whirl Wind was critical for Manor Farm implementing their strategic plan.
https://youtu.be/ahH2WdrovPg?list=PL7B1E1664C5352A7

First Follower
In order get all employees rowing in the same direction, the board needed to communicate the strategy of the business to everyone in the organisation. To do this, they appointed 23 “first followers” to champion the strategy in their own divisions. It only took 23 people to change a company of circa 830 people.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fW8amMCVAJQ&list=LL4t6dGleRcIkHHwCqBARENQ&index=73

The Five Monkeys
This was the main problem that Vincent and the board came up against when they tried to create change in a 230 year old business. People will always follow “the way we’ve always done it” rather than embrace change. Vincent and his first followers showed this video to their staff who quickly understood the concept and bought-in to the idea of going back to the facts.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZeiSKnhOBc

Find out more about Vincent Carton and Manor Farm here:
https://chicken.ie/about-us

Irish Business Builders is brought to you by Jetbooks. Jetbooks provides online bookkeeping services for Irish Businesses. For a free 15 minute online consultation, visit www.jetbooks.ie

Thanks for listening!