A GOOD NAME is important

January 2025

PIETMAN BOTHA,  INDEPENDENT AGRI- CULTURAL CONSULTANT

THE PLANTING HAS BEEN DONE AND THE CROPS ARE GROWING. NOW THE MARKETING OF YOUR PRODUCTS NEEDS YOUR ATTENTION. YOU NEED TO MAKE A DECISION CONCERNING THE MARKETING OF YOUR GRAIN AND OILSEEDS.

This means that you can do nothing and accept the price at harvest time, you can go to the agribusinesses and sign a contract to sell your products at a certain fixed price, or you can negotiate the right to sell your grains at a specific price.

Each strategy will have an effect on your income. If you don’t do anything, the price at harvesting time will normally be the lowest.

If you negotiate a fixed price contract, for example R100 for maize, it will mean that you must deliver 100 ton maize at a price of R100/t. If the price increases to R200, you will have to sell your product at a price of R100/t. But if the price decreases to R50/t, you will still receive R100/t.

A maize contract is a legally binding agreement between a buyer and seller of maize that outlines the key terms and conditions of the transaction. These terms and conditions typically include the following:

• Expected price.
• Quality of the maize.
• Variety of the maize.
• Quantity of the maize.
• Delivery period.
• Payment terms.
• Any special conditions.

Normally the fixed price contracts will create a big opportunity to harm you reputation. If the price increases from R100 to R200, many farmers will do everything to sell their produce at R200. Some farmers will not honour the contract and this will usually have a negative effect on their good name. Not honouring the contract will lead to financial institutions refusing to lend you money or increasing the interest rate. This is something you really do not want.

GET HELP FROM A SPECIALIST
The marketing of your products is a difficult task, so it’s wise to make use of specialists at agribusinesses. Tap into their knowledge and decide on the agreement that will be the best for the future.

In the evaluation of your business, financial institutions will mainly consider three aspects. If they are satisfied with these aspects, they will approve the loan. The three aspects are:

1. The repayment ability of the client.
2. The security or collateral that the client can provide to repay the debt if something goes wrong.
3. The jockey that is managing the project. It is normally this aspect that clients forget, which will largely influence the loan and the interest rate that needs to be paid.

A good name will have a positive impact, but a bad name will have a negative result.

A good name means you are a person of integrity, but it also represents you, your life and who you are. It testifies about the work you do and how you do it. Your name embodies your reputation. Having a good name requires honourable motives and priorities. It also involves living with a clear conscience by taking responsibility for your actions and correcting your behaviour when you have offended someone or done something wrong.

If your secret desires are motivated by greed or pride, your actions will be influenced by these motives and you will forfeit your good name. To have a clear conscience means taking responsibility for your actions and making things right when you have done something wrong to others.

Priorities reveal your values. They demonstrate what is most important to you: Position, prestige and possessions, or your relationships.

PRACTICAL WAYS TO MAINTAIN A GOOD NAME
A good name is more valuable than riches because it can’t be bought with money. It has to be earned moment by moment, day by day, decision by decision. Having a good name means living in a way that earns the trust of others. It means demonstrating integrity that people can depend on. Maintaining a good name doesn’t mean that you are perfect, but when you make mistakes, you learn from them and do what you can to make things right.

• Be true to your word and do all you can to fulfil your promises and honour your commitments, whatever the cost.
• Return borrowed items. As time passes, the risk of damage, both to the borrowed items and to the friendship, continues to increase.
• Maintain righteous business practices. All business practices must be honest and fair. There is severe and lasting damage to the name of any person who profits from another person’s loss.
• Be punctual in paying bills. Business people depend on the money that is owed to them, so that they can in turn fulfil their financial responsibilities. When a payment is late, the confidence and respect towards the one owing the money are damaged.
• Honour those on whose businesses you depend and establish the practice of making the full payment for services. Consider keeping a special account to keep funds in trust so that the money will not be spent on other items.
• Associate with wise people. Companionship is an important part of life, and your associates influence your judgement on many issues.

How a good name is destroyed
Difficult circumstances alone cannot destroy someone’s good name. When a person does not live with integrity, he starts to compromise, and compromise will destroy a good name. Compromise may begin with ‘small’ or ‘soft’ choices. It may appear to someone that if he compromises, he will relieve the pressure, but he actually multiplies his future problems.

Beware of compromising in these and other areas:

• Dishonest billing.
• Immorality.
• Cheating on taxes.
• Cooperation with evil.
• Misusing funds.

At the end, your good name will help to obtain your goals and will play a role in a good life.

References
https://iblp.org/how-can-maintain-good-name/

Publication: January 2025

Section: Pula/Imvula