The best conversation you'll have this month might start with 'g'day'

Picture this: you're leaning on the rail at the local show, talking sheep prices with a mate. Someone mentions there's a rural financial counsellor attending - free, confidential, no judgement. You think about wandering over to say g'day.

That's often how it starts for those helped by the Rural Financial Counselling Service NSW. Because a rural financial counsellor was present at a field day, show or industry event and a five-minute chat turned into something that mattered.

Last financial year, RFCs attended more than 460 outreach events across the southern and central regions and helped 834 clients work through everything from rising debt and drought pressure to succession planning and negotiations with the bank. For many, it began with that five-minute chat.

That's by design. Primary producers are often the last to ask for help - pride, privacy, or simply not knowing where to start can get in the way. So instead of waiting for people to come through the door, RFCS NSW counsellors go to where farmers already are.

The conversations that follow can cover almost anything: understanding the numbers behind the business, reviewing a loan or a bank relationship, cashflow forecasting, succession planning, or simply having someone to talk it through. For some clients, that conversation with an RFC becomes the one place they can speak candidly. Most RFCs have a background in agriculture or worked in agribusiness banking, accounting and law, so they understand rural life and the challenges that come with it.

So what actually happens after you say g'day?

First comes a conversation, not a consultation. Your RFC will sit down with you to understand what's going on in the business right now and what's keeping you up at night - whether that's a looming loan repayment, a run of dry seasons, or a succession conversation nobody in the family wants to start. There's no judgement and nothing is decided on the spot.

From there, if you decide to keep working together, your RFC will help pull apart the financial position of the business - what's coming in, what's going out, and where the pressure points really are. It's less about a report full of jargon and more about finally seeing the numbers laid out plainly, often for the first time in years.

With a clearer picture in hand, the next step is turning it into a plan. This is where the client stays firmly in the driver's seat; RFC won't tell you what to do with your farm. Together, you work through a SWOT analysis, looking honestly at the business's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, and use it to set SMART goals - specific, measurable targets with a clear timeframe attached, rather than vague intentions. Whether that's improving profitability, preparing the business for a successor, or exploring a sale on your terms, the plan is built around what matters most to you and your family.

Then comes support while you put the plan into action. Your RFC stays alongside you as you work through the changes, checking in, troubleshooting and helping you build the skills and confidence to keep going. Because a good plan is only useful if it fits into real life on a real farm.

Finally, once the actions are underway, your RFC checks that things are tracking, asks how the experience was, and, if there's a specialist need outside financial counselling, connects you with the right service. Throughout, it stays your business and your decisions. The role of the RFC is to make sure you're not working it out alone.

Delivering outcomes that make a difference

That whole process rests on a few simple principles. It's client-led, so the goals are always yours, not the RFC's. It's outcomes-driven, focused on getting real runs on the board rather than just producing a plan that sits in a drawer. It's growth-focused, with the RFC helping you build skills and confidence you can keep using long after the case closes. And it's relevant and reflective, meaning the support flexes as conditions on the farm change, because no two seasons, or two businesses, look the same.

That pattern shows up in the data too. Last financial year alone, 276 clients told RFCS NSW they came away with a better understanding of their financial position, 209 had a clearer picture of their options for improving it, and 166 accessed financial support they may not have otherwise found. 161 clients were implementing changes to lift profitability, and 104 reporting they'd improved their financial and business skills, and competence as a result. Behind every number is a conversation that started much like the one at the show, with someone deciding it was worth a five-minute chat.

The service is for anyone at risk of financial hardship, not only those already in it. Getting in early, before pressure builds, is often what turns a hard year into a manageable one. So, look out for an RFC at an upcoming field day, show or industry event and say g’day. Or call 1800 319 458 or visit www.rfcsnsw.org.au to be connected to your local rural financial counsellor.