Business Ideas | Small Business Ideas: Sheep Farming Business

Monday, February 3, 2014

Sheep Farming Business | Starting Sheep Farming to Make Money

Sheep Farming is the raising and breeding of domestic sheep. It is a branch of animal husbandry. Sheep are raised principally for their meat, lamb or mutton, for their milk, or for wool. They also yield sheepskin and parchment.

A Sheep Business can be a very profitable venture especially if you raise a lot of them however starting it may tend to be very slow. For an entrepreneur to succeed in such a venture a lot of patience is needed as well as understanding the cycles of your business for harvest time is a different season from planting.

This business article will give you some simple basic instructions on how to get started.

Study on sheep

Basic as it may sound but the first step in becoming successful is knowing what your business is about. Take ownership and be proactive. Get hungry, grab books that will expand your thinking. Study the different breeds of sheep. Know what they eat, their life span, how they procreate and what climates suit them.

Write a sheep farming business plan

First, determine the purpose of your sheep farm business. Write down areas that you can focus on. Sheep farming can really be profitable. You can focus on wool production which later can be used as material for clothing, shawls, blankets just to mention a few. Another area that could arouse your interest is diary. Sheep produce milk that can be used for cheese and ice cream too. Of course, you can also raise sheep for their meat as well as become a breeder. Definitely, sheep farming has its potential as a lucrative business. Second, determine what type of sheep breed will help you meet your purpose.

Get a sheep farm business license

Before moving on, consult your business plan with a business lawyer. Get the legal aspects of running such a farm done and get over with. Fill up the forms and documents. Get your sheep raising business permits and licenses out of the way. This is a part of the start up cost of a sheep farm business.

Visit a real estate agent

Set an appointment to discuss your location requirements. Share your budget range with him at the beginning of your meeting so as he has an idea which areas to offer you. Aside from visiting a real estate agent, you may want to browse the web or newspaper for existing sheep farms or just farms that could be converted to one which are for sale. Compare prices. Invest in the location that is best for your business plans but will also fit in your budget range.

Invest on additional tools

Make a list of tools you need in running your farm business. Include tools for fencing, trimming, shearing and hay in your list. Browse the web for other tools that can be used in raising sheep and running a farm. Don’t be afraid to experiment with technologies that will make your business run smoother. However you don’t need to purchase them all. Pick the ones you need first.

Set up your farm

Hire a contractor to build a shelter for your sheep. Build a shelter that will protect them from rain and other harsh environments. Have the contractor fortify your piece of land with fencing.

Develop a maintenance plan

Running a farm is a lot of work so consider hiring people to help you. Create a schedule plan for cleaning, trimming, vaccinations and of course dates when to harvest what you planted whether it be wool, dairy, meat or breeding.

References

Sheep Farming Business

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Sheep FarmingFebruary 3, 2014 at 10:47 PM
Making Money with Sheep and Goats, Sheep Farming, Sheep Farming Business, Starting Sheep Farming Business, Starting Sheep Farming to Make Money
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Easy Tips and Ideas to Start Business

Although anyone can start a business, many people fail because of a bad product or improper research. If you want to start your own business, you can improve your chances for success before you even begin. In order to make your business successful, start strong and make sure that your idea will hold out for the long haul.

Have a Good Product

Ensure that you plan to sell something useful. Although you may think that your product is important or special, that doesn't mean the general public will agree. Ask friends, family and strangers what they think of your product. If they don't seem that interested, ask them why. With their suggestions, you can either improve the product or scrap the idea completely. According to Brad Sugars of Entrepreneur magazine, most small businesses fail because they sold a product that didn't have an adequate market. This also applies to small businesses that provide a service. A lawn-care business might be useful for part of the year in a northern state, but it is in-demand year-round in the south. Consider whether people will actually want to use your service and get constructive advice from those not afraid to give their opinion.

Research Local Businesses

Research local companies before starting up your own business. This will not only give you an idea of the amount of competition you will have, but it will also help you price your product or service. If you're looking to start a wedding photography business, you may find during your research that the market is over-saturated in your area. If not over-saturated, you should contact each business and ask them for a price list. Alter your prices so you can stay competitive with the competition in town. Researching similar local businesses will also help you decide where to locate your business location. Try not to start up a store or office close to another business of your type. If your small business is located away from similar business types, this will cause locals to choose you over businesses that are farther away from where they live.

Get Professional Advice

You may know someone who has started their own successful business. Ask him for advice and listen to his stories of how he started his company. You may gain useful advice on the good and bad ways to start a business. Local entrepreneurs can also introduce you to local product providers or advertisers that you may not have met without their help. Accept any advice with open arms, especially if the advice is coming from someone successful in the area.

How to Calculate Business Start Up Costs

Starting a business in no easy endeavor. It takes a great deal of research, perseverance and hard work. While sweat equity will make your small business more successful, you will most likely need real capital to get the business started. Before you start raising capital and/or investing your own funds, the first thing you need to do is determine the total start-up costs.

Step 1

Determine your costs of sales. For most small businesses this means inventory, the cost of raw materials, manufacturing equipment, shipping, packaging, and warehousing. However, not all businesses sell products. In this case, the cost of sales is primarily the direct labor involved in making the sale. For example, to open a small shoe business entails purchasing enough inventory ($10,000) to stock the store.

Step 2

Determine professional fees. Planning your business structure, i.e., limited liability corporation or general partnership, means hiring an attorney. There may also be the need to pay an attorney for help with establishing trademarks, copyrights, and patents. In this scenario, that puts total professional fees at an estimated $20,000.

Step 3

Determine technology costs. Technology can greatly reduce the cost of labor for small business if used effectively. Most small businesses require computers, printers, cell phones, website development, Internet access, software applications, information security, data storage, and outsourced information technology (IT) consulting. If the cost of technology is $10,000 to start, add an additional $5,000 a year for maintenance (hint: maintenance is not included in start-up costs).

Step 4

Determine administrative costs. This varies with business types and may include items such as business insurance, office supplies, product packaging, parking, rent, express shipping, desks, chairs, fax machines, phones, or anything else necessary to operate the business daily. A good estimate for start-up administrative costs would be $5,000 for the first six months.

Step 5

Determine initial sales and marketing costs. Now that you have your product, you need to let folks know about it. Sales and marketing costs generally include marketing materials for presentations, printing stationery, business cards, advertising, trade show events, and public relations. These initial sales and marketing costs can add up to $3,000.

Step 6

Determine the wages and benefits needed to secure a staff. This includes employee salaries, benefits, workers compensation, and payroll taxes. Let's put the cost of wages and benefits estimated at $20,000 for the first three months of business.

Step 7

Add all costs associated with starting the business for a total. Be sure to only include business start-up costs that will be incurred in the first three to six months of operations. For this example, the calculation is: $10,000 + $20,000 + $10,000 + $5,000 + $3,000 + $20,000 = $68,000.

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