Coming up with a good business plan
Whether you are a shepherd wondering what to do with your fiber or you're a fiber artist who is thinking of turning your hobby into a career, we hope our information, though limited, will help you decide whether you want to pursue a business.
Many of us have started with a love for something, whether it is in raising animals or making beautiful things for people , it is always a decision best made with a little help. Selling your wares or in our case, processing for others comes starts with an idea and a well thought out plan.
Let's start with looking at the various animals we work with and their possibilities.
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Fleece
yarn, roving, raw fleece,finished goods
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Milk
milk, cheese, soap
fertilizer
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Meat
the whole animal
cuts of lamb
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Hide
leather
sheepskin
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Manure
composted
fresh
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Animal Sales
Photo courtesy of Judith Prins via Wix.com
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Fleece
yarn, roving, raw fleece,living rug, finished goods
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Animal Sales
-
Manure
composted
fresh
-
Meat
the whole animal
cuts of lamb
-
Hide
leather
sheepskin
Photo courtesy of Jaddy Liu via Wix.com
-
Fleece
yarn, roving, raw fleece,living rug, finished goods
-
Animal Sales
-
Manure
composted
fresh
-
Meat
the whole animal
cuts of lamb
-
Hide
leather
sheepskin
Photo courtesy of Jessica Knowlden via Wix.com
-
Fleece
yarn, roving, raw fleece,finished goods
-
Milk
milk, cheese, soap
fertilizer
-
Meat
the whole animal
cuts of lamb
-
Hide
leather
sheepskin
-
Manure
composted
fresh
-
Animal Sales
Courtesy of Wix.com
So What do I charge for my……?
We are asked this question quite often so we thought we would make it easier to a chart to help you figure your costs. So many people do not factor in all things that actually go into creating finished items.
If you do not raise animals, you can skip some of these, but the reality is there is more to consider when starting and maintaining a business.
We hope this will shed light on where your costs truly are.
Cost to Maintain Your Herd over the coarse of One (1) year
Maintain my herd costs me.....
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$________ Hay
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$________ Pellets
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$________ Water for Pasture
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$________ Shearing by a hired sheared
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$________ Worming
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$________ Vaccinations
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$________ Other costs incurred ie: boarding, etc
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$________ Total of all lines
Fiber Production
Approximate amount of usable fiber
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________ # Average number of pounds of fiber per animal: _______ pounds times 16 = _______ ounces
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________ # Ounces that are not be usable – skirting ( about 20% )
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________ # Ounces that are coarse and usable for felting or rugs only
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________ # Ounces that will be good quality for roving, yarn or other
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_________ # TOTAL AMOUNT OF USEABLE FIBER
Do the Math
The real figure
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Now let's do some math
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Divide :
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The Cost per animal per year = $ _____
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by The Total Ounces of usable fiber ______ =
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This is your Cost per ounce of fiber $ _____
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You can multiply this by 16 to get your pound price.
This is your COST. -
If you are selling the fiber in the raw state, then a general rule of thumb is to double that cost for a wholesale price, if you chose to wholesale your product.
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To sell retail, you can take the Cost of fiber per ounce of pound and multiply that by 3 or 4. This would be your base selling price.