An average day on the farm begins with computer work before daybreak, feeding and milking at daybreak, and then the day moves on to whatever is electronically scheduled (soap/lotion production, packaging, and anything else – what really soaks up the time – involving the “real” nitty-gritty operating of a business). The day ends with another feeding and milking, and additional computer work, planning for the next day, or week, or month.
I have learned to pare down products to manageable numbers (the base soap list, the base lotion scents), and now I am learning to do the same with the goats. The difference is, though, a pair of eyes, a history, a relationship, and some warm-air-breathing enjoyment coming from my lifetime passion – animals.
But, here is the scoop. Goat overhead is also a big part of my business. I must be careful. I feed. I fill the water buckets. I become the resident vet. And time is money. The balance to that is, I raise goats so other people can enjoy them. This is where my heart is finally trained to set aside the attachment. I make my life and pocketbook easier to manage, and I add happiness to someone else’s life (and possibly a business if they so choose).
There you have it. Another solid business decision made. I am slow at these things, I will admit. The heart has had to toughen up. It has been a work in progress.
The motto on the farm: keep one, sell one (goat). Keep a soap type (discontinue a soap type). It is all manageable. It is all good. It is smart.
Annie’s Goat Hill Handcrafted Soaps – Smell and Feel the Goodness
Annies Goat Hill Handcrafted Soaps 