Should I OR Shouldn't I????

[FarmerChick]

OK

I am bored.

Yup. but a real job is out cause of kiddo. every single time I thought part time job something came up with Nicole and school. So I would not want to do that to a job ya know.



I have horse barns up the ying yang and pasture. Stalls are about 30 and pasture is about 40 acres. wash stalls, tack rooms, power, water, etc etc

BUT

my delimina.

I got into traveling. Barb (best friend who is horse gal like me) says she will be partner. I got another who could clean and be available etc. cause she has 2 kids and has same problem as me with kids.



it COULD be a moneymaker but dealing with PEOPLE. ugh ugh ugh


SO ON the fence.

it is all I love. horses, care, I got the facilities easily. BUT I am so worried.



ease my mind. I have it so easy right now. no work, no worries, time etc. BUT yet I know I am not productive. I was full time farming now the soaps are big biz but not enough. need out of the house.



what am I missing???? should I go for it???


just throwing this out to chat about it.

 

[Mickey328]

I'm a tad confused...there's time to travel, but not to work? Not being rude...truly...just wondering Have you thought about perhaps making someone a manager for the boarding? You do the paperwork part of it and let them deal with the day-to-day stuff and the people? You could offer a percentage rather than an actual salary, so that would keep you from paying if the customers aren't. Just a thought...

 

[SSDreamin]

What type of business, exactly? Boarding/giving lessons? LOTS of people contact, word of mouth advertising, etc. Training? Much less people contact, much more intensive and hands on (less opportunity for leisure travel, but possibly a lot of business related travel, which would quickly become a conflict.)

If Barb is willing to be a partner, wouldn't that allow the breathing room you'd need to get away? I get the feeling that you may be like me - NOBODY takes care of my animals like I do, so I end up grumbling at myself for tying myself to them If you trust Barb, then I'd say go for it. If Barb is flighty, gung-ho one minute and checked out the next, I wouldn't bother (Imagine the school calling, you are dealing with several customers, and Barb is nowhere to be found/not answering her phone. You abandon the customers, of-course, who each tell 10 people about how unprofessional you were. Bad customer service = 10 people, Good = 2. Crappy, but true :/ ). The other lady you refer to doesn't really factor in, as she will only be help, not have a vested interest. Speaking of which, it seems you are providing the majority of the business, I would hope your operating agreement reflects that? What is Barb bringing to the table? Is she a people person? Good at marketing? So long as you've done your market research and due diligence, and it mainly involves putting equipment & buildings you already have back into service, I say go for it.

I know you are familiar with the business aspects, and were very happy to be out from under things. Maybe you could start with a commitment of just a few hours a week, to see how it feels?

OK, that's the extent of my 2 cents.

 

[Denim Deb]

Personally, you couldn't pay me enough to run a boarding barn. If you 30 stalls, that's a lot of boarders. If they're stall kept at night, that's 30 stalls that need to be cleaned every day. Then, you have to feed all those horses, put up the hay for all those horses, blanket them, etc. Plus, you have all the drama that comes w/having boarders.

I've thought about having people board if I had a lot of land, but it would only be if they did self care, or worked amongst themselves to do the care.

 

[Beekissed]

Are the barns metal barns or wooden barns? Bear with me, I'm going somewhere with this.....

 

[moolie]

I own my own business, and I have to say that staff costs you. In terms of time as well as money, huge costs.

And working with friends often ends in disaster.

If you want to do this, do it on your own or with REALLY CRYSTAL CLEAR rules/roles for everyone IN WRITING and (pretty much) SIGNED IN BLOOD.

 

[Boogity]

Personally, you couldn't pay me enough to run a boarding barn.

About 10 years ago I had boarders for my 12 stalls. I showed them where their stall was, where the water was, and where the pasture was. Then I told 'em the rules and the cost and that they were on their own from there. It worked out very well that way - good steady cash flow and I made some life-long friends. Only one time did I have to evict a young gal because she didn't keep the area clean and her care for her horse was on the border line of neglect. That beautiful barn burned down in an electrical storm a few years ago. All I had in there at that time was some old hay and a few implements.

 

[FarmerChick]

I'm a tad confused...there's time to travel, but not to work? Not being rude...truly...just wondering Have you thought about perhaps making someone a manager for the boarding? You do the paperwork part of it and let them deal with the day-to-day stuff and the people? You could offer a percentage rather than an actual salary, so that would keep you from paying if the customers aren't. Just a thought...

not about no time to work, it is every time I think about a job outside with a biz, my kid stays home from school....or something comes up with his parents (his Dad has cancer) and they need help every now and then. I am the 'home to do it' all person while hubby works.

we travel alot on weekends, make long weekends, any time kid is off from school and summer we are gone alot.

 

[FarmerChick]

Bee, strange but I will bite

24 stall metal Morton barn with top hay loft along entire barn and double wide inside aisle to act as indoor riding area.

wooden barn with 6 stalls and that one has the giant tackroom, bathroom, office etc in it.


big hay barn, we make our own hay, tons of pasture and all that

 

[FarmerChick]

Personally, you couldn't pay me enough to run a boarding barn. If you 30 stalls, that's a lot of boarders. If they're stall kept at night, that's 30 stalls that need to be cleaned every day. Then, you have to feed all those horses, put up the hay for all those horses, blanket them, etc. Plus, you have all the drama that comes w/having boarders.

I've thought about having people board if I had a lot of land, but it would only be if they did self care, or worked amongst themselves to do the care.

I know Deb. I boarded a few horses way long ago. I stayed at nice barns but they all had their problems. I saw the people troubles, the crazy people and the crazy horses and all the mess that goes with a boarding facility.


THAT IS WHY I threw this out there to see if I am nuts to do this.

I have so many nice barns and nothing in them now and it gets my goat to leave them empty. we thought of renting out the whole farm area but we figure renters would ruin the place worse


ALSO I was so happy to unload all the animals cause they were a noose around my neck, now I find myself kinda drifting back into animals. ugh lol




what freaks me out is if I do it, I am obligated and into a real biz. Trust Barb 100%. But, just a big but in my mind. the Buts are is holding me off this lol