Any business owners here?

NearertoGod · 04-15-2008, 11:47 PM

Me, my mom, and my grandmother were interested in starting a business.

Not asking for advice, my mom has tons of books on that, but is there anyone here who owns one? It can be small or large...

I'm not sure what my mom was interested in doing, I'm currently writing out a equestrian business plan; I've been looking at real estate primarily in Ocala, FL, mostly large 20+ acre equestrian facilities. Since I like nice things, I've found 2 places, but my favorite is the Ocala Horse Farm Experts. Such beautiful places, it is so hard to choose! I have a couple of places I'm interested in, but when I talk to my mom about it we may contact them for income-producing land and not equestrian estates.

You have to see these beautiful farms:
The Ocala Horse Farm Experts - Rob & Chris Desino - Ocala Horse Farms for sale and Florida Horse Farms for sale

So, any owners?

Glomung · 04-16-2008, 03:03 PM

I was a famer for 20+ years. That's is about as "self employed business owner" as you can get. I also ran a commercial greenhouse.

Whirlwind · 04-16-2008, 04:47 PM

I'm a partial-owner.

My advice: In a nearby town with a heavy hispanic population, there are about 20 Mexican Food restaurants. A new one springs up, does absolutely lousy business, and closes. There's dozens of car washes. Some of them are empty and shut down.

Someone tried to open a "hip" sandwich shop in this town. In this town nearby!

It's a farming-prison community, so nobody really does the hip thing. One sandwich was 12-bucks. But there was amazing artwork on the walls and black-and-white tile. That business is closing.

Businesses that almost can't keep up with customer demand? The Dollar Tree. There's always a line there. I think it's because of the economy and unemployment rate. People are losing work. The value of the dollar is going downhill. Pennies are being pinched very tightly. If people can buy it for a dollar and have to wait in line, they'll wait. Nevermind the fancy store downtown where the same thing costs eight-bucks and it's air-conditioned and there's pretty music raining down on you from the speakers in the ceiling. Get it at the dollar store and you'll have seven bucks left for food.

Who's your customers? What kinds of jobs do they hold down? What's their annual income? Do they have children? What about their disposable income? Will your business provide something that they need or want? Will your services be a luxury or necessity? Are there other shops like yours in the area? Sneak in and check it out. What are they doing to make their business a success? How can you make your products more "tasty" than your competition's? If they sell regular old crackers and you start making the same regular old crackers but charge twice as much...people won't go to you. But if you make your crackers with a different recipe and make purchasing your crackers an adventure...reasonably priced, people will flock.

Of course, top priority should always be with God, my Friend. Make Him your motivation and never forget that God is always, always entitled to a portion of our income. Not because He needs it...but because we need to give it to Him.

NearertoGod · 04-16-2008, 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Whirlwind

I'm a partial-owner.

My advice: In a nearby town with a heavy hispanic population, there are about 20 Mexican Food restaurants. A new one springs up, does absolutely lousy business, and closes. There's dozens of car washes. Some of them are empty and shut down.

Someone tried to open a "hip" sandwich shop in this town. In this town nearby!

It's a farming-prison community, so nobody really does the hip thing. One sandwich was 12-bucks. But there was amazing artwork on the walls and black-and-white tile. That business is closing.

Businesses that almost can't keep up with customer demand? The Dollar Tree. There's always a line there. I think it's because of the economy and unemployment rate. People are losing work. The value of the dollar is going downhill. Pennies are being pinched very tightly. If people can buy it for a dollar and have to wait in line, they'll wait. Nevermind the fancy store downtown where the same thing costs eight-bucks and it's air-conditioned and there's pretty music raining down on you from the speakers in the ceiling. Get it at the dollar store and you'll have seven bucks left for food.

Who's your customers? What kinds of jobs do they hold down? What's their annual income? Do they have children? What about their disposable income? Will your business provide something that they need or want? Will your services be a luxury or necessity? Are there other shops like yours in the area? Sneak in and check it out. What are they doing to make their business a success? How can you make your products more "tasty" than your competition's? If they sell regular old crackers and you start making the same regular old crackers but charge twice as much...people won't go to you. But if you make your crackers with a different recipe and make purchasing your crackers an adventure...reasonably priced, people will flock.

Of course, top priority should always be with God, my Friend. Make Him your motivation and never forget that God is always, always entitled to a portion of our income. Not because He needs it...but because we need to give it to Him.

Lol, Duran, I know what you mean about the Mexican restaurants. Here in Southern Cali, we have about 150 Mexican restaurants in every town. So, it's hard to choose "which" restaurant is best for you. Some of the are EXTREMELY good, some of them taste like the cat spit in it.

Hopefully, I'll decide on one of them:

Egyptian Arabian horse breeding?

OR

A hunter/jumper & dressage show stables

They're all great ideas in the making.

So hard to choose!

Whirlwind · 04-16-2008, 05:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NearertoGod

Lol, Duran, I know what you mean about the Mexican restaurants. Here in Southern Cali, we have about 150 Mexican restaurants in every town. So, it's hard to choose "which" restaurant is best for you. Some of the are EXTREMELY good, some of them taste like the cat spit in it.

Hopefully, I'll decide on one of them:

Egyptian Arabian horse breeding?

OR

A hunter/jumper & dressage show stables

They're all great ideas in the making.

So hard to choose!

Woweee!

I bet you can't find many of those types of business just anywhere.

That sounds fantastic!

We have wild horses running around here. One of them busted up a pear tree that I planted when I first moved into my house. Then another one sideswiped my car running away when I opened the door and took off the side mirror (cost $650 to replace!). I planted some bulbs and they ate up whatever grew. They've eaten my grass down to the ground. Aw, heck...they win. I'll start growing things for them to eat now.

NearertoGod · 04-16-2008, 05:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Whirlwind

Woweee!

I bet you can't find many of those types of business just anywhere.

That sounds fantastic!

We have wild horses running around here. One of them busted up a pear tree that I planted when I first moved into my house. Then another one sideswiped my car running away when I opened the door and took off the side mirror (cost $650 to replace!). I planted some bulbs and they ate up whatever grew. They've eaten my grass down to the ground. Aw, heck...they win. I'll start growing things for them to eat now.

Yeah, but it's like "Taco Bell or this little restaurant in the corner?" XD

Does the BLM manage them? Oh, what state are you in? I know mustangs are pretty hardy. Horses are sneaky little things. Even the nice European jumpers I ride are sneaky; they learn how to unlatch their doors, that's why we have to get double latches so they won't be galloping around the barn and get hurt. I've never worked around stallions, I know some can be feisty, I should get the time to work with one to get experience.

There are some plants poisonous to horses, like certain weeds and trees. Loco weed is one of them. Pregnant mares can miscarry and die from eating Loco weed.

Born2LoveYou · 04-16-2008, 05:23 PM

I'll be a business owner oneday.

NearertoGod · 04-16-2008, 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Born2LoveYou

I'll be a business owner oneday.

I'm sure you will!

Whirlwind · 04-16-2008, 05:30 PM

Maybe I'll plant a Taco Bell tree for the horses to eat.

No, really...speaking of planting things.

Don't ever buy birdseed at Wal-mart.

I went there, bought a big, big bag of it. It didn't grow one bird after I planted it. Not a single bird!

Hee hee hee

da_man · 04-16-2008, 06:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NearertoGod

Lol, Duran, I know what you mean about the Mexican restaurants. Here in Southern Cali, we have about 150 Mexican restaurants in every town. So, it's hard to choose "which" restaurant is best for you. Some of the are EXTREMELY good, some of them taste like the cat spit in it.

Hopefully, I'll decide on one of them:

Egyptian Arabian horse breeding?

OR

A hunter/jumper & dressage show stables

They're all great ideas in the making.

So hard to choose!

Then you can open a restaraunt with the horses that don't make the cut.LOL

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode