Feeling Good

Every time I turn around, I keep getting more and more positive reinforcement that I have made the right decision gong into the alpaca business. I can't think of another business where most of the people you come across are so nice and generous with their knowledge. After I read that horrifying thread in the AlpacaNation forum about livestock auctions, I made a definite decision to make room on my farm for rescue so that as many of these poor animals as I have space for would have someplace safe until they could find a new home. I was also thinking that I should do like other rescues and have mandatory education for new owners so that the alpacas would go to people who know at least the basics about the animals and their care before taking them home.

From the business classes I've taken, I've learned that the best businesses to study are not the ones that succeed, but the ones that fail. Yes, you look at what works, but you can also learn so much from what doesn't work. Learning from other people's mistakes can save a person a lot of time and wasted energy. To this end, I've gone through the herd disperal ads on AlpacaNation (all 140 of them - yeah 140, very scary) because most people write why they are going out of business. I realize that in today's economy a lot of businesses are struggling and/or closing, but the bad economy isn't the sole reason businesses close. Most new businesses close within one year even in a good economy.

During my research I found a farm that had two herd disperals and it turned out he was doing exactly what I was thinking about doing: providing a safe place for alpacas whose owners have gone out of business. We had a very nice conversation (just shy of an hour) during which he explained the pitfalls of what he was doing and the rewarding side as well. Interestingly enough, he echoed a lot of thoughts I had, including making sure that the animals went to people who knew the basics. After my conversation with him and reading the threads in the forum, I realize that the Alpaca industry is on the cusp of major changes. In order to survive, it's going to have to. Breeding for profit is starting to not work and I have a feeling that those who fail to recognize this are going to be in trouble.