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-   -   A strange story... (http://www.sowpub.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11394)

Dien Rice February 2, 2023 03:23 PM

A strange story...
 
A few years ago, back in 2019, I helped an acquaintance out of a jam... I've written about it here before...

This guy had a car accident which wasn't his fault. He was the passenger in a taxi, and was injured. As a result of the consequences of the accident, he ended up effectively homeless (he had to live in his car)...

I helped him out, with another entrepreneurial friend of mine we got him into some accommodation, and helped him to start getting back on his feet.

A couple of years ago, in 2021, he won a court case against the insurance company which insured the driver at fault, and got a big payout (many hundreds of thousands of dollars)... Then he "disappeared" and I didn't hear from him for a couple of years.

He got back in touch a week or so ago...

It turns out, with the money, he got a long term lease on some land in the countryside. He bought himself around 38 high-end sheep (he told me the specific breed, but I'm not a sheep expert!), as well as 10 alpacas, and has decided to breed them! He also just bought one cow in the past week or so...

...and he'd like some help with the marketing of his livestock!

So... sometimes weird opportunities like this fall into your lap. I'm not sure what I'm going to do (if anything), as I have plenty of "good stuff" on my plate, and it's important not to "overwhelm" yourself and get bogged down!

I just wanted to share the (strange) story... :)

Best wishes,

Dien

Dien Rice February 3, 2023 12:08 PM

Re: A strange story...
 
I just did some research...

It looks like my acquaintance paid around double the market rate when he bought his special-breed sheep... That makes it hard to sell them at a profit...

The plot thickens!

As I've learned many times from Gordon (and from "chatteling"), you often profit when you "buy"... If you buy too high, it means that making a profit is more difficult...

Best wishes,

Dien

P.S. This reminds me of a story about my (late) Dad... My Dad grew up on a farm in rural Michigan (just outside of Coldwater, MI). In one of his old college books, I found tucked between the pages, an essay that he wrote in college... He wrote a story about how when he was a kid, he tried breeding rabbits, and sold them at the local fair. Pretty soon he just had too many rabbits... and the family soon started to get sick of eating rabbit for every meal...!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dien Rice (Post 43557)
A few years ago, back in 2019, I helped an acquaintance out of a jam... I've written about it here before...

This guy had a car accident which wasn't his fault. He was the passenger in a taxi, and was injured. As a result of the consequences of the accident, he ended up effectively homeless (he had to live in his car)...

I helped him out, with another entrepreneurial friend of mine we got him into some accommodation, and helped him to start getting back on his feet.

A couple of years ago, in 2021, he won a court case against the insurance company which insured the driver at fault, and got a big payout (many hundreds of thousands of dollars)... Then he "disappeared" and I didn't hear from him for a couple of years.

He got back in touch a week or so ago...

It turns out, with the money, he got a long term lease on some land in the countryside. He bought himself around 38 high-end sheep (he told me the specific breed, but I'm not a sheep expert!), as well as 10 alpacas, and has decided to breed them! He also just bought one cow in the past week or so...

...and he'd like some help with the marketing of his livestock!

So... sometimes weird opportunities like this fall into your lap. I'm not sure what I'm going to do (if anything), as I have plenty of "good stuff" on my plate, and it's important not to "overwhelm" yourself and get bogged down!

I just wanted to share the (strange) story... :)

Best wishes,

Dien


Glenn February 3, 2023 10:57 PM

Question for Dien - What do Others Sell His *Special Sheep* For
 
Thanks Dien,

The Reason I ask.

I have a Girl Friend in California
who raises Sheep and Rabbits.

AND

Doubled Sales in a Deli - for Turkey and Beef Sub Sandwiches.

STAPLED a Funny Story about BUBBA
the Guy who Takes Care of The Turkeys on the farm - to a SIGN on The Deli Door.

A - Are These SHOW SHEEP? Collectible - ish

B - Sold to Slaughter House for Meat

C - Or some Special Taste or Low Fat Meat which raises the Price?

Glenn

Dien Rice February 4, 2023 01:48 PM

Re: Question for Dien - What do Others Sell His *Special Sheep* For
 
Hi Glenn,

I'll let you know, I decided to turn down the "opportunity"... It did not seem like "low hanging fruit," at least not for me... There'd be quite a learning curve, I figured.

I pointed out to him my research on the apparently average asking price I found for the sheep... He said his are worth more due to the pedigree, and that "we'd need to educate the buyers on the differences"...

Maybe it's true... It's a lot of "set up" work, for a relatively small number of sheep...!

And not an easy job, I figured, "educating" people on the differences (assuming it's true, which I wouldn't accept without being convinced of it first myself)...

The sheep are black headed dorpers... :)

From my reading, they are mainly raised for meat. Though hobby farmers may also want them, as they are kind of cute... :)

Best wishes!

Dien

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glenn (Post 43562)
Thanks Dien,

The Reason I ask.

I have a Girl Friend in California
who raises Sheep and Rabbits.

AND

Doubled Sales in a Deli - for Turkey and Beef Sub Sandwiches.

STAPLED a Funny Story about BUBBA
the Guy who Takes Care of The Turkeys on the farm - to a SIGN on The Deli Door.

A - Are These SHOW SHEEP? Collectible - ish

B - Sold to Slaughter House for Meat

C - Or some Special Taste or Low Fat Meat which raises the Price?

Glenn


Glenn February 5, 2023 10:46 PM

A Dorper Adult Sheep Costs 2000.00 Dien
 
Thanks Dien,

Please REFER me to This Guy.
Email and name.

I will help him sell his Sheep for MORE. (Great Marketing Lesson To Put on my Ezine.)

Educating the buyer.

AND - like the Crazy Niche of Aussie SWIM CLUB MEMBERS - all Hurt Badly. All in Pain. And all swimming VS each other in a National Aussie HIDDEN Niche - I found for a Aussy Physical Therapist.

There will be an AUSSY - 4-H Club Niche.

PLUS.

Sheep with Nice white SIDES make great BillBoards.

======
"Baaa! Sale"
======

Out on The Sidewalk - outside a Biz

They pull in the kids who pull in their Parents.

Glenn

Dien Rice February 6, 2023 10:07 PM

I will email... :)
 
Hi Glenn,

First wow, thanks, awesome ideas! :)

I will send you an email... :)

Best wishes,

Dien

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glenn (Post 43565)
Thanks Dien,

Please REFER me to This Guy.
Email and name.

I will help him sell his Sheep for MORE. (Great Marketing Lesson To Put on my Ezine.)

Educating the buyer.

AND - like the Crazy Niche of Aussie SWIM CLUB MEMBERS - all Hurt Badly. All in Pain. And all swimming VS each other in a National Aussie HIDDEN Niche - I found for a Aussy Physical Therapist.

There will be an AUSSY - 4-H Club Niche.

PLUS.

Sheep with Nice white SIDES make great BillBoards.

======
"Baaa! Sale"
======

Out on The Sidewalk - outside a Biz

They pull in the kids who pull in their Parents.

Glenn



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