The Entrepreneur and Her Small Dairy Business
The Entrepreneur and Her Small Dairy Business
1. First of all don’t go into it without knowledge. Do your research. Check your motive for going into this business carefully… Don’t make the mistake of saying, “its just a cow!”
– if you do not have passion for cattle, and farming, stay away from it. It would really be good, if you did a little course. The knowledge from looking after cattle in the village is not enough, for modern dairy business!
Always, always do a business plan, even for one cow!
2. Before you buy the first cow, assess the market for milk, and related products:
– how much does milk sell for?
– who will you sell to?
– who will you compete against?
– what can you do with the milk, to make more money; it would be better to do more with the milk, rather than simply sell milk.
3.What is the best type of cow, for your environment, to get the most milk?
– how much can it produce, and for how long?
4. What will it cost to keep each cow producing at maximum capacity?
– assess all costs: food, healthcare, security, maintenance, transport, marketing of your milk, storage etc…. Every single cost!
5. Can the price of milk, at the level you are producing it, give you enough return, which cover the cost of each cow, its replacement, and also increase the number of cows?
6. How are you going to manage this “mini dairy business”?
– what do they know about cows. This is serious business, don’t just look for an unemployed cousin…..Ask those in the diaspora, who lost their savings, by getting an unemployed cousin to take care of business for them!
7.How much are you really going to make… And here I am NOT talking about sales ( revenue)!
Everything, I have said about this “cow” business, applies for anything you go into. Make it a discipline. Even now, do it with the business that you are in!
Always, always do a business plan, even for one cow!
Have a vision: see it as a dairy, even if you are just able to start with just one cow.
