Pie in the sky Ideas

[Massey4517]

Is it pie in the sky stuff to have ambitions of running your own contracting business in a specialised area one day with a yard and maybe a small amount of farmland for yourself? Seems like the big contracting boys have most areas covered and land and machinery is super expensive. Wouldn't consider doing it by myself. Rather with a few other people who would be in charge of there own areas that they are experienced in.

Anybody else have any large ideas that they struggle to see a way to achieve in the future?

 

[toquark]

Doing the day to day stuff is such low margin, I don’t know how many make a go of it, in fact a few have wound up round here of late. Contractors that seem to do well here are mobile sheep dippers, sheep shearers, relief milkers, smallholding paddock care. All are relatively low overhead, don’t require much kit and are higher margin than trying to compete with the silage barons and combine kings.

 

[Clive]

Is it pie in the sky stuff to have ambitions of running your own contracting business in a specialised area one day with a yard and maybe a small amount of farmland for yourself? Seems like the big contracting boys have most areas covered and land and machinery is super expensive. Wouldn't consider doing it by myself. Rather with a few other people who would be in charge of there own areas that they are experienced in.

Anybody else have any large ideas that they struggle to see a way to achieve in the future?

not pie in the sky ! Dream big and be ambitious

sadly the easy way to achieve this is make money somewhere other than agriculture then come spend it all on your ambitions . Mad isn’t it


….. or marry a farmers daughter

 

[primmiemoo]

Be selective if intending to marry a farmer's son

 

[starkey92]

I hope not, its my current plan! I've found my niche, got the finance, got the work, rented some land......the part I'm really struggling with is finding a yard in all honesty!

 

[Spencer]

If you marry the midden for the muck...

you'll be bothered with the smell all your life!

 

[robs1]

There are plenty of niche areas that the big boys dont bother with, such as working for horsey folk, they pay far more than any farmer will/can, you dont need mega kit as the fields are small, also things like salt spreading in winter keeps you busy on bad weather days etc,
You only live once, you regret the things you font fo more than those you fo, just dont buy a lot of flashy kit until you have got some cash in the bank

 

[hoff135]

I've been contracting for a few years and am about to expand into other areas if I can get the machines I need which is not easy at the moment.

Running on the cheap just to be running will never get you anywhere so any ideas of trying to undercut and compete on price are long since out the window.

What I hope to do is run good kit, provide a prompt service and leave a high quality finished job and a happy customer. If they think I'm to dear they will have to find someone else.

All the money it makes goes back in towards expanding. I will live off the small farm income.

If it works it works. If not no worries

 

[ARW]

I hope not, its my current plan! I've found my niche, got the finance, got the work, rented some land......the part I'm really struggling with is finding a yard in all honesty!

The housing market is to blame, any old farmstead near here gets developed into houses or sold for millions.
It was our biggest problem until a good place came up for sale with an ag tag.
we struggled to even find somewhere to rent that suited our business

 

[Massey4517]

I've been contracting for a few years and am about to expand into other areas if I can get the machines I need which is not easy at the moment.

Running on the cheap just to be running will never get you anywhere so any ideas of trying to undercut and compete on price are long since out the window.

What I hope to do is run good kit, provide a prompt service and leave a high quality finished job and a happy customer. If they think I'm to dear they will have to find someone else.

All the money it makes goes back in towards expanding. I will live off the small farm income.

If it works it works. If not no worries

I agree on where your coming from on doing a good job some of the big boys in Scotland (I work for one) are so desperate to get over the ground get it invoiced it can leave a bit of a mess. (Its different when the customer is desperate and tells you to do it after you've explained you may leave ruts)

 

[Massey4517]

The housing market is to blame, any old farmstead near here gets developed into houses or sold for millions.
It was our biggest problem until a good place came up for sale with an ag tag.
we struggled to even find somewhere to rent that suited our business

I think that's an issue up here to. I see a lot of old steadings left to rot or sold off. Lot of them would be good for starting out with a bit of clearing up

 

[Av Gorritt]

If you marry the midden for the muck...

you'll be bothered with the smell all your life!

I always told our sons --- Never marry for money - you'll certainly earn it , BUT make sure you do your loving where the money is !

 

[yellowbelly]

Is it pie in the sky stuff to have ambitions of running your own contracting business in a specialised area one day with a yard? Seems like the big contracting boys have most areas covered

However big they are now, they all started somewhere.

It can be done (or it could in the days when we were in the job). Farming was much better thought of back in the 70's, I suppose, but we were borrowing money at 16-17% back then.

It's bloody hard work and not the bed of roses it might look like from the outside.

Whatever you do, make sure you can make a better job of it than anybody else and charge proper money for a proper job.

If it's what you want to do, have a go - you're a long time dead.

 

[primmiemoo]

I think that's an issue up here to. I see a lot of old steadings left to rot or sold off. Lot of them would be good for starting out with a bit of clearing up

Is it possible to make direct enquiries about steadings? Maybe talk to a local auctioneers? ~ that's if you have some who understand farming related occupations in your area. Many auctioneering businesses have split their property departments from the real world, imv.

 

[unlacedgecko]

Is it pie in the sky stuff to have ambitions of running your own contracting business in a specialised area one day with a yard and maybe a small amount of farmland for yourself? Seems like the big contracting boys have most areas covered and land and machinery is super expensive. Wouldn't consider doing it by myself. Rather with a few other people who would be in charge of there own areas that they are experienced in.

Anybody else have any large ideas that they struggle to see a way to achieve in the future?

No it's not pie in the sky. The prospect of owning my own farm one day is what gets me out of bed every morning.

I'll get there one day.

I should have been buying my first block of land next spring, but due to some underhand dealings I took a fairly large financial hit 12 months ago.

I'm not bankrupt yet though. And as long as I've breath in my body and hands on the end of my arms I'll keep trying.

 

[czechmate]

No it's not pie in the sky. The prospect of owning my own farm one day is what gets me out of bed every morning.

I'll get there one day.

I should have been buying my first block of land next spring, but due to some underhand dealings I took a fairly large financial hit 12 months ago.

I'm not bankrupt yet though. And as long as I've breath in my body and hands on the end of my arms I'll keep trying.

If you loose a hand I’ll bet you’ll still keep trying

 

[starkey92]

The housing market is to blame, any old farmstead near here gets developed into houses or sold for millions.
It was our biggest problem until a good place came up for sale with an ag tag.
we struggled to even find somewhere to rent that suited our business

Even the ones with Ag tags round here are crazy money. The estate agents just seem to ignore it and still sit out for full asking price! Like you say, even finding somewhere to rent is hard enough. We'll keep trying tho....at least the tractor will fit on the drive if all else fails haha!

 

[starkey92]

Is it possible to make direct enquiries about steadings? Maybe talk to a local auctioneers? ~ that's if you have some who understand farming related occupations in your area. Many auctioneering businesses have split their property departments from the real world, imv.

I think I'm nearly at the point of land registry searches and cold calling whenever I see an abandoned yard! Its a bloody depressing sight when your desperate for somewhere. Theyd still probably want millions for it tho