My husband and I have made some moves to start a business opening a dog kennel. It seems, and we've been told, that the business would be very profitable in our area. I believe it would also. But there are problems with it.
First, the county where we live is not too excited to see dog kennels be built. They are very, very specific about how the building must be done. They are very specific about how things must be done including about $75,000 worth of costs (which my husband can do for much cheaper since he is in construction). We've spent somewhere around $50,000, but it seems like things keep coming up for us to spend more.
Second, California (where we live) is becoming a non-breeder state. It seems every where I turn, breeders of dogs are controlled with a tighter and tighter leash (one recent event is that no one can breed dogs in Los Angeles any more--you can't get a permit). Laws are made that are hard to follow. Guaranteeing an animal for a year is required if you breed more than three litters a year. Veterinarians say that dogs have genetic disease when it is not true. Owners buy puppies and damage them by allowing them to do things that baby bones can't take and then they blame the breeders. Breeding is very convoluted at this point in time, and no matter what happens, it seems to be the breeder's fault.
Third, it would involve employees to help do the clean up and work. (We both work full time.) Hiring of employees can be really tough. Employees can be awesome, and then, you can get those that are not. Paying lower wages (as the work would be here) does not often get the highest quality of help. That concerns me. I have hired employees before, but to do this type of labor I have not.
Fourth, the county has already required me to get a kennel license (because I have more than five dogs on acreage). I don't have a choice but to comply, but it is extremely expensive and time consuming to do it.
However, we have a great spot to build a kennel with lots of room and where our kennel would bother few people. We also want to sell our property in a few years so that we can move to a more rural place. A kennel would help us do that and make the property worth much more than it is now especially since kennel licenses are so hard and expensive to get.
And we can make good money breeding dogs (which I do already and have for years). It can be a profitable business if a person is genuinely trying to do the right thing.
All businesses have problems. Some have problems with suppliers. Some can't find employees. Some have problems with products. So I understand that my problems are just part of each industry, each specific location and each set of problems associated with that particular type of business.
I have enough faith that, if the Lord wants me to do this, I will be successful. But things keep coming up that seem to stall us. My husband seems to have a lot of overtime in the last year (which he can't afford to refuse). Of course, with overtime, you get more money so you can do things but then you don't have the time to do them.
I know that the Lord will supply. But mostly, I want to be in His will for my life. I have been required to buy the license (so I have to move forward), but I don't know that we are supposed to do what we have planned i.e. to expand, to bring in boarders and to sell puppies. And the county doesn't seem to want to allow us changes without costly fees. So I feel like we're in a standstill.
Will you pray that He will give us insight in what we need to do to get it moving if we are to do so? Can you please pray and agree with me that the Lord will guide us on this project, that He will let us know if this is where we should put our money, that He will allow us to open the doors and do the project if we are supposed to do it, and that He will guide us in what to do, open doors for us, and open our eyes to see ways to get where we want to go if that is His will for us? And would you pray also that He will guide us to the extent we should do it--maybe we're only suppose to do a private kennel and not a public one.
Thanks for any prayers you offer up with me. I am claiming the below verse as we agree. Thanks again.
Matthew 18: 19 Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.
First, the county where we live is not too excited to see dog kennels be built. They are very, very specific about how the building must be done. They are very specific about how things must be done including about $75,000 worth of costs (which my husband can do for much cheaper since he is in construction). We've spent somewhere around $50,000, but it seems like things keep coming up for us to spend more.
Second, California (where we live) is becoming a non-breeder state. It seems every where I turn, breeders of dogs are controlled with a tighter and tighter leash (one recent event is that no one can breed dogs in Los Angeles any more--you can't get a permit). Laws are made that are hard to follow. Guaranteeing an animal for a year is required if you breed more than three litters a year. Veterinarians say that dogs have genetic disease when it is not true. Owners buy puppies and damage them by allowing them to do things that baby bones can't take and then they blame the breeders. Breeding is very convoluted at this point in time, and no matter what happens, it seems to be the breeder's fault.
Third, it would involve employees to help do the clean up and work. (We both work full time.) Hiring of employees can be really tough. Employees can be awesome, and then, you can get those that are not. Paying lower wages (as the work would be here) does not often get the highest quality of help. That concerns me. I have hired employees before, but to do this type of labor I have not.
Fourth, the county has already required me to get a kennel license (because I have more than five dogs on acreage). I don't have a choice but to comply, but it is extremely expensive and time consuming to do it.
However, we have a great spot to build a kennel with lots of room and where our kennel would bother few people. We also want to sell our property in a few years so that we can move to a more rural place. A kennel would help us do that and make the property worth much more than it is now especially since kennel licenses are so hard and expensive to get.
And we can make good money breeding dogs (which I do already and have for years). It can be a profitable business if a person is genuinely trying to do the right thing.
All businesses have problems. Some have problems with suppliers. Some can't find employees. Some have problems with products. So I understand that my problems are just part of each industry, each specific location and each set of problems associated with that particular type of business.
I have enough faith that, if the Lord wants me to do this, I will be successful. But things keep coming up that seem to stall us. My husband seems to have a lot of overtime in the last year (which he can't afford to refuse). Of course, with overtime, you get more money so you can do things but then you don't have the time to do them.
I know that the Lord will supply. But mostly, I want to be in His will for my life. I have been required to buy the license (so I have to move forward), but I don't know that we are supposed to do what we have planned i.e. to expand, to bring in boarders and to sell puppies. And the county doesn't seem to want to allow us changes without costly fees. So I feel like we're in a standstill.
Will you pray that He will give us insight in what we need to do to get it moving if we are to do so? Can you please pray and agree with me that the Lord will guide us on this project, that He will let us know if this is where we should put our money, that He will allow us to open the doors and do the project if we are supposed to do it, and that He will guide us in what to do, open doors for us, and open our eyes to see ways to get where we want to go if that is His will for us? And would you pray also that He will guide us to the extent we should do it--maybe we're only suppose to do a private kennel and not a public one.
Thanks for any prayers you offer up with me. I am claiming the below verse as we agree. Thanks again.
Matthew 18: 19 Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.
