Small business Grants, Loans, etc. in this industry?

So I'm getting quite used to the idea of dedicating my life to my animals. I know I am new to the hobby and am only breeding Leopard Geckos at this time, but I really find working with animals to be one of the most satisfying things in my life. I really am looking to expand my collection, with the intention of learning about and then ultimately breeding and selling, about 5-10 different species in the next few years. Of course, the problem becomes funding my goals. I'm 21 years old and in college, but studying something completely unrelated and ultimately will not find a high paying job with that degree.

My dream really would be to work out of the house, buy a diesel van and drive cross country to work at shows.


So I'm turning to all of you, as experienced members of the community from all walks of life. I need advice on how to realistically go about chasing my dream.

Thank you so much for your consideration,

What is your degree in? It may be something related to this new business venture that you dont even know about.

Otherwise....

While your still in college take some business courses ESPECIALLY business law. A selling course is also recommended.

Basicly you need to start running the business as a business. Get all your permits in order (tax id ect.)

Then have someone (yourself or an accountant) draw up a Flow of Funds Statement, a Balance Sheet, an Income Statement etc.

Take this with you when you go to the bank to apply for a loan. Most banks do have small business loans, but you need to be able to show that you can pay back that loan.

You'll want a firm business plan for the next five years, with plans to review and rewrite that plan in five years.

These are just the first steps you'll want to take, there are many twists and truns and pot holes and hills with starting your own business. Plan to be in the red for the first three years at least.

Thanks for the reply!

My degree: Philosophy


I made an appointment with my accountant to get some advice on how to procede, and I will be speaking with a lawyer as well.

Unfortunately it looks like I will have to put some time into working an office job to save up the initial investment, but I figure it's never too early to start planning.

I really don't know where to begin, I'm a very humble person and so the thought of asking for a large sum of money is difficult to process.


I realize I'll be in the red for quite some time, but I guess I need to figure out at what point I will be able to turn a profit and what I'll need to be producing to get to that point.

Sigh.

I want to say up-front that I'm just speculating, I have NO first hand knowledge about running a business like this, but I have considered the possibilities myself.

So~ I'm a *bit* older than you are (DON'T call me old though!) but I think you and I are in similiar circumstances at this point. All plan, not ready for action. So, what I'm thinking is that now is the time to be "Networking". Seems to me a lot of the very successful breeders often have someone elses high end animal on "Breeding loan" or are their high end animal is at someone elses for a "Breeding loan." Well this sounds like a great plan to expand stock, you purchase one high end male, breed with him for a season or two, then "Loan" him to a trusted friend and borrow a different high end male from that breeder (Or arrange to obtain a percent of the clutch, or however you want to work it). Also now is the time to prove that your a man(or woman) with integrity. When potential customers ask about you, you want other people to honestly be able to say "Well, I may not have bought an animal from him (or her) but I have talked herps with him (or her) for a few years now and I don't know many more stand up guys than him (or her!)."

But NONE of this is possible without Networking now. Really, no one in their right mind will loan out thier high end animal to you for any reason unless they feel they can trust you 100%. So now is the time to start making friends and proving your integrity now (avoid some of the stupid mistakes in integrity we have seen on the BOI recently).

Good luck!
(Please excuse the even worse than usual spelling errors tonight, I'm on the kids PC and they have one of those stupid split keyboards)

Interesting.
You now say “I'm 21 years old and in college, but studying something completely unrelated and ultimately will not find a high paying job with that degree.”.

So why in 9/2002 did you tell me different?

Hi pot, this is the kettle... you're black.

Mario, give it a rest. Have you ever heard of changing your plans?

Oh, I'm sorry, I am sure you are doing the same things you said you were some time ago. Oh, you mean you have changed your plans before. Oh, shame on you.

Steven Feil

Yeah I am a bad guy too.
In 1990-1992 I was a Biomedical Engineering student. Going for med school
1992-1995 I changed from accounting to countless other stuff to computer science.

Now I am working in a lab.

Shame on me for being different so many times.

Give what a rest? Sorry I take what Steve did very seriously and intend to take matters future. This may be a game to him, but with some of us, this is our lively hoods. It’s interesting to see how you are “staying out of this”. But point is, Steve done nothing but slander me. And he’s attempting to do something else here. Looks like he is looking for loans, grant’s or money. And he appears not to be truthful here. So I am pointing out the details.
He came on which looks to me a way to get money, but is only stating have the facts. To what deceive someone into giving him a grant or loan? He stated he was studying something completely unrelated. Yet months earlier he has told me he was a pre-vet. It also looks to me as there was some effort to portray himself as just getting involved with animals. Yet he told me different on that, he’s been involved with them practically his whole life.
I tried to want you people about him but was just attacked. Now I am pointing out these fact’s and I am still being attacked. Why? He obviously didn’t disagree with it. No he just make a comment about tea kettles. I believe it was to portrait that he just burnt me on some issue when in fact I just showed where he has said two separate things. Apparently it seems to me he said’s what he want’s to for the betterment of himself. And will bend the truth to do so.. I seen this guy do many unethical deeds. And if by proving Steve’s false interpretations of himself will help show what I was saying was accurate, then I will do that. So it does do a duel purpose here.

1. It informs potential lenders that hey, this guy is not telling the complete story. So this may worry them as a return for their investment and for good reasons, it’s their money at stake.
2. It shows Steve’s true character.
3. By showing Steve’s true colors, people will get a better understanding of what really went on with his attacks on me and he wasn’t shooting a strait arrow. This will help show the accuracy in my statements that were falsely twisted around.

But hey if you don’t want the public to know about the truth then hey fine. But standing up for someone deceitful actions and attacking the one that exposes them, well the public can best decide on that.
Now being this was the site Steve has done this too me and being the site people come too look for fraudulent people and being the place where Steve appears to deceive people for potential financial aid of some sort, well I would think it is appropriate for me to have questioned why the statements were different.
And BTW, I did get emails of the transcripts from a other person on their convo with Steve on the events that were happening. Yes they are in email from a person. And it does show other’s know of what Steve said and did as a troll on other forums. Something which I was attacked for. You know what his comment was to this person was? “No comment? =\”. And this was after Steve brought it up as well trying to lie to someone face about it. That’s bold, and show’s the lengths he will go through to lie and harm my name or others. I can forward you a copy if you like.
But here is that’s section of the convo.

acebeck (10:38:51 PM): Mario is walking a fine line by accusing me
of bragging about raping children. That is not exactly looking
good for his character. And frankly, I ran a supervised minority
youth group that was a part of a social group of over 200 active
members. It is a very poor line of attack...
krin_kel6868 (10:39:31 PM): well you DID post that as the troll if
i remember correctly, but i refuse to back up that statement
because its disgusting
acebeck (11:01:00 PM): no comment? =\

Now it shows that
1. Steve is trying to cover his tracks on this.
2. Rakell knew full well what he said
3. Steve having nothing to say when confronted on this but no comment.

Rakell was right, this was disgusting. Im sorry I had to be the one to point this out for everyone, but I could not let him get away with this. It was disgusting, but the problem is. Steve was the one that said it. I was the one that exposed him. While I couldn’t portray any evidence on this at the time, this didn’t mean I just made this up. This men’t I didn’t have evidence conveniently available. But people then think I am making crap up and getting real dirty with it. No, like I said before I was portraying the whole situation as I recalled it at the time. People I don’t make stuff up. I am an adult here. And I am fully aware of liability issues at hand to make something up like this. But now I do have the proof and evidence. It has came gracefully in email after I exposed it, putting my self on the limb here to expose this creep. All’s I did was get attacked for it and people soon looked for way’s to really do damage to me for saying such a thing.
When I say I tell stuff at face value, this is because I do. All the details were a little fuzzy when I made reference to his comments and I wasn’t able to find evidence to support it, but I did make all attempts to expose him properly. And now I do have a email with a convo from him and Rakell talking about this. Now obviously if he didn’t say those things, he would have had comments other then “no comment” when confronted privately about this. Obviously everything I post on here is just thrown out the window. So I do have this in email form and can forward this to anyone that want’s too see the accuracy of my statements. And yes there is many other forms of lies he tries to tell Rakell as well in this. To me it looks like he’s trying to brainwash her into believing something that’s not true.
While Rakell made little effort to stand by me in public, she does portrait a different side publicly and directly with Steve. Steve is very manipulative and this email proves it. I have actually a whole collection of emails.
I think what’s more disgusting is the fact that people would allow someone to twist things around like this and not say anything. That’s what’s truly disgusting.

To Rakell,
I’m sorry Rakell, but you needed to come clean right up front. I still honor our friendship, but like I mentioned before, you weren’t helping me and made a comment that was extremely detrimental in that it falsely portrayed the facts to cover your @ss while letting you true friend get his livelihood and reputation ruined on this. You knew the truth and it was important to say it. Like I mentioned before to you, I know have to do what I have to do to show my innocence and the truth of the situation. This was the only way you and a other’s have left me to do so. I truly do hate showing info that I share privately with friends. Unfortunaly sometimes it is necessary. So I hope you understand and know I do still honor our friendship. But yes I was deeply hurt by this. And I did feel somewhat betrayed and our friendship took a big blow. But just as you didn’t ask for all this trouble, neither did I. It was Steve who caused this whole mess.

To everyone
I try not to betray my friendships with people. So when they want info kept in confidence I do try to keep m word. Unfortunately situations like this are drastic. And I expect a friend to be understanding and step up for a friends when someone is doing them wrong. This is what friendship is all about. Sometimes you have to swallow a little pride or take a little heat, or take a risk to be a true friend. See I learned what true friendship is. Many people here have not. This comes with experience. You learn what true friendship is compared to who your drinking buddies are or your business relationship’s are when you are standard in the cold with no place to go and your so called “friends” will not inconvenient their life for you. But a true friend will be their for you in thick and thin. I’m not saying a true friend will lie for you, but they will be their for you when you are honest and truthful. I also have enough experience with the internet to know people cannot fully trust another person they do not know personally. But this does cause a problem as well. Like in this situation. I don’t think Rakell truly knows how much I consider her as a friend and would not just stab her in the back like others do. Just because you only know someone online, doesn’t mean a true friendship cannot occur.
I have talked to Rakell in private about this whole situation and how I felt. I know how she felt as well. I can understand someone trying to legally protect themselves instead of steeping up to the plate and take a risk on a friendship they might consider as unsure of. It takes a lot for someone to do this. So I can’t entirely fault Rakell for not saying anything upfront about this. Though I do forgive her and hope that these event’s did not destroy a “true friendship” situation. This is something that I hold very valuable. As with age you learn the true meaning of “true friendship”. And I only say this before someone again questions my ethics for posting info that wasn’t meant to be shared publicly. The real ethical turning would have occurred on where the ethics would have been to not say something to begin and cause for no other resort then to post. Like I said, this has already been of concern in private with a other person, so I am nipping this loose string right off the bat before that becomes another chest thumping attack on me.

Again, I do have the evidence now in email format that can be forwarded. My advice would be for anyone else that wants to just play sides and lie for someone they think is their friend to re-evaluate what they are doing. Because like I mentioned before I do plan on taking matter’s further on this. And true evidence in on my hard drive and burned on cd’s. While it may hold little water reprinted on this forum, it’s does hold more water to the real legal system when the integrity of the evidence I displayed proves to be just that, true and accurate.

After I posted my statement, I went through and seen Ritchies post. So I have to add this.

Now that’s interesting Ritchie, before you tried to portrait an image of computer illiteracy when it came to viruses and proxies, but now you say you took computer science?
See this is what I’m talking about. Your stories keep changing, fact’s twisted, and falsehoods provided. And all to dismiss anything I bring present and to attack my character when you don’t know me. So yes Ritchie this does make you a “bad guy”. You have done this to deceive the public who the real culprit was.