Onthetrailsagain

Renewed interest?

2009-07-26T09:11:00.000-07:00

Hmmm, not sure on that one.

Keeping hope alive though, who knows.

Hoping to get more advertisers and working on another venture at the same time.

Who knows, maybe my new venture will sponsor this one.

I sure hope so since I can't get any funding any other way.

A friendly reminder about my advertising offerings:

$5/month gets you a post like this, or $2/month gets you a sidebar ad. Up to you. Already have one side bar advertiser.

My own ad here

2009-07-22T08:10:00.000-07:00

Inspiration hit me just about 10 minutes ago and I've been frantically posting this link everywhere I can.

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/endthestrike/

If you read into the the link you'll see that a major city is crippled by a strike. It's time to end it.

So I'm trying to get enough signatures to help this cause.

Please sign it.

My advertising options

2009-07-21T16:17:00.000-07:00

As the information at the right says, you can advertise on my blog for $2/month. Each link is $2.

I have one interested advertiser so far, and i'm hoping to get more.

For $5/month, your link can be in a post, not simply on the sidebar of the blog.

Another option I am offering for a limited time, is a full post ad. You can post a description for your ad, not simply a link, no character limit is set. For $15/month, your ad can be seen as a full post.

If you're interested, please send a comment.

Well, this is a flop

2009-07-15T07:13:00.000-07:00

Nothing at all has come of my attempt to get my dream business going.

Dream: FAILED!!

Thanks for nothing.

Not much to say.

2009-06-27T15:29:00.001-07:00

Still trying to get things going, but am not having any luck.

I have a traffic exchange I like to use, and hopefully some people would use it to get their own traffic.

Join me today.

Web traffic exchange

I give up

2009-06-18T19:00:00.000-07:00

Well not yet, but I'm about to.

There has been no interest in this, not one single donation at all, and that's so disappointing. My business wont succeed without help.

Who wouldn't want advertising? Seems like no one wants advertising. I'm surprised actually, since I did offer it a few posts ago.

My blog will be getting a ton of exposure once it's picked up by all blog search engines, so there would be a ton of visitors to see any advertising on my blog and the blog itself.

Who knows, maybe that will help me.

Nothing doing yet.

2009-06-14T08:24:00.000-07:00

So no win last night, bu that's to be expected.

Now I'm contemplating where to relocate to should I ever get this going.

Staying here may or may not be an option.

So now I want to do my homework and figure out whether I should stay in the country or relocate to another one.

I'm still trying to track down an old friend/co-worker of mine who was willing to help out with the business, but if I can't reach him, I'll be having to find more help elsewhere.

It's my birthday next month and I'm planning on taking a day trail ride about 2 hours from my place. Maybe I'll be able to get more information on how places like these are run. The place I'm going to though isn't a full service place, but you know it's pretty close, and I'm getting a lot of information from the website to help me figure out how to run mine, and what pricing I should have.

So far, $0 has been raised for this venture, and it doesn't look like government funding will happen. If I didn't have so many expenses through my day to day life, I'd be able to save up some my own money for this business.

I entered a contest yesterday, the prize is $1,000, so who knows if I'll be lucky. I doubt it though simply because I entered the contest 2 days before submission time ends.

I can't get loans or capital for startup expense, so I've really run out of options here. Lets hope that there is a light at the end of the tunnel and something will come out of all of these posts.

Wow, I'm depressed

2009-06-13T15:07:00.001-07:00

Yes depressed. I would have hoped that there would have been some interest in this, but there clearly isn't and that is extremely disappointing.

I don't want to give up, but it's looking like I may have to.

My last real hope for the lottery is tonight, and maybe I'll get lucky.

Of course, anyone donating, if I win, I'd repay x2, but that's only if I won.

Lets hope.

Here's a new way to get funds

2009-06-07T17:37:00.000-07:00

Advertising.

Everyone who needs traffic knows that advertising is a must.

So I'm offering an amazing deal, too good to be passed up.

$2/month to advertise on my blog. That's it, no more cost. This however is limited to 2 links per person at this rate, or the cost will be increased per link.

If you're interested in the advertising, please drop a comment letting me know if you would like to pay through Paypal or Alertpay. I will screen your links before posting them up.

This offer is only valid while this post is visible on this page.

No news

2009-06-05T06:26:00.000-07:00

So far in my quest of receiving funding for my business, nothing has happened.

I had an email inquiry from someone, but they clearly weren't serious in helping with this venture.

It looks like I'm going to fail again, but I guess I should expect this, there are always people who don't care if others succeed or not.

No one has donated and that's extremely disappointing.

I guess I'm resorting to trying to win the lottery tonight, who knows if I'll actually get lucky this time. I doubt I'll win, the most I've won is $10, and we all know that doesn't do much at all.

If, somehow, I actually win tonight, the only way anyone will know is that the blog will change.

So wish me luck, and if you still want to donate, you can find my donation links throughout my entries.

Options are extremely limited

2009-05-30T16:13:00.000-07:00

I've been doing more research into funding for this venture, and the more I look, the harder I find it is to get the funding I need.

So, now, I seem to rely on anyone wishing to donate. I offer a return on your investment pending successful startup of the business, consider it an incentive to donate to my cause.

I am going to try to find other sources of funding, but it's not going to be easy. My boss wants to help in a way with this venture, but not in the way that I need her to.

But, I hope that people would be willing to invest, the return on investment will be determined over the next month or so, while I work out more details.

The money anyone invests will stay in my Paypal account until I'm ready to use it for my business, proof will be provided to anyone who requests it.

I'm not asking for huge amounts, I know people can't afford that, but anything over $2 helps.

I have advertising credits that I don't use, I'll be advertising my business locally and through this blog, which is found on many traffic exchanges, so I don't need the credits I have. If you donate more than $10, I will advertise for you, I have many banner credits if you have something to be advertised.

Just send info through the comment section, and remember that I have to review all comments, so your information will not be revealed to anyone.

Major stumbling block

2009-05-29T17:57:00.000-07:00

The call came in today from the small business finance center.

What a disappointment. You're supposed to pay $600 to find out which programs are available. This is really annoying. Why should I pay to find the programs that could fund me?

I have an option of looking into free programs, I'll have to track them down.

A minror setback.

2009-05-28T14:34:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately I can't get any info from Niagara Wind Power. They wont give any information to people who live out of their area. So my options are to find a place down there or find other people who can give me the info I need.

Still haven't heard back from the funding center, don't know what's going on. I hope I get a call tonight from them, I really don't want this to be in vain. I left a message earlier this evening, hoping that I get a call back tomorrow. I have a lot of information to provide when the call comes in, and keeping my fingers crossed that this works out for me.

So far no one's contributing which is really disappointing, I've had more luck in other fundraising ventures in the past.

I keep my fingers crossed that this venture wont fail, I don't need any more disappointment, I've failed at this venture far too many times in the past. It's time for me to succeed.

What's in a name?

2009-05-28T10:54:00.000-07:00

My farm will need a name, and I invite you all to leave a name in the comments section for me to check out.

Comments are moderated so I have to approve them prior to posting them.

The commenter that wins this little contest will have their name featured in my first ever news letter that I send out to my readers.

Good luck to all.

In for one expensive ride here

2009-05-28T09:50:00.000-07:00

Green energy cheap? HA!! No way. I know it's not. I'm waiting on some quotes to be provided from Niagara Wind Power about going solar and wind powered for my business.

I guess my real problem right now is figuring out if I want to custom build everything, or deal with a property that already has buildings in place.

I need to go through my emails and find some I kept a while ago, want to try to find the website I was using to try to get building quotes for another property I had wanted to purchase a while back.

The problem with that property is the location. Middle of nowhere, in a predominately French speaking area of the province, about 6 miles from the Quebec border. Not close to anything, wouldn't help my business anyways.

Location is key, but the location will be costly the closer I want to be to my city. But I need to stay closer to my city in order to get the communications access that I currently have. If I go to far away, I'll lose the reliability. I can't have that happen.

Choosing between communication providers, I'll break it down:

Rogers: All digital cable, phone and internet. Wireless internet, many package options.

Bell: Satelite, no cable. Phone and internet. Internet is dialup, wireless, or high speed. You have a long distance block placed on your phone unless you pay $200, which Rogers does not do.

Hmm, in cost comparison as well, Rogers is cheaper, it's a better deal for anyone using it for business as well.

So if I can locate myself somewhere that uses Rogers, I'll be ok. I just have to clear up my small outstanding debt with them before returning to them.

Costly venture, no kidding. Now I am stuck on my research for costing out feed and supplies for horses. Perishable items are not easy to track pricing on, and all my Google searches have been in vain. All I've been able to find is pricing on hay, which isn't cheap either.

How about farm machinery? Ugh, I was on a local equipment supply shop website last night, and they want $13,000 for a tractor that I know that I'd need for hay transport and stall mucking.

A couple of months ago, I was fortunate to head into York Region and work on a farm for a day to find out exactly what I need to run my barn. This is how I found out about the tractor that I'd need.

So here's a general breakdown of pricing from what I can estimate so far:

Hay bales: $25.00 each, one per paddock per day; that's 31/month minimum. Cost per month: $775. Does not include delivery charge.

Tractor for the barn: $13,000.

Solar, and wind power: $25,000+. Haven't gotten an exact cost factor, so this is a rough guess.

Farrier service- Cutting: $35/horse. Shoeing: $200+/horse

Other barn supplies: Undetermined. But the good news is that a lot of the supplies I'd quoted from the 2006 catalogue have gone DOWN in price, so these supplies will cost me less than I have written down.

Hoping to get that call later today, and I hope I get a reply back to my email about the cost of the power items I'll be needing.

Stay tuned.

Just got the call.

2009-05-27T17:29:00.001-07:00

Just got a message from the Small Business Financing Center in Ottawa about my venture.

They want more details about my business and they'll do what they can to help me.

I was told that they were pretty sure that they could get me funded.

Well, this means that I need to get a tip top plan put together, with more income options, and of course, ugh, the business expenses.

I'm working on the expenses right now, so I'll have an idea of exactly what the yearly costs will be.

I already know for sure what one expense will be, and it's not a cheap one, but it's a vital expense for me.

More details to follow over the coming days, I hope to speak to someone tomorrow about the funding.

Man this is frustrating.

2009-05-27T15:04:00.000-07:00

I'm doing more research on solar and wind power, and I forgot how difficult it was to find information I need.

I've seen so many solar water heaters on roof tops, but not much in the way of wind power in the city. I've also seen solar panels in backyards and on roof tops. It's been nice to see, and has been driving me in the right direction here.

But the problem is wind turbines. Except for the big ones in major cities, the ones that Canadian Tire sells wouldn't do anything for me at all. Unless I had a lot of wind on the farm, I wouldn't be able to operate a turbine.

I'll be getting some more research help from my friends at www.aboutmyplanet.com, I know they'll be happy to know what my plans are.

Anyways, here's the link again, just in case you're interested in contributing.

Part 2.

2009-05-27T08:20:00.000-07:00

See my first post for more details.

I was up late last night writing things down, I'll be typing them out soon enough, trying to give everyone more ideas as to what I'm up to.

But first I had to promote the blog, so I've posted it in a few places to get some traffic to it. I sure hope I get the traffic I need and then the funding I need.

Read on my friends.

Picture this for a moment:

You're driving in the area, and you see a sign for my farm. You think that you want to check it out, considering the sign says to drop in.

You turn onto the long, winding drive up to the farm. Set far back from the main road, this is the quietest farm you've ever been to. After driving through the trees, suddenly it opens up and you see people, animals and a beautiful farm house around you.

Here there are guests bringing their own horses for a weekend trip, they'll be staying overnight in the guest cabins, built with people and horses in mind.

You park in the car parking lot and get out.

You pick up a small guest map to give you a better idea of what you're seeing.

To your left is the farm house. It's a charming raised bungalow with 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, an office and a great view of the farm.

Beside the house is a 14 stall barn, attached is an arena that is well lit, insulated with a safe viewing area.

To the right, down the dirt road, are cabins with small fenced pasture areas. These are the guest cabins. The horse(s) brought can stay in the pasture outside the cabin at night.

There are 7 cabins in a semi circle. Cabins can sleep up to 4 people, 2 single beds and 1 set of bunk beds. There is also a pull-out couch in each, just in case someone doesn't want to sleep on the top bunk. Hot water is solar heated, in fact, all electricity provided to the cabins is solar.

The information on the reverse side of the map indicates our offerings year round and the cost of each. It also details our cabins, and our aim to run completely on green energy in the coming years.

Our greeter comes by to talk to you, he answers any questions you have about the property or any of the services we offer.

You go for a trail ride and are extremely happy. You plan on telling all your friends about the farm, and plan on coming back again yourself.

Sound good? Well of course that's just what I'm thinking, I don't know exactly how it will work out.

But as you can tell, I have ideas. Plenty of ideas. Hopes and dreams for this business.

In my previous posting, I mentioned the offerings of the farm. Now I will explain them in detail, and put a cost to them.

* Trail rides- 1 hour/2 hour/half day rides.
-> 1 hour trail rides are a great way to learn how to ride if you've never done so before. These rides meander through the flat trails of our farm, good for new riders, but still provide amazing scenery as well. Included in the cost are pre-ride basics for those who need to learn, a mandatory helmet rental(unless you bring your own), and an amazing ride that may go over an hour. Cost $35

-> 2 hour trail rides are an in-between for riders who want more than an hour, but aren't ready for a longer ride. We continue on flat trails, but also move on to slight elevation changes, for a bit of a challenge. Cost includes same as above, but also includes a small snack. $65

-> Half day rides are up to 5 hours in length, depending on where we go. We could go off property, or spend the ride on our own trails. For those ready for the challenge, we will be going at a faster pace. These half day rides are provided on weekends only, 2 rides go out per day, so booking in advance is preferred as space is limited. Price includes all of the above, and also includes a packed lunch for riders and food for the horses. $125

* Overnight trail trips.

-> Overnight trail trips are something to remember for a long time. Bring your tent and sleeping bag for the experience of a lifetime. This trip starts with you checking in upon your arrival. You will be matched with a horse suited to your needs before you head out. All gear will be loaded up on our pack horses, and we will provide you instructions before heading out to our campsite for the night. Upon reaching our site, you will be instructed on how to tie your horse for the night. We will feed the horses then set up our tents. Our dinner will be basic, burgers and dogs on the open fire. A roaring campfire before turning in, then getting a good night's rest before heading out in the morning.
Breakfast will consist of toast, eggs and bacon. We'll relax for a bit after breakfast before heading out on the trails again. Once saddled up, we will hit the trails for faster paced riding, for those who want this.
We will stop for lunch prior to heading back to the farm. Once back at the farm, you collect your gear from the guide, and can discuss the trip. After that, you're free to do what you want.
Cost of overnight trip includes horse for the day/night, dinner, breakfast and lunch on the trails, helmet rental. Riders must have ridden at our farm before to be allowed to go on this trip. $175

* Weekend trail trips.
-> Weekend trail trips consist of the same as above, but with an extra day added. We will be exploring more of our forest, and adding some nature walks through the area, so dress accordingly. The weekend trips are limited to 6 riders, as space is limited, this trip must be booked at least 2 weeks in advance. 10% must be paid at time of booking. $250

* English/Western lessons.

Information to come later.

* Boarding- Stall and pasture.
-> Stall and pasture boarding cost vary, pasture boarding is always cheaper, but we are hoping in the future to be able to lower the cost of stall boarding by using green energy.

-> Stall boarding includes daily turnout, feeding and grooming when needed. Stalled horses are put out to different pastures than pasture boarded horses. In bad weather, the stalled horses will be kept inside. If your horse has special needs, the costs will be assessed prior to boarding. $300/month

-> Pasture boarding is provided year round, if you have sheets and blankets, they'll be used when needed. Feeding and grooming is provided daily. $250/month

-> Broodmare boarding is provided if you have studded on our farm. It will be provided at a discounted rate. If your mare is in foal and she didn't stud here, then it will cost you a little more.
- In foal- our stud: $400/month. Post foal- our stud: $450/month.
- In foal: $450/month. Post foal: $500/month.

* Part boarding.

-> Part boarding is a great way to get riding without the added expense of buying your own horse. Riders must pass a riding test before being allowed to ride. Riders will be matched up with 2-3 horses. Riders can ride 3 days per week, up to 2 hours a day. $160/month.
* March Break camps.
* Summer camps for both adults and children.
* Winter rides for those who ride then.
-> Winter trail rides are available to those who still want to ride no matter how cold it is. On a nice day, the trails are inviting. As long as the trails are not being used by snowmobiles, they are open to riders. Cost includes helmet rental. $30/1 hour only.
* Hit the Trails riding club, for die hard riders.

-> For those who want to ride often, but want more than part boarding offers, this riding club is for you. We urge you to pay for a month and decide if it's for you. Then you can decide how long you want to pay for your riding. If you choose a longer package option, it costs you less.

$250/month- $3,000/year
$700/3 months- $2,800/year
$1250/6 months- $2,500/year
$2,400/12 months- best deal
* Therapeutic riding.

-> Riding is great for everyone, but there are people who would benefit even more from riding, and those get these rides feel even better when they leave. Therapeutic ride sessions are held weekly, 3 times a week. Sessions are offered in small groups so it has a more personal feel. 1 on 1 rider/guide sessions offered. $150 per weekly session.

* Low income spots during summer camp programs.

-> 3 low income spots are available for each summer camp session for kids. Cost for camp is half of the full price, can be paid in installments prior to the camp session starting. Proof of income must be provided prior to registration.

* Guest lodgings including meals.

-> Guest lodging is available in one of the cabins on the property. Great package rates are available for a 2 night stay for up to 4 people and 4 horses. Discounted rates are available when booking in advance.

-> 2 nights for up to 4 people and 4 horses- $600
-> 4 half day trail rides- $500 Can be changed to suit your needs.

Book early and save.

-> 3 months in advance- 40% off
-> 2 months in advance- 30% off
-> 1 month in advance- 20% off

10% must be paid at time of booking to ensure your spot.

10% discount for cash payment less than one month in advance.

Bring your own linens, food and cookware for your cabin stay. Lunches provided on the trail ride.
* Training programs.
Details to follow.

* Farrier service.

-> Farrier costs can vary, but average hoof cuts cost $35. Complete shoeings can cost $200+ Our farrier can provide you cost details.

* Snowmobiling in the winter.
* Snowshoeing in the winter.
* Summer and winter trail passes

Details to follow for those items that don't have any information yet. I'm still working on pricing for these offerings.

Welcome to Onthetrails

2009-05-27T07:04:00.000-07:00

I'm a country gal at heart, I love country living, I despise living in the city.

My dream is to live in the country doing what I love: running my own farm business.

I now have that option, I'm still waiting to hear back from a government grant program to see what kind of funding I could get.

To get this business running, I'm aware, wont be an easy task. I'm up for the challenge though.

I have friends to back me up, despite not having family that cares, friends are far more important to me.

So first off, I'm looking for volunteers and some private funding to get the ball rolling. If I can get that, this dream/goal of mine will be more achievable for me.

My total funding goal is $1 million. Winning the lottery would be nice, but in case that doesn't happen, finding other means of funding is the way I have to go.

I am looking to receive $500,000 from the government, be it through grants or loans, and the remaining I'd like to find private funding for.

Should you wish to contribute, check out my Chipin donation link below. Donations are confidential, only I will know who donates.

Your funding help will go towards the following start-up costs for this business:

* Any building projects needing to be completed.
* Property purchase and all associated costs.
* Supplies needed, hopefully a year's worth of them.
* Advertising costs associated with promoting the business.
* Purchase of equipment needed on the farm, including the horses, trucks, trailers, etc.

Local contributers are urged to visit me once I get the business running, this way you can see first hand how your donations have helped me.

Here's a rundown of my plan, to give you an idea of why my business will succeed.

Do you know what horse farms are about? Have you been to different ones to see what they offer? Have you noticed that not one farm offers everything you'd like, all in one place? Well that's where I aim to be different.

Some farms offer strictly trail rides, but no lessons or day camps. Others have reversed roles. Then there are ones that offer all of that, but they don't offer lodging, which is needed by many sometimes.

Hey, have you ever seen a low income child get the opportunity to ride a horse? I know I haven't in my lifetime.

So here's where my farm will be different:

Farm offerings:

* Trail rides- 1 hour/2 hour/half day rides.
* Overnight trail trips.
* Weekend trail trips.
* English/Western lessons.
* Boarding- Stall and pasture.
* Part boarding.
* March Break camps.
* Summer camps for both adults and children.
* Winter rides for those who ride then.
* Hit the Trails riding club, for die hard riders.(more details on this and other programs to follow in another post).
* Therapeutic riding.
* Low income spots during summer camp programs.
* Guest lodgings including meals.
* Training programs.
* Farrier service.
* Snowmobiling in the winter.
* Snowshoeing in the winter.
* Summer and winter trail passes(more details in another post.)

There will be many other options and activities offered here, I know my farm will be busy year round.

I am excited to get this started and am open to any comments anyone has.