Small Business Start-up Loan, Grants, getting started...

[Chuckels]

Bascially, I want to start my own (Legal, Official, Documented, etc.) Business with my Ball Pythons. I know I want this, and I know I can succeed at it. What I'm asking you guys is, how did you start up?

My wife and I are active duty military, have been for 7 years, both of us. She has her own setup with her chicken farm right now, and is really being successful at it. Myself, I have snakes. I have had my snakes for about a year now, and had about double the amount 2 years ago...long story short, I had to deploy for a year, and she did not have the know-how to keep up with my collection. I got back, and this is my first year actually having the dedicated time to breed, and I am loving every second of it. I genuinely love my animals, regardless of how my breeding season goes.

I'm basically asking how did you get started with your snakes? I only have 4 breedable females, and am itching to add more breedable females. However, I am thinking that I spent my initial investment, not necessarily in the wrong way, I just wish I could go back and buy more breeder females, vice sub-adults, and hatchlings.

How did you get your monetary backing? Did you get a loan? Small business loan? Did you borrow money against your home? Investor? I am not asking for personal APR's or anything too personal. I'm just asking if you did get a small business loan for your snakes, what processes did you take to get it? What information do I need to make that happen? Are they're any type of grants that you can get as a veteran, or even civilian? I know you can Google anything, but I honestly suck at researching anything, aside from snakes. That's the truth, I am not lazy, I just suck at doing any type of research.

Any information will be greatly appreciated, I'm just looking for guidance. I want to do it the right way, completely legal, and by the book.

Thank you for your time.

Trey

[spitzu]

Even if you could get a sizable lone (doubtful without collateral), I wouldn't advise it. Most people start small and add snakes/racks/experience as they can.

You stated that you're ready to breed, but how is your wife? Your statement was kind of vague, but I gather that she let half of your snakes die? I may be reading too much into this, but the comment "she did not have the know-how to keep up with my collection" sounds a little like a BS excuse for neglect to me. BPs are hardy animals. They don't die all that easily and there is a crapload of husbandry information available all over the place if one cares to look. Maybe you should utilize the time it takes to build up your collection to involve your wife so that you don't lose half of your snakes again the next time you deploy?

[Slim]

Honestly, speaking as a 23 year veteran of the USAF, you should wait until you are no longer active duty. You know as well as I do that your life is not really your own as long as you wear the uniform. There are so many things that can come up, and always at the worst possible time.

Use this time to breed the animals you do have and prepare for the day you can focus all your attention a business.

[Chuckels]

Even if you could get a sizable lone (doubtful without collateral), I wouldn't advise it. Most people start small and add snakes/racks/experience as they can.

You stated that you're ready to breed, but how is your wife? Your statement was kind of vague, but I gather that she let half of your snakes die? I may be reading too much into this, but the comment "she did not have the know-how to keep up with my collection" sounds a little like a BS excuse for neglect to me. BPs are hardy animals. They don't die all that easily and there is a crapload of husbandry information available all over the place if one cares to look. Maybe you should utilize the time it takes to build up your collection to involve your wife so that you don't lose half of your snakes again the next time you deploy?

I did not mean that they died, I had to sell them off. Apologies for being vague, my wife 'now' has the know-how to maintain my animals. She loves animals just as much as I do, and would never, ever, ever let them die...

[Chuckels]

Honestly, speaking as a 23 year veteran of the USAF, you should wait until you are no longer active duty. You know as well as I do that your life is not really your own as long as you wear the uniform. There are so many things that can come up, and always at the worst possible time.

Use this time to breed the animals you do have and prepare for the day you can focus all your attention a business.

I agree with you whole heartily, however, I am on a shore station right now, and in a non-deployable status for 2 reasons, A.) Im in the Navy, and I completed my sea duty tour. B.) I have about a pound of metal in my foot, from breaking 5 bones in it, and they are all fused. I am restricted from deploying even as a Individual-Augmentee. Not that its a cop out, because I did my time on deployments, underways, and duty days. I work 5 days a week, full 8 hours a day, with 96 hours off. It's pretty awesome duty to be honest. I have ALOT of time off, and this is my last tour before I get out.

Thank you for your service btw, my Great Uncle Retired as an E-9 after 30 years in the USAF, I can't for the life of me remember the ranks name, and I wont try to sound smart about the AF using Google.

[Slim]

E-9 after 30 years in the USAF, I can't for the life of me remember the ranks name.

That is a Chief Master Sergeant.

I understand what you're saying about your current duty status, but on Sept 10 2011, a lot of guys in the military thought the same thing. Just saying.

BTW, until next Monday, I'm a government civilian at Langley AFB, right across the HRBT from you. You at Dam Neck or Oceana?

[Chuckels]

Even if you could get a sizable lone (doubtful without collateral), I wouldn't advise it. Most people start small and add snakes/racks/experience as they can.

You stated that you're ready to breed, but how is your wife? Your statement was kind of vague, but I gather that she let half of your snakes die? I may be reading too much into this, but the comment "she did not have the know-how to keep up with my collection" sounds a little like a BS excuse for neglect to me. BPs are hardy animals. They don't die all that easily and there is a crapload of husbandry information available all over the place if one cares to look. Maybe you should utilize the time it takes to build up your collection to involve your wife so that you don't lose half of your snakes again the next time you deploy?

Apologies for the double reply, but I just wanted to bust out that reply as fast as possible, so people wouldn't read that and think that my wife or myself neglect my animals, because that couldn't be further from the truth. I was approved for a pretty substantial loan, but the term of it would extend outside of my EAOS from active duty, so I declined. It's honestly not a matter of if I have money to spend or not, because I do, but we are also saving up for when we both get out of the service, and can survive for 1-2 years while we move home, look for jobs, get settled, etc. It's basically a priority to save money for long term "family" plans, and my Snakes/Her Chickens,Ducks,Turkeys come up second. I was just trying to discover/listen to other peoples routes on if they took out loans, or just set aside $300-500 per pay day, and bought as they needed it. I have racks, really nice ones, and Herpstats. I just need to fill them up with Females. That's probably what I should have said. That's the main focus of what I'm looking to spend on. I have 10 open adult tubs, that are empty, and I'm looking to fill them. I could take $5000 out of savings, and fill them, but then I would be taking away from my "family" funding, and I need to avoid it.

[Chuckels]

That is a Chief Master Sergeant.

I understand what you're saying about your current duty status, but on Sept 10 2011, a lot of guys in the military thought the same thing. Just saying.

BTW, until next Monday, I'm a government civilian at Langley AFB, right across the HRBT from you. You at Dam Neck or Oceana?

Dam Neck, my primary house is in Pungo, my rental property is in Timberlake

Trey

[Chuckels]

That is a Chief Master Sergeant.

I understand what you're saying about your current duty status, but on Sept 10 2011, a lot of guys in the military thought the same thing. Just saying.

BTW, until next Monday, I'm a government civilian at Langley AFB, right across the HRBT from you. You at Dam Neck or Oceana?

ERB was a big _ _ _ _ up IMO. Alot of great guys are suffering now because of it. Fortunately for me, my evals and PRT scores really weigh in my favor. I'm not trying to blast my own horn, but I really am good at my job. I would probably be Med-Boarded before ERB'd, and even with a Med-Board I'd recieve compensation for life.