New eBook - Business part of Raising KuneKunes

The Business Aspect of Raising KuneKunes

Farming is a business and like any business you need to know that you must report your income, expenses, and market your business. In this article, we cover this for you to help you learn.

KuneKune Business from Taxes to Marketing KuneKunes

First, Pass-through businesses don't have to deal with double taxation. Likewise, the company's revenues and expenses “pass through" to the business owner's tax return, where the owner pays tax on profits or deducts losses along with their other personal income and expenses. Most importantly, you will want to check the state and county requirements and your accountant.

Farming Livestock means that you will need to keep track of your income as well as your expenses. There are a ton of expenses that you can use to decrease your income. Every registration form you complete reduces the income you will pay out to the IRS.

Expenses you can deduct 

Here are a few of the ones most commonly known.

Deductible expenses for taxes:

• Purchase of livestock
• Houses for livestock
• Fencing, gates, post, and poles
• Grain / Feed
• Hay
• Bedding
• Vet bills
• Medications
• Vaccinations and Dewormers
• Advertising
• Website expense
• Memberships with KuneKune Organizations
• DNA cost
• Registration Fees

Other expenses you may not have thought about

• Small Tools
• Heavy equipment
• Farrowing quarters
• Outbuildings used to store hay or feed
• Fertilizers and Seed
• Office Expenses
• Computer & Printer
• Software used to track herd
• Vehicles expense
• Livestock Trailer
• Farm Insurance
• Propane
• Heat lamps
• Show Fees
• A portion of your cell phone bills and internet bills
• If you have an office in your home, some square footage of your home can be used (check with your accountant for details)
• Electric bill portion (check with your accountant for details)
• Casual labor (check with your accountant on details)
• Heavy Equipment operators 

As you can see there are a ton of expenses that you can use to decrease your tax liability. 

Marketing

One question that I have heard throughout my years of breeding KuneKunes is how to sell their piglets. It is with that in mind I write this section.

Most importantly, raising KuneKunes like any other business is work. For Instance, raising KuneKunes is not a way to get rich. Consequently, it is something that you need to feel passionately about and enjoy doing. That said, it is reasonable to expect the KuneKunes to “pay for themselves”. However, it is not immediate. Like any business, it takes time. As a result, how much you put into your business is how much you will get back.

When a new business opens near you, you do not immediately know that it exists or what it offers. They must promote their business. In raising livestock, potential buyers do not immediately know that you exist or when you have piglets that you want to sell. 

How to Advertise

There are many avenues available for you to “get the word out” about being a new KuneKune breeder. Let’s explore them.

Website

You will need to have a website. The advantage is a website will connect you with your potential buyers. It gives buyers your story and helps them gain knowledge about what your farm stands for. It tells them about your farm, beliefs, management styles, your KuneKunes, and what you have for sale. A website is out there 24/7 advertising you as a KuneKune Breeder. (IKKPS members receive a discount on KuneKune Websites)

Logo

While you may not think this is especially important, it is. First, it is called brand awareness. What do you mean by brand awareness?

“Brand awareness is a marketing term for the degree to which consumers recognize a product by its name. Ideally, consumers' awareness of the brand may include positive perceptions of the qualities that distinguish the product from its competition.”

So, when you see a Nike logo, you immediately think of Nike. Likewise, the same is true of your farm logo. As a result, when people see it, they should think of your farm, and it is great to have logos to put on all your pictures to bring brand awareness. So, every time your photos are seen in public it has your logo on it and brings awareness to your KuneKune Farm. Therefore, when we were breeding under Virginia KuneKunes, we “watermarked” our photos. This means that we put our logo on our pictures.

This is a photo we used a lot, and, in most cases, everyone recognizes it as a part of Virginia KuneKunes. That is brand awareness. 

Social Media

First, social media is a wonderful advertising tool. For this eBook we will use Facebook as an example but, there is also Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and other social media platforms available.

Most importantly, I have always found Facebook to be immensely helpful for marketing purposes. First, creating a Farm page and posting regularly is particularly important. Thus, at minimum, you should be posting at least 3-4 times a week. You want to share information about your farm, and your KuneKunes, announce litters, and share funny stories and photos. Likewise, joining various KuneKune pages (and there are many out there on Facebook) is another way to begin to get the word out there about yourself as a KuneKune Breeder and stay in touch with other KuneKune Breeders. It can be very educational and interesting. This is all FREE.

A Negative of Social Media worth mentioning

On the other hand, there is a negative side of most social media platforms. There are the constant “surfers” who spend their time making negative comments on your post. This can be especially true for pork producers. You may find rescues are not enjoying your pork-producing post. Thus, knowing what to post and not cause controversy is a skill needed as well.

For example, I have never really understood posting about a health concern to get other people’s opinions on what to do. I do see it a lot. In most cases, you do not know those folks or if their information is correct or not. Likewise, you do not know what their experience levels are, and I have seen some awful advice out there.

Meanwhile, having a mentor that helps answer your questions and do not rely on “random people” to hopefully give you some good advice. Be careful of folks you see constantly answering every question or constantly commenting. So, that is not to say that you cannot get good advice. However, it is just a friendly side note. It is always better to reach out to your mentor, the KuneKune Registry, Vet, or another breeder you know has the experience and knowledge to answer your questions.

KuneKune Registries

KuneKune Registries are extremely helpful in getting your name out as well. Most all the Registries have a breeder’s list and/or membership list. In most cases, it will show your name, state or province, farm name, etc.

IKHR publicly displays a breeder’s list and you do not need to qualify for it. AKKPS has both a membership list and a breeder’s list. The membership list is a list of all members and the breeder’s list you must qualify for each January. (Please check with them for what the qualifications are for the breeder’s list.) IKKPS has a Breeder’s Directory (list) where all members are automatically placed immediately upon joining as an IKKPS member. For IKKPS you do not have to qualify for the list.

A further look at IKKPS on the topic since this is being written by a founder of IKKPS – One of the key aspects of IKKPS is helping breeders be successful and we do that by promoting breeders for one. We equally promote all our breeders not only in multiple places on the website but, also in social media in the IKKPS group, IKKPS Facebook page, and on the Virginia KuneKunes Farm page. We offer multi-channel breeder promotions so we can help you find your customers. The level of membership you choose when joining is what helps to determine where you are promoted.

Our website software randomly selects breeders in our Featured IKKPS Breeder’s section on the website. Each monthly various members are selected to be on that page.

We also have a Farm Classified Ads section which is FREE to extended and all-inclusive members to use. You sell farm products; you can list your business card size ad there to promote that part of your farm. We will create something nice for your farm – FREE. Here is an example of one: 

It also has a genuinely nice Breeder’s List and Breeder’s Map. All of that is FREE and can be used by members. Here are some screenshots of it. 

So, in conclusion you can see that IKKPS offers a ton of ways to help you get the word out about your farm. Most all of it is FREE to IKKPS members / breeders.

Now let’s recap:

Raising livestock is a business as well as a passion for most KuneKune Breeders

For any business you must track your income and your expenses for the IRS. Make sure to check with your accountant, and city & state for requirements.

Get the word out about your KuneKune Farm by way of having a logo, a website, marketing in social media and utilizing the options KuneKune Registries have available as well.

There are many benefits and joys with raising this incredible breed.

• They are easy, docile, and friendly animals
• Easy to Handle
• Cost effective
• Raising livestock is a great learning experience for children
• Not prone to testing fences
• Not prone to destroy pastures and rooting
• Farming livestock has tax advantages
• Pork producers know where their food comes from
• Beneficial manure for gardeners
• Clean up gardens
• Clean up orchards
• Graze the land saving you time from cutting grass
• Enjoyment in the knowledge you are preserving a heritage breed

We hope that you have learned and enjoyed reading this eBook.

Disclaimer: As with all our educational articles and eBooks, this is written by an IKKPS founder for educational purposes and with the intent to inform and educate IKKPS members. However, we are happy to share information with all KuneKune enthusiast. The information in the eBook is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time this was written. We are not responsible for other organizations changes or accuracy. We always suggest that you check directly with their organization for any clarification or questions. 

How IKKPS can help

IKKPS has so many ways for you as a KuneKune Breeder to be able to promote not only yourself but, your KuneKune Farm, KuneKune Pigs for sale and even products or services that you offer related to your KuneKune business. Thus, we covered a few of them. For instance, we have a great classified section to our website. Also, we have the KuneKune breeder's list section not only on our website but, also in the IKKPS Online Herd Book. Also, there is also a KuneKune for Sale section included free in the herd book.

There are many ways you can promote yourself but, unlike any other KuneKune Registry - we take that even further by promoting our KuneKune Breeders directly. We publish a featured breeder every day in various pages of Facebook and Instagram for you. What a valuable service this is.

We drive business right to your door. No other KuneKune registry does that as they are also KuneKune Breeders. This is not the case in IKKPS, we are all either prior KuneKune Breeders or not even in the KuneKune World. This helps us not be biased like no other registry. We have time to focus on YOU.