Wrapping Up 1997 -
Planning For A New Year
BY LAURELLA DESBOROUGH
Copyright Laurella Desbrough (eclectusbreeder.com).
All rights reserved by the author.
Taxes and Planning
Taxes is a word that sends a
chill down the spine of any
United States citizen, including
bird breeders. If we have been
doing our record-keeping job all
along, it won't be such a
horrific word. If we have been
just "collecting" our receipts
for expenses and our copies of
sales records, then we have more
than taxes to worry about: We
have to worry about planning
1998 without a lot of helpful
background information! Whether
we are making a living by
raising and selling birds,
supplementing our income or just
trying to cover the expenses of
a serious avicultural hobby, it
is extremely helpful to be able
to work with such solid data as
real expenses and real income.
So, if you are busy going
through folders stuffed with
sales tickets and old shoe boxes
full of receipts for
hand-feeding formula, pellets
and paper towels, you know that
uneasy feeling that accompanies
the thought: "There must be a
better way!"
Routine Record Keeping
For many bird breeders, the
computer provides an excellent
record-keeping system...if one
bothers to take the time to
input the data on a routine
basis. As Joanne Abramson of
Raintree Macaws said, "The day's
work isn't done until the daily
records are completed!" Each
time we say to ourselves, "I'm
too tired tonight; I'll do it
tomorrow," we risk forgetting to
do it altogether. If it involves
details with numbers, we may not
remember them accurately.
When dealing with busy schedules
such as most bird breeders do,
record keeping is often the item
that we let slide. Perhaps if we
shorten those telephone
conversations or trim some other
activity, we can make time to do
the daily record keeping.
Designing record keeping into
the daily routine ensures it
will be done.
Where To Keep Records
Whether we keep information in
folders, in files, on the
computer, on 3-by-5 cards, in
ledger books, in three-ring
binders or in spiral notebooks,
it is important to keep records:
Dates, names, subjects and
locations are important. One
word on a page is not enough to
provide a record. Various kinds
of records are needed if you are
audited by the IRS: detailed
mileage logs, daily activities
logged into the prepared pages
of personal day planners, logs
of sales or expenses, aviary
logs of bird production,
conference registration fees and
travel expenses, and records of
advertising expenses. There are
forms, books and programs to
help you successfully keep
records.
Most office supplies stores have
a great variety of useful
products to assist you. Take
some time to review them and see
what will best serve your needs.
Planning for 1998
For those who have been keeping
records consistently, a review
of the totals for the year will
give an idea of directions for
1998. For instance, if sales
were slower than usual, that
calls for a review of the
marketing of youngsters. If
sales were low and costs were
high, resulting in an overall
poor return, a review of the
financial plan may be needed. If
there were problems with
infertile eggs from the breeding
pairs, diagnostic veterinary
work may be needed. If there was
a lower number of youngsters
produced, a review of the
overall management may be
needed, from diet to caging to
service protocols to veterinary
review of health status of the
breeding pairs. It may be
necessary to have a discussion
with your veterinarian and
review the flock management.
