Hopefully, you have sent off all your receipts and bank statements to your accountant who is now beavering away compiling your tax return. Suddenly, you have time on your hands...well maybe not masses of time but lets just assume you have some time.

This is a great time to plan the year ahead assuming of course that you haven't already done so .

If you are still thinking about buying alpacas get yourself an up to date copy of the Alpaca Farm and Ranch Guide and plan some visits to alpaca farms....remember to keep the receipts for your accountant as these trips are like the alpacas themselves - tax deductible !

Click here and this link will take you to a web page on the AOBA site where you can order a copy of the Alpaca Farm and Ranch Guide.

If you want to look at some alpacas this weekend then click on this link and you can find a series of alpaca ranches near you simply by clicking on a map of the USA.

If you want to visit my farm then drop me a line adrian@mulberryalpacas.com

The Internet is so useful, don't you agree?

Only this morning I was swapping e-mails with one of my old colleagues Rob McComb who was working in the City of London, while I was working in Oregon - quite amazing. Of course my children assume there has always been an Internet.



Which leads me into the sort of planning you should be doing if you already own and breed alpacas. Having sorted out all your own breedings for 2007 (I know that you haven't) now is a great time to go through all those clients who bought pregnant alpacas from you in 2006.

Hopefully you will have a list somewhere on your PC of the alpacas, their expected due dates and the new owners. Now you have a list of prospective breed back dates...agreed?

Make sure your alpaca stud details are all up to date on your web site, availability, prices, ribbons, fibre stats and so forth then send those e-mails, two days later hit the phone and see how many breedings you sell for the coming year. I guarantee you will be pleasantly surprised.



Adrian Stewart