FYI - I am not renewing my <membership on anouther website> - I am keeping my limited budget with you though.  The reasons for that are you give me a good value for what I get, you are creative and innovative, and are compassionate to others in hardship. PM  VA

Your site is so fun and informative, and such a breeze to maintain.  TJ  PA

I am very impressed with AlpacaStreet and the support you give to your customers. LR   ME

We have been admiring AlpacaStreet for some time now and noting friends who have joined your site…..with rave reviews!  SA  GA

THANKS AGAIN SO MUCH   MY HUSBAND AND I AGREE <Our New Breeder Program Site> SHOWS UP BETTER THAN THE OTHER SITE WE HAVE   JM  GA

I intended to drop you a line to say how much I appreciate your creativity.  I didn't realize until, I received your response a few days ago, how many ideas you just throw out to the public to see if they'll fly. You're great for our industry (... as well as me personally). JP  MI

Who needs the <publication> now that we have Alpaca Street.  EB  GA

Thanks so much for making us shine....We have sold 3 alpacas recently due to Alpaca Street.  RR  IL

Thanks for creating such a great site with so many wonderful tools for alpaca breeders.  CS  FL

Once again - you are working the program for us. I think it's great! I just don't see anyone else out there working as hard as you do for us!!!  It's appreciated!!  JR  TN

PS. I've been telling people that you are the awesomest!  TU   VA

Thank you for all your hard work, new ideas, and reasonable prices!  HL  MI

Easy to use and saves alot of time. I have it for my home page and use it daily.  BA OH

P.S. it's so awesome to have your quick answers & support....LN MI.

We have received our third sales lead on our alpacas from your web site...I still think you need to do a THE Alpaca Website That GET RESULTS!!! ad.  KC  TX

AS is becoming a website for breeders who are serious about moving their farms forward in this economic environment and for those who can think outside of the box.  HK NC

I've been watching your site.  Its great!  As a matter of fact that is where I found the listing for the two girls I bought.  BH  IL

You are doing great things and all of us breeders do appreciate it.   MM TN

YOU ARE THE BOMB!!!!!!!!!  MB WA

Thanks so much. I really like your ad designs.  RD  WA

I just need to relay that I am proud to be a member listing on this site.  JB MI

I just wanted to let you know that I spent at least 3 hours on my AS site last night updating and adding pictures and more text, and I'm not done yet. I feel the site is very user friendly, easy to navigate and I was actually enjoying using it (which I usually don't) I only stopped because it was way past my bed time. hahahah
Seriously, I have had more hits to my farm pages in one day than I had in a month on the other site. So I just wanted to say thank you. I don't know what took me so long. I like the articles and other information you put on the site as well.
Keep up the great work!  JG PA

AlpacaStreet.com is definately the 'Apple' of alpaca websites!

Great job on this web site.  I originally wanted to list my farm on <another site> but after seeing the great effort you put into this site I felt this would be the way to go! And I was right!.  SH  MA

The sample contract sections is awesome!  What a help! SH OH

I think you guys have done a fantastic job getting this new site set up for alpacas.  This site is a great help to us "newbies" without a lot of money to pass around.  DJ MI

Thanks SO MUCH for your help, Dan, GREAT site!  The alpaca industry needs this. SO CA

I am always on the prowl for great advertising opportunities and you guys really deliver. Thanks so much for \"the street\".
You have been lightening fast to answer questions and I really appreciate what you do for the alpaca industry.  LG Utah

I am excited for your success as I note that we get hits to our site from Alpaca Street. CG CT

Another great idea.  The street is just what we needed in this industry.  It is a great resource for everything!

THANK YOU!  I like the finished product.  It has been a pleasure and you are very prompt with your responses to my requests!  I appreciate that very much!

You are a gem!!!

Thanks for going the extra mile for this!!

The profile looks great and we have had nothing but great service from you guys!

I will say that the hits on <my alpaca> have definitely skyrocketed since using your website. … I still am getting more hits and I thank you for all the help.

Thanks for setting all this up!  This is really great!

Glad you were there for all of us Florida Breeders. 

Did I mention you ROCK  ?!

Thank you for delivering what you promised!!  Boy--the farms that didn't sign up are gonna be so jealous!!!  [-:

The hits on my website has doubled so far and I am very impressed with Alpaca Street and will be advertising with you a lot more... GV Florida

Dan--thanks!! It's great.  You've made "as my momma says--"a silk purse out of a sows ear!"

I did have more hits on my website because of your website referral.

 Thanks for providing such a service and offering this medium both for education and advertising! 

This is an excellent opportunity for farm members.  I love what you are doing. Just checked out the <Farm and Ranch Locator>, it works very well!  Great tool for our use! 

the Farm locator is a great addition to your great site!!!

Send us your comments, too!

There’s no going back.

Because of AlpacaStreet, I probably talk to as many or more breeders in the course of a year than anyone.  This contact with breeders is one of the true benefits of my job.  Who wouldn’t love to “talk alpaca” several times a day?  Often I am asked, “When is the alpaca industry going to go back to the way it was?”  My answer is, “There’s no going back.”  The alpaca business is headed into a new future.   This future is one that we can passively allow to unfold before us, or one that we can actively engage, and thereby help shape.

The New Reality

Like everyone else in the country, alpaca breeders have been on a wild ride for the past couple years.  This economy has presented considerable challenges for which few breeders were prepared. It is imperative we see the situation around us the way it really is, and not the way we hope it will be.  It is only with a clear vision that we will be able to shape the future of the alpaca industry.

The New Customer

There are three main reasons for the current stagnation within the alpaca industry.
1. Home equity loans, the vehicle that provided many the cash needed to enter the business, have all but vanished because the equity position of most homeowners has greatly diminished or disappeared all together.
2. Tax incentives that can be so attractive are a non-issue if people are not making income to write them off against.
3. Concern about the future may keep those otherwise willing to enter the alpaca business out of it.  When people aren’t sure if they will have a job a year from now, they may see investing in the alpaca business as imprudent.

As you plan your 2012 sales efforts, you need to consider the above points in an effort to know and address the concerns facing your prospective clients. 

The New Market

Eventually, the economy will get better.  The housing industry will become strong again, and as it does, the alpaca industry will, too.  However,  not all boats will rise on the next tide.  Barring an amazing and immediate rebound in the housing industry, the alpaca market will have a permanent low-end entry level.  This entry level market will be supplied by breeders of lower quality alpacas as well as herd liquidations. The greater the supply of alpacas from these two sources, the lower the entry level will be.  Dealing with this basic example of supply and demand is one of the main challenges facing this industry.

As the alpaca industry rebounds, there will even more importance placed on genetics, show records, and quantifiable quality characteristics.  These will be the features that will separate the alpacas that appreciate in value from those that wont.  I am not going to stand on a soap box extolling the virtues of any of these aspects for evaluating alpacas.  I will only say that you must differentiate your alpaca from the rest.  Just being an alpaca isn’t good enough. 

The New Potential for Fiber

The silver lining that is coming out of the current down-turn is the focus on alpaca fiber as a revenue stream by a growing number of breeders.  The time has come to make alpaca fiber a legitimate source of income.  Groups like the Cottage Industry Alpaca Breeders Association and The North American Alpaca Fiber Produceers are enthusiastically pursuing the development of the American alpaca fiber market.  Alpaca United is another group whose members are from all sectors of the alpaca industry who have joined in a collaborative effort to create and grow a market for American alpaca fiber.  The success of these groups, and others like them, will make our lives as alpaca breeders easier by providing added revenue as well as the ability to show prospective clients the end products that make this truly a viable industry.

Never say “Never”

One thing we should learn from this current financial challenge, is to never say “never”.  In the late 70’s, mortgage rates were flirting with 20%.  We were told interest rates would never drop to the single digits again.  They did.   In the late 90’s, an exhubarent friend who just experienced a 5% increase in one month in his stock portfolio said his broker assured him there was no reason to believe the growth would end.  It did.  What goes up eventually comes down.  And what goes down, can come back up.  The key to bringing up the alpaca industry is for those in it for the long-term to engage its full potential.

And that’s the bottom line.

Dan Coulter

dan@alpacastreet.com