Country Lane Caretakers
You are going to need help some time…
Can we agree that working 24/7/365 is simply unsustainable?
You will need a break sometime. Your property really needs full time attention. There is no time-off from feeding and watering pets and valued stock and the constancy of repairs, maintenance, checking plant, equipment, animal health and welfare… the tasks are never-ending…
You need a break for:
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Your mental health
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family and relationships
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recharge the batteries
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ongoing business sustainability
Plan ahead
Schedule that break, that holiday, or in a family emergency, call your Caretaker On-Call to keep the place going… when you most need it!
In our “employed” work lives, we rarely take on jobs that have less than 4 weeks a year holiday. Normal employed life usually allows for weekends off, mostly give access to a few long weekends a year, may offer family friendly work hours or flexibility, rostered days off and other necessary breaks.
Few landholders consider what they do 24/7, as work… the work you do on your property, 24/7, on-call, is unsustainable.
So, plan your own break times as if you were working for an employer!
Who can help?
Ideally you may need a local permanent / part time or permanent / casual person.
If you live on-site permanently you should consider having an on-site caretaker family that can offset your work hours and breaks. A simple agreement to rotate off-site breaks as well as a negotiated remuneration package… simple.
You may choose to get contractors for intermediate, larger and trade qualification work. This may save you on costs of stocking plant and equipment, save you time and get the job done right the first time.
If you live off-site, you will need someone to come on site at regular intervals or over longer periods to keep the basics going, or continue on with your hard work.
Some landholders get unpaid workers to “sit-in” for the price of a Power outlet, water connection and wi-fi… but the real work still piles up, fences get broken, stock wander, pumps break, water lines need checking…and on it goes. A friendly “grey nomad" may not be the answer?
How are your....
Soil erosion, water retention & controls, revegetation, weed removal, planting skills?
Fire risk assessment, hazard management, emergency planning skills?
Specialise & delegate
If you are the owner operator you will have your time taken with every manner of administrative, operational and other day to day activities. So chose carefully what you spend your time on.
As a Manager, you need to budget your time where it's most productive. If your skills are in the presentation of the property, do that, if it's animal care, spend your time looking after your prized stock. Maybe business management, plant and equipment repairs and maintenance, marketing, advertising, social media, client liaison, business development... (the list is endless), are your forte, do those activities…
Get help on the rest!
You need to focus on your skill sets and not get too side tracked on other activities.
Even if you do plan on doing it all...
You are going to need help some time!
Country Lane Caretakers...
Your Caretaker On-Call!
Plan ahead for some vacation time...
You're gonna need extra help sometime...