How to get your Permaculture Project Funded

The biggest hurdle with setting up a self-reliant property is the upfront cost.

Most of us would love to be completely self-sufficient and a job or business that you go to work for play money right?

When you look at the costs of setting up a property, the upfront investment is huge. The land, structures, energy systems, tanks, dams, food systems, equipment the list goes on and on. And then if you want to set it up as a business to generate income, the list just grows again, a bit like a well-watered bamboo plantation with some really good soil you just can’t stop it.

Well two years ago Mike started his project and in the two years had the majority of the setup besides the property purchases funded, and we are now off the grid in the city!

Here are some examples of what Mike did.

Mike has run a business for all of his adult life and mainly worked in sales and setting up business for people and getting them off the ground or making them more profitable. The one thing that most small businesses and new business have in common is a lack of capital and experience in the industry.

One thing Mike says that is the most important is to have is a design, in Business they call it a business plan, in Permaculture it’s to have your property designed and how it’s going to work and turn a profit.

Profit is important to everyone as the more profit you can make being a permie the more good things you can do with the money. If good people make good money more good comes about.

The design is what you can use for many things when getting your property going. You can run workshops to install a swale which will teach others how it’s done and help you fund the earthworks and the cost of the plants.

If your not confident in running a workshop on that particular subject find someone who does workshops and give them a deal. I personally know a lot about solar so it was easy for me to run the workshops to fund the solar systems and when it come to getting beehives and aquaponics and all the other things Mike wanted to do he got in other teachers to run the workshops at his place to cover the cost of the install of the systems.

Start a youtube channel and a Facebook page. Did you know that there is more content created on the internet every day right now than there was actually on the internet in 1999?

They say the quickest way to learn something is to teach it. There Knowing about something and then knowingness about something. Knowingness is about not only knowing about something; it’s a part of you and your actions and how you go about your life.

If you’re going to put the information out on the internet, you will typically make sure you are confident that you know what you’re doing. There is always the exception to the rule though.

If you can build a following, it’s an excellent way to talk to people about getting involved in the project and helping you with the cost of things. Mike has many example of products that we have donated to the project, or a review was done in return to share with his followers.

Examples of Electric powered garden equipment to run off the solar system, and lots of solar products were installed in return for product reviews, and even a rainwater tank was supplied.

Money is not always the exchange that people are looking for. Mike says to look at it this way, it’s all about the value for the person you are talking to, Companies spend millions of dollars each year to find people to put their products in front of just to think about buying them and not even purchasing the items.

One thing to remember is to stay true to your ethics. After getting exposure and lots of people wanting to give you products and remember are they the best products for the environment. Mike was offered a free set of Batteries and knowing once he had the batteries that he had to change a few things and replace them every ten years. Instead, he held his ground and worked out a deal and got a set of Nickel Iron Batteries that will last a lifetime.

Always stay true to your core values and the right path will show the way

Mike Haydon

Working for the company you want products from. You can always pay people, with your time. Offer to work, to help them solve a problem, problem solvers always get paid the most. Look at doctors or mechanics, if the regular guy or gal can’t sort it they send you to the specialist and you know you always pay more but they solve your problem.

Mike now runs his home in the middle of Sydney as a permaculture demonstration site with, Solar hot water, wind turbine, solar panels batteries, rainwater systems, food systems and loads more permaculture designed principles with the majority of the work done without money exchanging hands.

If you would like to know more about how to fund your project go to www.yabba.com.au