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‘I’ve had all kinds of jobs: cleaning lady, dog groomer, employee of Apenheul. But when I started training as an animal homeopath in 2009, everything fell into place.
“I have been treating animals homeopathically for ten years now. My customers are mostly people who cannot find a solution in regular animal care; people who do not go to a quick fix but who want to tackle the root of their animal’s problem.
“Recently I treated a shetlander for intestinal complaints. He was aggressive towards his owners – not a natural behavior. He was stuck in the past, in which he probably suffered a trauma. I started treating him on that past, after which his intestinal complaints disappeared. My treatment consists of the administration of homeopathic remedies, usually in scented doses.
“My business has long been an expensive hobby; in 2019 I made 49 euros profit. For more certainty, I also started working as a taxi driver in 2020. Now I have decided to go completely for my business. On the advice of my business coach, I also changed my business model. I no longer work with an hourly invoice, but with a treatment process that involves about 10 to 12 hours of work. I am asking 447 euros for that.”
“It is not easy to get by on this job. Most animal homeopaths work side by side or partly live on their partner’s income. I now also live largely on my partner’s income. Every month I use 500 euros of what I earn to pay for the maintenance of my own horses, the rest I invest in the company. My plan is to make more profit next year, then a few hundred euros will go straight to the household pot.”
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‘Because we rely on one income, we have to be a little careful. We now do a lot less having food delivered at home or eating out.”
“I hate opening invoices and doing banking. That is a legacy of a time when I lived on welfare level. I then went into ostrich mode: if I don’t look at it, it isn’t there.
“I hardly have any subscriptions and spend little money. If I don’t need something, I don’t buy it. Recently I had company photos taken and therefore had to buy new clothes. That was the first time in years, normally I walk around in my old horse clothes. I usually buy furniture through Marktplaats. I love art deco, half my house is decorated with it. It’s unbelievable what people throw away for a few bucks.
“The only thing I do spend a lot on is stabling and maintaining my horses. I keep them under my own management in a nice stable location, which is not cheap. But I’m talking about it. It makes a difference that I can treat them myself if there is something wrong, so I have much less veterinary costs.”
#long #expensive #hobby