Owning Land (Know your inventory!)

Learning to inventory is one of the most important things I can think of when owning a piece of land. And by inventory I simply mean knowing what you have and how much of it. After working in the I.T. field for nearly 8 years I have learned the importance of inventory and how it directly effects the business on a day-to-day basis.

Making sure we have an extra stock of monitors, computer parts and even printer toners is important because if we don't keep track of inventory someone will be without support or the ability to work for a while, which effects the business. The same goes for land - if you don't keep track of fuel or oil stores, bags of feed or food you could be in a world of hurt and the only person you have to blame is yourself.

A strong cataloging skill-set helps keep you prepared for weeks, months or even years ahead. And the more organized you are the more efficient you can be. If you buy lots of things in bulk you will probably save yourself fuel and time because you're making less "emergency" trips to the town general store or Home Depot because you didn't realize you had run out of X, Y or Z. Or less individual orders online, which save on shipping costs depending on the vendor.

It may seem obvious, but most people I know who own bits of land or have a small business may only know what they have in their head or not at all... not smart. It will come and eventually bite you and you'll hate yourself when it does.

Learn to be one with spreadsheets because they are your best friend - believe me.

I have found that only a few spreadsheets are really required to manage a large plot of land. Easily divided by sections based on uses or frequency of use.

For example:
One section can be for supplies just for vehicles such as: fuel, oil, extra tires, etc.

Another section can be for specific amounts of building materials such as: nails, wood screws, 2x4 boards, etc.

Lastly you  can dedicate a sheet or tab (in Excel Spreadsheet) to food and water stores like: bags of rice, spices, etc.

The better equipped you are doesn't always make you the most efficient. The more knowledgeable about what you have will make you more efficient.