Wyoming is one of the most conservative states in the nation. That’s fine with Cowboy State beef producer Jon Kirkbride because that’s exactly how his family has succeeded in the cattle business.

“We run our ranch very conservatively. In fact, we run it as lean and mean as we can, with very low overhead,” Kirkbride says. “We don’t have a lot of heavy equipment. We don’t have big show homes or fancy vehicles. Bottom line, we’re very conscientious of our expenses.”

And this red conservatism spills over to marketing.

“For us, it has been better to be a little conservative than trying to figure out if the market has hit its top,” he says. “When we go to sell, if we have a profit we try and take it rather than squeezing out the last dollar. We don’t get too greedy.”

To read more business tips from Kirkbride, click here.

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