The Goats On The Go® affiliate network gets bigger every year, so every year there are more issues that arise regarding the training requirement in the affiliate agreement. “What if I can’t make it to West Des Moines on that one-and-only date in March?” “Why do I have to attend in person?” “What are the consequences if I don’t keep up my training?”
These are excellent questions, with equally good answers, so we’ll address them in GOTG’s favorite format: the FAQ.
Q: I’m a new affiliate and I’ve run into an immovable conflict with the March 1 Basic Training. What should I do?
A: New affiliates in the first year of their contracts must attend the Basic Training in person before offering Goats On The Go® services to customers. We’re pretty hard core about that. But, we understand that life is also hard core, and things happen. The most important thing is that you communicate with us, as far in advance as possible, about the conflict. In most situations we will find a way to get you trained, but we can’t guarantee that the alternative is going to be as convenient, inexpensive, effective, or fun as attending “the main event” on the first weekend of March.
Q: I’ve done the Basic Training before, and this is not my first rodeo. Why do I have to attend a training event again?
A: GOTG’s affiliate contracts mandate a schedule of ongoing training (attendance at an approved training event required in years 1 and 2, and every-other-year thereafter) for a couple of reasons. First, GOTG exercises almost no control over the day-to-day operations of affiliates as they provide grazing services under the Goats On The Go® brand. It’s important that affiliates are continually and repeatedly presented with best practices and lessons learned from the experiences of others. Constant learning and communication help to ensure that the public image of the Goats On The Go® brand is protected.
Second, the market for targeted grazing and GOTG’s position in it is constantly changing. What was true a couple of years ago isn’t necessarily true today. We strive to keep you up-to-date on important developments in the industry and on complimentary agricultural issues. We utilize many different means of communication, but training events remain our best and most effective opportunity to get you the information you need.
Q: Okay, I understand the need for training, but why in-person? Couldn’t we do this by Zoom for a lot less money and less hassle?
A: Goats On The Go® is not just a brand, it’s also a community. One of the most valuable things about being a GOTG affiliate is the interaction with other affiliates. We believe this community can be nurtured with tools like Zoom and the Affiliate Facebook Group, but it’s built on real person-to-person engagement at GOTG training events. There’s just something about being physically together that fosters civil, genuine, edifying relationships that can continue remotely throughout the rest of the year.
Traveling is expensive in both dollars and time. We understand that. That’s why affiliates can always satisfy their training requirement at no cost (other than their travel) by attending the Basic Training the first weekend of March. Yes, it will be a bit of a rerun after your first year, but the content changes over time as we hear back from affiliates about their needs. And, many affiliates report back to us that some of the information they thought they absorbed from the training in their first year didn’t really “click” with them until they heard it a second time with the benefit of some real world experience.
Finally, if you’re not interested in taking the Basic Training again, the Conference on the second day of the March event remains a great value. For a small registration fee that covers your entire team, you get to hear from excellent guest speakers, fellow affiliates, and GOTG leadership, all while contributing your own experience to the valuable learning and networking that happens there.
Q: What happens if I get off-schedule with my training? Will my affiliate contract be voided?
A: Assuming you’ve attended Basic Training in the past, you have a history of paying your fees on time, you’ve communicated proactively about your obstacles to attending training, and you’ve generally represented the GOTG brand well, we’re not likely to send you a default letter because you’re a little behind on training.
However, you may not be eligible to access new benefits and opportunities as they come along in the future until you’re caught up. What benefits and opportunities? Let’s take a purely fictional example. Suppose we decided to offer affiliates a “pay as you go” option for paying affiliate fees. Instead of paying the full sum at the beginning of the year, GOTG takes a percentage of the revenue from each of the affiliate’s grazing projects until the full fee is paid. This very attractive — and fictional — option might only be open to affiliates who have checked all the boxes for paying on time, maintaining their required training, etc. One could imagine all sorts of good things that might pop up, so it it would be wise to stay in a position to take advantage of them!
Q: Besides the main Affiliate Training & Conference that happens every year on the first Friday and Saturday of March, are there any other events that would satisfy the contractual training requirement?
A: Yes! We highly value getting lots of affiliates together in person at the main event in March, but we also want to give people some flexibility. Additionally, some events offered by select third parties would greatly benefit affiliates’ businesses. Rather than reinvent the wheel, we would consider attendance at certain non-GOTG events to satisfy the contractual training requirement. Here are the additional training options for 2024:
Solar Farm Summit, Chicago, IL, July 8-10, registration open now, $550 per person (must include educational sessions)
Oklahoma State University Meat Goat Boot Camp, Ada, OK, October 21-23, registration open April 1, $200 per person
(Tentative) Goats On The Go® “Quick Start” Affiliate Basic Training, late July or early August, fee to be decided
That last one is still just a concept, but it’s nearing reality. It’s intended to train new affiliates who sign on during the summer and don’t want to wait until spring of the following year to start their Goats On The Go® grazing businesses. It will also be a good option for experienced affiliates who missed the March event and need to fulfill their training requirement. However, there will be a registration fee for this one and there will not be a conference associated with it. March is still your best option for the broadest, newest content and the lowest cost.
Q: If I’ve attended the Basic Training in the past, and I want to get credit for attending one of the new options, what should I do?
A: Contact Aaron Steele at aaron@goatsonthego.com to talk through it. Also, watch for a more detailed policy to be ready by June 1. It will be posted on the Affiliate Facebook Group and on FarmLaunch.me.
