If getting more done each day in your horse business is one of your goals, then you should read this.

Increasing productivity in your business is no easy job. You know from experience that projects are endless and hours in the day to complete them are limited. One of the ways your business productivity is measured is by how well you and your employees use the limited resource of time to get things done. Measuring how you use time is the first step toward increasing your productivity.

Time is the king of measuring methods. It’s easy to monitor. You can count seconds, minutes and hours on your watch; you can count days, weeks and months on your calendar. But, time is not a good measuring system when used alone. There are no standards to apply to chart progress. When you reference goals to time, you then have a system for measuring your progress.

As an example, if you have a riding lesson program, measure your marketing program’s effectiveness by the number of inquiries you get per month about your program. As you try different strategies, your measurement of the results helps identify the best places to spend marketing dollars. With no measuring system in place, no decisions get made regarding the best marketing practices for your business.

If you have a business goal to ride and train 4 horses each working day, a training log or calendar kept in the barn becomes your weekly measuring device. As you record the daily training sessions, this record of progress becomes your monitor of success or evidence of neglected commitment.

If your employees are responsible for completing the mucking of stalls by 10:00 AM each day, then a chart of “on time” completion days posted on the wall will keep the help focused on the 10:00 A.M. goal, not the morning coffee break.

Other ideas for measurements for your horse business:

• Monthly bills in the mail by the 3rd day of each month
• Numbers of stalls occupied by paying boarders each month
• Lessons given per month
• Number of lessons by horse each month
• Hours spent each week working on the business opposed to in the business.
• Delinquent account receivable dollars each month
• Number of prospects contacted per month
• Number of quarterly press releases about: you, your horses, boarders, students including show results

The goal is to begin measuring business progress on an active basis. Without measurement, improvements in productivity inch into miles away and hours tick into months away.

So get measuring to get things done!

If you don't start soon, I'll whack your knuckles with your own ruler, another way to use measurement to get things done.

"Any measurement must take into account the position of the observer. There is no such thing as measurement absolute, there is only measurement relative." --Jeanette Winterson

"Progress might have been all right once, but it has gone on too long."--Ogden Nash

"The road to success is always under construction."-- Annonymous

Sometimes you have to measure and monitor things you would never dream of having to measure as a kid. I get so wrapped up in “doing things” I have to remind myself to schedule having some fun. A few years ago, I started to track the number of days I spent in the winter skiing along with the number of “ride days” on horses for the year. Skiing is a 160 mile round day trip and takes some planning and I don’t feel as disappointed with my dismal record of “ski days”.

However, my annual log of “ride days” showed me last week that I hadn’t been on a horse in almost six weeks. No excuses for travel since the horses are only 200 feet from the house and no excuses for weather since the indoor arena is 200 feet from the barn.

My measuring device, the ride day log, allowed me to put down the tools for a while and enjoy a ride. It felt great, and reminded me to pay better attention to my strategy of balancing work, rest and play.

I work with Professional Horsemen who are struggling with the business half of the horse business. Just like a top performing horse has a strong foundation, so does a top performing horse business.

If you've had enough with disappointment in your horse business, call or e-mail and we can talk about your business and how I may be able to help you.

If you know other horsemen who would enjoy this newsletter, please forward it to them! I am on a quest to tell 1000 people what I do and I need your help.

Life is short,

Ride hard.

Doug

I will be presenting two talks about the horse business at the Certified Horsemanship Association's International Conference in Fort Collins, CO September 23, 2006. Find more information at: www.cha- ahse.org or call 800-399-0138

Is your organization in need of a speaker about the horse business at its event? Contact me and let's talk about it!