The horse owner said to me, “He’s a handsome horse with a lot of potential, but I’ve got to spend some time working on the basics. He’s got no foundation to build upon.” In the reference to foundation, the owner meant that the horse had missed out on boot camp and basic training and went directly to the front. Basic skills like: stop and stand, move over, respect the handler’s space, lower the head for halter and bridle and lift up your foot for the tired farrier had not been taught to the horse. Many horse trainers advise creating a foundation of ground skills for a horse to make advanced training work much easier. Unfortunately, some trainers can’t wait to go directly to “the fun stuff’ first.
The basic skills taught to a horse through ground work are important for keeping the frustration out of advanced work. Just like a concrete wall supporting a house, foundation work with a horse creates a solid base for learning.
Equine businesses need to have a stable foundation, too. The foundation for a profitable horse business includes:
- A reliable bookkeeping system that is easy to follow by anyone, preferably using accounting software like QuickBooks or specialized software for the horse business.
- A standard price sheet lets your customers know you are consistent with your pricing and have put thought into setting your prices. Clients don’t want to hear prices like “about three hundred bucks” or “ I don’t know, what is it worth to you?”
- A plan and vision for the business for the next thirty six months that answers the questions: Where am I going, why am I going there, how am I going to get there and who is going with me?
- A support team of part time or full time help that is trained and tuned in on the goals of your business. You can’t do it alone.
- A marketing program that will keep your name and product in front of your customers using a methodical approach for frequent contact.
- A customer service plan focusing on delivering WOW! customer service
- A well balanced life that includes time for rest and play.
The success of your business is a function of the foundation you have constructed under it. If your business’s foundation is as shaky as a “house of cards” it’s time to work on the basics. An excellent resource for business basics is Michael Gerber’s “ E Myth Mastery”. If you haven’t read it, do it. My copy is filled with pencil notes and ideas in the margins. It is the perfect place to start to review the basics of your business structure.