Don't Look Back

Lessons for Professional Horsemen From A Soap Salesman

Tuesday Morning Gallop   A 47 second read for your success

 

Memo   5:30 A.M. Eastern     Tue.,November 24,2009 Tuesdays are busy days.  They're action days. Days we want to get things done in business.  Forty seven seconds of motivational thought follows below. Read it now, not later.     A Message From Elbert I once worked in an office on Elbert's Campus and later spent the night in the house he built just outside of the village of East Aurora, NY. Suitably impressed with his buildings and house, I didn't understand and fully appreciate Elbert, however, until I read his short book, "A Message to Garcia", much later in my life.   Of course I'm writing about contrarian Elbert Hubbard, a former soap salesman with a vision that created the very successful arts and crafts movement known as Roycroft.   Described as part Bohemian, part cowboy, Hubbard may have been the original hippie in 1900.  Featured in a PBS special last night on U.S. television, Hubbard, a horseman, championed the preservation of art and the handwork of talented craftsmen in the shadow of the modern industrial revolution's mass produced goods at the turn of the twentieth century.   In a similar fashion one hundred years later, professionals working with horses every day preserve the art and culture of horses in the shadow of the technology revolution. If you could talk with Elbert today about the business of horses, I suspect he'd be quick to remind you that you're selling an emotional product and experience, not a case of soap.   Elbert had a lot to say.  Three of my favorites:   "The best preparation for good work tomorrow is to do good work today."   "The greatest mistake you can make in life is continually fearing that you'll make one."   "The line between failure and success is so fine that we scarcely know when we pass it: so fine that we are often on the line and do not know it." Now, get your boots on and go to work!       Here's A Software Program That Is Helping Horsemen Save Time and Make a Better Profit.   You'll want both eyes wide open when you get your personal guided tour of this outstanding horse business management software. Online via your computer and your phone from the comfort of your office.  Click here for more details (716) 434-5371 or click here to e-mail Make it a great day!   Doug Emerson Profitable Horseman Doug@ProfitableHorseman.com

Low Cost High Impact Tips for A Brighter Business Image

Profitable Horseman Newsletter    November 20, 2009

Low Cost-High Impact Tips For A Brighter Business Image Our tractor mounted grader blade gets used for many jobs around the farm including: arena leveler, snow pusher and a substitute bulldozer.  It performs very well at the first two jobs.  As for dozer work, let's just say it's a good thing for me there is no Society for the Prevention of Machine Abuse. It's not intended for use as heavy earth moving equipment and my over confidence in its structural strength has sent it to the repair wizard several times. After the most recent repair, I treated the well used blade to a fresh coat of paint. The result was Wow! The old blade looked better than ever and once again rusty, tired iron looked very close to factory fresh. It got me thinking about the magic of a paint job.  The effort only took about thirty minutes from start to finish and the paint was already on the garage shelf waiting to be put in service.  The project was Low labor cost, low material cost, high result. It's the equation all business owners search for. You may want to give your business an end of year paint job.  I don't mean literally paint everything, I mean do things that improve appearance and business image.  You can freshen up the first impression of your business just like my rusty grader blade and its new coat of paint.   Here are some ideas for you to consider: Put a Welcome sign outside and inside your barn Restock your business card supply Add an exterior light to dark parking areas Invest in hose racks Fill the pot holes in the driveway Clean out the truck and horse trailer Change your daily uniform to look like a pro all the time, every day Buy extra brooms for compulsive sweepers to help keep the aisle neat Set a deadline for completion of stall cleaning each day Post candid photos of your customers and their horses on a bulletin board Put clocks in strategic places to encourage timeliness Schedule a cobweb removal blitz hour Invest in a few more water bucket scrubbing brushes Keep the wheelbarrow tires filled with air and the axles oiled Get the dust under control in the indoor Hand write appreciation notes on your invoices Hang a whiteboard and write a daily inspirational quote Oil those squeaky hinges, barn door tracks and sticky snaps Clean the indoor arena viewing area glass Number or name the paddocks and pastures Paint the lavatory Clean out ditches and get the water moving away from pastures and buildings   You get the idea.    Low cost, high impact, lasting impression.   Just like a fresh paint job.   What can you freshen up with your business today? . Others Have Said  "Do what you can, with what you have, with where you are."--Theodore Roosevelt   "The profit on a good action is to have done it"--Seneca   "It's a small world, but I wouldn't want to have to paint it."-- Stephen Wright   Have Voice, Will Travel. I attended an energetic New York National Speakers Assn. seminar on presentation techniques last week in Rochester. I learned how swords, fire and boomerangs hold audience attention without stabbing, burning or hitting anyone. I'd like your help with my goal of helping 10,000 horsemen in the next ten years become profitable horsemen.  I'm looking for public speaking opportunities to associations, groups, councils and businesses to tell the story about success in the horse business.   Please contact me about your group's event, the subject and the possibilities.  E-mail me here or call me (716) 434-5371.  Equine Genie Horse Management Software Offers   Holiday Season Discount Is 2010 the year you are going to get your bookkeeping and horse management records in electronic form for instant access?  Get your equineGenie horse management software package before Christmas for 10% Off the List Price. You already know to be profitable in the horse business, you need to focus your time on generating revenue and making sound business decisions with timely information. I'm now working with Bob Valentine, creator of equineGenie software to get the word out about this powerful management tool unlike any other software on the market for horsemen. It's a complete financial and horse management program. equineGenie is the first of several equine management products that will get horse business people away from their computers and into their businesses assisting them in doing:  the right things at the right time for the right reasons  equineGenie helps you manage your time  conserve your cash, and  improve the bottom line as you grow your business.  Nothing falls through the cracks when equineGenie is your Assistant Manager, Personal Assistant and Financial Analyst.  For more info. click here. E-mail me here: doug@ProfitableHorseman.com And we'll get you scheduled for a live webinar demonstration of the software and specific tips for your business on how you can put it into action immediately for a more profitable business. Back At The Barn My part of the world has been enjoying a beautiful fall weather pattern with plenty of sunshine and mild temperatures.  As we approach the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday, I'm reminded that being thankful for warm days and dry feet is just as important as being thankful for greater abundances in my life. Even if you're not in the U.S. on November 26, be thankful and reflect for a moment for the good things that have come into your life.   Happy Thanksgiving! I help professional horsemen and horsewomen struggling with the business half of the horse business.  Not enough time, not enough money or not enough of the right people working for you? Is your horse boarding business unprofitable? Contact me to see if I can help.  Until next time,   Doug Doug Emerson Profitable Horseman Quick Links   More Profitable Horseman Newsletters-click here Follow me on twitter here

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Ostriches On Problem Solving You know what ostriches do when they have a problem, right?   You're already picturing an ostrich with its head buried in the sand, aren't you?  It is known as the Ostrich Solution- if I can't see it, it can't hurt me. If you don't know, at this moment, your sales through the end of October, your expenses through the same period and how much is owed to you and how much you owe others, you're applying the Ostrich Solution to your business and life.    Which is silly, isn't it?    As a child, you tried closing your eyes countless times to make something go away.  And it worked, until you had to open your eyes.   If you're suffering from O.S., the next time your head is up, create a system for keeping your records and finances up to date.  The system can be your own self built spreadsheet or purchased professional accounting and record keeping software. Do it by the end of the week.  If you struggle with the process of data collection and entry, hire it done.  You don't change the oil in the truck do you?   By the way, the four hundred pound ostrich doesn't bury its head in the sand.  It's another myth just like you can't make money in the horse business. Here's A Software Program That Is Helping Horsemen Save Time and Make a Better Profit.   You'll want both eyes wide open when you get your personal guided tour of this outstanding horse business management software. Online via your computer and your phone from the comfort of your office.  (716) 434-5371 or click here to e-mail

Make it a great day!

Sport Horse Magazine Offers Electronic FlipBook Version

Anna Goebel's Sport Horse MarketPlace magazine is in an easy view FlipBook version now.

You can see it here or paste this url in your browser:  http://www.sporthorsemarketplace.com/index.php/flipbook-oct09.

Anna still mails out 20,000 printed copies but, the FlipBook version is the future for a lot of magazines and a good solution for rising printing costs as well as postage. And don't forget the environmental benefit.

Have a look at it.

Tuesday Morning Gallop: The Race Goes To The Swiftest

Memo 5:30 A.M. Eastern Time, Tuesday, October 20, 2009 Tuesdays are busy days.  They're action days. Days we want to get things done in business.  Thirty seconds of motivational thought follows below. Read it now, not later. Then, get your boots on and go to work!

"The Race Goes To The Swiftest"   You've heard this saying a million times. Me too.  Chances are good that you think it only applies to race horses. But you're wrong, it applies to you in your business. Has this ever happened to you? By the time you finally returned the call, the prospect interested in your horse for sale had found and bought another. The chronically delinquent boarder owes you six months board now and just moved out in the middle of the night. You neglected that back fence repair long enough for your former boarder's horse to get loose. It's hard to do everything on time every day. But, when you replace needless delay with action, your sprint to the finish line is a breeze.

Indoor Riding Arenas-Risk or Reward?

Picture this scene. Bright sunshine, clear blue skies, shirt sleeve riding conditions, clippety clop, clippety clop, not a problem in the world for horse or rider. All of us have ridden on perfect weather days and there is no better scene for enjoying horses.

The problem is that in most parts of the world, there aren’t enough of those perfect weather days. Weather and a busy professional horseman are often in conflict with each other. Scorching sun, bitter cold, rain, snow, mud and fierce winds can severely limit the number of days to make money with horses with training, riding lessons or attracting customers to your boarding facility.

A day lost due to bad weather is lost money for the professional horseman. That window of time to generate income for your professional services is gone forever. Sure, you can “make it up" another day, but that means you lose a day off or you have to work long hours the following days to recover the income.

The solution for those horsemen who are always fighting the weather is to build an indoor riding arena for bad weather and early morning and after dark work. I can hear some readers thinking, yes but, GASP, I can’t afford it!

My answer to that comment is a question. Is it possible that you can’t afford not to have an indoor arena?

I am the first to admit that every personal financial situation is different, but for the sake of simplicity let’s consider the following example:

You have $5000 to put toward construction of an $80,000 indoor riding arena with not too many frills other than a roof, four walls and proper footing and lighting.

You borrow conventionally, or creatively, $75,000 at 6.5% interest to be repaid monthly over 15 years. The monthly payment is $653 per month.

Let’s ignore additional real estate tax, insurance, utilities and maintenance expenses because they will vary by location; please don’t forget to include these expenses in your personal calculations in making your investment decisions.

Now, calculate how much horse training and riding lesson income you lose annually due to bad weather and not being able to work before light or after dark. How does that loss on a monthly basis compare with all of the costs of having an indoor arena? You may be surprised with the results. Could the lost revenue due to weather pay for the indoor arena?

I talked with Pete Rohring, owner of Parco Building Systems over coffee last week. (click here for link) He’s been building barns and arenas for over 25 years and had some tips and considerations for building indoor arenas.

• Find out if your builder carries builders risk insurance coverage for the structure during the construction process. Wind damage to partially complete structures is the most common culprit for building damages. If the builder doesn’t offer it, look into getting your own coverage.
• Door openings large enough to drive a hay wagon through are important for ventilation and getting things that need to stay dry out of the weather in a hurry.
• A 36” wide service door is handy for people to move in and out without disturbing riders and horses by opening large doors. A four foot wide sliding door for walking horses in and out and saves large door opening time, too.
• A ¾” plywood liner built on a taper to protect riders legs and steel walls is a nice touch
• A roof vent on the ridge helps keep air moving and minimize condensation. Consider roof insulation for condensation control and noise reduction during heavy rainfall.
• Natural light provided through skylight roof panels is nice but consider the potential for leaks and shadows and sunspots on the arena footing from skylights. Eave light panels in sidewalls are efficient and lower maintenance.
• Overhangs (minimum 16”) create shadow lines on the exterior for architectural appeal and also keep snow and rain away from the building sidewalls.
• Don’t forget ice guards for northern climates.
• Good lighting is important. Talk to experts in lighting commercial buildings.
• Base Footing should be well-compacted and surface footing selected for dust control.

Put that pencil and calculator to work some evening and do indoor work on how you might be able to do more “indoor work.”

Professional Horsemen: Is Your System So Easy, A Cave Man Could Do It?

Just posted my latest newsletter at Profitable Horseman website.

http://tinyurl.com/q7pql6

Self Motivation Simplified

Our son Andrew Emerson designed this self motivation machine.  I'm skeptical about its commercial potential, however.

Use Forget Me Nots to Have the Memory of An Elephant

I'd been thinking about telling you this for some time and kept forgetting.  But last week, I captured the thought on paper and the result is you're reading about it right now.
 
You and I do a lot of thinking each day the experts tell us.  You may be surprised at this, but research estimates you may have 40,000 to 60,000 thoughts each day.  Even though that sounds like a tremendous amount of thinking, most of your thoughts are repeat thoughts.
 
Thoughts like:
 

•     What's the temperature outside?

•     I need to clean the house

•    What's for lunch?

But, mixed in with the business-as-usual thoughts are great thoughts and ideas.  Your best thoughts and ideas about your business and personal life bubble to the surface in your conscious mind and then are lost faster than cash at the race track betting window.

 

Thoughts and ideas like: 

• Marketing your riding lesson program to home schooled children

• Calling two good candidates to lease your underutilized lesson horse
• Checking out pricing for an indoor arena and financing possibilities
• Approaching a part time employee prospect for helping with weekend barn chores
• Starting your own electronic newsletter

 

Thoughts like those above and thousands of others are lost each day.  Some times they resurface for you, other times the thought ocean undertow claims them for others to discover and put into action.

 

There are almost as many ways to capture ideas for your horse business as there are bits for a horse's mouth.  But just like bits, the favorites should get tried first.

 

Index cards- don't leave them in the package! Spread them around. Keep a few in the barn, in the truck, on your desk, next to your bed and in your pocket.  Collect them daily, rubber band them and look at them several times a week.

 

 

Post it notes-buy 3-M brand only.  The sticky part on the knock-off brands is as useless as a 3 foot lead rope. If you use a pencil based calendar planner, stick your thoughts on the pages of the calendar on the appropriate days.

 

 

Spiral pocket notebook- buy pocket sized only, in multiple packs. Get in the habit of carrying one with you.

 

Moleskine- these are impressive and this classic notebook of choice of writers and artists. Not only cool looking, it frames your thoughts as you re-read them.  Good enough for Hemmingway, good enough for me.

Cell phone:  Dial, dictate, done.  Call a phone number and your words are automatically transcribed, captured and e-mailed back to you with service called Jott.com   

PDA's  Once you make the shift to electronic notes, these are extremely useful tools for capturing thoughts and converting them to notes.  However, even though PDA's are durable, they're not as forgiving as paper when your horse's foot is standing on it.

Personally, I log a lot of my work day at a desk focused on a computer screen and talking on the telephone. It requires concentration and as a result, my best thoughts do not occur while I'm engaged in work.  I've used the above methods to capture brilliant and not so brilliant thoughts while feeding, mucking stalls, being a tractor jockey and cooling out a horse.

If you want to make more money in your horse business, capture your ideas and take action on the best! 

If you like this posted article subscribe to my free newsletter about making money with horses!  click here to go to the ProfitableHorseman.com home page

Dust Control for Indoor Riding Arenas

Controlling dust in indoor riding arenas is a chore for all horsemen.  While footings vary in the amount of dust fines created from daily use, there are no footings that don't break down eventually.

I used to spend hours watering our indoor arena with a garden hose, lawn sprinklers and eventually a tow behind tractor waterer.

Time required:  Seven minutes to detach manure spreader and hook up to waterer. Thirty minutes to fill the waterer, six minutes to apply.  Repeat every other day in dry conditions.  Tolerations:  Overfilled waterer tank due to forgetting, uneven distribution by waterer, can't apply water in below freezing weather, most annoying of all, it cut into my riding time.

I discovered MAG Flakes for dust control two years ago and am so delighted with the results, I sell the product.

Learn more at:  www.StopArenaDust.com

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What Makes a Good Website?

Annette Riley, Web Designer, makes good points about websites in her recent newsletter below.

Good Fast Cheap

You probably know the saying - Good, Fast, Cheap - Pick 2. The premise is that you must sacrifice one to get the others. If something is good and fast, it won't be cheap. If it is good and cheap, it won't be fast. If it is fast and cheap, it won't be any good.

I was all set to write a clever article about this topic, extolling my virtues as a Web designer, but I kept getting stuck.

Then I realized it is because there is only one choice. Good.

In the 8+ years I've been in business, I have never had someone walk into my office and ask for a bad Web site. Some want it "yesterday" and some want it for as close to free as possible, but the quality desired is always high.

What makes a good Web site?

First and foremost, it must present a clear picture of what your company has to offer your customers or potential customers. At the beginning of the web development process, it is more important to examine what makes your business different from your competition, than what colors you like. I sometimes meet resistance here, but I have to keep pushing. Taking time to plan and determine goals for the web site saves time and surprises later. The Web site will be more effective because it will be easy for visitors to understand how you can solve their problem.

Fast and Cheap are relative terms. There are many factors that determine time and cost, such as: size, complexity, desired features, existing budget considerations and/or how fast I get information such as text and images from the client.

A Web site an investment. A good Web site is the foundation of your marketing plan and adds value to your other marketing venues. You have to make the commitment of time and money to make it the best it can be.

Don't worry, however, I make the transition to a new way of marketing as painless as I can and will walk you easily through the Web design or re-design process from start to finish.

 

You can visit her site here

Twitter and Horsemen

I'm amazed at the number of horsemen and farmers active with posts on twitter on a regular basis.  I never would have guessed that busy folks, outdoors most of the day, would stay connected.

With the aid of wireless technology, no one is left out who chooses to stay in the stream of conversation.

Granted, the twitter conversation is as mindless as coffee break chatter at times, but the brevity of messages and speed of delivery helps develop business relationships instantly.

Horse Laughs

Our son brought one of his city buddies to  the farm. Seeing one of the horses wearing a cooler, he said, "Wow, and they wear sweaters, too?"  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First Horse Show at Newstead Equestrian Center

I visited Dave Howard of Newstead Equestrian Center in Newstead, NY yesterday and learned about his first horse show planned for July 18th, 2009.

Dave is a "detail guy" and he works hard at developing his relatively new business.  He handed me a color horse show prize list and  showed me the terrific looking ribbons from Hodges Badge Company .  Nice to see the energy and effort put forth to create an enjoyable show for the local community!  And what a great way to promote the facility for boarding, lessons and training,

Social Networking for Professional Horsemen

For those who are working with horses for a living, discretionary time for distraction is as scarce as a shade tree at a horse show.  Social networking via your computer keyboard may be a distraction for some, however it is clear to me that it's a good investment of precious time for making acquaintenances that you'd never (ever) make without it.

Twitter has been an excellent tool for me, as well as Linked-in.  Facebook is not the right tool for me and I've dropped my account.

It seems the magic of social networking is the ability to cut through tradition,stuffy etiquette, shyness and awkwardness with its click your way to instant gratification.

Twitter's 140 ch. rule is brilliant.  Say it succinctly  quick and close the gate.  Thought captured; instantly available for others.  Get back to work.

The speed of twitter news is lightning-like.  As a medium for communication, its possibilities are staggering.

Less newspaper reading, less TV, less radio.  Instant gratification for news for specialty areas like horses and agriculture.

see you on twitter!   @DougEmerson