The Equestrian industry in Ireland is fast growing and with Olympic Qualification in all equestrian disciplines there is no better time to be an Equestrian Business in Ireland!  However, most people in the Equestrian industry are not sitting at a desk all day on social media, they are out in the elements producing horses or coaching or travelling the country!  Marketing your Equestrian business can seem so daunting, it can seem like a minefield when trying to get your name out there and keeping it there, this is why you need to stand out from the rest!...

Whether you’re an up and coming athlete making a name for yourself as a talented star in the making, or a recognisable name already successful on the circuit, bringing yourself, your career and your extended business (sales, coaching, livery) to the next level requires planning with a big dollop of marketing.

Business owners in the horse industry face one of two classic problems: 

1. They ignore the need for marketing altogether because they’ve managed, on a wing and a prayer, to eek out a living and can’t see the need to be more targeted and strategic;
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As the title suggests some people are born sales people and regardless of what they're selling they find the interaction they have with buyers an easy one.  For others having to deal with potential buyers is their worst nightmare.  There's no doubt selling horses can be difficult but regardless of your prowess as a sales person if you follow the basic principles for presenting horses for sale you can make your job a lot easier.  While a lot of this will seem very obvious to most, I've seen enough badly presented sale ads to know it's worth writing this B...

In a previous Hold Your Horses Blog I discussed the importance of Social Media Marketing and how it can greatly enhance your marketing effectiveness.  With little or no cost your business can reach far and wide and engage with your fans and potential customers with much greater ease and fluiditity. 

 "We don't have a choice on whether we DO Social Media, the question is HOW WELL WE DO IT!" - Erik Qualmann

Social Media Marketing is an education based tool.  It doesn't cost money but it does take time. The problem is for horse professional’s, time i...

You've probably heard the saying "time is money."  It's a popular line for a reason — it's true. Everyone has an implicit value for their time, though they may not think in those terms.  Even a billionaire will volunteer to do an extra hour of work if they are offered enough money in return.  Likewise, a desperately poor person will refuse an extra hour of work if the compensation is too small.   

 The value of time can also change dramatically depending on how much of it you have available.  You will value your free time much more hi...

So you've invented, or have become an agent for, the next great gadget or gizmo and you're sure it'll be a hit.  In fact, you've got boxes of inventory stored in every room of your house that you're just itching to start selling.  So how can you reach the legions of consumers you're sure will want to buy it?  Or have you even thought that far ahead.  Have you convinced yourself the product is so amazing that you won’t have to sell it at all – it’ll simply walk off the shelves.  If only it was that simple!

Having the idea is...

Whether you are a professional athlete or on your way up to becoming a pro, there are plenty of companies out there who may be willing to provide you with equipment or even cash for doing what you love. You just need to follow a few basic rules and be proactive.  No, it won’t be easy, but it won’t be too difficult either.  However, it does mean that you may have to make some changes, show some self-belief and sell yourself.  Some find this very difficult, so enlisting some outside help and guidance can greatly enhance your chances of success....

I’m sure you’ve all seen the movie with Mel Gibson where after a freak lightning storm he ends up with the power to hear the thoughts of every woman he passes.   For him initially it was a curse because suddenly he had insight into what woman really thought of him, which definitely deflated his ego.  But cleverly he soon uses it to his advantage.  Wouldn’t it be great as a livery yard owner if you could read the minds of your clients?  Or would it!  What would you do with that information if it were possible?   Only you can answer that but your answer wi...

You don’t have to be the Coca Cola’s of this world to reap the benefits of having a recognisable brand in your particular market.  We all know who won the branding war between Coca Cola and Pepsi and who took the larger percentage of the market – so why not consider how you can do the same with your competitors – regardless of how small a chunk of the available market you are targeting - make sure you get the lions share.

If you’re a livery yard, how can you make your business stand out among all the other livery yards in your area?  If you’re a servic...

Running your own business - whether that’s a livery yard, a riding school, a competition venue, a training facility, a trainer, a breeder or a competitor - Social Media is an invaluable tool if you know how to use it properly.  Using it in the wrong way can have the exact opposite affect to what you're trying to achieve so making sure you know the Do's and Don'ts is very important.

It seems strange to think there was ever a time when social media wasn’t an integral part of growing a small business. While many business owners still struggle with how...