Advice from all those on Livery!!?!

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magic14339

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Hi
I have recently moved area to suffolk and taken on a lovely yard which has 10 stables and 16 acres. As I have taken the risk of moving out of my normal area I am still familiarising myself with people locally and sorting out advertising. I am wondering whether anyone has any advice on setting up. What advertising works best? what do most people look for in a livery yard? also for those who have taken on yards which are not established how long did it take to fill up? I have great facilities including loads of grazing! A lovely floodlit menage and light airy stables so once people come I can't see them not absolutely adoring the place like I do!! Just need to get them in the door.....

Any advice will be much appreciated!

Thank You
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I've never run a livery yard, so other people will certainly have better advice, but just to get you started you might want to ring around the other livery yards to find out what facilities they have and how much they charge, so that you can price yourself accordingly. Also, you might want to advertise at local tack shops, feed stores, pet shops, vet surgeries, etc. You don't mention the hacking and I think this is something you might want to include in any advertising as safe hacking is quite a priority for most people and also whether you live on site or not and what kind of livery you will be offering.

Good luck with it, sounds like a lovely place!
 
Get some great pictures of your lovely grazing, nice school, airy boxes, etc and put them on a flyer which you can put in tack shops, feed stores, vet surgeries etc. Also consider making a yard website where you can also put these photos plus as many details about the yard as possible. Then if you advertise somewhere where there isn't room for photos you can just quote the website URL and interested people can then find out more for themselves without you having to pay for a huge ad!
 
Even if you are desperate to fill places, still get references & ask around about potential clients. Bad customers will chase away good ones. And draw up a good livery contract.

How's about throught the local riding club - advertise on scoreboards at shows. local free paper? When i have changed yards in the past, it's been through word of mouth.
 
I am in Kedington just outside Haverhill at Cotton Hall Stud. I have built a website although it still needs a bit of tweaking and I am adding more photos. I am definately in agreement that it is important to be patient as it will be worth making sure I have good friendly liveries! I have seen the effect bad eggs can have at other yards and really want to keep the yard as a place people can come and enjoy their horses :-)
 
I found your website (hope you don't mind! The wonders of Google!) and it looks pretty super! I really like the layout, photos and you give the impression of a professional person who would run a safe and happy yard.

Given the massage/rehab connection you might want to talk to your local equine vet practices and see if they would be happy to refer clients to you.

Good luck!
 
Definately try and get local riding clubs to send an ad round the mailing lists, I always have a nosey when yards send any info around even tho I am not looking to move!
Also you could offer to sponosr a class at a local show or something, will get people hearing the name of your yard and looking it up online!
 
Just advertising at all will give you a head start, I'm looking for livery and it is so hard to find anywhere apart from the big equestrian centres as none of them advertise.

Start up a website even if it is very basic, and get yourself listed on as many other sites like the free index etc as possible so people can find you from a google search.
 
Cool I am going to start getting in touch with all the local vets as I have moved from Essex I don't know that many of them just a couple in Newmarket! Fingers crossed. I have had a couple of people come and look and they seem to like the yard and especially the menage and grazing :-). Seem to be a lot more people looking for DIY than part/full.
 
Oooh Im moving to Suffolk in a couple of months and looking for a small livery yard, any chance you could PM me contact details?? I dont actually know where Im living yet but will be somewhere near Kentford...
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I used to run a yard and i found people wanted someone visible in charge, whether DIY or not; not only to keep an eye on things but also to talk about their pride and joy! They liked a warm tearoom and all year turnout too. It takes a while but you will build up a good reputation and then get clients through word of mouth. As mentioned earlier, don't get desperate and take anyone you are not sure about. Trust your instinct and try to find out something about them.
 
Good turnout & hacking are musts for me. A loo & somewhere to make tea are definite plus points.
Clear rules consistently applied to everyone with no favourites.
If someone asks if something is ok & you say yes, stick to it - don't have a go at them later for doing what you said was ok.
Gues what the problems at my old yard were!
 
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