Going it alone..

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Getoutmypockets

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Hey lovely people, looking for some quick advice! Any views welcome!

I am at a cross road, stuck in a lovely job but having been there 5 years no scope to move on, no money being put back into the business, and realistically in my late 20's I cannot live on minimum wage forever. For one reason or another I have not been entirely happy at work for 6 months, however this is more down to people than my actual duties. My job, as you probably guessed from the wage, is yard based however I'm somewhat separate to everyone else employed there.

I was hoping to do a degree via distance learning at warwick however have found this impossible to justify as I cannot afford to drop a day at work which I'd need to do to manage the work load. It's now on the back burner :(

I have the odd few people I do holiday cover for, which I love, even though it makes my day extremely long.

I have decided, due to problems at work ( I have spoken to my boss, promises have been made to improve the situation have proved empty) to consider reducing my hours but still keeping enough hours to cover my livery costs and branching out and going it alone so to speak.

I am looking at offering more basic things such as mucking out turning out poo picking and feeding, rather than schooling or exercise as I feel to begin with the potential for blame or problems would be higher in that area. And I enjoy riding my own, and that more than satisfies me!

I'm thinking of advertising holiday cover, or regular cover and small animal pet care. Possibly house sitting too however not sure how many people would use this service.

I have found a possible book keeper, and have the chance for a free half an hour with a local accountant and my bank offers advice for starting a small business. I'm also aware I need insurance but not sure where to start with that or likely cost?

If anyone has any words of wisdom they'd like to share I'd be grateful, and also how things work if say you have turn outs on one yard and then a different yard etc.

I'm aware this won't make me rich but as long as I can make a similar wage or atleast cover my basic costs to begin with I'm willing to take the risk... Iced lime cake for those who finished my essay!
 
My groom does a combination of stable duties at private yards and dog minding/dog walking and holiday cover for both equine and canine households.
The most important thing is to ensure that your pricing structure is in place and that it will cover your expenses as a mobile groom.
You also need to ensure that your clients pay you at the end of each week and that if they are not prepared to do this you drop them as you do not want people owing you money as it is both embarrassing and will cause you cash flow problems.
You will need to advertise your services such as in local tack shops feed merchants and mail drops to private yards.
Provided that you are 100% reliable, trustworthy and capable you should be able to build up a solid business.
 
Please do learn to say 'no' tho.
It will come in useful when you have clashing of timings when 'everyone' wants horses being turned out/brought in at similar times, especially in the winter.
You'll need to be firm, as you will burn yourself out trying to please everyone and knackering yourself in the process.

Good luck :)
 
Thank you guys, I like to think of myself as reliable and trustworthy, and I'm hoping the people I've already covered for would provide references, including my current employer who I hope to still do hours for. We get along well and I hope to keep that! We have a lot of livery yards and also grazing around my area and I know sometimes in mid winter I'd love to leave work and just know that my horses have been seen and fed and poo picked etc. I love all animals and have my own collection so small animals and dogs no problem!

It's just the initial biting of the bullet and going for it that seems scary, but thanks for the saying no advice, the last thing I want it feeling awful if I've agreed to Turning out but have been unrealistic in my timings!
 
Make sure you have enough money put by to see you through if you have a slack period or an illness. I would also get myself immunised against flu which you really want to avoid as it may leave you weak-kneed for weeks apart from loss of earnings during the bed-ridden phase. Good luck.
 
There was a post about this a bit ago where the poster had got herself into a "service" frame of mind, a, and was letting her clients dictate to her.

Make sure you run your job, don't let goodwill towards clients and their animals overtake your need to make a successful business.

Cost in travel expenses and running a vehicle, try to keep within a set distance, otherwise you will be driving more than you are earning.

Remember the phrase "reassuringly expensive" - if you value yourself and your time, others will value you too.

Good luck!
 
OMG - you would be just what I could do with!

I would love a reliable, trustworthy small pet and horse sitter for the odd times when I do get a chance to go away. My guess is you would have people like me who 'go it alone' and have small pets at home as well rather than being on a livery yard beating a path to your door to book your time :)
 
3oldponies that what I hope haha!

And the phrase 'reassuringly expensive' is one to bear in mind, ill definately have to think about what area coverage is reasonable
 
I know a few ladies who do dog walking. This was originally alongside more horse orientated things. They are now so busy with this, that they are doing very little of anything else, and doing rather well too. The insurance isn't that expensive either!!
 
Prompted a quick thought, am I right to think I'd need separate insurance for dogs and horses or would someone like SEIB cover everything? I'd only gone as far as thinking horse!
 
Hi OP, I would say go for it. I used to work p/t at a local riding school and half the kids there used to say how much they wanted to work with horses etc etc. So I would quietly take them on one side and ask them if they wanted to be like the YM, 40 something living in a caravan, paid cash in hand with no pension, 6 days a week for whatever hours the YO wanted from her. Thankfully I think they listened because one ended up as a buyer for a major UK shop chain and has a very good job. When you are 15 you don't take much notice of the hard work and long hours -when you are approaching 50 , your back is shot, the arthritis is starting to show and its too late to even consider working outside the industry...
 
Do it! I started up my own business pet sitting in March this year and I love it. I have work with horses, so mucking out, lunging, poo picking and also do pet sitting in the owners house, so cats/small animals are usually 1 or 2 visits a day, dogs I stay overnight with and walk/visit during the day. When I first started I was worried that there might not be the demand as I only live in a small town but there are LOADS of people after this kind of thing! There are at least 3 other pet sitters in my town too and we all have plenty of business! I've ended up with a fair bit of regular work which helps, and I have even ended up turning people away because I physically couldn't fit them in.

Just keep a diary and allow yourself plenty of time between visits, my horses are on a private yard so I just fit doing them twice a day wherever I can, same with riding.

The downside is I no longer have paid holiday haha! But I enjoy my job so much more now that it doesn't matter. I try to just have 1 or 2 days off here and there if theres something I really want to go out and do. If you can get regular work (regular mucking out/dog walking/people who go on holiday a lot!) then it really helps as you know you have at least x amount coming in each month.

OH and I have Cliverton insurance. If I remember right, it includes horses/farm animals but not for riding. And it covers things like breakages in houses while you are visiting or if you lose their house keys.
 
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