STARTING UP A HORSEY BUSINESS- info please!!

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twinmommy

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I have just had twin boys now 7 weeks old. I was working as a yard/competition groom before pregnant and I think I will find it difficult to return to working in the industry (especially full time) once I have completed my maternity leave.

I am exploring the idea of setting up a business, in what area I'm not sure but I'm just researching the idea at the moment. Does anyone have any useful/helpful tips or organisations that will help support this venture!!??
 
Congrats on your babies! You are amazing to be thinking of a new venture at a time when most people would be utterly knackered and only just able to keep functioning!

All I can say is that you need to address a need that buyers have. It's unlikely that children's routines fit well with being a groom and you are right to look around - unfortunately most jobs of this sort will want you to work mainly early morning and evening, which is when kids need you around, right through until they are quite old. So perhaps you need something more suitable to your hours - jobs where you can work hours to suit you might include online retail, saddle fitting or massage, or those other equine services that don't require fixed hours or actually caring for horses day by day. They might need some retraining, but it's a fantastic opportunity. Good luck!
 
OMG am so impressed that you are thinking about a business when you have just had TWINS!! (& major congratulations on that!) Good for you! Cant offer any advice as have always taken the soft option of working for someone else... but suggest you take a course or something in bookkeeping first as this will be required no matter what you do and it can be a real pain if you don't know what you are doing. Good luck!
 
Thanks Abacus, I finished work at 16 weeks after having a lot of twin pregnancy issues and also a kick from a stallion finalised my decision. But I also spent a lot of time hospitalised as did my twins so I feel as though I have already had a lot of time away from work!

Saddle fitting was actually an interest I have been pondering. Can anyone recommend any reputable courses? I am based in the Midlands.
 
The Saddle Company run a couple of training courses - I've not done the course so can't comment on it - I think it's down to you after you have done the course/courses so can work as much or as little as you want & of course a lot of work will come through recommendation
 
cremedemonthe said:
Try getting in with your local saddler/saddle fitter, that's probably the best way to learn, out on site getting down and dirty!

Oz (Saddler)
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Firstly congratulations on your twins, thats very special.
Secondly a friend of mine started up a rug wash/repair service. She was a full time postie but horsey too, so knew all about rug types, etc etc.
Her business has gone from strength to strength and she has just invested in another industrial washing machine. The big plus for her is she runs her business entirely from home and it all fits in around the house/family and day to day life.
Good luck with your venture.
 
Wow! Congratulations! I'm a self employed mummy but in a non- equestrian industry, so can't offer very specific advice, but a few of my mummy friends are reps for a utilities company (not sure whether I can post it's name here, but it's the one that have purple branding and visit customers in their homes at weekends and evenings). I'm not sure it would be for me personally, but would something similar be an option?

....although saddle fitter sounds much more interesting!! Good luck :-)
 
The rug cleaning sounds a possibility, but avoid second hand saddlery/rugs, it's a mine field, I did this and lost out big time, buying off E bay TO rugs turned out to not to be weatherproof, not to be recomended when trying to build a reputation, but good luck in your final decisioon, I ended up up with a hot food van which has exceeded all expectations, but not really viable with a young family
 
Hoofing-it said:
Wow! Congratulations! I'm a self employed mummy but in a non- equestrian industry, so can't offer very specific advice, but a few of my mummy friends are reps for a utilities company (not sure whether I can post it's name here, but it's the one that have purple branding and visit customers in their homes at weekends and evenings). I'm not sure it would be for me personally, but would something similar be an option?

....although saddle fitter sounds much more interesting!! Good luck :-)
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Many thanks ladies and gents for valued advice. I would like to be in a position to work from home to help cope with what I feel may be a very hectic family life! Think it's hard to find a gap in the market for something thats really needed but I suppose that adds to the challenge :)
 
If you're looking at going down the saddle-fitting route perhaps looking into some loosely-related courses might be an idea? Obvious complementary therapies are quite Marmite but there is a market for them - if you were able to fit people's saddles and do chiro work all in one fell swoop you might be able to create a nice little business for yourself. Or sports massage - things like that. Rather than being just a saddle-fitter you could be the go-to 'back lady.' There are quite a lot of courses out there for things like that and as you'll already have quite a good network to build a client base from it could be reasonably lucrative.
 
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