Where are all the liveries!?!?!? (also in SY)

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kittykatcat

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Recently (last weekend) took on a yard - not a money making excercise (thank god!) but couldnt give up the opportunity. Am running it as primarily a DIY yard as i will be working as well. Have advertised in local tack rooms, and a few sites online. Have had one or two calls but nothing fruitful!

Thankfully not relying on it for money, and can pay my rent ok, but am wondering - WHERE ARE ALL THE LIVERIES!??!! Is it a seasonal thing? Do people tend to move during the summer more!? Only been advertising a week, so perhaps i'm being a little impatient

Any other ideas for advertising? Thanks
 
Internal and external large stables (from 12 x 14 to 14 x 14), good turnout, excellent hacking, owner on site, 25 x 50 m all weather floodlit menage. Nothing amazing, but i've seen much much worse! Just havent even had many calls, let alone anyone to look round!!
 
And what are you charging - is it the same, less or more than comparative yards in the area?

I think a lot of people will be scared to make the jump to a new yard because there isn't anyone to say whether its worth moving to etc - maybe you could do an open evening?
 
ooo open evening - that sounds exciting! The price includes good quality hay and straw (due to storage issues) but have no problem if people want to provide their own shavings etc - would just have to store a few at a time. It's £165 pcm, which equates to about £38 a week. It's weird round where i am - seems to be ridiculously cheap yards (eg £23 pw DIY only) or ridiculously expensive yards (eg £70 pw not inc bedding or feed, muck out and TO but not hayed bought in or bed put down - odd!!) I dont think the price is particularly bargain basement but certainly not expensive....
 
I definitly think you should put on an open evening - invite people to the yard, provide some tea and biscuits and let them have a look around - that way you may get a few people to be brave and make the move!
 
Like it - like it!! Oh dear - what happens if i advertise and no one turns up - like throwing a party and no one comes aghhhh!! God, so so so so SO glad i'm not doing this to make money to rely on - must be so stressful!!
 
People will turn up - put posters saying

"NEW YARD OPEN EVENING - COME ALONG AND SEE WHAT YOU THINK OF THE NEW YARD AND HAVE A CUPPA WITH THE YO WHO WILL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS"

Pop some piccies of the stables and facilities round the edges - I would come for deffo if it was my area!!
 
Good idea - hadnt thought of doing anything like that
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are you an actual marketing guru!?! Yeah, thinking about it, if i saw an advert i would go along too...do you think tack room (quite a few round us) notice boards are a good advertising medium, or is online better now??
 
LOL I'm not a guru of any sort
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but I have organised a few charity events
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Put the notices - everywhere!! If you can't drive to all of them , if you send a nice accompanying letter most tack shops will put them up for you too.

Simple touches will help make your yard look homely - if you have a tackroom big enough, a small sofa and tea and coffee facilites ALWAYS look good, a personal touch (ie door plates etc) make people feel special and not just 'cash cows'
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Don't panic as a week is a very short time to get prospective clients. It has taken me a year to get full up and although advertised in all the appropriate places, have picked up most of my clients through word of mouth/recommendation.
Good luck
 
Eventually will have a cosy corner deffo...and you;ve read my mind - will be having name plates as well
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!

I've just painted a duck egg blue feature wall in my tackroom - how can anyone resist!!!
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Advertising like that will make you look really approachable and friendly. I'd be attracted to an open day like that if I was looking.

Plus, I do think its the time of year. Most people round here like to be settled before the winter comes and as always people are more motivated in spring! I'm looking for a livery to share my newly bought land and stables we built, but I'll wait until April to advertise. Obviously I'm looking to recruit on a much smaller scale but the principle will be the same! Good luck, have fun!
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I know the feeling it does seem to be very slow at the moment. I have 2 spaces at my private dressage yard with similar facilities to yourself and have been advertising but not much interest at all. Ok mine is for part or full livery so slightly different but I'm based just outside Reading so quite a good horsey area so just think people are staying put at the moment.
Good luck with filling your spaces.
 
MIND READER!!! as we speak i'm having black and white prints of the horses done to put on said wall! When i have liveries (!!??) they can join the duck egg blue wall of fame too!!
 
Kittykat - it isnt "my" yard as such, but as a livery I am starting to get uncomfortable with how the lack of customers is affecting the buisness - there isnt much of a proffit at the best of times, but with so many empty stables it must be hurting.

The more people that leave, the more others are starting to look around - especially when folks are running round saying how much cheaper it is at so and so's - (they forget the facilities are no where near as good) ! and as a livery it is becoming a little be boring as you only have a limited number of folks to do anything with)
 
I'm in Kent....Deffo agree with you there GW - once one person goes, i have found with being a livery at other places that is causes all the other liveries to get itchy feet! Not that i need to worry about loosing liveries as i have none to lose! Just hope some come my way at some point! Do you think reducing the price for the first couple of months would be a good idea?
 
No, I think that you should keep your costs as are, or drop them permanently, I think you will struggle to get any more out of people.

However, my yard does go from £145 winter to £105 summer, to reflect the fact you aren't using hay and straw.
 
I think its probably due to word of mouth too - people often choose a yard based on recommendations.

An open evening / day is a fab idea. Advertise it with free nibbles / hot toddies (great in this weather) - perhaps even combined with a little event such as an in-hand show (be careful of insurance) ... or hold a table top sale?

Good luck.
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