How To Boost Your Livery Yard Revenue
It’s something of a dream to say that you work with horses, but of course, it’s not as if it’s all a walk in the park. Indeed, there are times when running a livery yard seems very far from a walk in the park! Perhaps the most pressing concern for yard owners is trying to balance the costs. Any business that involves horses is, of course, capital-intensive, so it can sometimes feel like you’re always on the edge of financial difficulties. The good news is that there are plenty of ways that you can add revenue streams to your horse boarding business. In this blog, we’re going to take a look at a handful of options that’ll help to bring in more money.
Make the Most of Space
Livery stables often have a lot of land available, so why not make sure you’re maximising the returns of your investment? While you’ll want to keep plenty of land aside for the horses that live at your stables, it might be possible to add more stables. If you’re currently at full capacity, then adding extra boxes will allow you to bring in more customers.
Adding extra stables isn’t the only way you can maximise the income from your land. If you have spare hard standing or barn space you could consider renting this space out for storage. Got an indoor arena? Local dog agility groups are always looking for enclosed under-cover areas to train in.
Add More Training
It’s likely that you’re already offering classes at your site or renting your facilities to external trainers to come in & teach, but is there a way that you could add more? Many boarding stables offer riding lessons, but there are other types, too. Can you offer rider fitness or horse groundwork sessions? What about more niche sports like horse agility or working equitation? You don’t have to be an expert in these to host the training event at your yard because you can partner with an experienced clinician to put on the training.
Transport Services
You’ll likely have vehicles as part of your business. Why not put them to good use when you aren’t using them for your own purpose? There are always people that need to transport horses (and horse-related equipment), but they may not have the vehicle needed to do so. You could consider offering a self-hire service for people who want to drive their own horses using your truck or trailer or provide a full service transport offering. You’ll need things like the right insurance, reliable vehicles & to be legally compliant. The legal requirements depend on what type of vehicle you are hiring & which country you are located in but things to consider include whether your vehicle needs a tachograph, an operating licence and if the driver needs professional certification. If you can put all those things together, then you’ll find that there’s plenty of capacity to build an income.
Conclusion
Nobody sets up a livery yard with the hope of getting rich. Fortunately, it is a highly rewarding profession! And if you take the tips that we’ve outlined above, then you might just find that you can bring in some extra cash that makes running the business that little bit more manageable.