The Profitable Horseman's Newsletter The only weekly electronic newsletter published for Professional Horsemen.
May 18, 2007

Are you tired of trying to make money in the horse business the old way? I help professional horsemen find new and better methods to add to the profitability of their businesses.
Welcome New Subscribers!

in this issue
  • Want to Transform Your Horse Business with More Profit and better balance between work, rest & play?
  • Eliminate Delay
  • Others have said
  • Back at the Barn
  • Build the Horse Business You've Always Wanted
  • Speaking about the Horse Business...

  • Eliminate Delay

    If you are like many of my readers, your commute to work is a matter of steps from the house to the barn and that's one of the many advantages of owning your horse business. No traffic snarls of wasted time or elevated blood pressure before your work day begins

    My commute to the office is about seven minutes long; a straight shot from driveway to office building. There is a lot to be said for the simplicity of life in a small town.

    However, when I'm listening to morning drive time radio from Buffalo and Toronto stations, I hear frequent traffic reports about bottlenecks in rush hour traffic flow. If you live in or near a big city, you know all about beating traffic problems - it's a way of life.

    Those darn bottlenecks - the spots where construction is happening, accidents have occurred or just too many drivers are competing for scarce real estate for their four tires. Some engineering folks refer to these as chokepoints - critical spots along a route where free flow is strangled to a trickle of movement.

    My friend Jerry recently told me a story about his experience with a bottleneck in production at a stone quarry. A number of years ago his boss at the quarry knew that production (making big stones into little stones) was not as high as it could be. The boss wasn't quite sure where the slow spot was in production, so he sent Jerry out to videotape the process in action from high up at the top of the quarry hole. It was a stealth mission so as to not disrupt the employees' normal workflow habits.

    Jerry's videotape revealed in just a few minutes of filming that the rock crusher in the quarry was operating perfectly; the problem discovered was that the crusher sat idle while waiting for the next truck to carry the crushed rock away. The lack of sufficient truck capacity had created a bottleneck in the work flow.

    Daily production was limited to the time it took for each truck to make a round trip dumping stone. Talk about being dumb as a rock! By just adding another truck to the crushing operation, production doubled.

    Well, duh, why didn't they figure that out sooner? The workers in the pit knew they only had one truck to use, just couldn't produce any faster. The people in the office knew that production was consistent so that meant that's as good as we can do.

    The boss's intuition told him that there was something missing and he took the initiative to study the process. Perhaps he knew the forest view is always obstructed by the trees. . . or the rock pile.

    So have a peek at your business this week. Where are your bottlenecks? You know you have them.

    • Will more wheelbarrows speed the mucking process?
    • Will a better system for feeding with a cart or more convenient locations for feed make for better flow?
    • Do you need one central paperwork collection box in the barn for reports, payments, messages?
    • Would a few strategically placed wall clocks in the barn, viewing lounge and outdoor and indoor arenas help you, employees and clients be more time conscious?
    • Would an investment in extra lead lines reduce steps through the day in horse handling?
    • Is the daily or weekly schedule of lessons, training, horse shows, visitors and deliveries posted so all can know what's happening?

    You get the idea.

    It's usually simple to fix bottlenecks in work flow. The difficulty lies in identifying them.

    Keep your eyes open for the chokepoints, get the tow truck in there and remove or repair the obstructions. It's all about flow.


    Others have said

    "We must be willing to get rid of the life we've planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us." -- Joseph Campbell

    "'Where there is a will there is a way', is an old and true saying. He who resolves upon doing a thing, by that very resolution often scales the barriers to it, and secures its achievement. To think we are able, is almost to be so - to determine upon attainment is frequently attainment itself." -- Samuel Smiles

    "Some national parks have long waiting lists for camping reservations. When you have to wait a year to sleep next to a tree, something is wrong." -- George Carlin


    Back at the Barn

    I have to confess that I have had much experience with process bottlenecks. Not as an engineer, just as a father. With five of six children at home of various ages, the flow management process is a challenge. Ranging from bathroom time to transportation schedules, bottlenecks are ever present.

    In my pursuit of a solution, the children volunteer simple answers.

    "Build each of us our own bathroom and when we are of age, buy us each a car."

    You see, it's so simple to eliminate bottlenecks.


    Build the Horse Business You've Always Wanted
    Deewochagall

    I work with Professional Horsemen who are struggling with the business half of the horse business.

    Just like a top performing horse has a strong foundation, so does a top performing horse business.

    If you've had enough with disappointment in your horse business, call or e-mail and we can talk about your business and how I may be able to help you.

    A big Welcome to new subscribers this week. If you know other horsemen who would enjoy this newsletter, please forward it to them!

    I appreciate your help !

    Doug


    Speaking about the Horse Business...
    megaphone man

    Need a speaker about the horse business for your horse related organization? Talk to me about talking. Keynotes and workshops available. (716) 434-5371


    Want to Transform Your Horse Business with More Profit and better balance between work, rest & play?
    istock classroom

    A one day Profitable Horseman workshop can come to your neighborhood! Put together a group of six or more workshop attendees and I'll travel to your location.

    We'll cover strategies for success in the horse business:

    • Creating a three year vision for your business
    • Building a plan for profitability and getting contol of the money
    • Planning the time to plan
    • Leadership within your business
    • Creating customer service
    • The art of selling
    • Marketing methodically
    • Balancing work, rest and play

    Sound like a good idea?

    Ideas only work when put into action.

    Call (716) 434-5371 or email here.

    Click on the links below for more information

    Profitable Horseman Web Page

    Past issues of Profitable Horseman newsletter

    Professional Horsemen's Blog- More Free Business Tips Click on the link.



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