Are you a clickaholique?

Index finger on mouse, click, clicking and searching all those favourite sites, everyday sometimes more than once a day. In fact everytime you sit in front of the computer screen are you telling yourself you'll just check ------- site / blog before you start on your budding internet business.

Are you telling yourself it's research, just checking what the competition is up to?

Whilst it's perfectly okay to take time out from your business and check into your favourite sites there is a time and a place for everything and if you're "clicking" instead of getting on with your work you are procrastinating, sabotaging your own business success.

Yes it's a good idea to check out the competition but obsessively? Everyday? Procrastination again.

 Do you find yourself sitting down to work for say an hour and instead end up wasting that time clicking through Pinterest/ blogs/ Facebook etc?

Maybe you're a clickaholique. 

How to overcome this (sometimes) destructive behaviour

Well first of all you need to recognize what you are doing and how it's effecting your productivity.

Ask yourself it there are any particular times that you are prone to the mindless clicking, is this work avoidance? (Ans: Yes!)

Recognizing what's going on is half the battle, now you know you have something to combat and the way to do that is to schedule time to work on your business. Time when you simply won't allow yourself to work on anything else but keep it short so you don't overwhelm yourself. Maybe 30 minutes at a time with 10 minute breaks in between. Consider setting a timer to make sure you do it. You'll be amazed at how your productivity increases.

Google's Keyword Tool to help you find keywords to attract visitors to your equestrian / equine business website

Keywords help to pull traffic from search engines to your website, use them wisely. Currently there's a great Google tool which will help with your choice of keywords Google’s Keyword Tool.
All you have to do is type in a word or phrase and you'll get a page of suggested similar terms or phrases with the number of global monthly searches received for it. The higher the monthly searches, the more popular the word / phrase.

Get support from other equestrian entrepreneurs to help grow your equestrian business

A friend of mine recently allowed her field to be used for a charity horse show. Now this field is in a prominent position at the top of a country lane near a busy road ideal for attracting passing visitors, at the other end of the lane, in the middle of nowhere is a recently opened equestrian centre with a tack shop etc. Its' geographical position means it doesn't stand a hope in hells chance of attracting passing trade, you have to know it's there to find it.

Signs for the charity horse show went up (incidentally they were removed /stolen by persons unknown) and the equestrian centre owner approached the organizer of the show asking her to consider cancelling it as it was a "conflict of interest". She also visited the owner of the field complaining about "conflict of interest" and demanded that she withdraw the use of her field for the event.

Needless to say the horse show went ahead and local equestrians turned up, competed and had a great time.

The equestrian centre owner missed out on a wonderful opportunity to promote her own business:

She could have had a trade stand for the princely sum of £10 (proceeds to charity) to tell a target audience about her facilities.

She could have promoted the horse show to her liveries with their own horses who could easily have hacked down to the show and had a fun day out.

She could have given her pupils the opportunity to compete at the show on her riding school ponies.

She could have competed herself.

She could have worked  with the organizer offering a prize / money off lesson coupons to competitors etc

In fact she could have had loads of people at that show promoting her equestrian centre and tack shop for virtually no financial outlay and if she charged for the use of her ponies in classes she would have made a profit on the event herself.

But no, she had the "If they have, I'll have not" mental attitude and that's just what she ended up with, The moral to this tale

“Most importantly, you need support from other entrepreneurs who are at similar stages as you are, and from others with more experience. The more connected you become with other entrepreneurs, the more normal your quest becomes. You’ll no longer feel crazy or alone, and you’ll realize that we all face obstacles just like you’re facing.” Think Traffic

Image: Copyright My Equestrian World

Motivational Monday - The secret - Eileen Caddy

The secret of making something work in your lives is first of all, the deep desire to make it work, then the faith and belief that it can work, then to hold that clear definite vision in your consciousness and see it working out step by step, without one thought of doubt or disbelief. ~ Eileen Caddy

Motivational Monday - Set your goals high

"Set your goals high and don't stop till you get there." - Bo Jackson

Dubarry and a lesson in selling

So last weekend at the Burghley Horse Trials Dubarry 's stand was heaving with customers and Dubarry sales people handing out champagne. At £299 a pair of boots they will have taken thousands and thousands of £££'s.
BUT
watching one particular sale Dubarry missed out on extra sales simply by not offering care products for their boots. It wouldn't even have been difficult for the sales person as the gentleman concerned actually asked how he should care for his new purchase. He was told to use saddle soap. Now that's great, equestrians usually have loads of saddle soap
BUT
Dubarry have loads of leather care products
Leather Cream £12
Footwear Cleaner £8
Footwear Conditioner £8
Nubeuck Protector £8
Footwear Care Trial Pack £10
Replace-a-lace kit £10
just what was the sales person thinking when he was given the golden opportunity to increase the value of his sale?
In all honesty he shouldn't have to have been asked about care he should have told his customer and suggested products without prompting.
Now there is a lesson to be learned here by all you folk out there with equestrian businesses, maximise your sales!

Free Local Business Listing at Google Places for equestrian / equine/ horse businesses

If you're in business you want to take advantage of as much free advertising as you can get so make sure that you have a listing in Google Places, a free local business listing.

Being on Google Places helps people find, share, rate, and recommend your business to their friends, and people across the web. Places for Business lets you see what people are saying, and respond to customer reviews.

With 97% of consumers searching for local businesses online make sure you're on Google Places when they're looking.

The importance of Business Cards for the Equestrian Business

Never, ever under estimate the importance of business cards for your horse business (or indeed any other business) your business card is a physical reminder of your presense, the ONLY physical reminder of your presense, after an event, be it a riding lesson or a trade show.

Choose the best quality you can afford.

Take your business cards everywhere, yes even to the supermarket, you never know when the opportunity to pass on your business contact details is going to arise.

Image: businesscards123