February 09 midwest horse digest Page 17
I can’t tell you how on pencils, pens, and even a good ole’ bumper
Marketing Your Business
something as simple and sticker. Companies that specialize in promotional
cost effective to produce as items now offer low runs on promotional items
a flyer can be in marketing with reasonable prices for art set up. I have found
BY Laurie A. Cerny
you business. With horse expos and used tack companies that will do a single shirt, if that’s all
Marketing Your Business is the first of the
sales coming up in most states now is the time to you need.
“Ten Commandments of Marketing & Promoting A
make a flier and put them up at these upcoming Finding a local seamstress, who can embroider
Horse Business” outlined in my book, Horsin’
events. Other than the cost of making copies of can be a very reasonable means to getting cus-
Around The USA Guide to Marketing & Promoting
the flyer, the rest is free. If the venue has a place tom clothing items. You buy the shirts, hats, etc.
Your Horse Business”.
for setting out fliers like tables, countertops, then (hopefully when your favorite retailer is having a
In my opinion this is the most important
do a single sheet flyer. If not, you’ll have to post sale) and just pay for the embroidery. I have been
of the ten commandments I’ve outlined, but one
your flyers and will have do one with vertical pull able to get shirts and 15 words embroidered on
that when the economy gets bad horse business
tabs that have the name of your business and them for as little as $15 a piece.
owners tend to cut back on. One of the reasons
phone number listed on them.
is that marketing is often equated to advertising
When posting flyers make sure they are
Laurie A. Cerny is the author of Horsin’Around
and adverting means spending money.
secure attached to the wall (duct tape works
The USA Guide To Marketing & Promoting Your
Although marketing does and should
Horse Business. Her equine marketing advice has
best) so they don’t come lose when people
include an advertising budget, there is a lot more
been featured on Stable Scoop.. She has over 20
remove the pull-tabs. Make sure that the name of
a marketing plan can include. And these things
years experience in the horse industry as a journal-
your business and other important information is
cost little or nothing.
ist and communication professional and is a member
large enough to see from distance. The best
The first layer of any good marketing plan
of American Horse Publications, AQHA, and
place to post flyers is in high traffic areas- like
lies in having the basic tools that any business
Michigan Horse Council. Horsin’ Around the USA
entryways to arenas, and near bathrooms and Guide To Marketing & Promoting Your Horse
should have. Having a good business card,
vender areas. Business can be ordered for $12.95 (plus $2.00 for
which I discussed in an earlier column, is one of
Last, but not least, is getting your name S/H). Mail check or money order for $14.95 to One
the most cost effective marketing tools you can
out on t-shirts, sweatshirts, and hats, as well as
Horse Press at 70883 39th St., Paw Paw, MI 49079.
have. Again, get one done at a printer or through
a mail order companies like Colorful Images or
Current. For less than $25 you can have a medi-
um that tells the public, and potential customers
who and what you are.
However, business cards aren’t any good
if they’re tucked away in your wallet or setting on
your desk at home. Get them out there. That’s
why you have one. Tack four or five up on the
bulletin board at your local feed store, tack shop,
veterinarian office, boarding stable and other
equine businesses. Don’t forget about other
businesses in town where potential customers
patronize including restaurants, grocery stores,
and auto dealership service departments, etc.
Posting cards on their bulletin boards is free and
helps to get the word out.
Having good and effective signage is anoth-
er effective marketing tool. This means a profes-
sional looking sign at the road front if you are run-
ning a horse operation, and for tack shops and
feed stores. Putting signage on your vehicle is
another great way to market your business; it’s
like a mobile billboard. If you don’t want to have
the name of your business on your vehicle per-
manently, consider magnetic signs. Front license
plates (if you live in a state that only requires a
rear plate) and/or license plate holders with the
name of your business is another way to market
your business.
A good brochure is another essential mar-
keting tool – especially for horse business servic-
es like boarding, training, and breeding opera-
tions. Although you can easily do a brochure
from your home computer, have it copied on a
better stock paper at a copy shop. It should cost
less than 20 cents for a double-sided sheet,
which you can then bi-fold or tri-fold yourself
(depending if you designed a two-panel
brochure, or a three panel layout). Color copies
will cost more.
In addition, if you are selling items to the
public as in selling horses, stallion services, tack
and feed, a web site is another effective tool in
any marketing plan. Webs sites range from eco-
nomical pages that are made available by some
of the popular search engines like Google and
Yahoo, to custom websites created by a profes-
sional web designer.
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