Business changes for the new year

The start of a new year is a great time to forge ahead with plans to make positive changes to your business.

It is also a great time to review your existing procedures and processes to ensure that these are still working for your business. If they aren’t, it might mean that you consider changes to your yard, such as:

• price increases
• introducing new yard rules
• altering package inclusions
• introducing new biosecurity procedures

To implement these changes you may need to take on more staff, restructure your pricing or change the services you offer.

Change can cause upheavals to existing clients and staffing. You may be seeking a new or different type of livery client or staff, or it may simply be the first time you have needed to make such changes.

Whatever changes you may be making to your equestrian business, it is important to plan ahead. Changes made in haste are often the ones that lead to failure, so planning is key.

Whatever changes you make, it’s a good idea to do it all at the same time. These changes can also be included on updated contracts or client communication and will save you from needing to make further updates down the line. 

If you’re making changes to contractual arrangements, be these livery contracts or employment contracts, it is important to give appropriate notice. Any changes can ultimately have implications for your members of staff or clients, and it is very easy to unwittingly breach existing contractual agreements with sudden changes.

If you’re planning to make changes to the livery services you offer or your package pricing or pricing structure, then it’s equally important to make your clients aware in good time, considering the needs of the equines as well.

Notifications of any changes should be sent in writing with notice of the date that changes may take effect. Where appropriate You should reissue updated contracts in advance so that all parties are clear on the changes and any alterations to terms or expectations by either party, and both parties have a written reference of such changes.

You should also ensure that these changes are appropriately acknowledged by the other party.