Equestrian Centres


Equestrian Centres

The sale of equestrian centres requires a specialist and experienced agent. The nature of the sale can be very complex with commercial accounts, employees and existing training contracts all key factors in any disposal.

We also understand the need to achieve the best price for our client whilst not damaging the existing business during the marketing period. Our approach is always sensitive to any ongoing commercial activity.

Speak to the team today for any enquiries about a property, or if you want information on equestrian centres and we will put you in touch with one of our specialist agents that would be happy to help you in whatever you seek assistance in.

How To Start An Equestrian Centre

Write A Business Plan

You may have dreamt of owning your own equestrian centre for some time now and be itching to get started.  It’s important not to rush headlong into it and to make sure you have planned your business properly.  Even if you have the funds available to purchase your equestrian centre it is still essential to write a business plan.  This is a good discipline which will help you establish what your long term strategy is for running a sustainable business.

Seek Advice

There are many places you can go to get advice on setting up a new business.  Your bank is a good place to start.  They will have a business advisor who can help advise you on the financial side.  Business Link, a free service offered by the government, also offers advice on starting a business and on writing a business plan www.gov.uk/business-support-helpline

For more specific advice on setting up an equestrian centre talk to the British Horse Society (BHS).  They have a dedicated business support line for all its members which covers legal matters, debts and debt collection, employment and health and safety at work.  The Association of British Riding Schools are also worth considering for advice www.abrs.org  and the CLA who offer reduced rate insurance, utility bills and rural finance, www.cla.org.uk

Your Offering

It is important to be clear about what you are offering.  Research your potential markets.  For example, are you appealing to tourists who would like do some trekking.  Are you hoping to attract local families with children who want lessons or perhaps competition level riders.  It may be that you would rather go down the equestrian livery route.

Whatever it is you decide, it is a very important decision to make.  You can’t be all things to all people.  If you have a clear idea of what it is you want to do it is much easier to go out and target these people in order to win their business.  It is also a lot easier to establish what equipment and facilities you will need to offer.

Facilities

Look after your facilities, your income will depend on them.  Make sure you keep on re-investing in buildings, stock and horses.

You can use your facilities to maximise your income.  For example, where your indoor arena is not being used you could hire it out to other organisations.

Costs

Keeping an eye on your costs is essential to running a successful equestrian centre.  Working out exactly how much a lesson costs to put on is a very useful tool.  You can then see exactly how much profit you make from that one activity.  This will help you tweak it to ensure that your margins are feasible.

Document all your costs carefully because if you are VAT registered you will need this information to give to HMRC.

Staffing

Staffing can be one of the most difficult things to get right when starting a new business.  Good staff can make the difference between your business being a success or not.

Interviewing a number of different candidates is advisable so you can set benchmark for what you are looking for in an employee.  When interviewing staff make sure you have some structured questions to ask them and find out what their experience has been of equestrian centres.  Make sure they give you at least two references and follow them up.

Avoid hiring family or friends, unless you are absolutely certain they are up to the job.

For Advice

Looking to buy or sell an equestrian property please do not hesitate to speak to one of Fox Grant’s equestrian specialists, Willam Grant, Adam Field, Phil Howard or James Law.