Are you about starting a horse training business? If YES, here is a complete sample horse training business plan template & feasibility report you can use for FREE.
Okay, so we have considered all the requirements for starting a horse training business. We also took it further by analyzing and drafting a sample horse training business marketing plan template backed up by actionable guerrilla marketing ideas for horse training businesses. So let’s proceed to the business planning section.
A horse training business is a lucrative business to start especially if you love horses and have a passion for training one, this is because there are people who own horses but do not have the skill, time or will to train the horses. However, becoming a horse trainer is a hard business because most horses have to be broken and trained properly before they can be used for riding.
Also, you would need to be sensitive to the kind of horse you are about to train, because horses differ, as there are docile, raging and wild horses and also know when it is right to use spurs and reins in training your horse.
However, while you might have the passion for training horses; if you intend to turn it into a business, you should know that it is a different ball game altogether. It would be necessary to hire a business consultant who would look at your business concept and determine if it would be worthwhile for you to go into this business.
The business consultant would also proffer the right strategies that would help set you apart from others in the same business.
The business consultant would also be in the best interest to know if your business will be successful. Another important factor that is necessary before starting this business is to write a business plan. Below therefore is a sample horse training business plan for you;
A Sample Horse Training Business Plan Template
1. Industry Overview
The horse industry has a great impact economically on the united states of America especially as there are about 9.2 million horses across the federation with close to 4.6 million people being tagged as horse owners, employees, caretakers, service providers as well as volunteers.
The direct impact on the economy is estimated at $39 billion and other factors that are termed indirect because they are from spectators’ spending and suppliers amount to $102 billion. Globally, the horse industry is led by the North Americans.
The horse industry is facing a huge challenge which is the cost of ownership especially when it relates to matters such as feeding. According to the US Departments of Agriculture, Commerce and Energy, there has been over 200% increase in stress factors regarding the feeding of horses
Texas has the highest horse population with 1 million horses, while California comes second with 700,000 and Florida third with 500,000. The number of horse owners in the United States is estimated at 1.8 million. Out of this amount, 85% are regarded as recreational riders, while 30% participate in competitive sports. Only 7% are professional trainers.
The downturn in the economy had a huge impact on the horse industry and the industry which is slowly recovering will stay in that slow mode for as much as 10 years. There has also been a decrease in breed transfers between the period of 2012 and 2013 as the percentage decrease was pegged at 11.8%.
The United States of America has about 2.72 million showing horses, with about 840,000 registered as racing horses. Every 1 in 3 horses registered is an American Quarter Horse, with Thoroughbreds following closely behind.
2. Executive Summary
Saddles Training School, LLC is located in Devore Heights – California and intends to offer our various services to horse owners and lovers, who seek a quality and well-run quality instruction and horse training school. The horse industry is not only stable but is said to be progressing as more people are showing interests either in learning to ride a horse or owning one for whatever reasons they might think is possible.
Our strategic location here in Devore Heights has many potential clients especially as the area is attractive to many new homeowners due to its proximity to land that is not only public but suitable for horseback riding. Also, the public land frequently holds horse shows and competition, which gives us the edge we need over our competitors, especially as there are only few of our kind that offer the same services as we do.
The services we intend to offer at our riding school is at a rate that is competitive against that of other training and riding schools here in Devore Heights – California.
Some of the lessons and trainings we will offer will come from outside trainers, who we will work out an arrangement with and have them pay facility usage fees, that way we attract more customers to our riding school. However, our major trainings and instructions will be done by our owners, George and Rebecca Samson.
Our plans are to advertise our riding school business through various conventional and unconventional means such as via our website, offline directories such as yellow pages, tack stores, Facebook page, pasting of flyers at local feed stores, as well as other avenues where horses are being dealt with.
Because we take our business structure very seriously, we intend to go the extra mile in ensuring that we hire only those who are competent and professionals to handle all the various roles and services that would be offered by our riding school here in Devore Heights – California.
Also, our employees are committed and understand our core values and are willing to ensure that we attain our desired goals and objectives.
We intend to ensure that our employees have great welfare packages better than those in similar start-ups such as ours in the industry. We know that ensuring that our employees are well paid will allow them become more committed to ensuring that we achieve our intended goals and objectives.
Also, our employees will work in an environment that is conducive and easily accessible. We also intend to ensure that they go for continuous training that will not only enhance their skills and make them better than their peers in the same industry but it will also improve the productivity rate and grow our business.
Finally our owners, George and Rebecca Samson own and run the riding school equally at 50% each. Rebecca is the Chief Executive Officer and makes all the decisions that affect the riding school.
George is the chief training instructor and is in charge of the school’s curriculum. Both have over 30 years of experience in the horse industry and have several certifications and qualifications that will ensure that the business attains its desired goals and objectives.
3. Our Products and Services
At Saddles Training School, LLC, we are engaged in offering our different customers the core service of training horses from our farm which is our permanent location, here in Devore Heights – California.
Because we intend to create multiple sources of income in order to boost our bottom line, we will add other services to our core service here at Saddles Training School, LLC. Our intention of generating revenue and making profit will be according to the permissible laws of the United States of America. Therefore, some of the services we intend to offer are;
- Boarding
- Breeding and raising horses
- Training
- Horse riding lessons
- Medical care
- Consultancy and advisory services
4. Our Mission and Vision Statement
- Our vision is to ensure that we become amongst the top ten horse training schools in the United States of America and the most preferred training school here in Devore Heights – California
- In order to achieve our vision, we intend to build a solid business structure by hiring the best trainers in the industry as well as other competent employees that are committed to ensuring that we achieve our intended goals and objectives here in Devore Heights – California as well as round the United States of America as well
Our Business Structure
Because we intend to run a business that is not only up to standard but that succeeds in the near future here in Devore Heights – California, we have made plans to build a business structure and won’t mind going the extra mile by ensuring that we get competent and hardworking employees to come and work for us at our riding school.
We intend to get those that are committed and willing to put in the needed effort into ensuring that our business attains its intended goals and objectives.
We will get employees who have the experience, who are professionals and competent and understand the business thoroughly knowing what will be needed to ensure that we attain the desired vision and mission that we have planned out.
Due to the fact that we intend to offer different services here at Saddles Training School, LLC, we would not be employing the conventional number of employees needed to run the business, and so we would need to employ more in order to be able to run our business successfully. Therefore, below is the business structure that we intend to build at Saddles Training School, LLC;
- Chief Executive Officer
- Training Instructor
- Accountant/cashier
- Manager
- Barn Farrier
- Marketing Team
- Customer Care Executive
- Security Guard
- Truck Driver
- Cleaner
5. Job Roles and Responsibilities
Chief Executive Officer
- In charge of drafting policies that will affect the direction of the training school
- Reviews already drafted policies and ensures that they are align with company’s core policies
- Meets with high level clients on behalf of the training school
Training Instructor
- In charge of preparing all the instruction manuals that will be used at the training school
- Works with different levels of clients to achieve their training purposes
- Reviews and updates training instructions depending on the trends in the industry
Accountant/cashier
- Prepares all the financial statements and information concerning the training school
- Ensures the budget drafted is fully implemented
- Ensures that the books of the training school are reconciled with that of the bank
Manager
- In charge of all the administrative tasks and duties in the farm
- Sources for and ensures that the right staff is being employed by the riding school
- Ensures that the policies of the riding school are implemented and adhered to
Barn Farrier
- In charge of evaluating the gait, conformation and hoof balance of the horse and also make adjustments where necessary
- Must be skilled in iron work and be able to make custom shoes
- Must be able to use a variety of tools to trim and shape the hooves of a horse
Marketing Team
- Drafts effective marketing strategies on behalf of the training school
- Conducts a thorough marketing research in order to find out new markets and gain new clients on behalf of the training school
- Conducts direct marketing to gain clients on behalf of the company
Customer Care Executive
- Answers all inquiries and requests on behalf of the training school and also ensures that all complaints are promptly resolved
- Ensures that they remain updated about industry trends and company policies so that customers could get the correct information
- Ensures that the database of the customer is accurate and updates on behalf of the training school
Security Guard
- Patrols the premises and ensures that the training school is safe from intruders and predators
- Ensures that all the horses and property in the training school are safe and secure
- Carries out any other duties as determined by the manager
Truck Driver
- Ensures that needed supplies are made available at all the time at the training school
- Carries out light maintenance and repair on the truck when necessary
- Ensures that accurate routes are taken to and fro the training school when delivering and taking supplies
Cleaner
- Ensures that all the facilities in the premises are kept clean
- Ensures that cleaning supplies are always in stock
- Carries out any duties as determined by the manager
6. SWOT Analysis
Due to the fact that we intend to run standard horse training business, we have decided to carry out due diligence by hiring the services of a reputable business consultant here in Devore Heights – California that would look into our business concept and help us know if the business we intend going into would be worthwhile, and know if the attributes we possess will enable us compete favorably against our competitors here in Devore Heights – California as well as round the United States of America.
In view of this, the business consultant we hired was able to take stock of our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats and use this to determine what we are likely to face here in Devore Heights – California and if e are likely to survive in this environment. Below therefore is a of the SWOT analysis that was conducted on behalf of Saddles Training School, LLC;
- Strengths
Our strength lies in the fact that we would be offering various services in addition to our core service in order to meet the various needs of our customers. These services will not only bring in the much needed revenue that would boost our bottom line, it will also ensure that we are able to compete favorably against our competitors here in Devore Heights – California.
Another advantage in our favor is the fact that Devore Heights has a lot of public parks that have been approved for trainings and riding lessons especially for clients who would like to try new and different terrains. Also, our ranch is accessible to all our clients, which makes our location more than strategic.
Finally, due to the solid business structure that we have built, we have hired employees who are not only very competent and professional but also have the necessary commitment required that will allow us achieve our intended goals and objectives.
- Weaknesses
The fact that California is the second city in the whole of the United States of America here there are a high number of horses and horse owners mean that the market is saturated which might make it a bit hard for us to break into the market
Also, the fact that we are just starting off means that we are running on a budget that will not allow us advertise our business as we wish or get the number of employees we would need in order to run a standard business.
- Opportunities
There are several opportunities that are available to us in this industry and that is the fact that there are loads of people from novices to professionals in the industry who would require trainings either to better their craft or to learn something new.
Also, the fact that we would be networking with other service providers mean that we would be opening up our business to prospective clients in our target market.
- Threats
Every business faces threats every now and then and we are no different. Some of the threats that we are likely to face in the course of running this business are the fact that there might be the arrival of a major competitor here in Devore Heights – California offering the same services as we would be doing.
Also, even though there are people that would not mind spending when the economy is bad, it will however reduce the number of customers we would likely receive in the event of an economic downturn.
7. MARKET ANALYSIS
- Market Trends
The horse industry has a great economic impact on the United States of America and this is due to the fact that there are more than 9 million horses and more than 4 million people directly engaged in this industry.
It was previously thought that only the wealthy should own horses but this has changed as more people with a median class income of $60,000 are now owning horses. Also, these set of people have come to see their horses as more than investments but as pets and companions.
Texas is the number one city in the United States of America with 1 million horses closely followed by California with 700,000 horses. This makes the horse business very viable in not only these two states but all over the United States of America especially as almost every state has a commercial horse industry.
Even though most people owned horses, they rarely had time to train with these horses and as such needed someone who was a professional to help train and offer the right information about these horses, which makes the horse training business a very lucrative one.
8. Our Target Market
The horse industry trend is such that there will always be customers who demand services such as ours and so this means a boost for our industry.
In truth our target market cannot be restricted to those who just love riding horses especially due to the various services we intend to offer. In truth, our location which is very strategic has kept us in the best position where our target market can easily access us.
In order to however correctly determine our target market, we have conducted a thorough market research so that we would have an idea of what to expect from our target market and what they in turn would be expecting from us. From our research, we therefore are in business to deliver our services to the following groups of people here in Devore Heights – California.
- Local families
- Horse owners
- Tourists
- Horse buyers
- Owners of show horses
- Boarding facilities
Our competitive Advantage
There are several advantages that are available to us at saddles Training School, LLC especially as we intend to build and run a standard and successful horse training school here in Devore Heights – California. Our aim is to ensure that we are the preferred horse training school here in Devore Heights – California and that we are amongst the top ten in the whole of the United States of America.
In order to achieve our intended goals, we intend to come up with competitive strategies that will allow us have an advantage over our competitors as well as compete favorably against them in the horse industry.
The first competitive advantage we have over our competitors is the fact that our facility is up to standard and is easily accessible to all our clients. Also, the environment is one that is highly conducive to our employees and allow them to be better productive in handling all the tasks they are given.
We have highly competent and professional employees here at Saddles Training School, LLC who not only understand their jobs but are attuned to our vision, policies and objectives and are committed to ensuring that we attain them.
Finally, we take good care of our employees by ensuring that they have a great welfare package that is the best within similar start-ups such as ours in the horse industry here in the United States of America. We believe that this will motivate them into becoming more than willing to put in their best into ensuring that we achieve our corporate goals and objectives.
9. SALES AND MARKETING STRATEGY
- Sources of Income
Saddles Training School, LLC, has been established with the aim of maximizing profit in the horse industry here in the United States of America, and due to this we are going to ensure that we do all it takes to offer our various services to all our different kind of customers in the target market. Some of the services that we intend to offer in order to generate income at Saddles Training School, LLC;
- Horse riding lessons
- Boarding
- Breeding and raising horses
- Training
- Medical care
- Consultancy and advisory services
10. Sales Forecast
The fact that more Americans are owning horses and having less time to learn with these horses means that there will always be a high demand for horse training schools.
California is the second state with the highest number of horses in the United States of America, and so the facts point that it would be easy for us to generate the intended revenue we seek and even make a little profit in our first year of business.
After carrying out a critical examination of the horse industry in order to decide our chances, we came up with the following sales forecast, which came from gathering data from similar start-ups such as ours in the industry. Below therefore are the sales projections we intend to use at Saddles Training School, LLC based on certain factors and assumptions;
- First Fiscal Year-: $220,000
- Second Fiscal Year-: $380,000
- Third Fiscal Year-: $500,000
N.B: It should be noted that the above projections were done based on what was obtainable in the industry and that should there be any change in the factors used, it might cause an increase or decrease in the sales figures projected.
- Marketing Strategy and Sales Strategy
Marketing is a very important part of any business especially as this is the aspect that generates the much needed revenue that will sustain and grow the business. We know how vital it is to market our business and so we are pursuing different relevant routes.
First, we would engage in a thorough market survey in order to understand the kind of target market we intend to serve and know how best to penetrate the market in order to not only build our business but to also be able to compete against our competitors here in Devore Heights – California as well as round the United States of America.
We intend to get a reputable marketing consultant who understands the industry and has helped similar start-ups and growing businesses such as ours draft the right strategies that would allow us become a force to be reckoned with.
We have also empowered our marketing executives to draft the right marketing strategies that are in tune with our company policies and will deliver our corporate sales goals. Below are the ways we intend to market Saddles Training School LLC;
- Ensure that we introduce our horse training business to industry stakeholders
- Throw a grand opening party to create awareness about our business
- Advertise our horse training business in local newspapers, equine magazines as well as on local radio and television stations
- Ensure that our horse training business is listed on online and offline directories
- Engage in direct marketing
- Pass out handbills and fliers
11. Publicity and Advertising Strategy
Having the right amount of publicity is very necessary for our kind of business and due to this we will take this aspect of our business seriously. Publicity not only creates awareness for a brand thereby boosting revenue for the company, it also ensures that a brand’s image is positively communicated to the target market.
We intend to hire a brand publicist here in Devore Heights – California who thoroughly understands the horse industry well and how best we can penetrate the market in ensuring that we gain a huge share of the market. Some of the platforms we intend to use in promoting and advertising our horse training school are;
- Ensure that we place adverts in local newspapers and horse magazines as well as on radio and television stations
- Ensure that we engage in and sponsor relevant horse related events in the community
- Use our social media platforms such as Facebook page, Twitter and other horse related forums to promote our business
- Ensure that we distribute our handbills in strategic locations
- Install our billboards in conspicuous and strategic locations here in Devore Heights – California
- Create an official website and carry out massive promotion there
12. Our Pricing Strategy
Deciding on what to charge our customers will depend on a whole lot of factors such as what our running and overhead expenses are and what our competitors are offering. We will make sure we carry out intensive research before deciding on our prices so we would not give a price that is too low or too high.
However, because we intend to attract as many customers as possible to our business, we would lower our rates for the first six months of business. Even though we would be running at a low profit margin during this period, we wish to assure our stakeholders that we would not be running at a loss.
- Payment Options
Due to the various services we intend to offer at Saddles Training School, LLC, we are offering our diverse customers different payment options so as to be able to cater to various requirements. The payment options we intend to offer our customers are as follows;
- Cash payment
- Payment via credit card
- Payment via check
- Payment via online payment portal
The above payment options were carefully chosen by us and will work for all our customers without any hitches.
13. Startup Expenditure (Budget)
In starting up and running a standard horse training school here in Devore Heights – California, there are certain aspects where one is expected to send the bulk of the capital on.
Leasing or buying a facility is very important if you intend to run a standard training school also, the bulk of the capital will go into paying the fees of employees and other running expenses for at least a defined period of time till the business makes money enough to start paying for itself. Therefore the key areas where we intend to spend our start-up capital from are;
- Total fee for registering our horse training school here in the United States of America – $750
- Legal expenses for getting licenses and permits, accounting software as well as other legal expenses that will be incurred during the process of registering the business – $1250
- Cost of hiring a business consultant – $1,000
- Marketing and publicity expenses (for grand opening party as well as general business operations) – $6,000
- Insurance coverage (General liability, property insurance, and workers’ compensation) – $4,000
- Cost of purchasing start-up equipment in bulk (such as saddles, straps, tacks, feeds and reins) – $10,000
- Cost of purchasing a land and building facilities for the horse training school for at least a year – $30,000
- Operational cost for the first six months of running the business (employee salaries, payment of bills) – $100,000
- Other start-up expenses which includes furniture, stationeries, phone, and computer – $5,000
- Cost of purchasing a light weight truck – $30,000
- Cost of launching a website – $500
- Cost of throwing a grand opening party – $3,500
- Other miscellaneous expenses – $8,000
From the above detailed analysis, we would need the sum of $200,000 in order to be able to run a standard and successful horse training business here in Devore Heights – California. From the above analysis, it should be noted that half of our start-up capital will go into buying a land and then building the necessary facilities that we would need to run the business to a certain standard.
Also, we would be paying the salaries of our employees as well as certain utility bills for at least the first six months of operations, which will also take a huge part of the capital.
Generating Funding / Startup Capital for Saddles Training School Horse Training Business
Saddles Training School, LLC is a horse training school business that is owned and run by Mr. and Mrs. George and Rebecca Samson with an equal 50% stake each.
The couple who have several experiences running this business are not seeking for external investors that would demand a part of their equity, which is why they have decided to restrict sourcing for capital to three major areas. Therefore, the major areas where the couple intend to source for capital for their horse training school business are;
- Generate part of the start-up capital from personal savings and sale of certain stock
- Source for soft loan from friends and wealthy family members
- Apply for loan from the bank
N.B: We were able to generate the sum of $35,000 from our personal savings and sale of certain stock. Our friends and family members gave us the sum of $25,000. We approached the bank for the remaining sum of money needed in order to run a successful business which amounted to $140,000.
After signing off the necessary papers, we have been told that the money would be credited into our account by the end of the week. The loan from the bank is to be repaid in 5 years at the rate of 2%.
14. Sustainability and Expansion Strategy
Due to the fact that we have a strong business concept, we expect to remain in business for a long time and so there are several sustainability and expansion strategies that we have adopted. We have looked at several factors that if when used will allow us stay in business for a long period, make the necessary revenue and also compete favorably against our competitors.
The factors we intend taking into consideration are building a solid business structure, ensuring that we adequately promote our horse training school, and also ensuring that we build a standard facility.
Building the right business structure is very vital to us as a business and so we have gone the extra mile by sourcing for and hiring the best employees that not only are professionals and experienced but also competent to handle their responsibilities in our horse training school.
We intend to ensure that our employees receive continuous training that will ensure that they enhance their skills and also improve productivity for us here in our horse training school. We also intend to pay our employees well and have a well structured welfare package that is seen as the best amongst similar start-ups like ours in the entire industry.
Every business requires the right sort of publicity in which to grow and expand at a determined pace. The horse industry is one where publicity is highly essential if the business intends to succeed and grow. We therefore intend to take our horse business seriously by ensuring that we give it the right amount of publicity so that we can compete favorably against our competitors in this industry.
We intend to bring in a brand publicist that would help us draft the right strategies that would increase awareness for our horse training business and allow us penetrate the market, thereby increasing our own share of customers.
Finally, we intend to build a facility that will be up to standard, easily accessible and convenient for both customers and employees in the industry. Having a standard facility is a must and we will do well to ensure that all the equipment used are always up-to-date.
This, we believe will allow us gain a huge share of the market. We believe that if these three factors are well applied, we will effectively sustain and expand our business.
Check List / Milestone
- Business Name Availability Check: Completed
- Business Registration: Completed
- Opening of Corporate Bank Accounts: Completed
- Securing Point of Sales (POS) Machines: Completed
- Opening Mobile Money Accounts: Completed
- Opening Online Payment Platforms: Completed
- Application and Obtaining Tax Payer’s ID: In Progress
- Application for business license and permit: Completed
- Purchase of Insurance for the Business: Completed
- Conducting feasibility studies: Completed
- Generating capital from family members: Completed
- Applications for Loan from the bank: In Progress
- Writing of Business Plan: Completed
- Drafting of Employee’s Handbook: Completed
- Drafting of Contract Documents and other relevant Legal Documents: In Progress
- Design of The Company’s Logo: Completed
- Graphic Designs and Printing of Packaging Marketing / Promotional Materials: In Progress
- Recruitment of employees: In Progress
- Creating Official Website for the Company: In Progress
- Creating Awareness for the business both online and around the community: In Progress
- Health and Safety and Fire Safety Arrangement (License): Secured
- Opening party / launching party planning: In Progress
- Establishing business relationship with vendors – wholesale suppliers / merchants: In Progress
- Purchase of trucks: Completed