Running a 'smart yard'

With increased pressure on running a ‘smart yard’ we take a look at some practical tips which might help you get more productivity, for less cost.

Look at your staffing structure

Affording to pay your staff correctly is quite often one of the most stressful parts of being a business owner. Paying National Minimum Wage isn’t optional, but there are many things you can do to help bring the wage bill down.

By reducing the working day by one hour or adding in an extra half day off a week can make a huge difference at the end of the month. In order to do this, it might be necessary to look at the efficiency of the day to day running of the yard.

A few examples of this would be:

• Coincide horses having their day off with less staff on the yard.
• Instead of cleaning the saddles daily, could they actually be cleaned less often?
• Give people jobs you know they are more efficient at, for example if groom A takes 30 minutes to clip, while groom B takes 60 minutes then delegate the majority of the clipping to groom A and let groom B clip on the days you have more time.
• Ensuring grooms have the correct tools can also help efficiency. An example of this would be a fully functional wheelbarrow instead of one with a flat tyre which is harder to manoeuvre, and the correct, easy to use yard brushes.
• Considering an apprentice can be a really great way of sharing the physical load of the job, allowing you to investing in their training, and in return offering an apprentice wage. Have a look at Haddon Training who offer an excellent apprentice scheme.

Communication is key

Knowing what needs doing each day, when the farrier, vet, feed delivery, or clients are coming and letting your grooms know is vital. Many grooms, by nature, want to be efficient in their job.

Having a daily jobs board, with who is doing what, is great for this and allows your team to plan ahead.

Holiday planning

Planning your teams’ holiday for the next 12 months can ensure that you are never left with limited man power. Schedule holidays into your quieter time when horses might have some time off, and space them throughout the year so that you don’t get to November and everyone still needs to take their holiday allowance.

Remember, you are the employer and thus it is your prerogative when your staff have their annual leave.

Business review

It’s good practice to look at your business closely every 12 months. This includes looking at staffing hours, your own pricing structure, insurance, suppliers and services you may offer. Where can money be saved?

You may find that one of your team may be great at shopping around for prices on shavings, feed, wormers or hay so why not delegate some of the responsibility. Maybe purchasing in bulk for the future will save money?

Who does your payroll and pension requirements? It is a misconception that your accountant must do this - quite often accountants charge more than payroll providers. Have a look at EEA Pension & Payroll to save money.

Caring for your team

Being a caring, mindful employer really goes a long way and a simple please and thank you makes more difference than we may think. Creating an environment where you are encouraging people to learn, share and work as a team will create efficiency, productivity and ultimately lead to a happy place to work.

A happy yard is great for your horses, which can improve performance and is a real selling point for your clients. If your team are happy this will reduce staff turnover, which of course has a huge effect on your own time and costs trying to replace and train new team members.

Equally if you feel that someone doesn’t fit into your team them it’s important to address this too.