Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

HorseyGal here today to report what  a great day I had with my new blanket repair business.

I was able to get my new blankets washed and repaired and delivered to my very happy customers.  I really wanted to impress them and to make myself available for new business.

Well this barn manager was so impressed, that she immediately referred me to a friend of hers.  It’s a really well known barn in the area, and to get that barn as a customer is huge!

So I went by there on the way home, and stopped in and introduced myself and let her know that a friend had referred me.  She was so excited to hear there was a new horse blanket lady.  It’s so fun!

So she went around and gathered all the blankets hanging on the stalls that needed repairing and we tagged them and bagged them and got them into the car.

Wow…I couldn’t believe how easy that was!  So when I got home I counted another 15 blankets!

Okay…I know this is hard to believe, but really it is that simple!  Now tomorrow my intention is to go by a couple of the feedstores in town.

Karen explains how she got the feedstores excited about her work.  So that’s what I’m going to do…take a sample of my work in and show them what I do, and drop off some fliers for them to hand out.  Maybe I can talk them into being a dropoff spot for customers.  Hmmm….

If you would like to more about how to start your own blanket repair business…click here.

Well, I have been practicing on those blankets I picked up from my first New Blanket Repair Business Customers!

If you remember, I told you about the Barn Manager that gave me those 15 blankets to take home and work on. Well those are the ones I have been practicing on.

So while I am working on those…I figured it would be a good idea to go out and line up new blanket repair customers so I would have a back fill of customers when these blankets are done.

So I filled out those forms that Karen included in her book “How To Make Money Repairing Horse Blankets” and went around to some of the bigger barns today.  A couple were really interested but they needed to check with the owners before they gave me the blankets.

And then Karen suggests going to feed stores and seeing if they are interested in putting a sign up about Horse Blanket Repair so that I could target new blanket repair customers.

So I stopped at the three local feed stores and let them know I am in business, and gave them my cards and a flier.  And one store sounds really interested in the idea as an added service for their customers.

See the thing that Karen Krueger explains in her book, is that feed stores see the value of a customer coming in two times and having twice the chance of them buying on impulse.

So it’s a win win for both of us.  I have a chance of gaining new Blanket Repair Business Customers, and the feed store has a chance of increasing their sales.

Hot TIP:  Never let the feed store put your checks through receivables because then you will have to wait to get your check, and then it will look as if you are a contract employee for the feed store.  The cleanest way to stay in business is to be your own business.  They can collect a check for you to pick up, but it must be kept in a seperate container.

Now I’m to make more New Blanket Repair Business Customers and take a look at Karen’s Book Here.

Until next time…Horsey Gal is sewing blankets! Yay!!  I will update you on my financial progress!

Take Care!

“I’m in business!  Horsey Gal – The Horse Blanket Repair Lady”

Well…I went to my favorite online auction site (Guess Who!) and bought a Buy It Now Nakajima single stitch, walking foot Industrial Sewing Machine!

It came with the motor mount under the table, like the one I showed in a previous blog post.  Karen has a Nakajima she uses for her sewing…

So It’s Official!  I am the new Blanket Lady!  When I get my new sewing machine that is!  It’s used and I found it locally on Ebay, so I will go pick it up this weekend.  The seller said she would show me how to use it, and let me try it out so I can have some time learning how to use it.

I worked on putting my prices together and figuring out what I will charge.  Karen includes already made up flyers you can use.  Just fill in your name and business name and your prices and it’s ready to go.

It was already formatted.  And the other thing she includes are repair tags.  All you have to do is print them out on card stock and cut them up and they are ready to pin on any horse blanket!

Soo…I called around today to see what other people are charging for cleaning and repairing. And I think this is going to be very good extra income for me.

The average laundering price was between 15-17.00 per heavy blanket.  I saw one company that charges $40.00 for a blanket cleaning…no repairs!  I’m sorry, that just seems way too high for me. So a median price of 15.00 to 17.00 seems fair to me.  Karen said she  used to charge $10.00, but she had to stay competitive with the other blanket repair person in town.

So you need to shop around and compare prices so you can be competitive.

I can hardly wait to get started…

Stay tuned…the adventure continues with Horsey Gal the Blanket Lady!  PS…I changed the look of the blog…I hope you like it.  Leave me a comment if you do!

See ya tommorrow!

~HG~

Just In Case You Missed It!  Here is the link to the sewing machines…so you can check them out!

“What To Consider When Buying Horse Trailers”

This is an overview of the different styles of Horse Trailer available to buy.

Here are some great tips to help you find horse trailers to fit your needs and keep your horse happy during long trips…

Whether you own one horse or several, a horse trailer will provide a convenient way to travel with your horses to shows, rodeos, camping sites, horse trails, or wherever you need to take your horses. Horse trailers are also useful in case of an emergency if you have to evacuate your horses or get them to a veterinarian in a hurry. But buying a horse trailer can be a little confusing because there are so many different types and styles available. Here are some things to look for when shopping for a horse trailer. Read the rest of this entry »