The Horse Business Advice Podcast: Recent Episodes
Melody Semmler
The Horse Business Advice Podcast brings you tips, insights, and candid real stories of equine business owners. My passion is helping equine businesses get the confidence to move forward and get organised to balance life and a business at the same time. Hosted by Melody Semmler - founder of global business Equine Entrepreneurs, mother, lover of horses, and a online business coach based in Perth, Australia.
AI (Artificial Intelligence - not the other AI most horse owners go to...) is here and it's your choice if you are going to use it for good or evil.
I think we all go through stages of mindest when it comes to getting our heads around ai, and they include;
- fear - is it stealing my stuff, or accessing my bank details secretly?
- denial - it couldn't possibly do anything useful for me...
- resentment - it's going to replace me!
- awe - OMG it can help me with that too?
- excitement - let's try this, and this, and this and this!
It's not here to replace us, it's here to help us, and in this podcast I am going to share a few ways you may not have thought of yet to use it to help your productivity.
You can find more out about how I help horse business owners on my website www.equinee.com.au
Liked this podcast?I would love you to leave me a review, somewhere, anywhere, your podcast player, google reviews, facebook!
Is it a gap in the equestrian business market, or is it just not something people want?
Confronting question I know, but here’s the thing, I come across budding horse business owners all the time that say ‘nobody does this’ or ‘everyone needs this’.
Those things might be true but they are not going to bring you a single cent in sales unless people WANT the thing you’re thinking of selling.
In this podcast I'm going to dive into the steps you need to take to work out how to establish that a new business or product idea is going to work, without throwing it out into the wind and hoping it flies.
You can find more out about how I help horse business owners on my website www.equinee.com.au
Liked this podcast?I would love you to leave me a review, somewhere, anywhere, your podcast player, google reviews, facebook!
Recently, I had a big, fat, disaster with my email marketing platform and I really wanted to build a blankie fort, put some fairy lights up, and hide until the end of time, but I couldn't.
I'm going to tell you how I dealt with a disaster that was fairly epic (for the record, not my fault, a system failure) and the lessons I learned along the way, so if you ever have something big happen with technology in your business, you can work through this recovery process without needing to run a power cord to the blankie fort...
Enjoy today's episode? I'd love it if you could...
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Sometimes, it's not about busting your ass to make more sales, that you probably don't have time to make/pack/send/do the service because you are already flat out.
Sometimes it's about finding the money leaks.
As a business coach, I see business owners scrambling to make more sales, get more bookings, they are trying EVERYTHING, spending HOURS working on their socials, looking for sales and opportunities, and the stress is sometimes too much for them.
So they don't have time or energy to reconcile accounts, to really look at things hard, assess their profit and loss, and to think about their cashflow. To stop and take a step back.
Plus, that isn't fun, or sexy, and it's freaking overwhelming and sometimes depressing to look at all that stuff.
The thing is, if you have money leaking out of your business, making more sales ISN'T going to patch that leak.
It's going to keep leaking out.
And you're gonna be constantly scrambling to try and refill a leaking money bucket.
This week’s podcast looks at all of these things and more. I’m not saying it’s fun to think about it, but it’s 100% necessary!
Enjoy today's episode? I'd love it if you could...
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It’s a harsh fact of reality, prices of things are increasing, and that’s going to affect you as a business. It can feel terrifying to put your prices up, but sometimes, it’s absolutely necessary.
In this episode, I’m going to chat about the ‘mathsing’ so you know whether to put your prices are, and then how to actually do it without giving yourself an anxiety attack…
Enjoy today's episode? I'd love it if you could...
Please take a few seconds to leave me a review, subscribe so you don't miss an episode, and be sure to take a screenshot of this podcast, upload it to your social media and tag me @equine_entrepreneurs_ so I can give you a shout out too!
The golden question.... how often should I post on social media?
So today, I'm chatting about how often you should be posting on social media as an equine business owner, staying consistent, and nailing your messaging.
Enjoy today's episode? I'd love it if you could...
Please take a few seconds to leave me a review, subscribe so you don't miss an episode, and be sure to take a screenshot of this podcast, upload it to your social media and tag me @equine_entrepreneurs_ so I can give you a shout out too!
Need more assistance with your social media planning? With the help of this practical, easy-to-read, printable PDF you’ll find yourself inspired daily to write posts your audience will WANT to engage with. Grab your copy of my 365 day social media prompter now. Head to https://equinee.com.au/365-day-social-media-prompter/
Getting hacked on social media has become the number one fear for small business owners. It can be crippling.
And as many times as I remind people to do everything to secure their account, it's not until you get hacked that you realise how important all that stuff was.
So today, I'm chatting about how to protect yourself as best you can, and ways to try and resolve problems if they arise.
Enjoy today's episode? I'd love it if you could...
Please take a few seconds to leave me a review, subscribe so you don't miss an episode, and be sure to take a screenshot of this podcast, upload it to your social media and tag me @equine_entrepreneurs_ so I can give you a shout out too!
Finding a negative review popping up about your business can be stressful on so many levels.
Did you do the wrong thing? Is the customer being unreasonable? What if people see it and nobody every buys from you again? (hint - that isn't going to happen)
In this episode, I'm chatting about how to effectively deal with any kind of negative feedback, reasonable or not. One bad review isn't going to tank your business, and there's ways to manage any fallout you may be concerned about.
Enjoy today's episode? I'd love it if you could...
Please take a few seconds to leave me a review, subscribe so you don't miss an episode, and be sure to take a screenshot of this podcast, upload it to your social media and tag me @equine_entrepreneurs_ so I can give you a shout out too!
You need to have an idea of the importance SEO (Search Engine Optimization) has on your business! There's no escaping this, even if you are planning to outsource this part of your business to someone else. Understanding SEO on even a basic level will show you just how valuable it is and will ensure you prioritise it for your business.
Whilst our social media platforms and our paid ads do a lot of the work in promoting our business and out website, SEO addresses that one avenue your ideal clients are going to use over and over to find that very thing you can offer them.
In this episode, I'm delving deep into SEO, knowing your ideal client, keywords, and SO much more.
Enjoy today's episode? I'd love it if you could...
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Andy Ide is the Founder and the initial programmer of HorseRecords - the
fast and easy way to record all your horse information. From recording performance, veterinary, farrier, feeding, dentistry, chiropractic, serving, foaling dates, pedigree and progeny.
In this episode, Andy chats about who can use horse records, what to expect inside the app, why the software is different and more!
Andy has kindly offered 20% off for listeners. Use code MELODY20 on checkout at www.horserecords.info/pricing/.
Enjoy today's episode? I'd love it if you could...
Please take a few seconds to leave me a review, subscribe so you don't miss an episode, and be sure to take a screenshot of this podcast, upload it to your social media and tag me @equine_entrepreneurs_ so I can give you a shout out too!
So you’ve decided you need a new website. It’s a mega task and it can get out of control really fast.
In this episode of the podcast, I'm sharing three important tips to help you keep the process manageable.
Enjoy today's episode? I'd love it if you could...
Please take a few seconds to leave me a review, subscribe so you don't miss an episode, and be sure to take a screenshot of this podcast, upload it to your social media and tag me @equine_entrepreneurs_ so I can give you a shout out too!
The constant enquiries and stress of wondering what orders or bookings have come in can be huge for business owners.
In the day and age of social media and different time zones people will message all times of the day, so you need to set boundaries for yourself.
In this episode, I'm sharing my biggest tips from the learnings of personal experience of burnout so you don't have to EVER go through this too.
Enjoy today's episode? I'd love it if you could...
Please take a few seconds to leave me a review, subscribe so you don't miss an episode, and be sure to take a screenshot of this podcast, upload it to your social media and tag me @equine_entrepreneurs_ so I can give you a shout out too!
Are you on top of your bookkeeping? Accurate bookkeeping is important for a number of reasons such as helping your equine business manage its cash flow, meet its financial obligations and plan its investments.
In this week's episode of the podcast, I'm chatting with Trish Woolcock. Trish is the owner of Pemberley Bookkeeping and has over 15 years of experience in the industry. As horses are her passion, she uses her passion combined with industry knowledge to help equestrian business owners.
In this episode, I'm chatting with Trish about:
- The biggest mistakes horse business owners make
- What tasks a bookkeeper can help you with
- What is GST and the ins and outs
- Programs to help with your finances
- The effective way to track receipts
- Cost of expense vs cost of sale
- Bookkeeping advice if you’re not tech
Not quite ready to commit to an accounting program but know you need to keep track of your business finances? Download Trish's DIY Bookkeeping Spreadsheet Package to know exactly where your money is coming in and going out. As a special just for Melody's listeners add the code PODCAST22 for 10% off :) Visit https://www.facebook.com/PemberleyBookkeeping/Products
Enjoy today's episode? I'd love it if you could...
Please take a few seconds to leave me a review, subscribe so you don't miss an episode, and be sure to take a screenshot of this podcast, upload it to your social media and tag me @equine_entrepreneurs_ so I can give you a shout out too!
“What if I’m not good enough?” “What if someone badmouths me?” “What if I don’t know all the answers?” “What if I upset XYZ (normally, a competitor)
The trouble is, you won't get clients if you don’t advertise your business.
Hiding in the corner isn’t going to work.
In this episode, I'm chatting about how to increase your confidence in business. My favourite thing I say to clients about this? Jump off the cliff and learn how to build your parachute on the way down. Don’t wait until you feel 100% confident about everything. Start now. Today. And build from there!
If you have an equine-based business, or your clients are in a horse-related industry, you can’t afford to not be speaking to them in their language.
No matter how good your brand is, you need words that actually connect with your audience to build your brand, create relationships and increase your revenue!
In this episode, I'm chatting with Sarah White about all things SEO. Using language in your business, writing SEO copy, search terms, keywords, and much more!
Sarah White aka The Copy Jockey is a jockey-turned-SEO copywriter specialising in the heady niche of equine businesses. Through simple SEO strategies, clever copy crafting, and super sales psychology, Sarah helps small businesses and bigger brands optimise their websites to get found on Google, attract more leads and turn more browsers to buyers.
Enjoy today's episode? I'd love it if you could...
Please take a few seconds to leave me a review, subscribe so you don't miss an episode, and be sure to take a screenshot of this podcast, upload it to your social media and tag me @equine_entrepreneurs_ so I can give you a shout out too!
Listened to the episode and would love a freebie? Download Sarah's essential guide to improving your website's performance. It's a dynamic worksheet designed to help you increase leads and boost sales from your website alone. Simply ride through the test and get real results. Download it here: https://thecopyjockey.com/essential-guide-to-improving-your-website-performance-freebie/
When people think of branding, they instantly think of the logo and colours they use.
While these are important branding elements, your brand is much more. It’s the look and feel, your tone, the kind of images you choose, and everything about your business.
In this episode, we’re chatting about:
- Branding your horse business
- How to create your logo & why you need to outsource to a designer
- Trademarking your logo
- Choosing your branding colours
- Why rebranding is going to hurt your brand
Enjoy today's episode? I'd love it if you could...
Please take a few seconds to leave me a review, subscribe so you don't miss an episode, and be sure to take a screenshot of this podcast, upload it to your social media and tag me @equine_entrepreneurs_ so I can give you a shout out too!
Have you ever wondered just why the experts recommend you utilise email list and the importance of having a list?
There are 4 billion daily email users and at least 50% buy from email marketing every month.
In this episode, I chat with Lisa Hill. Lisa Hill is a content marketer who lives in rural eastern North Carolina, USA on her eleven acre horse farm. Lisa has passion for horses AND for helping equine business owners find success through email marketing using Opt-Ins, Automations, and Campaigns.
Today, we discuss all things email marketing and why it's vital for equine business owners to use email marketing to grow their business.
Enjoy today's episode? I'd love it if you could...
Please take a few seconds to leave me a review, subscribe so you don't miss an episode, and be sure to take a screenshot of this podcast, upload it to your social media and tag me @equine_entrepreneurs_ so I can give you a shout out too!
Love Lisa's message and want to learn more? Download her FREE 101+ Content Prompts for YOUR Equine Business. Head to https://lisaannmarie.activehosted.com/f/1
Beth Lauren Parrish: a CHA Certified Level 3 Instructor, Level 1 Equestrian Tai Chi Instructor and a RTT Practitioner. She has the tools to enhance her clients' transformations rapidly and profoundly. Beth offers online courses, remote coaching, meditations, and the Inspired Riding Focus app. She has taught thousands of lessons for the past 22 years across the United States, and now teaches worldwide remotely.
In today's episode, I'm chatting with Beth about how she started on her journey to building a thriving business.
Download Beth's Free Audio: Dear Horse Meditation https://www.inspiredriding.com/dear-horse
Enjoy today's episode? I'd love it if you could...
Please take a few seconds to leave me a review, subscribe so you don't miss an episode, and be sure to take a screenshot of this podcast, upload it to your social media and tag me @equine_entrepreneurs_ so I can give you a shout out too!
Have you ever wondered how I manage the daily running of Equine Entrepreneurs? The answer is more simple than you probably think!
In today's episode, I'm diving deep into how I structure my day for success. I'm also chatting about how you can use these tips to ensure you're using your time effectively and how to use systems to create an automated business.
Enjoy today's episode? I'd love it if you could...
Please take a few seconds to leave me a review, subscribe so you don't miss an episode, and be sure to take a screenshot of this podcast, upload it to your social media and tag me @equine_entrepreneurs_ so I can give you a shout out too!
If you post on social media, what’s the worst that can happen? Potentially nobody will buy your stuff but what are the alternatives? One person might buy something and share it with their 20 friends and their friends will buy something.
In this episode, I'm chatting all about why you shouldn't be afraid to put yourself out there and the importance of promote yourself and your business.
Enjoy today's episode? I'd love it if you could...
Please take a few seconds to leave me a review, subscribe so you don't miss an episode, and be sure to take a screenshot of this podcast, upload it to your social media and tag me @equine_entrepreneurs_ so I can give you a shout out too!
Are you thinking about promoting your business at a trade stall or want to learn more about the ins and outs of hosting a trade stall?
In this episode, I'm talking about my experience of having a trade stall at Equitana for my previous browband business. I'm discussing all aspects from picking your stand and custom orders, to debriefing every day and handy hints to get the most out of the experience.
Enjoy today's episode? I'd love it if you could...
Please take a few seconds to leave me a review, subscribe so you don't miss an episode, and be sure to take a screenshot of this podcast, upload it to your social media and tag me @equine_entrepreneurs_ so I can give you a shout out too!
Learning to switch off has been of my biggest learnings as an equine business owner. I encourage all of my clients to schedule time to ride their horses and schedule this in as an appointment so it is a non-negotiable. It’s amazing how productive and organised you can be when you schedule in the things that bring you joy.
While this has been one my biggest key learnings in all my years of business, I've also put together 9 other things I wish I knew before I started my business to help you avoid these same mistakes.
Enjoy today's episode? I'd love it if you could...
Please take a few seconds to leave me a review, subscribe so you don't miss an episode, and be sure to take a screenshot of this podcast, upload it to your social media and tag me @equine_entrepreneurs_ so I can give you a shout out too!
For a lot of equine small business owners, dealing with last minute cancellations can be stressful when they’re counting on this income to pay bills.
One common theme I see is there are still many businesses that do not have necessary T&Cs in place to protect them against cancellations.
In this week’s podcast, I’m talking about all of the important T&C’s questions -how to create T&Cs, what you can include, how to handle queries about T&Cs.
Enjoy today's episode? I'd love it if you could...
Please take a few seconds to leave me a review, subscribe so you don't miss an episode, and be sure to take a screenshot of this podcast, upload it to your social media and tag me @equine_entrepreneurs_ so I can give you a shout out too!
You know emailing your list is important, but you hate the idea of bombarding your email list with emails. So many equine business owners neglect their email marketing because you receive a whole pile of emails you don’t want and you assume your email will give the same annoyance to the person you’re sending it to, but that’s not always the case.
In this episode, I'm chatting all about email marketing - how often to email, subject lines, what to email, and so much more!
Enjoy today's episode? I'd love it if you could...
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While social media is a great outlet to advertise your business, many people forget you don’t own your social media profile.
One of the things I see on a daily basis is ‘I’ve just lost my social media account’. For many, that's thousands of followers gone and you're likely to not recover your account.
In today's episode, I'm chatting all about why a website is an investment in your business and what you need to cover on your site.
Enjoy today's episode? I'd love it if you could...
Please take a few seconds to leave me a review, subscribe so you don't miss an episode, and be sure to take a screenshot of this podcast, upload it to your social media and tag me @equine_entrepreneurs_ so I can give you a shout out too!
All the social media platforms, whether that’s TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, or another platform are intended to be used in a social way. Unless you are creating content that is using these platforms the way they intended, your post reach is not going to get the traction you would like them to.
Grab a pen and paper because I’m sharing 10 different suggestions for ideas of what you can post on your social media account for every equine business!
Enjoy today's episode? I'd love it if you could...
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If you've followed me on social media for some time, you'd know I'm deeply passionate about teaching others about their finances.
In this episode of the podcast, I'm sharing all of my knowledge and tips to make sure you make a profit in your equine business this year!
Enjoy today's episode? I'd love it if you could...
Please take a few seconds to leave me a review, subscribe so you don't miss an episode, and be sure to take a screenshot of this podcast, upload it to your social media and tag me @equine_entrepreneurs_ so I can give you a shout out too!
We've all been there at some point. Sometimes, being overwhelmed is just a part of life, especially running a business. Even though you may not be able to eradicate it from ever happening again, you can learn techniques and tools to stay-stress free more often than not.
So, grab a pen and paper and take notes on my biggest tips on dealing with overwhelm from my personal experience.
Enjoy today's episode? I'd love it if you could...
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There's a ton of strategies you can use to grow your online presence. When social media is used correctly, it can have a huge impact on your business growth!
In this episode, Melody Semmler is spilling all her secrets about the essential strategies to implement in your business and key advice when it comes to the do's and dont's of social media.
Enjoy today's episode? I'd love it if you could...
Please take a few seconds to leave me a review, subscribe so you don't miss an episode, and be sure to take a screenshot of this podcast, upload it to your social media and tag me @equine_entrepreneurs_ so I can give you a shout out too!
When you start to build a profile of an ideal client, things will get easier - decisions will be easier and your marketing message will speak with your ideal client.
On today's episode of the podcast, I'm chatting about building your ideal client avatar and giving you actionable examples relating to equine businesses.
Enjoy today's episode? I'd love it if you could...
Please take a few seconds to leave me a review, subscribe so you don't miss an episode, and be sure to take a screenshot of this podcast, upload it to your social media and tag me @equine_entrepreneurs_ so I can give you a shout out too!
So many equine business owners skip this step in the process. If you don't have a solution then you don't have a business. When you can identify and verbalise the problem your business solves, people know they can purchase your product or service.
On today's episode, I'm going to be giving you actionable tips and examples to help you get clear on the problem your business solves, so you can clearly market your message to your ideal clients.
Enjoy today's episode? I'd love it if you could...
Please take a few seconds to leave me a review, subscribe so you don't miss an episode, and be sure to take a screenshot of this podcast, upload it to your social media and tag me @equine_entrepreneurs_ so I can give you a shout out too!
Welcome to the Horse Business Advice Podcast - your place to learn all things business, marketing and mindset for equine entrepreneurs while maintaining a healthy work-life balance doing the work you love, on your terms.
This podcast is here to take you behind the scenes and share the strategies to help you succeed.
So, as the very first episode, I wanted to, first of all, say WELCOME to you and introduce myself! So listen on in…
Please take a few seconds to leave me a review, subscribe so you don't miss an episode, and be sure to take a screenshot of this podcast, upload it to your social media and tag me @equine_entrepreneurs_ so I can give you a shout out too!
Until next week.