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Welcome to Rhiannon-Ambers story:
It all started for me when I was very little! I’ve always had a love for horses! I’ve been riding since I was about two and would beg my sister to let me ride her Horse and eventually, my Mum agreed to let me have riding lessons, shortly after starting the lessons my mum took over management of the riding school and I anytime I wasn’t asleep or at school I was at the stables.
I’ve always been quite the entrepreneur too, my dad makes the most fantastic spicy piccalilli style relish and from being about six it never made sense to me how he could spend 2 days making and jarring this piccalilli and then give it away, especially when everyone who tried it said it was the best thing they’ve ever tasted!
I knew he had a demand to start selling it, and then much to my horror he started telling people the recipe! (To this day he still isn’t selling it, looks like it’s a job for me!)
During my teenage years I took my first BHS exam at just 14 years old, then went on to study at Bishop Burton College in Beverley.
After leaving college I went on to work on several yards internationally as like most people on an equine course, I thought that was all I could do. Like most who enter the equine industry, I worked long days for little pay and little appreciation and soon returned home to Leeds, Yorkshire where I worked in the riding school with my mother as an instructor.
Everyone told me there was no money in horses- and I believed them. So I dabbled in lots of industries. I started training as a hairdresser for about two weeks, I trained as a dental nurse and lasted three months before going to work in the hospitality sector… I’ve done just about everything from working at a riding holiday resort in the south of Spain to working for a well-known Yorkshire-based utility company where I got my first real taste of business performance, KPIs and continuous improvement.
The job stressed me out and then I got offered a position and a general area manager at a busy nightclub that was looking re-open a second branch.
(They were only open about 2 months before covid forced the doors closed) I took my horse back and bought a second pony and decided I was done with the stress of the nine-five life!
This was where I met a business coach and decided I to put my heart and soul into studying business. I threw myself into a degree and a master’s at the same time and launched my business as a consultant. This was important to me- I could have done what most Instagram “biz coaches” do and bought a certificate online from someone you’ve never heard of, but no unofficial certification can even come close to what you learn in years of academic study.
My work quickly gained traction and I was invited to speak with students at the UK’s leading equine colleges. My simple business and marketing formulas have been published in equestrian magazines because increased sales revenue and profit are a direct result of my 5-step marketing formula!
I’ve now built a life-first business, meaning I can spend time with my children, and my horses and still have time to collect qualifications which seems to be a hobby of mine these days!
I’ve built a business that can run with or without me, I work less hours than I’ve ever worked before and earn more than I did when I was working three jobs!
Three Top Equestrian Tips
1. You cannot improve what you don’t measure. If I was starting any business I’d focus on my 5 step marketing formula: Lead generation, lead conversion, average transactional value, repeat custom and profit margins – Each of these areas is a KPI (key performance indicator) and if you can make improvements to each one, you’ll see drastic changes in your sales revenue profit (because they’re direct results!)
2. You wouldn’t build your dream house or stable block without a plan… so why would you even bother trying to build a business without a plan? Even if you’re not planning to pitch to investors and don’t know how to build a fancy business plan, you need to be clear on where you want to go with your business and have a plan for how you’re going to get there. You need to be clear on who your customers are and how you’re going to sell them a solution or spark a desire. If you’re just winging it and wondering why you have no time energy or capital, it’s time for a plan. It doesn’t need to be a fancy formal corporate document, you can make it in a notebook, as long as you know what you need to be doing to achieve what it is you want to achieve. If you’re completely unsure where to start, I have a resource for you! It’s the not-so-creatively named “Equestrian Business Planner” which is retailing internationally on Amazon. It’s so simple to use and walks you through creating your business plan and how to predict cash flow within your business and helps you save time energy and money within your business. Its a professional business plan in your pocket!
3. ask for and seek support if you need it. Delaying asking for help only delays your success. I have plenty of free resources to support business owners and my inbox is always open if you’re feeling stressed out and need support in your business! I also host another not-so-creatively named podcast: The Equestrian Business Podcast which talks through the common frustrations and stresses of owning an equestrian business. You can get it wherever you usually stream your podcasts!
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