Essential Business Skills Every Saddle Fitter Needs

Running a saddle fitting business is no longer down to how good you are at fitting saddles. While it obviously helps to be good at what you do, in the modern day it is vital that you learn how to grow your equine business. There are some essential business skills that every saddle fitter needs if they wish to start up and grow their own saddle business.

At IASF, we help saddle fitters gain not only the education to fit saddles effectively, but also pick up the business skills required to have a long and successful career in saddle fitting. Join us in this blog as we outline the essential skills every saddle fitter needs to run a successful saddle business.

Strong Communication

The first skill is essential in almost every corner of business. Having the ability to communicate clearly and promptly is a valuable asset for anyone who is looking to go self-employed with their saddle fitting business. This skill is used everyday, whether it’s when talking to a client or a supplier, strong communication will ensure everyone is clear on what is expected, reducing any chance of miscommunications.

Managing Client Expectations

As a business owner, you will be responsible for not only sourcing clients, but also managing their expectations. While you might have the enthusiasm and passion that might push you to promise the world, clients prefer that you set clear expectations so they’re clear on what you will do. Managing client expectations effectively will mean your clients are likely to be more satisfied when you meet the expectations you set, reducing the chance of them being underwhelmed by your services, which we want to avoid.

Effective Time Management

Being able to effectively manage your time and schedule tasks properly will go a long way in keeping your business running. Knowing how long each task will take will help you with scheduling each day, and as a result, maximising how much money you earn each day. One aspect that is often forgotten or not accounted for is the admin of running a business, so be sure to account for that each day or week.

Basic Accounting and Bookkeeping Knowledge

While you’re not expected to be a fully qualified accountant or bookkeeper, having basic financial literacy skills will help keep your business profitable. Being able to properly quote for a job will keep you in the green for longer. This also extends to storing your invoices and expenses in a suitable system, because, as you are self-employed, there will come a time when you will have to fill out a self-assessment to pay your taxes. Having your ins and outs organised will save you a lot of time and effort in the long run. 

Digital Marketing Knowhow

Running a saddle fitting business in the modern day isn’t as easy as it used to be, when you would be able to survive on word of mouth. Now, if you have a strong online presence, you will find business comes to you in a range of ways, keeping you busy all year round. Having surface-level knowledge of social media, websites and other digital marketing channels will help set you apart from your competitors.

If this sounds daunting to you, and you might not have the current knowledge, there are plenty of resources online that you can access for free that can teach you how to set up accounts, build your own website and more. 

Desire to Upskill

Finally, we believe an important skill for saddle fitters who want to run their own business is wanting to continuously improve every day. Yes, the best saddle fitters have the experience, but the very best continue to evolve and diversify their offering to set them apart. With this desire to upskill, you can expand your offering, potentially outside of saddle fitting. This allows you to reach more customers.

Full Saddle Fitting Business Support with IASF

Here at the International Academy of Saddle Fitters, we pride ourselves in providing support to those who dream of starting and running their saddle fitting business. With our courses not only will you learn how to fit saddles, but you will also pick up the knowledge required to run your own saddle fitting business. On top of this, once you have completed your course, you join the IASF saddle fitters network, where you can lean on others in the industry for support and advice. For more information, please get in touch.