5 Time Savers for Spring Around The Farm

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Chances are you didn’t start your business with intentions of working every hour of every day. As your stable expanded, the stalls filled and clients signed on for training or lessons, the time you have available for daily chores and needed maintenance projects has become a precious commodity.

Make the most of the time you have this spring with these five time savers.

1. Tackle small chores as they arise. When presented with a chore that takes one minute or less, complete it immediately. Coil the hose as soon as you’re done with it. Roll up polo wraps after use. Conquering small tasks keeps the “to-do” list in check and provides a sense of accomplishment.

2. Ask boarders to help. Spring inevitably brings projects–such as picking rocks from the arena or manure removal from paddocks. Schedule a work day and ask boarders to pitch in. Work days are learning events for younger riders and can be a social event for all boarders. Provide lunch in exchange for help.

3. Prep for chore times during down times. Clients can consume large amounts of time asking questions or catching up. Conversations are necessary to keep customers satisfied. Take advantage of the quiet times to plan for projects or to prep for chores.

4. Work smarter, not harder. Use wheelbarrows or small carts to move multiple bales of hay, prepared feed bins or equipment to eliminate multiple trips. Look for other tools that can cut down on repetitive chores.

5. Two birds, one stone. Find ways to accomplish two chores at once. Consider riding a horse while teaching a lesson. Do this only when working with horses and riders who are at an ability level to benefit from seeing you working as you are teaching. Always look for ways to incorporate two chores at once. When it’s time to catch a horse, use that same tirp to the field to clean and refill the water trough while you’re there.

There will never be 25 hours in a day. These five time savers can help you discover a little extra space to accomplish tasks on the to-do list and perhaps even provide a little down time for yourself.