what do y'all do to attract new business?

a friend of mine has clients come to him every day
he has 3/4 stables they drop the horses off and call back.

he also makes all the shoes for them

But if you don't charge them a trip fee in the first place. Should they expect a discount?

I have a nice gate on which I could hang a sign that reads: "CLOSED"

Nothing worse than telling an 'emergency' or someone who has to have them done immediately that you are busy and can't make it out that evening. Then ten minutes later they text you and say, "your truck is at home why can't you come out now? You aren't shoeing any horses."

My return text was, "Im sorry I will be busy for the rest of my life. Call someone else."---- not really but I sure wish I did.

seems to work for the Amish.

They shouldn't, but they do.

Tejun, I would've come unglued on that person and not by text either

I have a few folks that haul to me only because they have no decent place for me to work and they cant be there during the work day. I don't mind it and depends whether I knock the price down for them..and I have a lot of local kids that come down too. BUT it is still appt only and they best let me know if they will be late..

And just what would it be that "determines" the price?
And what sort of insurance do you carry for "at home" shoeing?

you need commercial insurance, both liability and care and custody. If you have a problem with a client or their horse you don't want to lose you place over it.

IN Texas , all equine activities are under a provision that they are dangerous and anyone involved understands and accepts...I have a sign...but I have done this for over 30 yrs and haven't had an issue HERE at all...might be different in other states I am thinkin?

Maine has a similar law Gary, but it doesn't relieve you of all liability. I carry the liability in case I burn down a barn or something. I think any type of contractor should have liability insurance.

Regards

if the client falls while walking on your property, your normally wonderful dog bites them, one client's horse breaks the cross ties and runs over another client, and on and on. If you have nothing to lose then you don't need insurance

If they fall down on my property they may have drank too much...don't have a dog.. they hold them, only use cross ties on my own horses..again here as long as I have my sign up, a lot of the BS is covered when it comes to the animal part...I might get in trouble if I let them drink too much tho??

A quick call to the insurance agent that sold you, your homeowners/farm owners policy, and hypothetically ask, if your insurance coverage is null and void if you were to operate your shoeing business on your homestead and if so, what would you need to do to correct that situation. Post his/her answer please.

And what insurance co. do you use?

Farm Family.

Regards

Farm Bureau, 'cause I like the stuff I got...

I called him yesterday. And he said: "So you want to shoe horses in your house?" I said: " I never allow horses in my house." I just want to allow them on my property." I haven't heard back from him yet. He said he'd look into it.

with Farm Bureau it's not a very expensive rider on the farm policy. I probably have a dozen or so haul ins a yr; it's just those pesky insurance companies HATE to be surprised by a "situation". They deal with their HATE by stating: "guess what, you're not covered". Very similar to, totaling your shoeing rig and you forgot to tell them you were using it in a business BUT you don't have a commercial policy. Oh well...