How do you go from, “I should start that business” to actually doing it? Learn how India Wilkinson with Mane Street Market made it happen.
Welcome to the show notes! Remember, this is a brief summary from the How to Market Your Horse Business podcast. You'll want to listen to the entire episode for all the good stuff!
How do you go from, “I should start that business” to actually doing it? What do you do on the days you feel alone chasing your big dreams as an equestrian entrepreneur?
We’re diving into all that and more in this candid conversation with India Wilkinson, founder of Mane Street Market.
As a frustrated horse shopper, India told herself, “There’s got to be a better way.” And then, she got started creating the online buy-sell marketplace she wished existed.
It’s been about 4 ½ years since the idea of Mane Street Market, an app and online marketplace for buying and selling horses. It doesn’t only exist, they’re continuing to grow and expand and she even has a team of people that help her.
But, how did India go from idea to reality? That’s what you’ll learn here in this episode.
Yes, India’s sharing her founder’s story, but more than that, she’s sharing some of the mindsets and specific action steps that have helped her build this business to where it is today.
While India is an app founder, this episode is for you even if you have a service-based or product-based business.
This episode is not about building a tech business or app. Instead, it’s about how you as a founder can do what’s needed to grow your horse business from the ground level.
5 Keys to Building a Horse Business from Scratch
Take care of your community.
India has intentionally built a community around her app, and she listens to all feedback. Listener surveys, focus groups, and even polls on social media are a great way to get feedback from your people.
Stay hyper-focused on the problem you solve.
If you chase shiny objects or take action on every idea that comes your way, you’ll lose focus and dilute the results of all your work.
Always be learning.
From podcasts to books, online courses, and in-person events, there are myriad opportunities to sharpen your skills as an equestrian entrepreneur.
Know who you (and your business) are for.
India said she doesn’t spend time trying to convince others to use her app. Instead, she’s focused on serving and reaching the people who already know Mane Street Market is what they need to buy or sell their horse.
Embrace scrappy, organic marketing.
There’s a place for paid ads, but there’s the human element of scrappy, organic marketing also has an important place when you’re building a horse business from scratch.
Build your email list from the get-go.
Everyone starts from an audience of zero. As you build your social media following, intentionally build an email list along the way. Remember, you rest social media; you own your email list.
Of course, you'll want to listen to the full episode to dig into each of the insights India shared and discover how you can apply each one in your horse business!
Links Mentioned In This Episode
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