Being organized helps a farrier move from one shoeing client to the next in a more seamless and timely manner.

Throughout his life, Benjamin Franklin often championed the virtue of industriousness and continuously sought ways to tap new revenue streams. The great diplomat, inventor and one of our nation’s founding fathers once said, “For every minute spent in organizing, an hour is earned.”

At this year’s International Hoof-Care Summit in Cincinnati, Salinas, Calif., farrier Mike DeLeonardo, Jr., offered tips to immediately improve your practice.

Early Bird Gets The Worm

A central tenant of being organized is to work with more efficiency, which in turn will save you time and generate more income. While being prompt for your shoeing appointments is important, DeLeonardo suggests that going the extra mile will propel you farther down the proverbial road.

“One of the things I like to do is arrive 5 minutes early,” says the International Horseshoeing Hall Of Fame member. “You get a chance to set up your rig, get everything laid out the way you want and start on time. If you come to that barn 5 or 10 minutes early every single time to set up, horses will be waiting for you. That’s really important because your time is very valuable. It’s also money. The time that you waste, you’re losing money.”

Be Proactive

After finishing up with a client’s shoeing needs, write down the time and date of the next appointment on the receipt or invoice. But, don’t stop there.

“Another thing I like to do with appointments is have my secretary call the day before and remind the client that we’re coming out at the agreed upon time,” DeLeonardo says. “I also like to ask whether there any other things that I should know about the appointment that I don’t already have.”

Avoiding surprises will help you to be better prepared, let you adjust your schedule if necessary and stay on good terms with other clients.

Call Me

If surprises pop up, as they often do, and you find yourself running late for your next appointment, be sure to let the next client know.

“If you’re going to be late for an appointment, text or call,” he suggests. “We’re all carrying phones, or something, nowadays. That’s really important to the client, barn staff and trainer.”