Attracting clients can be difficult for any service-oriented business. Plying your trade in a relatively small niche market, such as equine hoof care, can make those challenges even greater — especially when you’re launching a new practice or starting over in a new area.

There are a number of ways that farriers can effectively market their services and attract new clients. Some methods demand more time and financial investment, while others don’t require much more than a little time, honesty and hard work.

Let Your Work Speak For Itself

In most cases, the business side of farriery is an area that is considered a necessary evil. Things would be so much easier if you could merely trim and shoe a horse, and get paid without worrying about such things as marketing. There are some elements of your work, though, that are marketing.

“I believe and teach that the best way to market your business is with the quality of work you do,” says Ted Shanks, a farrier in Kauai, Hawaii. “The apprentices and rising shoers I help always hear the same thing — if you want to make more money, learn. If you want more customers, learn. If you want to have a better relationship with other horse industry professionals, learn. The rest will progress naturally.”

This philosophy has worked well for Sherbrooke, Quebec, farrier Miriam Braun.

“The quality of my work has been vital to attracting new clients,” she says. “More than 90% of my business is a result…