September Is The Second New Year
I love the ‘new year’ energy of September. Children are back to school, the leaves turn, routines return and suddenly there's a feeling of a fresh start.
In many ways, September feels much more like New Year than January ever does.
Yet so many equestrian business owners and charity leaders tell themselves:
"We'll update our website in January."
"We'll launch that fundraising campaign next year."
"We'll review our strategy after Christmas."
"We'll start marketing properly in the New Year."
The problem is that January is four months away.
Imagine where your organisation could be if you used those four months instead of waiting for them to pass.
Whether you run a riding school, boarding barn, retail business, charity organisation or provide professional services, September offers the perfect opportunity to build momentum before the end of the year.
1. Review Before You Move Forward
Before setting new goals, spend some time reviewing the year so far.
Ask yourself:
What has worked particularly well?
Which products, services or initiatives have had the biggest impact?
Where have your customers, members, donors or supporters come from?
Which marketing activities have delivered the best return?
What has taken lots of time without producing meaningful results?
As equestrians, we're used to reviewing training sessions with our horses. We assess what worked, what could be improved and adjust our approach for next time.
Your organisation deserves exactly the same attention.
Sometimes one small change creates a completely different outcome.
2. Focus on One Priority
One of the biggest mistakes I see is trying to improve everything at once.
A new website, more social media, more events, more fundraising, more customers.New systems, new products or a new service all at once.
It's no wonder we end up feeling overwhelmed.
Instead, ask yourself:
"If we achieved just one significant goal before the end of the year, what would have the biggest impact?"
Perhaps it's increasing winter bookings.
Launching a new service.
Securing new sponsors.
Improving cash flow.
Or planning next year's calendar.
When you focus on one priority, every decision becomes easier.
3. Concentrate on Activities That Create Momentum
Being busy doesn't necessarily mean you're moving forward as I highlighted in my article on CEO behaviours last month.
Every week, identify two or three activities that will genuinely move your organisation closer to its goals.
For example:
Reconnecting with previous customers or members.
Building relationships with local businesses and strategic partners.
Applying for a grant.
Meeting potential sponsors.
Promoting autumn events or winter services.
Asking supporters to share your mission.
Following up outstanding enquiries.
These are the activities that create growth, whether that's increased revenue, stronger community engagement or greater long-term sustainability.
The organisations that continue showing up consistently during Fall are often the ones that begin January with energy, opportunities and momentum already in place.
One of my favourite sayings is:
"The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second best time is today."
The same is true in business.
And it's just as true for charities and membership organisations.
Don't wait until January to make changes that could start benefiting you today.
September offers a natural opportunity to pause, reflect and take intentional action.
Small, consistent steps over the next few months can make a remarkable difference by the end of the year.
So instead of asking yourself what you'll do next year, ask yourself this:
“What could you start today that your future organisation will thank you for?”
Have fun building momentum over the coming months.
Nicola Kinnard-Comedie
(Msc, BHSAI Int. SM)
Nicola is the owner and founder of NKC Equestrian Training, delivering horse care training to horse owners and business and mindset coaching to equine practitioners.
Nicola is a qualified riding instructor and has over 20 years industry experience, and now uses her coaching skills to assist equine practitioners. Nicola decided to combine her experience of equestrian science, sales and marketing, and teach this to others. Nicola works with veterinary physiotherapists, massage therapists, osteopaths and other equestrians across the world to help them build their dream business. Nicola's work focuses on harnessing the power of your mindset, together with cutting edge marketing strategies to support equestrian business owners to realise the business of their dreams.
You can find out more about Nicola here: www.nkcequestrian.com
This article is from the September 2026 issue of Equine Business Magazine
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