The start of a new year is a hectic time for your pet business, but it’s also a great time to make strong resolutions that are going to help your business to improve. You might have many goals in mind already, such as gaining new customers, learning new things, and networking. When making resolutions, you need to focus on what is going to help your business to grow, no matter what field of the pet industry you are in. Sometimes though, it’s difficult to decide which resolutions are going to benefit your business the most. There are 5 resolutions that will change your pet business for the better…read on to find out what they are!
KEEP GOALS VISIBLE
There is a lot of advice on the internet about setting reasonable, attainable business goals. This is great advice, but even a reasonable goal can get pushed aside for different priorities as time goes on. Maybe your goal is to get a customer loyalty program started, or to gain 25 new customers in a 6 month period. Whatever your business goals are, begin by sharing them with your staff. When everyone understands the resolutions that you want to achieve, it makes it easier to work towards accomplishing them. Do you have a bulletin board in your staff break area? This is a great place to post a colourful list of goals. Place your list somewhere that everyone on staff can see to keep motivation high. Using a list or chart format makes it easy to document when a goal is acheived, so that everyone can see their hard work pay off.
PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS ON THE REGULAR
In the New Year, make the commitment to promote your business more, and do so on a regular schedule. Advertisements, networking events, and social media are all great ways to promote your pet business, but the most important step is to keep your posts on a strict and regular schedule. Posting daily updates of pets on your social media channels, like Instagram, gives you the chance to promote your business by showing off the fun environment, and also allows owners to check up on their pets. Is daily posting too much? That’s ok too! As long as you post frequently enough, do whatever you think will work for your business. If you have many social media channels, and don’t have time to post daily, consider using a social media scheduling software that allows you to plan your posts in advance. Promoting your pet business a lot and then tapering off will offer short term results, but for long lasting effects, you need to keep up a regular schedule. Set calendar reminders, write it down in a planner, or even use a sticky note to help you remember to post on social media or update your advertisements frequently. Your business will appear more current, you have a higher chance of drawing in new clients, and you can even increase your revenue with this one resolution!
NETWORK LIKE A BOSS
Look for all the relevant networking channels you can find, and join them today! Look at social media sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn for networking groups. These groups are varied and are open to all kinds of pet businesses that offer training, pet retail, grooming, dog walking, pet sitting, kenneling, daycare, and more. Joining these groups can be invaluable to your business because you have the opportunity to talk to others in the industry about issues, gain great advice, and make connections. While this resolution might not lead to more customers, it will certainly benefit your business in the long run. You’ll have the opportunity to be a part of a community of like-minded individuals all looking to create a better pet business. If you don’t find a new group to be a part of…consider making your own! Inviting people on Facebook is easy to do, and allows you to offer a fresh new place for people to connect.
QUIT SETTLING
Sometimes, you have to settle. Things break constantly, and repairing or replacing them is expensive. Make a resolution to finally stop settling, and pick one thing to upgrade. Are you finally ready to get rid of those Excel sheets and switch to a management software? Do you have a photocopier that’s been working erratically for months? Pick the one thing that you want to upgrade strategically, based on how it will solve a problem that your business faces on a regular basis. Ask yourself if it will make running your business easier. Yes? Then DO IT! Investing in one solid upgrade at the beginning of the year gets you on track for a full year of success.
GO BIG
This is the year to achieve everything that you want and more for your pet business. Create S.M.A.R.T. goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, results-focused, and time-bound. Don’t be afraid to set goals that are big…without big plans, your business can’t grow! Finally, don’t be afraid of failure. It helps your business to grow, and trying new things is the only way to see success!
What are your 2016 business goals? Share them in the comments below.
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