1 This year, two holidays — EASTER and APRIL FOOLS’ DAY — combine into one. The possibilities are endless for your annual dog-friendly Easter Egg hunt.
6 PLAN YOUR EPITAPH DAY is a good day to think of the big picture, like your standing in your community and what you want to be remembered for. Do this exercise with a mentor who has achieved some of the things you dream of achieving.
11 NATIONAL PET DAY is one of the more important days on the calendar for pet business owners. How about you bring a professional pet photographer — or two, or three — to your store to offer your customers discounted portrait sittings with their favorite animal? Call it “Pet-Portrait-Palooza.”
16 Never done WEAR YOUR PAJAMAS TO WORK DAY? Give it a try. Powerful side benefit: It’s hard to get truly upset with a person once you’ve seen them in their long johns.
18 On COLUMNISTS DAY, take a few minutes to reach out to the hard-working folks at your favorite media outlets (especially, ahem, those in your favorite trade publication) to tell them how their work impacts you. For local columnists or bloggers, consider a personalized discount on products, grooming or training. It could be a good publicity opportunity.
21 It’s BULLDOGS ARE BEAUTIFUL DAY. And even if you feel that this breed is better looking on the inside, it’s a good day to highlight bulldog merch or offer discounted grooming to bulls.
22 Remind customers on EARTH DAY how they can be friendlier to this big blue marble of ours. You’ll find a large number of ideas at ppmag.us/earthday.
23 It’s TALK LIKE SHAKESPEARE DAY — a new made-up holiday from the same folks who brought us Talk Like a Pirate Day. To get into character, imagine yourself ordering a jar of Grey Poupon. Add a few thees, thys and thous. Start adding the suffix “-est” to random words without concern to whether they are nouns, verbs or adverbs. There you go, you’re ready to star in Hamlet.
23 On LOST DOG AWARENESS DAY, familiarize yourself with the group LostDogsofAmerica.org and help missing dogs reunite with their owners.
26 Today, tack on a makeshift sign that says “& Son/Daughter” to your shingle out front because it’s TAKE OUR SONS AND DAUGHTERS TO WORK DAY. (Sneaky sales-boosting tactic: Whenever a customer comes in with an animal, coach your sweet little girl to say, with an adorable lisp, “Mommy, that cat/dog looks pwetty.”)
29 Today is NATIONAL PET PARENTS DAY. What is this — a day for pets to buy presents for their parents? Because we gotta tell you, it isn’t likely. So honor the pet parents who come in your store today on social media, praising how well they care for their animals.
MORE APRIL EVENTS
Apr 1-7 is International Pooper Scooper Week.
Apr 6 is National Siamese Cat Day. Spoil them all you want. They won’t care.
Apr 25 is International Guide Dogs Day. Tip of the hat to these canine heroes.
Apr 27 is Hairball Awareness Day. Attack the ack.
Apr 28 is Go Birding Day. You know what to do.
Apr 28 is World Veterinary Day. Send flowers or a bottle of wine to a few local veterinarians.
Apr 30 is National Adopt A Shelter Pet Day. A worthy cause.