April 1-7
VOICE SEARCH Run some voice search tests in different phones along the lines of “OK, Google/Siri/Bixby, where can I get my dog groomed?” to make sure your store is appearing high in your area.
OPERATIONS Spring cleaning: The rule is if it hasn’t been used in a year, toss it. That applies to old advertising, displays and any other miscellaneous junk you’ve been holding onto.
FINANCIALS Review your cash-flow projections. With the economy in something of a state of flux, it’s easy to run into a mismatch between the cash flowing in, what you’re taking out, and what you owe your vendors.
April 8-14
IN-STORE In a study of a university building in Oregon, workers on the greenery-facing side took 19 percent fewer sick days. It apparently has to do with how we evolved to function best in nature-rich settings. If you can’t knock out a wall to provide a view, buy a few potted plants to place around your sales floor.
MANAGEMENT Some things you should do spontaneously sometimes need to be scheduled. Here’s one: Find time this week for a few quality minutes of conversation with staff. It’ll do wonders for their morale and give you ideas into what motivates them.
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OUTREACH Investigate ways to become more involved with your community. Draw up a schedule to visit shelters, rescue organizations and vets clinics to introduce yourself and discuss possible co-promotions.
April 15-21
SALES FLOOR Buy a Suspicious Incident Logbook for employees to record things that appear to be “not quite right.” The log can be used to write down license plate numbers, names used, times, physical descriptions and other information that may later help police.
EMPLOYEES Make sure that all of your employees get their summer vacation requests in on time. And while you’re working on a roster, book some time off for yourself.
MERCHANDISING Has your fresh Global Pet Expo inventory begun arriving? Highlight select items in-store and online with this message: “Brand New for You From the Top Pet Show.” Consider offering your favorite customers an exclusive sneak peek at your new stuff.
April 22-28
COST-CUTTING April 22 is Earth Day. Save the world, save some money. Get in touch with your electric utility. Many offer free energy audits, giving you more ideas on how to cut down on your electrical consumption. Some water and gas utilities do the same.
MANAGEMENT Institute a fun day like Carb-Wild Wednesday or Beer Friday. Good spirits encourage innovation, better customer service and staff loyalty. They also tend to encourage bigger waistlines, but such is the price to pay for bonhomie.
FINANCES Insurers don’t reward your loyalty. In fact, via premium creep, they punish it while giving new customers great deals. Shop around to see if you can get better rates elsewhere.