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Manager's To Do

Offer a Vehicle Wrap-Incentive Program Plus 11 More Tasks for Your Manager’s To-Do List

Check items off each week in April and May to better your pet business.

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Apr. 2-8

MAINTENANCE With spring cleaning out of the way, review your space to see what needs repairing, repainting, etc. Check your equipment, such as freezers, grooming dryers, etc., to get ahead of any issues that would negatively impact daily operations. Not handy? Schedule appointments with your favorite technicians. Their rates are much lower when it’s not an emergency!

INVENTORY Another good task for end of first quarter: Assess what has been selling well in 2023 and what hasn’t, says Sheila Spitza of Wet Nose in Geneva, IL. “Take the bottom 20% and get rid of it. Have no mercy: Donate it or put it on sale, but establish a deadline for when it needs to be gone. Look at your top 20% and see if you can expand your offerings.”

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Apr. 9-15

CUSTOMER RELATIONS Days are getting warmer and longer, which means more dogs will be out and about with their humans. Pop a “Fresh Water for Your Pup Inside” sign in the front window. Retailers vary on how they offer such refreshment, with Scott Trip of Wagabonz in Galveston, TX, sharing, “We have a Slurp Station with fresh water and disposable, compostable bowls.” Annabell Bivens of The Dog Store in Alexandria, VA, says, “We use a fountain with a filter. Dogs love the moving water aspect, and parents love to know it’s staying fresh and filtered. We clean it daily and replace the filter weekly, and keep Dog Rocks in it.”

water-container

Apr. 16-22

TRADE SHOWS Have you registered for SuperZoo yet? Happening Aug. 16-18 in Las Vegas. Booked your hotel? Do that latter task ASAP as your favorite place to collapse after a long day walking the show floor will likely book up early. Go to superzoo.org.

SUSTAINABILITY On Earth Day, Apr. 22, learn how the Pet Sustainability Coalition can help make your business more energy efficient. It offers Building Efficiency tools that allow you to assess your usage and calculate potential savings, plus guides with step-by-step instructions for implementing changes in your lighting, heating and cooling, office equipment, water, and waste. Go to petsustainability.org.

Dan’s Pet Care pays, and pays for, team members to wrap their personal vehicles.

Dan’s Pet Care pays, and pays for, team members to wrap their personal vehicles.

Apr. 23-29

MARKETING No matter your business type, if you have employees who drive, mobile advertising is an option. Follow the lead of Dan Reitman of Dan’s Pet Care in New York. He offers his pet sitters and dog walkers the option to wrap their personal cars in the company logo, at the company’s expense, and receive $200 a month in exchange. Ten employees currently take him up on the offer, and they are expected to follow the same code of conduct in their personal driving as they do when on the clock. Reitman says of the program, “It’s massively successful! We get so much business from it, and it adds to the perceived legitimacy of your business in the eyes of the consumer when they see you everywhere.” Look into this for your team!

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Apr. 30-May 6

ACCESSIBILITY Study your parking, lot or otherwise. If you don’t already have a policy on where employees park, determine whether you need one to free up closer spots for customers. This could involve designating an area for staff, offering a stipend for public transportation or renting additional parking for your business.

OPERATIONS Are you tracking expiration dates on food as efficiently as possible? In a recent post in the PETS+ Facebook Community, retailers shared a variety of ways they do this. Theresa Sexton of For Healthy Pets in Montgomery, AL, says, “Tag when it comes in and check monthly. We use a two-line pricing gun: date on top, price on bottom.” Rethink your policy if need be. (And if you’re not already a member, head on over to facebook.com/groups/petsplusmag
community to join.)

May 7-13

PLANNING The busy months of summer lie just ahead. Reach out to students who were superstar team members last year and see if they want to come back. Ensure weather-specific processes are up to date. Think about your displays. “Don’t wait for summer to start before you decide what’s going on an endcap,” says Diane Marcin of Benny’s Pet Depot in Mechanicsburg, PA.

May 14-20

EDUCATION Retailers who attend the Healthy Dog Expo each year rave about the speaker lineup and networking opportunities. It happens May 20-21 this year in Albany, NY, and will bring together internationally respected authorities on natural dog health, feeding and veterinary care with talks, demonstrations, exhibits and vendors. Among the 2023 speakers: Dr. Barbara Royal, Dr. Steve Marsden, Dr. Trina Hazzah, Dr. Debbie Torraca, Dr. Karen Marsden and Steve Brown. Go to healthydogexpo.com.

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May 21-27

MARKETING Ask Siri or Google or Cortana a question that should return an answer with your business name. Such as “Where can I get my dog groomed nearby?” Give it a try, and if you don’t like the results, it’s time to revisit your SEO and internet business listings.

May 28-Jun 3

SECURITY If you don’t already have cameras throughout your business, now is the time to get them. Not only does this help with loss prevention, but when a customer bashes your business online with untruths, you can often shut them down with, “We have reviewed the video of this interaction and would be happy to share it here to set the record straight.” See how quickly the review disappears. And if team members do need additional coaching, video helps with that process.

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FEATURED VIDEO

P.L.A.Y. Media Spotlight

At P.L.A.Y. — Pet Lifestyle & You — toy design is definitely a team effort! Watch PETS+ interviewer Chloe DiVita and P.L.A.Y.’s Director of Sales Lisa Hisamune as they talk about the toy design process, the fine-tuning that makes each toy so special and why every P.L.A.Y. collection is made with independent retailers top of mind.

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