Socks for All on Employee Appreciation Day … and Other March Dates to Know

4 There are people who feel strongly about grammar: The thinking goes that those who are careless with their writing will be careless with everything else … say, the pet care they provide. If grammar is a weak spot, use GRAMMAR DAY to buy a copy of The Elements of Style, and be sure the grammar check is turned on in your word-processing program.

6 For Employee Appreciation Day last year, the team members at Happy Dog Barkery in Downers Grove, IL, received custom-made socks with images of their own dogs on them, along with a handwritten thank-you note. Could you do something similar for your employees this year?

14 What apart from a parent’s love for his or her pet is infinite and cannot be divided? Yes, it’s pi, and to celebrate PI DAY (.314…, get it?), take inspiration from St. Louis-based Treats Unleashed, which for the last few years has held an Apple Pie Eating Contest for dogs. Lots of fun for all and a terrific chance to show off your baked goods.

15 It’s March. Embrace the madness. The NCAA Men’s Basketball Finals run March 15 to April 6. It’s a great chance to show your support for the nearest team with a mascot theme (Go Dawgs! Go Wildcats! Go Horned Frogs!), colors or just a Sheer Madness Sale to clear out inventory. At the very least, organize a pool for staff.

20 Spring is a time to renew, a time to clean, a time to send out “bathe and groom” postcards to your customer list. Everyone, including Moxie, Spot and Fluffy, want to look their best when it comes to strutting the park when the warm weather returns.

23 Thirty-odd years ago, a mountain-sized asteroid passed within 500,000 miles of Earth — a very, very close call according to NASA. Luckily, we survived, and NEAR MISS DAY was born. In thanks, dig up one of your or your employee’s recent “near misses” and conduct an autopsy. In your morning meeting today, debate what may have saved the situation or even just the sale. A lower price? More questions? Bruce Willis?

23 Puppies were made for social media, or maybe they made social media. What’s beyond doubt is that NATIONAL PUPPY DAY brings the two together. Invite your community to post their best puppy photos and to take advantage of any great deals you have for the day.

26 The staggering success of Singles Day in November ($30 billion in retail sales in China alone), should serve as a lesson to all retailers that dates — as goofy and sometimes cheesy as they seem, can be unmatched marketing pegs. On MAKE UP YOUR OWN HOLIDAY DAY, give thought to what date could set your business apart.

28 “I have lived with several Zen masters — all of them cats,” said the spiritual teacher and author Eckhart Tolle. Whether you’re a dog person or a fish person, you have to concede there is something about feline composure. On RESPECT YOUR CAT DAY, pay your dues and ask if there’ s something you can learn from these nearly always unflappable creatures.