ould some of your well-intended decisions be choking your business? No business owner or manager wants to suffocate their success, but so many accidentally do. More and more pet care facilities have put up “revenue roadblocks” without even realizing it, especially since the post-COVID surge. These decisions were probably reasonable during staffing emergencies and when customers were beating down your door to get in, but, in this new era of inflation and uncertainty, those same choices are likely getting in your way.

Smart and caring pet care facility owners strive to deliver excellent pet care and human customer service, all while maintaining a healthy, growing business. Along the way, most businesses encounter difficult customer or pet situations and add or change policies in response, which is natural, and part of adapting and evolving into a healthier business. However, in the heat of problem solving, it’s easy to create restrictions that can end up doing more harm than good. It’s a delicate balance between practical policies and staying flexible enough to appeal to customers—especially new prospective pet parents.

ealing with uncivil behavior on the job is more than just “drama” between two individuals. Drama is for TV shows; what is happening in the workplace is downright incivility and it impacts the entire team.

Even with all these people involved, incivility may go unnoticed…or rather, uncorrected. Some people don’t want to complain; they put up with it and go about their day. Others are never identified because they are good actors; they know how to kowtow, or “bootlick,” and put on a good show while reserving their bad behavior for less conspicuous times. There is always the chance that management is oblivious to their surroundings…or that management is the source of the incivility. The best course of action is for the business to put a plan in place so team members know the steps to take and can feel confident in taking those steps to remedy the challenging situation.

here in the world will you find the best Irish coffee? Dublin? Cork? County Down?

Wrong. It’s San Francisco, of course!

The Buena Vista Café in San Francisco, CA perfected their “secret” Irish coffee recipe back in 1952 after a visit to the Shannon airport in Ireland, and they now sell over 2,000 Irish coffees a day. They also understand the power of owning a niche…and niches don’t get much more obscure than serving the best Irish coffee, right in the heart of San Francisco.

So, what does a coffee business have to do with you as a pet business owner?

e often hear remarks from those in the industry who want their pet care center to be state-of-the-art, of the highest quality and at the level of which no one in their community has ever seen before! And expectations such as these can certainly be met…if they have deep pockets and years of experience to make their lofty goals happen.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with setting the bar high; however, many times the emphasis of excellence is only on the aesthetics of the center. Instead, by focusing on the health and happiness of each pet, we can fly right by that high bar to a level of consistent, high-quality pet care.

think we need to take moment and have a little talk about branding and why it’s important. Everyone wants to just run offer after offer, thinking that’s the only kind of campaign that will have a direct growth result; however, if you ignore branding, you’re really shooting your business in the foot.

Return on Investment

Where marketing is concerned, businesses are always fixated on ROI (return on investment). ROI basically means how much money you are getting back from what you’re investing in. And, obviously, the only way to be profitable is to make more money than you’re spending.

et daycare has become an essential service for pet owners who want to ensure their furry friends receive the attention, exercise and care they need while they’re away. The demand for pet daycare services has been on the rise in recent years as more and more pet owners recognize the importance of socialization and exercise for their pets.

According to a report by Future Market Insights (FMI),¹ the pet daycare market was approximately US$ 3.7 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach US$ 6.7 billion by 2032, at a CAGR of 8% from 2022 to 2032.