New Year’s Resolutions: Four Motivational Questions

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Four Questions for Small Business Owners and Entrepreneurs to Guide Workers Through Business Ventures, Decisions, and Ultimatums

 

New Years is a great time for reflection.

 

For business oriented individuals many separate your reflection into two categories—personal and occupational. The two can be skewed to promote professional growth and personal growth and this pet franchise differs to the reader’s judgment on this matter.

 

Welcoming in the New Year is a great time to make a spiritual, economical, and habitual consideration. Turning this consideration into reflections that can constructively impact your life is what New Year’s resolution should look like as a goal.

 

How do we observe the snags and stresses of 2016, and turn these into realistic goals?

 

This pet franchise article poses four questions people from any industry can ask themselves to turn into realistic goals.

 

Name a Few Fulfilling Moments of 2016

Think back and recollect through the memories of the past year. What do you see?

 

For most people this happens every night before they are falling asleep, as they close their eyes, they visualize the triumphs and pitfalls of their day. When there are more triumphs than pitfalls usually this means a better night’s sleep.

 

The triumphs—elicited passion—is what makes one’s mind peaceful during the night.

 

This is a way for you to figure out what you’re passionate about, and start making a conscious effort to fill your day with seeking out your passion.

 

For us in the pet franchise, our passion is animals and tending to them in every facet possible. Beyond the loving experience we create for them and our customers we try and help those who are not so fortunate by partnering with local shelters to help homeless animals find good homes. This is another form of our passion, and it is fulfilling.

 

This is just an example of the pet franchise. Figure out what makes your day less stressful, and more filled with passion, then pursue it.

 

Where Did You Get Your Strongest Support Last Year?

Life is built on a framework of professional and social support—networking. The term is used usually only when referring to business, but it can be used interchangeably. Friends support those life-changing decisions we make just as much as our business partners. It’s a network of a support.

 

So, who supported you the most in 2015?

 

Maybe you decided to jump ship and switch careers and your siblings gave you great advice on where to start building a skill set for a new business adventure. Maybe you called up your old friends and began the start-up you always talked about in college. Maybe you’re one of our new shop owners in the Splash and Dash pet franchise, and you finally escaped the impending roadblock of the corporate world and invested in your own pet franchise.

 

Who do you need to thank for where you’re at right now?

What faces come to mind?

 

Figure out who these people are and network with them more.

Where Did You See Catalytic Moments Building Your Business?

Momentum is a beautiful thing for businesses.

 

When you’re on a roll, a juggernaut effect starts to take over and your professional skills are warmed up, ready to be applied. The salesman who has found his perfect sales pitch, the marketing executive who has found a grand idea for a campaign, the retail owner that merchandised the store perfectly and boosted sales rates.

 

Woody Allen said, “90% of life is showing up.” But what are you going to do when you get there?

 

The answer might be just to continue what you’re doing. It is working. For others, it is finding what changes need to be made, what goals need to be set in place to see the success you want.

 

This pet franchise—Splash and Dash—had instances where company records were broken by multiple shop owners. We applaud these shop owners and encourage them to coach their staff and other shop owners on how these figures can be maintained so this pet franchise can continue to break records.

 

When Were Your Employees Most Happy?

 

New Year’s resolutions aren’t just about what makes you happy. It is also about building up the others around you. This is transparently important in business. Today’s economy calls for creativity, and collaboration, and when all those involved are accounted for, enterprise works more organically and lucidly.

 

Ask your employees to write down something that you or their immediate “boss” did that supported them on a professional level. Take what employees write down into consideration and try and do more of these things to help promote the growth of your employees, colleagues, or business partners.

 

This will be helpful.

 

The Splash and Dash pet franchises are based on this system of support and employees on all levels are encouraged to bring their ideas to the table—make an even better business. Improvement is a continual process.

 

We believe ethical business practices are the best way to maintain our core values and promote the excellence in business and in life that we wish to see in our communities.

 

Happy New Years!

 

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5 Insights for First Time Franchise Owners

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Considering Franchise Opportunities? Assess Yourself to Make the Most Advantageous Decision for Success

Since 2008, there has been a steady increase in franchise opportunities within the American economy with a projected 5.6 percent change from last year, according to IHS economics. Many in the workforce are changing plans. Becoming a small business owner presents a freedom that diverges from the barriers of the traditional workplace.

The reason people are making the switch is because franchise owners experience improved work-life balance, control their schedule, have more job stability, get to use their creativity and employ their own ideas, and are able to remove income caps.

With the fiscal year for pet franchise industry estimated to end $62.75 billion, many animal lovers are exploring franchise opportunities in this sector accounting for 11.2% of total franchise establishments.

This article outlines 5 tips for those seeking a new future in franchise opportunities.

What Is Your Passion?

As a child you are asked the fateful question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” A pipe dream begins to shape in your mind of the future of your adult life. Next, college. You pick a major which will extend to your career, but then you enter an over-saturated workforce, and the pipe dream fades.

According to a Gallup survey, 70 percent of Americans are disengaged from their jobs, meaning 52 percent go to work, but are “less than thrilled” with their jobs, while 18 percent outright hate their jobs.

This is not an inevitability.

If you are researching franchise opportunities, pick one that you will be excited to work on everyday. Work on the company, not in it. Splash and Dash franchisees don’t have careers, they have passions–a passion for business, and more importantly a passion for animals.

Splash and Dash Groomerie & Boutique shop owners can’t wait to get to their shop.

“I worked in corporate America for about 20 years, had enough, and wanted to do something that made me happy,” said John Neugebauer–shop owner in San Diego California.

Whatever your niche is, find it, and make the change to work with your passion. This can lead to financial success, but more notably happiness.

What is Your Skill Set?

The day-to-day operations of a franchise require various professional skills and each franchise opportunity will demand a different model of owner expertise to ensure success. When picking a franchise you want to invest in, know what their business model is, and how you fit into the model, and how you can help innovate the model with your shop.

In the pet franchise, many of our shop owners are very personable and great with people and animals, but aren’t the strongest with back office operations like accounting, or vice versa. Delegating these responsibilities, or hiring a certified professional accountant is part of owning a small business.

Do an assessment of yourself. What are your strong suits? What do you want to develop more of? If you’re very knowledgeable in retail and merchandising, but don’t know much about marketing, choose a franchise whose corporate office takes care of  the marketing company wide, or hire a manager with marketing experience.

The franchise you choose should align with who you are, and what you can bring to the table.

Does the Franchise Assist New Franchise Owners Comprehensively?

Many big-box franchise opportunities rely on quantity over quality. Their business model is to open as many franchise units as possible without worrying about congesting territories, or individual franchise success. If a franchise fails, these big-box stores will simply turn the failed location into a turnkey and bid the location out.

Splash and Dash Groomerie & Boutique does not operate in this manner. We aim to ensure success for our new shop owners. Corporate provides management training, business training, terminal software training, brand training, retail and merchandising training, and all marketing and promotional packages are for the benefit of the company holistically.

Ideally, a franchise opportunity (in every sector) should have an open door policy concerning new franchisees. From research, to due diligence, to your grand opening, a franchisor should walk you through the process–ensuring that you are ready to be the most successful small business owner you can be.

“I went with a franchise over starting my own pet store because I have no idea what I’m doing. Having the support of the franchise behind me felt basically like they handed me their model said ‘If you follow this, you should be successful,'” said Neugebauer.

Do Prospect Franchise Opportunities Facilitate Conversations With Previous Franchise Owners?

Paul Hawker–environmental entrepreneur–puts it simply, “Don’t go to business school.” This is blunt, but does carry truth to the matter. There is an inflated bubble surrounding MBA programs in this country, and many venture capitalist are advising against getting the degree–it may not be worth it.

What is worth it, is learning from those who have already gone through the process of owning their own small business.

One of the most valuable things you can do when researching a possible franchise opportunity is to speak with current shop owners. A good corporate office should promote training and a dialogue between soon-to-be franchise owners and the veterans.

Operating a business takes a trial and error educational process, and the best teachers of this process are the ones who have previously made the errors. Shop owners that have already faced the challenges, and found what works best, will be able to give you these valuable insights, helping you to avoid unnecessary challenges after opening.

Once a Splash and Dash Groomerie & Boutique prospect franchisee has completed their due diligence, corporate trains and assists through every step, including making sure new shop owners can communicate with seasoned shop owners. Ask questions and gain beneficial advice no matter what franchise you decide to go with.

Also, an annual training workshop called Splash and Dash University takes place where business coaches and shop owners offer seminars for new shop owners to learn from the experts.

If any franchise opportunities you are interested in do not offer this in some capacity, this is a red flag.

Shop Around; Do Your Homework

So, you’ve made a decision. You chose a franchise sector that you find fulfilling and are passionate about. You’ve analyzed your skills, decided what areas you are strongest in, and what you’ll need to delegate to others, or improve on. The franchise you’ve selected will walk you through the process ensuring your success. You got a chance to speak with current franchise shop owners to gain advice, and for assurance you’ve made the right choice. Now what?

Shop around.

Splash and Dash Groomerie & Boutique maintains transparency in this regard. We want franchisee prospects to do their homework. Make sure you are making the best decision for yourself.

Compare all your options.

Not solely price points, but the overall support structure of the franchise’s business model. Even in a franchise, company culture is imperative, and if a company’s core values are not congruous to your own, this is also a red flag.

Do you have the capital to make the investment? Is the company wholly successful? Will they invest their resources in you, as much as you have in them? Will you grow professionally, and maintain happiness as a franchise owner?

Splash and Dash Groomerie & Boutique urges all those interested in franchise opportunities to make wise and informed choices, and above all, be passionate about what you do.

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