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How to Find the Best Advice From Other Pet Store Owners

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Time and again we hear others say, “I read about it on the Internet.” This can be news, advice or a simple rumor. Unfortunately, more and more people feel the need to post feelings while acting as if they are fact. Do not misunderstand the sentiment of this article. There are millions of amazing websites on the internet that offer value to users. To top it off, internet access tends to be very affordable in the United States. On the flip side of that, there are quite a few bloggers and social media “gurus” that will explain a particular way to run and market a business as fact. Well, this article will assist you in finding the best advice from other pet store owners.

Find Published Authors

Read Multiple Published Works

Never Forget to Ask for Help

 

Find Published Authors

By joining the Splash and Dash pet store “team” you will be exposing yourself to those that have been in the pet industry for decades. CEO Dan Barton has a website devoted to advice on owning and growing a pet store franchise. Access that website here. As a published author and the creator of Splash and Dash, Dan’s reputation speaks for itself. Having put years of effort into learning the industry Dan has become one of the foremost authorities in the pet industry.

When using the Internet to find other experts or thought leaders it is a wise choice to research who has been published. There is a difference in an eBook and a published book. To validate Dan’s book as published, by a publishing company, notice the ISBN and publisher data on Amazon.com. An eBook will not have an ISBN nor a publishing company.  Even though you may be someone that loves the new aged technology which includes iPads and Android tablets it never hurts to go to the local library to see which authors have published books at the library.

If you have a physical address in a particular county in Florida, or any other state, you can fill out the information to get a free library card. You will then have access to as many pet related books you desire. Note that pet store growth and entrepreneurship is not a very popular topic as Dan is one of the only well known authors. That said, there are plenty of books related to online marketing, opening your first franchise or how to run a pet store business. If you would like some suggestions on books on how to run a business please feel free to reach out to us as we will be more than willing to help.

 

Read Multiple Published Works

If the internet is your #1 source for getting advice and information please read over multiple pieces by a particular author or expert. One of their articles might make perfect sense but another might completely contradict what they stated in the previous article. Like any type of relationship, it takes time to build trust. Most reputable authors have dozens and often hundreds of published pieces of content online for industries, business advice, and pet store franchises. Also, jump over to YouTube to see if there are any videos from said author. When watching a video, you will be able to gauge the body language of that individual. Body language can explain much more than one would think.

Finding a podcast on iTunes or Soundcloud is also a good idea, especially for pet store franchises or business information in general. Being able to hear the voice of an expert is something that can help validate their research or make one second guess. If they stumble on their words and they act nervous there is a good chance they may not be 100% confident in their statement or research. If you can find a video, podcast and published works you will be able to much better validate an individual as an expert.

 

Never Forget to Ask for Help

At Splash and Dash for Dogs, we are here to help. Our staff offers many great resources to help franchisees better understand how to run a successful pet store franchise. If we do not have the resources or material we will do our best to find it for you or publish it on our website. Having decades of experience, our staff has encountered many of the issues that could arise in your pet store or your local area. Please do not hesitate to ask for help.

With the growth of social media over the last several years it also doesn’t hurt to ask your trustworthy friends and family members. Websites like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus are amazing sounding boards. Just talking over a concern with someone else might trigger your brain to answer to question without hesitation. There is nothing wrong with using some of your private networks to seek out help for your pet store. Email still goes a very long way even in 2014 and beyond.

Entrepreneurial Traits That Help a Pet Store Franchise Owner

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When starting your own franchise, you will be starting your own business. A pet store franchise is even better because you will have a support system that knows what to do and what not to do. With this being a true entrepreneurial business model, we can offer a few traits of individuals that we have seen that can predict success.

 

Willingness to Adapt

In the business world, curveballs are going to come your way. Sometimes it will be much easier to adapt than others. An employee may call out sick or a dog might not thoroughly enjoy having its toenails clipped. These events are going to happen and you will quickly learn to take them in stride and accept they are part of owning your own pet store business.

There are also larger issues that will come up in which you may need some assistance. Filing taxes, understanding how to deal with an angry customer, and poor employee performance are going to be issues that arise every now and again but not all that often. Fortunately, Splash and Dash for Dogs has a team at the corporate level that can help you when it comes to more serious issues. Also, remember that there are many Splash and Dash pet store franchise owners all over the United States that are just a phone call away. Befriending and picking the brain of other Splash and Dash owners is a very wise choice for those that want to advance their business.

 

Unwilling to Accept Failure

In any business there will be bumps and bruises along the way. The first few months of starting a business are a much different lifestyle than working for someone else. There are not bosses to tell you what time you have to be at work or what tasks you must complete. This gives many franchise owners the power to make major business decisions. Unfortunately, some of these decisions are not going to work out perfectly. Just because something did not work out, it does not mean it was a failure.

Think of this type of situation as a learning experience. At Splash and Dash we do not think of any setback as a failure. If you are willing to learn from it and adapt your business will be much better off in the long run. This learning experience will also help you to grow both personally and professionally in a way that would not have been possible if you were not making the major decisions for yourself and your pet store franchise.

 

Strong Work Ethic

Saying that starting your own pet store franchise or any type of franchise is going to be easy would be stretching the truth. As mentioned before, there are going to be plenty of ups and downs. There are going to be weeks in which you are so booked you cannot even sign up another customer. There will also be weeks in which things do not go your way. Through it all, it is imperative to get through the “rough times” as they will not last. One of the great things about owning a Splash and Dash pet store franchise is there is a support system to help you through all the ups and downs.

By having a strong work ethic you will likely be able to get through some of the rough patches and not even realize they were rough patches. Getting to work early, staying late and staying up to date on information and data even on days off is a very common trait of all entrepreneurs. We are not saying that you must do this but having a firm grasp on the entire business will only help when it comes to the success of the bottom line which is to make money.