Setting Goals for Your Pet Salon in 2019

In the last blog post, I talked about looking deep inside and finding what motivates and inspires you. What keeps you moving forward? What are your dreams and desires? If money and time were not an issue what would you want to accomplish in the coming year? If you have not taken the time to do this then this is…

 Step # 1. What do you desire?

Find a time and place to ponder. Do it your way. Make a list of what you would love to do in 2019.

My goal for 2018 was mostly a financial one. I had made a 1-year goal noting where I wanted to be, financially, at the end of 2018. I also had some other smaller goals I wanted to achieve. All were written down. I then prioritized them.

All goals need to be realistic, measurable with an ending date. I am going to use arbitrary numbers, for simplicity, and show you what I did.

My goal was to make $100,000 in 2018. In 2017 my business made $80,000. That was all broken down to give me some very important numbers. Some simple math gave me the number I made per month (20 days) $6,666.66 which then I divided by the number of days I worked a week, 5. That number was 333.33/day. I do 5 dogs a day. To reach that number I had charged at least $66.66/pet.

Another one of my goals was to only work 4 days a week.  I then refigured my numbers with my goal in mind. To make $100,000.00 I need to bring in $8,333.00/month now divided by 16 days doing 5 dogs/day. I needed to bring in $520.83 per day.

Step #2 Make a plan

How was I going to do this?

1.       I could do more dogs/day. 8 dogs /day would hit my sales goal

2.       I could work 5 days a week vs the 4, I wanted to, bringing my daily target down to $416.65/day, doing 6 dogs/day.

3.       I could raise my average sale by increasing prices and add-on services

4.       I could hire someone to help me part time.

After considerable thought. I decided on #4. I would work 4 days and they would work for 2 days. That would bring my daily sales goal to $347.22/day. This number divided by 5 pets, equals $69.44 per pet, an increase of $2.78/pet. Very doable!

Step #3 Breaking it Down

I now had a plan and then broke it down even further about how I was going to accomplish this.

1.       Hiring someone.

What kind of groomer I wanted, and where to look for them? How much I was going to pay them? When would they work? All the details needed to add a staff member to your business. It was broken down in many smaller tasks with due dates.

2.       Raising my average sale per pet.

How much would I increase my prices? What add-ons could be offered. How would I promote them? Again, step by step with due dates for each smaller task.

All of this was written down in a notebook. It was very important each step had a completion date. I reviewed this often. I truly feel if I had not written these goals down, I would not have achieved them. I put what I wanted out in the universe and things were set in motion for me to accomplish my goals.

Nothing is written in stone and the plan needed to be revised often, but that is ok. I read somewhere that a plane flies off course quite a bit on a trip from A to B. The pilot is continuously bringing the plane back on course until it reaches its destination.

If you find you are off course readjust and continue your path and you will get there.

As I write this, I am on course to accomplish my financial goal for 2018. There were a couple of smaller goals I did not accomplish but they will go on my list for the coming year. I am not going to beat myself up about. I am readjusting my sails and moving on.

Recap

1. Start with your dreams and desires. You cannot begin without this. Figure out what it is that you desire.

2. Set your goals. They must be realistic and attainable and measurable.

3. Plan. Map it out.  Break it down. Plot tasks that need to be done with due dates. Readjust if you go off course.

4. Stay focused and committed. Make sure your priorities are in order. Say “no” to things to open space to fulfill your tasks.

5. Reward yourself when you cross a task off your list. A dinner out. A bubble bath. A special item you have wanted. Whatever will motivate you to keep moving forward.

Wishing you all peace and light this holiday season.

Sandy