Making Lemonade out of Lemons in the Pet Business
Overcoming Obstacles. We have all been there life is going along fine. Things are smooth and running like a well-oiled machine. Then you hit a wall. The phrase “when it rains it pours” is a metaphor for what life can hand you sometimes, out of the blue. When you hit that brick wall, you have 2 choices
1. . Give up
2. Pick yourself up, brush yourself off and move forward
Like the photo of my beautiful horse “Jerry” above you need to jump over it!
My 2019 started out with a huge brick wall literally stopping me and my business in its tracks. I am a mobile groomer and purchased a new van to replace my old dependable one that was starting to go downhill. I didn’t want to deal with all the breakdowns and repairs that were going to come with running an older unit. I picked the new van up in June of 2017.
Business was good, so good I hired an employee to help handle the growth and give me some breathing room. I felt blessed and enjoyed being a boss again and living my life while running this awesome grooming business. I had plans and was working towards them all the time.
As all businesses should do, I had mapped out a plan on how business would flow in 2019. I set goals and broke them down on how to attain them. I only do six months at a time because I find it overwhelming to do the whole year at once. I was optimistic and looked forward to the New Year.
I have traditionally always taken the week between Christmas and New Years to rest, regroup, and spend time with family and friends. I then start the New Year with a fresh attitude. On Dec 30 th my employee came to get the van because she would be working in it next. She got a mile down the road and the engine failed. This is a year-old van with minimal miles on it and BOOM…. I instantly hit a wall and had no business. No warning. I never expected this to happen.
I am not going to lie I had a meltdown. What was I going to do? This is my only source of income. How was I going to keep my employee working? I let the fear take over. The emergency fund I had saved for during the year had been eaten up by something else a month or so earlier. I never thought in a million years my beautiful new van would break down like this. To add insult to injury I was being told it may be a month before it is repaired.
Then there was my schedule. I had pets booked starting January 2nd through February. I had to start contacting people and rescheduling appointments. It was and still is a very daunting task.
We are blessed in our area and have a wonderful group of supportive groomers. After I recovered from my meltdown, I sat with myself and came up with a plan. At first, I considered giving up mobile. I never wanted to be in this position again. I quickly got rid of that thought. I did not want to give up.
I reached out to fellow groomers who many of opened their arms and shops for me to groom in. I even had a fellow mobile offer for me to use her van when she wasn’t in it. That did not end up happening due to insurance reasons, but I was humbled by the offer. Another friend who owns a grooming school asked if I would be interested in teaching while her instructor was on vacation. This was something I had done previously in my career, so I accepted. I now had a way to service my clients and keep my employee working.
Then my employee quit on me with no notice. A new challenge has presented itself. She has dogs booked through the end of February that I now need to do. But these are some of the challenges faced with business owners every day. I will suck it up and do what I need to do and get it done.
I came up with a game plan for the month. I rescheduled some pets to local salons, even doing pickup and delivery if necessary. I teach the other days. Money is coming in and my bills are getting paid. I am also letting some clients go. I do not have the ambition or desire to work 6 days a week or to hire a new employee now. So, some clients who did not fit what my ideal client profile were sent nice letters severing our relationship. This opens space for new clients that fit better in the future.
As I write this my van is still at the dealership and I still do not have a date it will be finished. Thankfully it is all covered under warranty. I am still working on rescheduling clients. But I will be back on the road soon.
I also wanted to share that through this experience other opportunities have presented themselves. I think the Universe had a better plan for me. I am a firm believer that all things happen for a reason. So instead of fighting it and trying to control it, I am surrendering and going with the flow. Change needed to happen and so it did. This will be an interesting year and I am excited about it. Where would I have been if I just gave up?
It took me a few days to get through the shock and fear of hitting that wall and the subsequent mini challenges after that. I needed to practice what I preach. My son gave me a pep talk and after that, it was full steam ahead
I am so grateful for all the help and support I have received from my fellow groomers and my clients. It is truly humbling. If you don’t have relationships with your fellow groomers in your area, I suggest you start. We need each other to support and encourage one another. There are enough pets out there for all of us. That I know for sure.
Obstacles are hard but viewing them as a catalyst for change can make them beneficial. Truly when one door closes another opens. There may be something better for you out there. Change your perspective and refocus. Consider doing it differently and you will have a full glass of lemonade before you know it.
Peace, Love, and Prosperity to you all in 2019
