Why Does Your Business Need A How-To Manual?
You don’t think it could ever happen to you, but what happens if you are hospitalized by any of a hundred reasons. Is there someone who can run your business as you are currently doing? Will your business still be there when you recover? Or worse, will mounting bills and no income force you into bankruptcy?
Let’s not get so dramatic.
Can you take a vacation and not worry about your business?
A business manual can keep you from living in your car or simply allow you to enjoy a vacation by detailing the how-to’s of running your business in a neat little package. It allows someone to temporarily take over your business for the period of time you need them to. Whether it be a week in the Caribbean or a month in the hospital. In addition, it makes training employees so much easier.
A business manual will also increase the value of your business should you decide to sell.
Names and contact information of vendors, employees, and all service providers.
Login and passwords for software, banking, and websites.
Business credit card information.
*any sensitive financial information can be kept in a separate manual.
The current years business plan.
Monthly planning session notes.
Daily business routines. And I mean everything your business does from when you unlock the door in the morning until you shut off the lights and go home. This will also streamline training new employees.
Current marketing plan, along with metrics.
Copies of all forms, waivers, and checklists.
While this is a time-consuming task, it will be well worth it the first time you need to use it.
We have a responsibility to keep our facilities clean and sanitary for the pets in our care, as well as for staff and clients. On one hand, we don’t want to be exposed to noxious chemicals several times a day as there are many studies that link long-term use of such products to chronic health concerns. On the other, we need to be thorough. Any facility should choose at least two different types of disinfectants that are alternated. It will help to prevent contagions becoming resistant to one disinfectant in particular.
It Begins With Cleaning
Cleaning removes the most common vectors of transmission for contagions. Contagions are bacteria, viruses, and spores that have the potential to spread disease. They are biological in nature and common vectors for their transmission include hair, dander, dirt, blood, urine, and feces. Cleaners do not necessarily disinfect. You need a disinfectant to disable the contagion to prevent cross contamination. But disinfectants work better on clean surfaces.
What Are Your Options For Cleaning And/Or Disinfecting?
To efficiently clean the air without neurochemicals, air circulation fans, and salt lamps are effective. Effective air circulation needs intake and outtake fans. The larger the facility, the more complicated this becomes and you may need to hire an HVAC company to install a system. Salt lamps neutralize positively charged bacteria, dust, and pollen when they are heated by lamp or candle. The heat attracts water in the air and separates the salt ions. There is now more loose negatively charged chloride ions that can bind with those positively charged bacteria in the air. That’s the flaking you see on the counter around salt lamps.
Air cleaners do not disinfect.
10% bleach kills everything. Not 9.9 %. Higher concentrations are not more effective. It is very corrosive and toxic. Use with safety gear.
Chlorohexidine Based Disinfectant
Effective disinfectant that kills most everything. But not 100% everything.
Vinegar is mildly acidic and as such has anti-bacterial properties. However, the EPA does not list it as a disinfectant. Vinegar is also abrasive and breaks up dirt and oils. If you want it to smell better, then add some orange or lemon rinds to the bottle. You can add essential oils as well, but make sure any cats do not have access to those surfaces. Oils may leave a residue that can be absorbed through cat’s pads.
One cup of hydrogen peroxide to a gallon of water can be used as a cleaner. Hydrogen peroxide is listed as antibacterial and antiviral from the EPA. In order to take advantage of those disinfecting properties it must:
Remain on the surface for 20 minutes.
Plain old soap and water as it removes the biological that may cause transmission of disease when washing our hands and rinsing down the tub in between pets.
As cleaning products are not for human consumption, the terms “Green” or “Natural” may not mean much as the terms are not regulated. There may be “greenwashing” going on the label. Greenwashing is a term used to describe a product as natural and healthy, when in reality it’s not. It sounds good, but that’s it. Nothing more than marketing. It’s important to read labels and visit websites. The EPA has a program called Safer Choice. In order to be on their list, manufacturers must follow strict guidelines. You can look up companies at https://www.epa.gov/saferchoice/productsto easily find safer alternatives.
Aka Quats are very effective against most everything and should be one of your two disinfectant choices. Brand names usually include “ 256” in the name.
Undiluted 70 % Rubbing Alcohol
This technology has come a long way. There are smaller units for equipment and reasonably priced units that will disinfect an entire shop.
Many of these products require the use of specific safety equipment, directions, and OSHA will have requirements you need to follow. If you are not sure if you are OSHA compliant, contact them and request an inspection. If you request it, rather than a spot inspection, they will give you time to become compliant.
Mary is a business, wellness, and safety strategist who specializes in the pet industry. She has contributed to the professional pet industry as a consultant, speaker, writer, and progressive leader. And has been recognized by the pet industry as such.
How do you really know what clients want? Or better yet, how do you know what you’re best clients find important. Ask them. A survey is one of the most underrated, yet powerful tools in a marketing toolkit.
What Does A Survey Accomplish?
Improves Service By Offering Actionable Insights:Your clients are taking the guesswork out by telling you exactly what they do not like. It identifies your weaknesses so that you can implement the necessary improvements.
Measures Customer Satisfaction: You are able to recognize and capitalize on what makes you special, as well as identify your client advocates. Advocates are those wonderful people that you can get testimonials from.
Increases Customer Retention:You are validating your client’s importance to your business. Your business is telling them that their feelings are valued. Clients who feel important are more likely to stay and tell their friends how awesome you are.
New Ideas for Products and Services: Be on the forefront of new marketing trends by offering what other facilities are not.
Sample 5 question survey:
“I keep my survey short and to the point. I prefer brief, easy answers as opposed to a number ranking. Number rankings do not give the entire story or offer the insight needed to effect real changes. However, written answers may not be filled out without some sort of hold (return of their pet) or small token (inexpensive gift or coupon).” -Mary
What Do You Like Best About My Service?
By starting out with a positive, it begins on a constructive, rather than a destructive note. Repeated words and phrases can be used for other marketing materials such as websites, ads, and brochures. If it is important to current clients, it will attract future customers. It also identifies those clients that are open to a testimonial.
What Do You Like Least About My Service?
This identifies where I can improve, particularly if several people mention the same thing. Most of the time it is very specific to the client. They didn’t like the shampoo scent or wanted the rear feathering removed or wondered if there are weekend appointments. All very easily remedied resulting in very happy clients.
What Service Would You Like to See Offered?
This will identify upcoming marketing trends. Even if it is only a handful of people who request a new service, word gets around.
Retailing is very doable in a mobile unit. Check out the section detailing how to add retail.
Any Thoughts on How I Can Improve?
This is rather open ended and a much harder question to answer. While not always filled out, it can offer incredible insight.
It is as easy to hand the survey to the client when I arrive. If the owner will not be home, email the survey along with their appointment and tell them you will pick it up when you arrive. 100% fill out rate is doable.
Surveys can help pinpoint strengths and weaknesses allowing you to make changes that correspond with the direction you want your business to grow in.
You aren’t a bad person if you didn’t have three months set aside to cover you during a worldwide pandemic.(The only difference between you and the airlines in 2020 was that you didn’t get a bailout.)
But, unlike the airlines, you can use COVID as a learning experience.
Now that you’re back in business, make it a point to save.
One dog a week is your emergency fund.
Then add one dog each a week for:
🐶Retirement
🐶 Maintenance
🐶 Education
🐶Vacation
You might be thinking, “But, Mary, that was an entire day's worth of work I'm putting to the side and I can't afford to have an entire days off!”
Calm down, grasshopper.
Start with one dog.
Then, when you’re in a better position, add another.
Keep adding dogs until there are five of them playing together happily at the bank waiting to be there to cheer you up when things are looking down again.
Which dog would you start with first?