I am often asked what trends I see coming and what direction the industry is going. My predictions are as follows. Consumers will...

The numbers tell a story. I love digging in with franchisees as to what that narrative is. Data doesn't lie! The first step in making any...

It's been a while. There is good reason for that. In September I took on the exciting challenge of helping a novice to the specialty pet care industry open their first dog facility. It's been a fun roller coaster. I've gotten to see where some pain points that I often consult owners with more into the development of the business (after the fact) actually started- and hopefully have helped/am helping to mitigate and avoid those same common issues. I think many of the challenge

I have become a huge fan of the idea of minimalism. I love the idea of using only what you need and creating spaces that can be as multi function as possible. There is nothing that bothers me more than voluminous unused spaces, cavernous air warehouses sucking heating and cooling and serving little other purpose. If the majority of the spaces in your facility could be multi function or multi purpose you can expand your profits exponentially. Key areas where this is feasible a

I feel strongly that each of us is called upon to reach higher, to manifest the reality we want, by asking the tough questions. I always encourage employees to speak up and am glad to hear their voice-sometimes the best ideas come from the front line. The truth is we all have within us greatness- and that we are most satisfied when it emerges and is easily seen. What are the tough questions in your business? Do they center around cost of innovation? Are you terrified of takin

I am often reminded of the importance of having a curriculum in place that supports the new employee as well as the business. If you think you don't need a set in stone black and white training curriculum you are mistaken. A curriculum allows the student to know what to expect, to feel as though their training is thorough and has been well thought out. It also gives you a fallback should that employee make a mistake at some point in the future. You can reference the training

Setting up a system that will drive employee engagement is absolutely imperative to the success of any enterprise; More so when the business requires a team to communicate effectively and promptly with one another on a daily basis. Investing your time into daily coaching and monthly individual development planning might at first seem tedious or like a time suck when you already have so much on your plate. However, correctly implemented, you will actually save labor hours by i

Fundamentals of a successful employee onboarding

It's been quoted that bad apples ruin attitudes. I agree with that, but I would also bring into question the environment first and foremost. We all know them, that guy, the employee who never seems to be having a good day, the obnoxious never relenting negative Nancy who no matter the job always finds something to complain about. Their performance may be otherwise perfectly fine-no disciplinary action, no no call no shows, not ever tardy. Still- they just seem to rub everyo

With today’s post I’d like to ask some questions. As the business owner or manager how do you see your role? What percentage of your tasks are housekeeping (scheduling, HR, payroll)? What percentage of your time are you hands on in the business doing the nitty gritty? I’d like you to seriously think about it. If you were to write a job description for yourself what would it entail? Are you just the catch all or have you seriously worked to delegate responsibilities out? I off