You’re about to take your next pet business goal from dream to DONE! We have an expression at Pet Boss Nation – Be a Goal Digger! This goal setting process, you can build your roadmap in about 60 mins or less. Don’t get stuck in the details. Build the big picture plan first, then fill in all the funny and pretty details when the whole vision has a chance to be put on paper!
Step 1 – Determine your goal
There are so many things you need to get done in your pet care business. So we encourage you to remember that Rome wasn’t built in a day. And unfortunately, we don’t have a Pet Boss magic wand to wave, but we can help you take massive movement forward with our goal setting system.
We know it’s hard to choose just one goal, so here are our tips for narrowing it down. Choose something that would either… A) increase sales, B) improve operations + save you time, or C) address a constant issue… we call this the pain in the butt goal.
Step 2 – Identify big rocks (aka the “Big Dogs”)
Break your main pet business goal into three big tasks or three phases. What are the milestones or big achievements to getting you closer to your main goal? What three big tasks must be completed on your journey? Write those “big dogs” down. Progress can happen towards all three at the same time or you can break them into phase 1, 2, 3 or even 30 day, 60 day and 75 day milestones. This is your plan. Do what works best for you to take action and get it done.
Step 3 – Dial in the details with the little rocks (aka the Puppy Goals)
Once you’ve decided when inventory will occur, let your customers know your store will be closed, get your team together and make a plan and delegate. These smaller, more attainable action items, are the pieces to the puzzle that make this whole thing manageable. Puppy tasks should be completed within a week or even a day. So, if you can’t do it in that time frame, think about breaking that task down even further into subtasks.
Think of these as the mini-goals that will help bridge where you are now to where you need to be in 30 days, then in 60 days and so on.
TIP: If too many ideas are popping up at once and you’re not sure what order to put them in, start a separate list with all of these ideas and piece them together in a timeline once they’re all out of your head.
Step 4 – Schedule it out
Nothing will happen if you leave it to chance. You know how busy you are and you know how many times you’ve tried to tackle your goals. When you wait until you have “free time”- does it ever happen? Didn’t think so. Decide how much time your tasks will take and when you plan to do them. Then open up your calendar and schedule a time block right now for EVERY STEP. This will help you make reaching your goals a priority. TIP: Pick a set day and time every week to work on this specific goal.
Step 5 – Work the plan and get rewarded
Work the plan and the plan works! Follow your action items, reschedule things that get off track, pivot and make new tasks as needed, and most importantly… reward yourself and your team for a job well done!
