Pivot vs. Push
We are in a time of massive opportunity in the pet care industry.
The industry is growing like never before after an unprecedented boom in pet adoptions during the pandemic. We know there is opportunity to be had, and we know it’s time to seize the opportunity, but there are also a lot of unknowns in the current market.
Have you ever found yourself wondering if your pet care business would benefit from implementing a new strategy? It can be hard to determine whether you should stick with your current strategies or pivot to new ones. Should you just push through and trust that the growth will come?
In the first episode of the DogCo Secrets podcast, I broke down honestly the benefits of pivoting your strategies, what you might pivot to, what temptations you may face, and how to evaluate decisions in your business about what to do next.
Here are the key takeaways from Episode 1:
Data matters so fluffin’ much in your business.
It’s impossible to make good business decisions in your business without having access to good data. Without it, you’re shooting in the dark — stumbling around looking for the right answers, rather than having solid information to make strategic decisions off of.
A leader’s job is to define the reality, and data is what paints the truest reality for us.
2. Start your strategy in 90-day increments
You need a strategy you are working in your business to get where you want to go, but that strategy needs to be current and relevant. If you look too far out, you’ll find yourself back in the land of making guesses, rather than decisions, because so many factors will change between now and the future.
I recommend working 90-day increments for your business when it comes to strategy. 90-day plans force you to commit to your strategy to move the needle forward, but it’s also a short enough window of time that you can pivot to something else as you get more information in.
3. Pivot vs. Push
Still wondering whether to pivot your strategy or keep pushing through?
Push through if:
It’s been less than 90 days
You aren’t tracking to truly know if something is working… or not
Your desire to pivot is based out of fear
Pivot if:
Your data tells you that your current strategy isn’t working
You have seen more success previously with a different strategy than your current one
When you realize you don’t have the runway with your current strategy to keep it going
Cheering you on, friends.
P.S. If you got value from this episode, will you consider sharing with a friend? My goal is to help as much of the pet care industry grow and scale their businesses (and absolutely love what they do) as possible.
Michelle Kline is the founder of DogCo Launch and host of the DogCo Secrets Podcast. Michelle spends her time helping pet care companies in the industry grow and scale their pet care teams, increase their revenue, and increase personal profits — all while protecting their time. Learn more about Michelle here.
Do you want to scale your pet care business? Consider joining us at the DogCo Business Summit, the first pet care conference focused exclusively on business scaling. Learn more at dogcosummit.com.