Probably not, but here are ten ways you can increase your odds of survival

By Kevin Fisher, happytails | December 2008

One thing I’ve realized after 15 years as a business owner "You can do everything right and still fail" there are no foolproof strategies. I know, that may not be the encouraging rah rah you had hoped to hear but it’s the truth. Business climate, bad luck and unforeseen problems can all scuttle your excellent endeavor faster than you can say "Bear Sterns". With so much out of your control doesn’t it make sense to pay particular attention to those things you can control. While it may be true that the best plan in the world is no guarantee of success the lack of a plan is a certain road to failure.

( I’m gonna to bypass the obvious caveats regarding budgeting, expenses, costing and forecasting etc as I assume these things all go without saying, today I want to focus on a few more intangible items)

Here a few thoughts on how you can increase your chances of riding out the current storm.

1. Discover your customer: Have a clear idea who your customer is and target them specifically. Don’t try to be all things to all people, that’s the best way to lose any distinctiveness and personality your business may have.

2. Stand out by being different: How are you going to set yourself apart from your competition? What is unique about your store, your service, your employees? In an overcrowded marketplace where everyone is trying to sell you something this is a live or die imperative. As the world grows ever smaller it’s the niche players who exploit the "long tail" that will weather the ups and downs. (what’s the long tail?) If you’re looking for distinctiveness sell products that aren’t sold at every big box retailer…products like Happytails

3. Create an energetic team who all believe in what your selling. Every employee or associate must be great value for money, contributing to the excitement and personality of your company. Tip: If you cringe when an employee interacts with a customer it’s time to rethink their employment.

4. Be reliable: Do what you say your gonna do when you say you’re gonna do it. In business, if you promise something there are only two acceptable outcomes: either the thing gets done as promised or the customer is informed in time to make other arrangements. There is no third option… at least there isn’t if you want to keep your business alive.

5. Express your gratitude. To your employees, to your customers, to your vendors. Business may be full of charts, graphs and Excel spreadsheets but in the end it’s all about people, and people are more likely to extend themselves for you if you’ve extended yourself to them first.

6. Be consistent. No, not boring but consistently good. Every interaction you have with a customer whether it’s a phone call, an e-mail, an order delivery should be consistently excellent. I know, that’s an impossibly high bar to reach but if you make that your goal it will give you a standard for which to strive. I’m not telling you anything new when I say that it’s exponentially harder to find new customers than to keep the ones you have…but don’t strive to keep them, strive to astound them, if you don’t someone else will.

7. Smile (make the world wonder what you’ve been up to). So you think people buy from you because of price, quality, convenience? Every study ever done on successful selling says that people buy because they like the salesperson, they feel a personal connection that fosters trust….and speaking of selling:

8. Don’t sell. Before I started this business I thought that selling was about tips and tricks and convincing people to buy, I quickly learned that pressuring people to buy is a losing proposition…it’s short sighted because you’re looking to create a customer not a single sale. I believe that the best salespeople communicate their enthusiasm for the product and educate prospective customers on how the product will improve their lives. Period. If the product or service doesn’t improve your customers life in some way why on earth would they chose to buy it again?

9. Be uncomfortable: In a world of constant change it’s not a good idea to get too attached. Just because you’ve always done it one way doesn’t mean there isn’t a better way. Keep abreast of the trends in your industry and take advantage of new innovations. Who knows the next internet may be just around the corner. (scary isn’t it?)

10. Be optimistic. Attitude is contagious, people want to hitch their wagon to a successful star so even when you don’t feel it -be positive.

The way ahead is going to be difficult for all of us but if I can insert one small sliver of silver lining here I do believe that the companies that survive the next few years will emerge as better, leaner, more capable organizations. I know that already we have rebalanced our own company to be leaner, more agile and more focused on our customers and the reality of business today. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that as the world changes around us we can evolve enough to out-run extinction.

Unfortunately for those of us exhibiting or attending Global Pet Expo this year, love is not in the air as the show falls on Valentine’s Day.  Hopefully the love can float around a few extra days until we can get home and celebrate!

We are attending three shows this month and some brave souls are attending four- yikes! But for those of you who aren’t masochists and just want to attend one show, here is a run down of the four shows and what to expect.

 1. Groom & Kennel  Burbank, CA- Feb. 8-10

Target Audience: As the name implies this show is for groomers, spas, kennels, mobile groomers and even trainers and those considering adding services to your retail store.

Types of Exhibitors: Grooming supplies and tools (Scissors etc), shampoos and spa companies, grooming equipment (Hydrosurge, kennels, tables etc). There are about 90 exhibitors at this show.

Education: There is a full 3 day line up of seminars and lectures on topics ranging from adding retail to your grooming business, to the latest dog grooming techniques.  Most attendees come for the educational component.

Entertainment: Throughout most of the show a grooming contest is going on. But the highlight is  the Creative Styling Contest when groomers groom the dogs to look like anything from a cow, a camel, a zebra and the groomer dresses to match the dog.  Think lots of pink standard poodles. The above link will show you an example.

My opinion (for what it’s worth): We have exhibited at this show for 3 years because it’s close by- a 15 minute drive. The show definitely has a local, casual feel to it and is nothing like some of the larger shows. It’s in a much smaller area and has a more “industrial” feel to it then say the 2nd floor of the Chicago Christmas show.  You only need to attend this show if you want to add grooming services to your retail location, or if you are a groomer. In the grooming world this is probably the second most important show, after the one in Hershey, PA- also run by Barkleigh Productions.

Our Booth Number: 54

2. Global Pet Expo-San Diego, CA Feb 14-16

Target Audience: Traditionally APPMA has put on it’s show for distributors and chain stores although they are trying to pull in more independent stores.

 

Types of Exhibitors: In the past it was your large distributors and giant manufacturers but in the last couple of years they have tried to chage that. This year they have added a specific Boutique area which is upstairs. So, let’s hope that more boutique manufacturers will attract more boutiques! There are about 100 companies in this boutique section. According to their website: This show-within-a-show concept is for buyers looking for the trendiest, most fashionable boutique products to pamper pets. You will find custom designed jewelry, stylish carriers, couture clothing, luxury pet beds, elegant collars, spa products and more. The Boutique at Global Pet Expo is made up of Aisles of Style featuring everything a pet owner needs to satisfy their beloved, pampered pet.

Education: There are attendee seminars throughout the show. Topics include:

• Rick Segel’s Retail Boot Camp
• The Essential Online Solution…The Five Step Formula For Small Business Success
• The A-Z of Growing Your Sales and Profits
• and many more

Entertainment: Thursday, Friday and Saturday, February 14, 15 & 16, Pet Style News is hosting the Puppy Luv Fashion Show at 11:00am and 3:00pm each day at during Global Pet Expo.  It’s in the Boutique in Room 11B.

My opinion (for what it’s worth): The good news for attendees is that this show doesn’t have the mad rush feeling that some have. Nice wide aisles and not that many shoppers make it a comfortably buying experience.  This will be our third time exhibiting at this show and I think it will be the best, now that they’ve added the boutque section. Last year we were next to a company that made bird seed!

Our Booth Number: 7525 (upstairs in boutique section)

3. Luxury Pet Pavilion-Los Angeles, CA Feb 23-24

Target Audience: Pet Boutiques, gift stores/hotels/spas with pet sections, Dog spas and other higher end stores

Types of Exhibitors: High end. You probably won’t find cat litter or bird seed at this show. Think dog carriers, matching collars and leashes, beds, spa and more. There are at least 80 high end vendors exhibiting.

Click here to see some of the cool new products being launched at the show.

Education: There are a couple of attendee seminars. Topics include:

• Show and Tell just got serious! Presentation skills and follow up. Sat. Feb. 23 8:30 am
• Trend Spotting. trend watching is used to develop products, generate ideas, inform customers, create promotions and strategically plan Sunday Feb. 24th 8:30 am

Entertainment: There’s loads of entertainment at this show including a “Celebri-Dog” kick off on Friday at Laurel

Canyon

Dog

Park and the Pawscars on Saturday evening where awards will be announced.

My opinion (for what it’s worth): It’s a small yet very targeted show. If you are a boutique and live within 3 or 4 hours of  L.A. it’s definitely worth the trip out.  You won’t wear out your feet schlepping down endless isles where only 1 out of 10 companies you want to see.  If your main focus is food and basics this may not be the best show for you. It would probably be better to go to Global Pet Expo where you have a blend of boutique products and day to day stuff.   It’s too bad that it competes with the LA Showroom, which is only a day before. See my other post on this…

Our Booth Number: 215

4. LA Pet Designers at the Show Room, Los Angeles, CA Feb. 21-22

Target Audience: Pet Boutiques, gift stores/hotels/spas with pet sections, Dog spas and other higher end stores

Types of Exhibitors: High end (ish) Everything from collars, clothes, treats and more. There are at least 40 vendors exhibiting at this show.

Click here to see some of the cool new products being launched at the show. 

Education: There will be two symposiums. One is on starting a new pet business and growing your existing business. The other topic is growing your company via the internet.

Entertainment: There is a special event at the Sky Bark, which is a dog-friendly “club”. Sponsored by Petapotty.

My opinion (for what it’s worth): It’s too bad that this show is just a day before the Luxury Pet Pavilion. You could make a long weekend out of it and visit both shows though if I could only pick one I would go with the Luxury Pet Pavilion (and we did). There are more vendors there, so you will see more. If you want to know why there are two very similar shows, both in downtown La in the same week- see my other post.

Our Booth Number: This is one show we’re not doing!

As you may already know, this February there are two  “high end” pet industry trade shows in Los Angeles, 1 day apart from each other.

Both shows cater to ”pet boutiques”   and the majority of the exhibitors will feature clothing, beds and collars (no bird seed or cat litter here).

Both will be held in downtown Los Angeles.

And both have been fiercely competing in the trade magazines. (but oddly their ads look remarkably similar!)

Before I write on I must admit that  happytails is exhibiting at one of them- Luxury Pet Pavilion, but only because we couldn’t do both, we just had to choose one. But the point of this entry isn’t to tout the merits of one or the other (well, maybe it is a little) but more importantly is to see if anyone else thinks that the number of pet “trade” shows is getting out of hand! Every year it seems like another show, or two, are added.

As exhibitors we don’t want to miss out on opportunities to see existing and new customers. So we end up spending far more money on trade shows to see the same number of customers and prospects.

The advantage for the buyer or show attendee, is convenience. A show might be closer to you so you save on travel, or there is more flexibility in dates. The downside of course is that the exhibitor attendance might be down so you don’t see as much. We can’t attend all of the shows. 

Okay, so what you really want to know– why are there two high end “luxury” pet trade shows in Los Angeles this Feb? The Show Room (LA Pet Designers) being held  at the convention center was born last year in Santa Monica when a group of 13 local vendors had a mini tradeshow in a nearby hotel. Small, quick and dirty.

Since it went so well, the main organizers decided to take it to the next level… little did they know that the gals at Luxury Pet Pavilion were bringing their traveling trade show to L.A.— Oooops!  And of course after they told everyone about it, neither party wanted to back down.

 We debated a long time about which show to attend. There weren’t that many points of differentiation. So, after really searching, struggling and looking at the minutia we chose Luxury Pet Pavilion  because:

1. It was over a weekend so we thought more buyers may be able to attend

2. We personally like the Bonaventure better that the LA Convention Center

3.  Luxury Pet Pavilion is a bit more established.

4. But the real reason is we got more phone calls from other exhibitors (our friends) ”encouraging” us to go with LPP

At “press time” LA Pet Designers/The ShowRoom has 19 exhibitors while Luxury Pet Pavilion has 40.  

Let’s not forget that Global Pet Expo in San Diego is also in February AND Groom & Kennel in Burbank… also in February.

We’ll be taking our vitamins!

Let us know what you think about all of these trade shows. Are they providing more opportunities for buyers or is it just spreading our time more thinly?