You can see from the photo how cute 'Casper' is.  He's a great companion for our other dog 'Beasley'.  They're both Bischon Frise's, the perfect companions - they don't smell or drop hair everywhere, easy to look after and fit perfectly on your lap!  And they're quiet.

So after picking Casper up from his original owners, I immediately booked an appointment at the vet to check him out and provide me with details about looking after a puppy.  After all, it had been 3 years since we went through the puppy stages and you quickly forget some of the basics.

The questions I asked at the vet were things like:

1.  What type of food do we feed him and how much?

2.  What vaccinations will he require and when?

3.  When can he be taken out on the street?

4.  What about toilet training?

and other commonly asked questions that no doubt many clients had asked them before me.

Instead of having a Checklist or "Frequently Asked Questions About Your New Puppy", the clinic had no standard paperwork addressing these questions.

I had my list prepared and spent at least an additional 30 minutes asking all these questions on top of the general check-up.  However they only charged me for the consultation. 

In fact, the vet could have saved herself 30 minutes if she had the answers typed up.  And if she were 'marketing savvy', she could have produced a "Puppy Pack" which would include "Frequently Asked Questions About Your New Puppy" plus relevant products. 

She could have included the worming syrup, a couple of toys, toilet training pads, etc.  And guess what?  I would have bought it and so would many other new puppy owners.

Unfortunately, like most small business owners this lady spends most of her time being a vet and doing the work.  Seeing the way the practice was being run, it wouldn't take much effort to boost her profitability. 

Have a close look at the way you run your business and see how you can save time and make more money.  Being too close to your business means you miss opportunities to improve it.

A simple way to find out how you can do it better is to ask your clients.  That's what I did a few weeks ago.  And as a result of that feedback I am now holding an additional monthly teleconference for all my personal coaching clients. 

This is an extremely valuable session where they  interact with other small business owners and share their challenges and solutions with each other. We also record the call and it is available for those who attend.

The Final Word

It was so easy for me to see what the vet could do to use her time  effectively and increase her profitability.  She could easily have more time and make more money without working any longer or harder.  It's just knowing what to do and then taking the necessary action. Unfortunately for her, she didn't know what she didn't know.