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Left: Queen (Afghan) pays attention during a seminar at Super Zoo 2008 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Last week we attended the annual pet trade show, Super Zoo which is now held in Las Vegas, Nevada.

I have to admit that I am still recovering from the long days on the show floor and the industry hosted parties at night.

The good news is that I found some great new products and will be sharing some of them with you over the next week or so.

One of the nice things about the show is that I get to connect with people I only seem to get to see about once a year since I no longer do loads of shows or conferences.

For instance, I always look forward to seeing Joe Markham–the founder of Kong.

I’ve known Joe for about twenty years now. He is one of those people who triggers an immediate smile on my face.

Kong Company has a great line of cat toys out on the market now and always has new and innovative products coming out. (Catch the video interview in the previous post.)

Above: Chris Onthank promotes his Dog Gone Smart Beds at Super Zoo.

In 2006 I met Chris Onthank. At the time he was just launching his Dog Gone Smart Beds. Of course, I was thrilled to hear this year that his products are doing well and that he now has dog jackets available (made with the same technology).

Just what is so special about his products? They repel dirt and moisture using nanotechnology. Watch the Dog Gone Smart Bed demo video here to learn more.

When we met we immediately began talking about training and behavior–certainly one of my favorite topics.

If you live in the Connecticut area you might want to catch Chris Onthank’s behavior series on Instinct and Learning that starts this week.

Above: Puppies capture the hearts of humans everywhere–which is why puppy mills still exist.

Oprah featured a show on the horrors of puppy mills and called huge attention to puppy mills but the livestock business is nothing new–just most people don’t think about them.

Puppy mills have been around since the 1960s when small retailers were beginning to sell out to larger chains.

You may remember the song with the phrase, “How much is that doggie in the window?” It reflects the marketing prevalent at the time–put cute puppies in the window and get people to come in the door.

Once the establishment sold the puppy they were certain to also sell all the needed supplies with it. Items such as bowls, collars, leashes, crates, toys, beds, food, supplements really increased the bottom line and hopefully kept the customer coming back for the lifetime of the pup.

I constantly hear about people who naively think that they “rescue” puppies when they buy them from pet stores in malls or from unscrupulous breeders in parking lots of shopping centers or by the side of the road.

It makes me cringe because what they are actually perpetuating is poor breeding and substandard pet care practices.

Not too long ago a new pet store opened nearby and when I asked about the source of her livestock (pups, kittens, rabbits, birds) she said from her breeder friends…which turned out to be puppy mill suppliers.

One of my colleagues saw the truck pull up to one of her other stores and hand puppies out the back of the truck to the staff.

By the way, the trucks are great places to pick up disease and parasites which is why many pups are sick when purchased. Close quarters at the breeding facility and during shipping expose the youngsters to such things as parvo, kennel cough, pneumonia, distemper and to parasites ranging from fleas and worms to coccidia and giardia.

Yuck.

Responsible and high quality breeders never sell their pups from the back of a truck, through pet stores or at the side of the road.

In fact, good breeders screen potential puppy owners with a variety of questions that rival child adoption.

In my experience the best breeders usually have waiting lists…which is good to avoid the impulse buy.

Also, they usually are members of breed clubs who often urge their member breeders to avoid selling their puppies through brokers or to pet retailers.

Purebred dogs are always in high demand. (Look in any shelter and about 25% are purebreds.) People mistakenly think that “papers” indicate quality–this is wrong.

“Papers” just indicate that the animals are registered with a club–they do not automatically guarantee quality.

The American Society for the Prevent of Cruelty to Animals cited that it was the USDA that suggested Midwest farmers capitalize on the demand by raising pups on a large scale to supplement their incomes. They estimate that there are more than 5,000 commercial breeders in America.

The conditions at puppy mills are appalling. Breeding females are forced to bear litter after litter. They are kept in wire cages that are stacked one on top of the other. Some never see daylight. They also get no socialization or other vital care–often lacking veterinary care and ample nutrition.

Another big problem is that many of the bloodlines produce animals with genetic disorders.

I’ve seen a bunch in my days. Many get off lucky but I remember two puppy mill dogs on an aggression case I evaluated. The duo had light blue eyes (abnormal for the breed), were about three times the normal size for the breed, and they had lived in a pet store cage for most of their puppy hood so they had no socialization–and they had bitten everyone in the home–including tearing the ear off of a toddler.

The genetic problems go beyond behavioral into hip dysplasia, deafness, hernias, joint problems, nasal and eye issues, and more.

Now the internet has become more and more popular for shopping and people are buying their pets online. If you haven’t got the picture yet, it is a BAD idea to purchase an animal online.

Many puppy mill breeders unload unwanted animals online. It is best to see the parents of the animal you are getting and to scope out the environment in person.

Fortunately there are groups that are out there investigating such facilities and turning them over to authorities. However, that isn’t always enough since sometimes the fines are minor.

Today regulation and legislation are two other ways some groups are working to try and combat the puppy mill problem.

How can you help?

There was a successful movement where enraged people boycotted a chain that supported puppy mills and put them out of business.

What you can do is discourage your friends and family from buying their pets in a retail outlet, by the side of the road, or on the internet.

I’d like to see people spend more time researching what type of pet would fit into their lives, budget for the addition, and seek out animals that are from quality environments instead of backyard breeders and puppy mills.

Do you have an opinion on this matter? If so, leave your comment below.

One of the disadvantages of living in a small resort area is that when their are changes in the economy, we see it pretty quickly.

I began to see it in November of 2007. Today gas stations charge over $4.69 a gallon (diesel is over $5.20) and that impact sweeps valley wide as the effect of disappearing tourist dollars trickles down to the resort owners and local business owners–who then choke back on their purchases.

Eventually all the other service businesses and stores in the area feel the impact.

There are some businesses that suffer while others thrive. Just what is it that makes the difference? Is it some secret spell, magic merchandising, or price war?

No, it isn’t any of those things. In addition to having a good location (which always seems to help) the secret to success is ultimately customer service and engagement.

In some cases, it also helps if you are not a “luxury” business. When people cut back they may cut out services or products they consider “extras.”

You have to give them a reason to consider you invaluable.

In a recent post on Entrepreneurs Journey, Yaro Starak wrote about “Reputation Management.” I encourage you to read it, and although I like the term, his article title really translates (at least for me) into the simple strategy of seeing the bigger picture–and valuing customers and not only their repeat business but also their referrals.

I want to share a few of my own experiences and tips of what helped keep one of my businesses afloat in troubled times.

When I first opened my business in the mountains of southern California I was met with great skepticism.

At the time I didn’t realize that many new residents (and sole proprietorships) moved or were out of business in under two years.

This made it hard for me to make inroads, but once I was in, most of my work came from referrals (third party endorsements are the best kind).

Later I discovered that the reason I was met with such resistance was that the community saw a lot of transients.

This was due to the local housing market since many people, enchanted with the location, would move into a recently purchased home and then sell it in two years and move out of town.

In other instances, people moved up without a plan (or a job) and so failed to make a living.

Finally, many well intentioned business owners thought they could make it immediately upon moving into the area.

Most new business owners really don’t understand the market up here. It breaks the mold of what works elsewhere. I found that out pretty quickly after my arrival.

However, conducting business in this area proves to be invaluable because you have to really pay attention to what matters in order to thrive–notice I did not say survive.

My first mistake was that I established an answering service prior to my move up into this area full-time. Locals would not use the line since it was not a local prefix.

Today, that has changed a little bit with the use of cell phones or cable phone connections–but only recently. After several area code changes I decided to get a number that could travel with me anywhere. If you can ever do that, I encourage you to do so.

Also, I was too professional. Many people asked if I was a franchise. Fortunately, one local filled me in. “You are too polished. Put up a few flyers and network.” Great advice and my business thrived because I took it seriously.

Now don’t get me wrong, I am not saying not to be professional–the message here is pay attention to your market. Ask those successful business pals just what you might do differently.

Recently the Barkery, a dog specialty store, made a fatal flaw upon moving into Big Bear area. After about six months of operation they are now closed.

Although the owner told me he researched the place–he failed to identify the market and didn’t do very much to make sure the business survived. (He has a few other successful stores and realized this store was not making it and so pulled out early and will probably try again elsewhere.)

Here businesses thrive on relationships but that is something that applies to all small businesses. The relationships you build with your customers and the community are crucial to survival.

The Barkery’s location was a tourist based and not one that locals frequent.

The inventory was limited–plus they opened up right across the street from a successful dog boutique. They dismissed the business as a small concession in a larger store and failed to view the floor where their competitor had a large inventory of merchandise.

PLUS the owner of the boutique worked hard at meeting locals, stayed involved in community events, and engaged other business leaders on a personal level.

The Barkery never bothered.

Now, the remaining pet businesses across town are competing for the same customers. Why are some successful while others are not?

Customer service and engagement.

Now certainly that is not the whole story…but it is a big part of it.

When I moved into the area my pet sitting and animal behavior and training business was one of several but within six months it was the premiere service. This happened for a number of reasons:

1. Phone Etiquette

All calls were returned promptly and had the option to go to a live operator instead of voice mail if desired. When I was hustling work, no call went longer than an hour before it was returned–and in most cases that delay was because I was with a client.

Tip? Return all phone calls before your competitor (or at least within 24 hours).

2. Trust

In many cases I got permission to keep the keys of all my new customers–which meant I was the person they would call over and over again. It also helped that I had 24 hour operators for emergency situations such as the one where my client’s relative was rushed to the hospital. They jumped in the car and didn’t have time to do anything but call during their drive down the mountain. I only had to confirm that their pets would be safe and cared for.

Tip? Earn the trust of your customers, clients, and colleagues.

3. Choices

Another reason was that I often gave customers/clients choices as to how to do business with me. Even though it cost me money to offer credit card services to my clients–I paid for it. Now I might have taken maybe a dozen cards in a year but it was just part of the service. They also could choose the frequent customer discount by committing to a certain amount of business with me per year. And, I also offered specials to those customers if they sent referrals that turned into customers. More importantly, I very rarely said “no” to their requests.

Tip? Ask and answer. Find out what your customer/client needs are and then find a way to deliver them.

4. Communicate

I also listened to customer needs and in the aftermath of an earthquake (6.7) where I had spent the whole day negotiating boulder filled roads and crawling through debris to locate animals–I called all the clients to reassure them and give them updates. This was above and beyond what was required.

On the flip side, in all my years of pet sitting I had one account who didn’t arrive home as expected. For some reason we did not call or dispatch someone. So, when the client called the next day to say they were home–it was a heart sinking experience for me.

Although the animals had food and water, they did not get the extra TLC we delivered. They never would have know but I admitted the error–it was not pleasant BUT in the long run that integrity and accountability is what we were known for.

Tip? Communicate with your clients regularly–and operate with integrity.

5. Go Beyond the Status Quo

In about six months of operation most of my competitors were out of business. Since I calculated how much it cost to run the business and support myself, my prices were higher than theirs. However my service excellence and follow through far exceeded any other similar businesses and catapulted us to the forefront as “the” choice.

If you are “the” choice your business will do well. As one prominent veterinarian told me about her practice (very high dollar), “It isn’t always about the price, it is about the convenience.”

Tip? Offer good value for your fees or price.

6. Network

In the past I worked with any and every pet business. In fact, for a while I refused to sell merchandise and instead sent my clients to the local pet stores for supplies–this resulted in a huge number of referrals. I also provided classes for any pet business that asked me. Although I was a member of various professional groups such as the local chamber an other professional business groups, I found other complimentary businesses to be invaluable for networking.

Tip? Network for success!

7. Be Visible

Too many people pull back and fail to be visible when finances get tough. Put your cards out, make special fliers, advertise, write a column or editorial for the local paper to drive attention to your business. I found that direct mail with coupons drove traffic to me on a consistent basis. Also, vehicle signs are a great way to attract attention and pick up new business.

Tip? Find new ways to increase the visibility of your business.

8. Do Whatever it Takes

I laughed when one of my pals told me about a local business that took back a product sold by a competitor–the result is a loyal customer that comes back every month to spend her dollars at the customer service savvy place. The simple action of taking small ticket item back created goodwill and loyalty that will generate hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars of new business for them this year.

This was interesting to me. Sadly, there are few pet businesses I feel comfortable referring to in my area today. In fact the only other behaviorist and trainers I can comfortably recommend are over an hour drive from here.

My referrals are a third party endorsement so when my clients complain to me, or have a poor customer service experience with one of my referrals, well that reflects on me and my business.

In fact, I recently quit doing business with several local businesses because they did not take action when I (and my customers) brought up issues.

When I think about who I do business with–restaurants, banking, and grocery shopping–I support those who treat me the best…essentially I vote with my dollars. You should too and your customers are no different.

Tip? Takes steps to make sure your customers vote for you with their dollars!

As for the better pet businesses in the area, all the locals know who they are. They are professional, do what they say they are going to do, deliver a good product or service, and go above and beyond what is considered “normal.”

Take a look at your business, assess it, and ask for feedback.

A recent pet product distributor told me, “I don’t care what we are doing right what I want to know is how we can improve. If there is anything you don’t like, are unhappy with, or would like to see–let me know. It is the only way we can get better and keep all our customers happy.”

Now that is dedication to customer service and engagement.

So now, valuable reader, take a minute and share any tips or hints you have on this topic by commenting below and feel free to ask any question on this topic while you are at it.