|
"Ebb Tide"
Going With The Flow When Clients Come and Go
It's not uncommon to feel the pang of sudden fear or anxiety when one of your long-standing clients stops needing your services. There can be a variety of reasons like such as; a client is moving out of the area, lost his/her job, or just not wanting the take on the expense of daily dog walks any longer perhaps.
Whatever the reason, it really doesn't matter. Though your first impulse may be to panic due to this loss of income - - try and relax. Easier said than done you say? That can certainly be the case if you're new to the pet care business, but once you become aware of how much the nature of this business changes and also become more and more comfortable with that fact, you won't be so bothered when change happens. And it will happen. Clients will come and clients will go.
In fact, you may have a booming month when new clients are clawing at your pet care business door to sign up with your company. But don't get too comfortable in this type of position, as the very next week you may also have a 5-day a week client let you know that she's now on maternity leave and won't need anyone for the next several months. Then, you may then instantly receive an email from a client that has been laid off from work and can't afford your services any longer. You may also get another dreaded call from a client with the horrible news that their pet has passed away and the daily walks that you once provided have to end suddenly.
If you look at the events and circumstances of the clients who had to cease services closely and objectively, there's really nothing you can do is there? So stop wasting your time getting upset and jumping on that panic wheel of "What Am I Going to Do Now" routine. That hardly makes the situation go away so just stop and breath for a moment.
If that doesn't work for you and you're the type of person that wants to control everything, then why not put your attention on the things you can control? For instance, if someone asks you for a discount because they think your prices are too high or they can't afford you. You can decide if their business warrants a price reduction in what you have to offer.
You can also take advantage of the new found time on your hands by doing more active marketing for your business. Get more business cards or brochures out in the neighborhoods. Start an online ad campaign for your website. These are things you certainly can control. With things that are not within your control, you must get used to letting them go. And this may mean letting clients go.
As your business grows in size and the more clients you obtain, the more things will ebb and flow simply because there's more "tide" to deal with. It's much better to just breath, relax, and remind yourself to enjoy the daily changes that surface in the running of your own business.
|
|
Sign Up For Our E-Mail Newsletter |
|
|
|
