Ari Bratsis

 

Business owners understand that good employees can sometimes be hard to find. When you do find the people, the goal should be to do all you can to retain your top talent. One of the best ways to do this is to improve your hiring process. If you’re running a business and can’t seem to find the right team members, maybe you’re unknowingly making mistakes during the hiring process.

Hiring new employees is never as simple as it sounds, but most of the mistakes employers make during the hiring process are preventable. In this article, you’ll identify 7 of the most common hiring mistakes employers make, as well as how to avoid them.

Hiring for Efficiency

Your ultimate goal for the hiring process should be to fill the open position with a candidate who has related skills and experience and who can be trusted to perform the job properly. It sounds like common sense, but you might be surprised to learn that most employers struggle to hire efficiently.

Not only can hiring the wrong person create decreased productivity, but it can also affect your business’s bottom line. According to statistics, ¾ of all businesses that hired the wrong candidate reported an average of almost $15,000 in wasted money.

So many issues can stem from a single bad hire. Although not every imperfect hire results in such drastic losses, it’s certainly a risk no business owner should have to take. Instead, take the time to learn how to prevent making these critical mistakes during the hiring process.

 

1. Right Person, Wrong Role

It’s not uncommon for employers to conduct an interview and fall in love with a candidate’s charisma. Although many job applicants will charm you throughout the hiring process, it’s important to remember that you’re not just hiring for personality.

You need to have a thorough understanding of the exact responsibilities, skills, and mindset that an employee needs to have to fill the open position. Make sure that you’re considering candidates with relevant skills and experience for the job. This can prevent role-switching and mismatched expectations later on.

How to Prevent It

The first step to preventing this mistake includes getting intimately familiar with the job requirements for the open position. Make sure that your job listings state clear-cut prerequisites and expectations.

Additionally, during the interview process, place the most consideration on employees who exhibit relevant skills and experience. Communicate with job candidates about what will be expected of them, and encourage them to ask questions.

 

2. Not Trusting Your Gut

One of the most critical mistakes you can make when hiring a new employee is neglecting to trust your own intuition. If you find yourself meeting with an applicant and something you can’t quite identify just seems “off”, you’re probably picking up on something legitimate.

How to Prevent It

Many people like to say that first impressions are everything – but they can also be fabricated. Sometimes, a candidate may look perfect on paper and may seem impressive during an interview, even if they aren’t the right fit. It’s important to take note of that little voice inside your head and listen when it says that somebody just isn’t the right fit.

3. Asking the Wrong Questions

Many employers accidentally turn job interviews into a popularity contest. Truth be told, it’s easy to get swept up in small talk or to get carried away with pleasantries. However, it’s important you remain focused on the business side of the exchange and don’t lose sight of your ultimate goal: making the right hire.

Asking the “right” questions can look different for every position you’re looking to fill. Really, it just means focusing on relevant topics and making sure that you ask enough about the candidate. 

Sometimes, after a long day of conducting interviews, employers feel tired and tend to rush through the last few applicants. It’s important to take that extra time to get enough valuable, relevant information from the candidate during your interview.

How to Prevent It

Be as thorough as possible in your interview, and take care to cover all bases with the job candidate. After all, that’s what they’re there for! Encourage the applicant to ask questions of their own, which can be revealing in unexpected ways. If you’re uncertain what to ask an applicant, you can always consult this list for ideas.

4. Skipping the Background Check

If you don’t want to make a regretful decision, it’s advisable to conduct background checks on anyone who makes it past the interview stage. Even though it may take a little extra time, it’s worth it to truly know who you’re hiring. Whoever you end up choosing for the job will need to be someone you can trust.

5. Saying “Yes” Too Soon

It’s easy to get swept up in an interview with someone who seems perfect for the job, and it’s normal to feel the urgent desire to hire them right away. However, there are downsides to this that most employers unfortunately overlook.

Saying “yes” too soon makes you and your company look desperate and hasty. When you’re too eager to hire someone on the spot, it can also be a red flag to potential job candidates. Notoriously, companies with the most difficult workplace cultures often hire right away due to low standards.

How to Prevent It

Instead of hiring someone on the spot, take time to mull things over privately and compare different candidates on merit when an audience isn’t actively waiting for a response. This can alleviate some pressure for you as an employer and makes all the difference when making that final decision.

6. Not Considering Workplace Culture

The best deterrent for employee turnover is a good company culture. Studies show that not only can a toxic workplace culture increase turnover. When your good employees quit, it causes you to seek frequent replacements. But the inverse also applies. Poor hiring choices can negatively impact workplace culture, too. This can create an endless cycle, perpetuated by itself.

How to Prevent It

When you’re hiring an individual, consider them not only for their skill set and experience but also for their personality and values. Ideally, the right candidate will possess values that reflect the values of your business and your other employees. You want to hire someone who makes a good fit, practically and socially. Try to find someone who you feel will have good chemistry with the other workers.

7. Ghosting Applicants

The hiring process involves no shortage of paperwork, much to most employers’ dismay. It can be tempting to throw away those notes and documents once you’ve found the right fit, and the urge to move on can be hard to resist – but you must! 

Ghosting rejected candidates is bad for your company’s reputation. It will ultimately affect how likely people are to apply at your location in the future.

How to Prevent It

Before you officially conclude your search, take the time to reach out to the other candidates you’ve considered for the job. It’s never easy delivering bad news, but it has to be done. A little communication goes a long way. Remember that you may be able to reach out to other qualified candidates in the future if you need to fill a role. Having shown them the respect of communication may foster goodwill that the applicant will remember and appreciate.

Conclusion

Most employers have made at least one of these mistakes during the hiring process. And many will make these mistakes again. Don’t let your company become a statistic on turnover – take the time to hire the right fit.

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Business Opportunities · Company Culture · featured · Find Your Way · Grow your business · Leadership · Productivity

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7 Costly Mistakes Made When Hiring a New Employee Republished from Source https://startupmindset.com/7-costly-mistakes-made-when-hiring-a-new-employee/ via https://feeds.feedburner.com/startupmindset

 

Mobile marketing is a powerful tool that almost any modern company has at its disposal. It has become an essential strategy for businesses of all sizes. As more and more people use their mobile devices to access information and make purchases, businesses need to adapt to this change in consumer behavior.

With the vast array of tools and techniques available, it can be challenging to know where to start when it comes to mobile marketing. In this article, we’ll explore the basics of mobile marketing and give you some of the main goals you should have for your mobile marketing campaigns.

What is Mobile Marketing?

Mobile marketing is any advertising promoting products/services on mobile devices such as smartphones or tablets. It is a marketing strategy that relies on the tactic of reaching target audiences within digital environments they already occupy. This includes reaching customers through SMS text messaging and online. Rather than using the internet to simply post an ad in the hopes that someone will see it, mobile marketing uses behavior patterns, algorithms, and smart data to specifically target consumers who are already likely to buy your product.

Using mobile marketing, patterns of consumer behavior – what they click, what web pages they linger on, and so forth – can be used to determine how successful an ad might be in certain places. If you’ve ever seen a highly targeted ad on your social media feed, you’ve likely encountered a form of mobile marketing.

The key to success in mobile marketing is understanding your target audience inside and out. By identifying what your consumers want before they’ve even wanted it, you can predict their purchasing decisions. Knowledge is power. And, mobile marketing thrives on an intimate understanding of your audience.

With other digital marketing methods, you’re “casting a wide net” across the web, hoping customers will approach you on their own. Mobile marketing, on the other hand, is more like studying the area where the fish you want to catch tend to swim, and casting a line where they’ve already gathered.

You can learn more about different types of mobile marketing here.

1. Increase Brand Awareness

Branding is everything, especially in the modern market. Consumers are often overwhelmed daily with hundreds of options and ads being flashed back and forth left and right across the screen of their smartphone. If you don’t want your company to get washed out among the others, you have to have a unique brand that draws attention.

Understand your consumer and what they respond to. For example, if you know that your target audience tends to use one social media platform more than others, capitalize on that. Give your brand a platform where the consumers are. Then, use ads to direct them to your brand’s page.

Branding doesn’t have to entail a ton of big moves, either. Sometimes the key is in the details. If your target audience leans towards a particular aesthetic, for instance, your brand and logo should reflect that. If you’re marketing an athleisure product, you might want a brand that uses eco-friendly or active words and posts health-conscious status updates.

Your brand is what most consumers will see online. And, it’s what they will eventually come to associate with your company altogether. So, it’s critical that you thoughtfully cultivate an image and personality that reflects your company’s values as well as the audience you seek to serve.

2. Drive Website Traffic

Your website and your online store should be the ultimate destination for your online consumers. Every other part of the advertising process needs to guide them to your website. Not only does it bring them closer to making a purchase, but you have much more visibility and influence when someone is on your site. As opposed to passively looking around or on social media. It is too easy to scroll away when on those platforms.

That being said, if your website isn’t mobile-friendly, you’re going to run into problems. First and foremost, you need to ensure that your website performs excellently on a mobile smartphone so that customers aren’t put off when they discover it. 

61% of consumers say they are more likely to purchase from a mobile-friendly site. If you fail to optimize your website for mobile, that number becomes lost customers instead of leads.

Mobile marketing is a powerful tool for directing online traffic to your website. Make sure to optimize the SEO settings for your webpage so that Google traffic has an easier time directing web searches to your company. Think about the last time you looked beyond that first page of Google – most consumers won’t. SEO optimization can put your brand at the top of that search page.

 

3. Generate Leads

Knowing the interests and behaviors of your target audience means being able to predict their next move – and with any luck, that next move will be a purchase. Every online interaction between the consumer and your company – even brief, fleeting clicks – deeply matters. 

Sometimes a consumer isn’t ready to make a purchase. But, they may express interest in your brand through an ad click or a visit to your social media page. In this case, the onus is on you to reel them in.

Ideally, every customer that interacts with your company online should be considered a lead. Even if they leave your webpage a few seconds later. One great way to deal with this is by introducing a pop-up where you can gather customers’ personal information, such as a name and email address. 

Most people don’t mind taking 5 seconds to input that information. Especially, if it’s a website they’re already interested in. Streamline this process so that it’s quick and easy for customers, and then you can use those email addresses later to seal the deal by sending alerts, invitations, deals, and more.

4. Increase Sales

Naturally, your ultimate goal as a business owner is to generate revenue. There are many ways to increase sales. And mobile marketing offers an extension of resources that can drive customers to your company in no time.

Unsurprisingly, 58% of smartphone users don’t go one hour without checking their phones. That means that most of their attention throughout the day is already focused on the device you’re marketing on. Sending SMS advertisements or specials can also be a game changer since your customers are already waiting for their next text message. The next click they make could be the “Purchase” button on your website.

Follow through with leads you’ve earned through email collection. Try introducing new deals and advertising special offers on mobile web pages or social media apps where your target audience is just around the corner. You can also use QR codes to bring customers right to you.

 

5. Improve Customer Engagement

Above everything else, your relationship with your customers is key. Using mobile marketing you can collect valuable feedback from your audience. Thus gaining an even deeper understanding of their wants, needs, and values.

Additionally, using social media can be a huge benefit. Instead of exclusively posting ads or offers, start integrating frequent posts with a little more personality. Try to reflect the same characteristics you see in your target audience. This makes your brand feel relatable and authentic, and consumers will appreciate a break from the ads. This can help develop trust between you and your audience as well.

 

Conclusion

It’s not what you can do for mobile marketing, it’s what mobile marketing can do for you. By simply utilizing mobile platforms, you can easily direct web traffic to your store and keep customers coming. Mobile marketing is a powerful resource for any successful business owner. And these goals can help you really make the most of everything it has to offer.

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Branding · featured · Grow your business · marketing · Sales · Technology

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The 5 Most Important Goals of Mobile Marketing Republished from Source https://startupmindset.com/mobile-marketing-goals/ via https://feeds.feedburner.com/startupmindset

 

 

If you’re struggling to retain your best-performing employees, know that you’re not alone. This is a dilemma that many companies face. From Mom and Pop shops to major corporations. Especially, in the modern and ever-changing world of business. To tackle this problem head-on, it’s important to take a proactive approach and ensure you can retain your top talent for the long term.

Talented employees are hard to come by. Given that, retaining the great employees you have should be a top priority. It is also cheaper to keep employees on staff. One report finds that it costs employers 33% of a worker’s annual salary to hire a replacement if that worker leaves. For example, let’s say the employee’s median salary is $45,000. That means the replacement cost would be $15,000 per person.

Obviously, keeping an employee is the best way to go. Especially, if that employee is one of your best and most talented. If you’ve done a good job at attracting top talent, now is the time to focus on keeping them around. In this article, we’ll look at eight ways to retain your top talent.

 

Improve Your Hiring Process

If you’ve noticed an increase in your company’s turnover rate, an ineffective hiring strategy may be partly to blame. A brief interview is often considered enough of a screening for potential employees. Although, at times it just doesn’t cut it. There are other ways you can filter through job candidates to really make sure you’re only hiring the best of the best.

Accurate Job Description

Naturally, the job description posted beneath your “for hire” ad should reflect the exact requirements and duties of the job you want to fill. Many employees rely on this information to create accurate, realistic expectations for the workload ahead. Failing to be upfront about this can create miscommunication.

Read All Employee Documents

Job candidates who are truly invested in your opportunity will take the time to thoughtfully create their resume or cover letter. They will also provide you with these documents under the assumption you’ll read them thoroughly. Unfortunately, too many employers fail to look through these documents. In doing this, they miss critical information about new hires’ backgrounds, work experience, and thus their competence.

Consider Two-Part Interviews

If you have a difficult time selecting the right candidate be open to conducting a second interview session. Especially, when there are multiple individuals interested in the position. This adds an extra layer through which only dedicated applicants can persist. Additionally, some job candidates may not even show up for the second interview. This helps weed out applicants who aren’t committed.

Run a Background Check

Needless to say, running a background check before hiring employees can save you a lot of hassle later. Discovering that an applicant has a criminal background or other issues may influence your decision to hire them. But it can also help make sure you maintain a safe and reputable workplace.

Take It Slow

The biggest mistake most employers make when hiring new talent is rushing through the process just to fill the role as quickly as possible. At first, this may seem convenient when you’re in dire need of a new team member. However, in the long run, it’s going to do more harm than good.

Take the time to communicate openly with job applicants and investigate a little to discover who the best fit for the position is. Granted, it may take more time to fill the role. But, it’ll be secured by someone you can trust to consistently perform well.

 

Create a Positive Company Culture

Studies show that a toxic workplace culture contributes 10x more than compensation to higher turnover rates. Even if your employees are paid well or receive excellent benefits, the workplace culture will ultimately decide whether they stay or hand in their resignation.

It’s important to foster cooperation and trust in the workplace. Employees should feel supported and empowered. Providing employees with resources like an HR department can encourage them to speak freely about the way they feel at work. Also, you can encourage teamwork and strengthen employee relationships by trying out team-building exercises and group projects.

If employees come to you with complaints regarding workplace relationships, you must take their feedback seriously. Additionally, you should also make a physical note of it. Employees that feel heard and valued at work will perform better every time. 

 

Offer Competitive Compensation

Compensating your employees appropriately is critical in retaining your top talent. If an employee is consistently performing above and beyond expectations, you must give them that feedback. This will help ensure that they know they’re valued. One great way to do this is to increase their wages to reflect the quality of their work and the consistency of their efforts.

Also, take notice of what other companies are paying their employees within your industry. If feasible, try to push past that. Employees that work hard and perform well will be on the lookout for the best opportunities they can find. If you undercompensate a talented employee, you risk losing them to a higher-paying employer.

 

Ask Employees for Feedback

Offering occasional surveys or hosting group talk sessions with employees can be a game changer for workplace culture. Allowing employees to submit anonymous feedback allows them to safely communicate problems they might otherwise have kept to themselves until it was too late. Basically, by organizing group meetings you can clear the air periodically and keep communications open.

 

Give Employees Non-Financial Benefits

Rewarding hard-working employees motivates them to continue delivering high-quality results. And, those rewards don’t always have to mean an increase in compensation. You can also find non-financial ways to reward your employees. Here are some other excellent examples of ways you can reward employees without relying on a pay increase:

• Encourage employees to explore their own (related) business projects.
• Increase available PTO and sick days.
• Offer educational resources for those interested in pursuing the field.
• Offer public recognition for high-performing employees.
• Consider introducing an “Employee of the Month” program.
• Use giveaways and freebies as rewards for workplace achievements.
• Offer opportunities to grow within the company.

 

Promote from Within

When employees struggle to grow within their company, it creates a feeling of being undervalued and overlooked. Ultimately, this can lead to a higher turnover rate. 78% of employees in the U.S. have expressed frustration with being promoted within their company. In addition, ¾ of workers also stated they would be “very likely” to leave their current job for another one with more growth opportunities.

Even if your workplace environment is overwhelmingly positive and employees are fairly compensated, workers may feel dissatisfied. Especially, if they’re not given a chance to push beyond their current responsibilities. Many of your employees might have the potential to become your company’s top talent. But, instead fall through the cracks due to a lack of opportunities.

 

Find Ways to Keep Employees Engaged

It’s important to find fun in the workplace and keep employees from growing bored or discouraged. Work is hard – that’s why it’s work. That being said, there are ways you can make the work day a little less tiresome for everyone. Keeping morale up in the workplace can result in increased motivation and better performance all around.

There are many reasons that cause low engagement among employees. Identify the risk factors within your workforce to prevent it from causing an employee’s exit. Also, be proactive in keeping employees engaged in their work.

Provide Flexible Work Arrangements

In recent years, workers have begun prioritizing work-life balance. To retain your most talented employees, help them with that priority. Providing flexible work arrangements is one way to do that.

Flexible work arrangements can include remote work, flexible schedules, and job sharing. Also, consider providing employees with the technology and resources they need to work effectively from home. By offering flexible work arrangements, companies can attract and retain employees who value work-life balance.

 

Conclusion

Your top talent is the backbone of your business. Regardless of what industry you’re in. Because of this, increasing employee loyalty is crucial. Making sure that your best-performing employees are treated well can lead to a long-lasting era of improved productivity. Don’t let your top talent slip through the cracks. Instead, guide them to higher branches of success.

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Business Opportunities · Company Culture · featured · Grow your business · Leadership · Mindset · Productivity · Success

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How to Retain Top Talent: 8 Ways to Keep Your Best Employees Republished from Source https://startupmindset.com/retain-top-talent/ via https://feeds.feedburner.com/startupmindset

 

A dog café is a type of café that allows customers to bring their dogs. These unique establishments offer a variety of drinks, snacks, and often dog-specific menu items. In addition to food and beverages, dog cafés may also offer a variety of toys, accessories, and services such as grooming or dog training. Some dog cafés even host events such as adoption days or dog birthday parties. 

The first animal café was established in Taiwan in 1998. The concept spread to Japan within 5 years where the idea of cat, dog, bird, and other pet cafés became popular. Today, pet cafés of all kinds can be found all across the world.

For dog owners, dog cafés offer a chance to socialize with other dog owners while providing a fun outing for their pets. They also provide an opportunity for dogs to play and interact with each other in a safe, controlled environment. For non-dog owners, dog cafés can provide a fun and unique experience that allows them to interact with dogs and learn more about different breeds.

Dog cafés can also be therapeutic for people who may not have their own pets. Studies show that spending time with animals can reduce stress and help alleviate symptoms of depression. 

With the right business strategy, your dream of running a dog café isn’t so far out of reach. The key to starting any successful business lies in your preparation and flexibility. In this article, you’ll encounter some useful tips that will help you put your best “paw” forward.

Create a Solid Plan

It’s important to set yourself up for success by taking the time to establish a game plan. Naturally, you’ll find yourself grappling with typical entrepreneurial dilemmas such as sourcing employees and finding a suitable location – but with the creation of a dog café, you also have some additional challenges to face.

One of the first things you should be thinking about is where the dogs will come from. Many animal café establishments partner with local pet shelters to help facilitate eventual adoption. This is worth your consideration as a business owner for several reasons. 

Firstly, it encourages customers to come “hang out” with their furry friends on the regular. This means repeat business for your shop. Secondly, customers who bond with a particular animal can apply to adopt them, which adds additional appeal to animal lovers. Additionally, if you’re trying to start a dog café, odds are you love dogs. And what better way to show that than to provide them with loving homes?

It’s also critical that you think about what other characteristics your café can have that will set it apart from the competition. Although the idea of a café occupied by fluffy friends is enough to draw interest, you’ll need to add something else to really seal the deal and maintain consistent sales. Brainstorm ways to make your dog café even more original and enticing to outside eyes.

Understand All Local Regulations and Restrictions

Like any other business, legal restrictions and local regulations must be adhered to in order to maintain a stable, functioning establishment. For example, in order to maintain proper food safety, you’ll need to designate a certain part of the café to a pet-free kitchen or food prep area. You don’t want customers complaining about tufts of fur in their meals!

Make sure to plan ahead and play it safe by investing in decent insurance. Not only for the actual business but also pet insurance for the dogs themselves. It’s part of being a responsible pet owner. This helps keeps those furry friends safe.

Check with local officials regarding zoning laws and other potential restrictions that might apply to this type of unconventional business. Some local ordinances dictate that pets must only be off-leash. Or, free-roaming within zoned areas. In this case, it’s always your best bet to do some thorough research before committing to anything.

Choose a Business Model

There are different types of cafés, and each operates on a different style of business model. If you’re looking to start a dog café, you probably won’t opt for a drive-thru installation. But some other options may be worth looking into.

Quick Stop Café

Some cafés are meant for customers to drop in, grab a drink, and go. These cafes are often fast-paced, streamlined service providers that encourage customers to keep things moving. At a quick-stop style café, customers are often served quickly and expected not to linger for very long once they’ve received their order. These types of cafes are often high-volume.

If you’re looking to start a dog café, a quick-stop coffee shop is probably not the best fit. However, there are ways you can make it work if you’re dead set on this business model. For example, customers might come in for a quick cup of coffee, stop to pet a dog, or even browse for potential adoption, and leave wanting more. If done correctly, this can create a positive memory and motivate a customer to come back later.

Social Café

In a social café, customers are encouraged to wander in, place an order, and get comfortable. Moreover, the environment itself is often conducive to social behavior. For instance, there might be more lounge-style seating such as living-room chairs and sofas as opposed to the sturdy wood chairs used by a café that wants people to move along.

Social cafés are becoming increasingly popular among the younger generations of America. This is because they create a positive space for people to communicate and have fun. For a dog café, this business model can be even more effective. As customers sit down with their orders, they can relax and enjoy spending time with the dogs.

Charity Café

Another business model you could consider is the charity café. In a charity café, the environment is focused on your business’s mission. In this case, it might be the goal of placing shelter dogs in happy, loving homes. Often in these cases, a portion of profit proceeds are donated to the cafe’s cause. This drives additional traffic from socially-conscious customers looking to make a local difference.

Charity cafés can still be highly profitable, even despite donations and contributions. Donations to nonprofit organizations, for example, can become tax write-offs for your business later. The positive reputation your brand earns through this altruistic business model can also earn the respect of customers.

 

Find a Location

Finding the ideal location for your dog café isn’t as easy as it seems. There are multiple factors that should go into consideration here, including your usual business concerns such as the local culture and foot traffic.

The dogs in a dog café live there full time, so your establishment will need to be roomy enough to house multiple animals. The bigger and more energetic the dogs are, the more space you will need to give them a happy, healthy environment. It may even be worth looking into a building with a backyard, where the dogs can release some pent-up energy and of course, go to the bathroom.

An ideal location for a dog café will be significantly larger than a standard coffee shop due to the extra paws on board, but it should also be set in a very active environment. You want to make sure there’s enough foot traffic nearby to keep customers peering in through the window and stepping inside, even if just to take some pictures for social media.

It may also be helpful to find a location somewhat close to a veterinary clinic or pet store, just in case. Taking care of even just one dog can be a handful, so in order to properly care for multiple, you’ll want to make sure your most needed resources are nearby.

 

Create the Right Atmosphere

Start by visualizing the ambiance of your dog café. Expand on that vision with the addition of decor and aesthetics that draw customer attention. Keep in mind that some practicality is in order. This is so the dogs have enough room to roam around freely without tripping guests. Try to strike a balance between functionality and appealing design.

As we mentioned before, being around animals can reduce stress and aid the symptoms of depression. Keeping this in mind, it would be wise to cultivate an environment that promotes mental health and relaxation. Creating a calming atmosphere can even double as a selling point. If someone is having a rough day and needs a little support, your dog café could be the answer.

That being said, make sure that your customers have a set of rules to follow when they visit your establishment. This can prevent unpleasant situations like dogs begging for table scraps or visitors provoking pets unknowingly.

 

Get the Word Out

As always, your success mostly boils down to marketing. An effective marketing strategy can take nearly any business off the ground. And, something as unorthodox and interesting as a dog café has huge potential.

Utilize social media platforms in conjunction with traditional word-of-mouth marketing to let people know about your amazing dog café. People will see your dog café online and browse through the “profiles” of each dog and fall head over heels with your business. Creating a catchy, memorable brand can also help solidify your brand’s identity and leave your customers “clawing” for more.

Conclusion

Pet puns aside, running a dog café can become a fun and rewarding experience. Not only for you but also for the dogs and customers. With a thoughtful business strategy, your dog café can grow into a massive success.

Article Tags:

Business Opportunities · featured · Find Your Way · Grow your business · Leadership · Success

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Entrepreneurial Lifestyle · Find Your Way · Grow Your Business · Leading Your Team · Your Mindset

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How to Start a Dog Café Business Republished from Source https://startupmindset.com/how-to-start-a-dog-cafe-business/ via https://feeds.feedburner.com/startupmindset

So you’ve decided to start your own coffee shop. One of the first and most important things you’ll need to do as an aspiring business owner is to identify your target market.
Simply put, your target market is the group of people whom you will attempt to reach with your new business. In the context of a coffee shop, your target market are the people who will come in, and buy your coffee. Or anything else in your shop.

Your market is also those people who will be most likely to become repeat customers. But, finding your target market isn’t as easy as finding people who love coffee. In this article, we’ll give you some tips on finding the target market for your coffee shop.

Understand the Industry

You might think that the rising popularity of coffee shops is enough of a foundation for a promising coffee enterprise – but actually, there is a lot more you need to understand about the coffee industry. Naturally, when starting a business which requires a physical location, you can expect some unique challenges.

So many factors go into starting a coffee shop. This includes but is not limited to the location and size of your store, your brand, the proper equipment, and of course, the coffee itself. Before diving into these challenges right away, it’s critical you identify your target market, which will in turn affect everything else.

Setting yourself up for success as a business owner means getting to know the ins and outs of the coffee shop industry so that you can deliver customers the best possible experience.

Demographics

You might think that as a coffee shop owner, anyone who wants a cup of coffee is your target market – but actually, it goes a bit deeper than that. You need to think about what makes your coffee shop stand out from the crowd, and what it brings to the industry as a whole.

The term “demographics” refers to data which identifies a particular set of people. When running a business, your target demographic comes before everything else, and all of your business decisions should be made with your target demographic in mind.

Although coffee shops are frequented by all genders in equal proportion, one age group in particular tends to visit the most. It may come as no surprise to learn that millennials are currently responsible for 44% of all U.S. coffee consumption. This is a great example of an opportunity to turn that raw information into a winning business strategy.

Here are some other great examples of target demographics for a coffee shop:

• Students
• Businessmen/Corporate Individuals
• Tourist Areas
• Artistic Spaces
• Airports
• Community Centers

Different styles of coffee shops can also attract different types of customers. Installing a convenient drive-thru, for instance, will appeal to individuals on-the-go who just want a quick pick-me-up on their way to work or school. A sit-down cafe, on the other hand, might attract visitors or locals looking for their next comfort coffee stop.

Your location choice, menu, pricing, and even outward appearance should all reflect the market you’re trying to reach. For example, if you’re marketing toward caffeine-craving college students, you might want to look into locations near campus or local hangout spots.

Instead of waiting for your customers to find you, you should aim to bring your business to them. This way, you’re where they are already gathering and spending money.

Consider Location

Successful business owners will tell you, “location is everything”. That’s not just a catchy phrase. The coffee shop industry is heavily reliant on finding the ideal location. This is a highly competitive industry, saturated with corporate establishments, Mom n’ Pop shops, and everything in between.

Think about how often you encounter coffee shops while on the road. Next time you find yourself heading home or driving down a busy street, take the time to look around. Imagine where someone would pull over if they needed a quick caffeine buzz.

If you find that you haven’t seen another coffee shop in a while, it might be worth looking into that area. The perfect location for a coffee shop will likely be hiding in plain sight.

Take into account what style of coffee shop you’re looking to build. If you aim to operate a larger cafe, you’ll need more space; whereas a simple drive-thru coffee stand is smaller, but requires a driveable pathway for customers. Additionally, operating your coffee shop in a higher traffic or higher income area means you’ll likely have to raise prices.

Add Something More

You want your coffee shop to hold its own against the competition, stand out from the crowd, and call to your target market. In order to do that, you might want to add something unique to your setup. Repeating the same structure and menus as other coffee shops will make your business forgettable and bland.

Using distinct features in your coffee shop can also attract local attention. Research shows that cultivating a social atmosphere appeals most to Baby Boomers, whereas a drive-thru and unique flavors will appeal more to Gen Z and millennials.

It’s important to know what your target demographic wants, and to deliver. Get creative! Think outside the box and create a new experience that people will want to try – something that inspires them to try your coffee shop as opposed to the others. Providing customers with a meaningful experience makes you more memorable and can create a lasting positive reputation.

Get Connected

Knowing that millennials visit coffee shops the most is a valuable piece of information that you can use to get closer to this market. Get connected online via social media and take the time to learn what’s trending in the coffee industry. You might find some unexpected inspiration and valuable insights about your target market and their wants and needs.

The internet provides an incredible platform through which business owners can get to know their customers even better, which means in turn providing a better experience. Check out what people are saying about other coffee shops nearby, and what they want to see in the future. Having this information can grant you an edge above the competition.

Look for Opportunity

Above all else, keep your eyes open at all times. Be on the lookout for signs that a coffee shop would prosper nearby. If you see a busy street with lots of shops and restaurants, but no coffee shop, it might be time to introduce your brand and your vision to the locals. Opportunity lurks everywhere around us – you just have to be ready to seize it.

Conclusion

Identifying your target market takes a considerable amount of thoughtfulness and insight into local trends, changes, and demographics. Understanding who you want to sell to is only the first step – after that, it’s time to identify your market’s specific demands so you can deliver them a great, unforgettable experience.

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