If you’re like a lot of small business owners that run pet boarding companies, you started small and then skyrocketed to growing your business faster than you could keep up with. If you find yourself stressed and strapped for time to both manage your clients and handle admin, there are probably a few areas you could stand to improve.

These 10 tips will help you prioritize your tasks and get more done in less time.

1. Set up Processes
The more you can standardize in your boarding business, the better. Streamline your intake process so you can quickly check in a new client. Use templates for contracts. Create an employee training guide so you can quickly get new employees up to speed.

2. Track Your Expenses
From dog food to Internet service, you’re going to have expenses. Tracking expenses helps you figure out where your highest overhead comes from, and gives you the opportunity to reduce it. For example, if you buy your pet food at the local pet store, see how frequently you’re buying, and approach the store manager about getting a better price for making larger orders.

3. Use Smart Software
Don’t reinvent the wheel. If there’s software out there that helps you do more, take advantage of it. There’s employee scheduling software that can make it easier to keep track of your staff’s schedules, as well as customer relationship management software that helps you log client preferences, like Fido’s allergy to chicken.

4. Hire When You Need To
While you started out a one-man (or one-woman) show, it probably wasn’t long before you realized you could only board so many pets without getting overwhelmed. At that point, it’s time to consider bringing on additional staff, either part or full-time. Having others handle the check-in process and managing the dogs can help you focus back on admin.

5. Invest in Growing Your Business
Your business will grow faster if you reinvest your profits back into the company. Insurance, while a costly investment, is one that can protect you from liability as well as attract new clientele that feel confident now that their animals are protected.

6. Market, Market, Market
You constantly need a stream of new clients, and the only way to do that is to spread the word about your boarding facility. Use blogging, social media, and advertising in your community to reach a wider audience, and ask your customers to leave a great review for you on sites like Yelp.

7. Automate What You Can
This goes back to those processes you established. When you can keep from having to do something manually over and over, you save time. Set up email auto responders so that whenever someone signs up to get your monthly newsletter, they’re automatically sent a welcome email. Also automate reminders that you need updated shot records from regular clients.

8. Partner with Like Minded Services
There are other businesses, such as pooper scoopers, pet photographers, and groomers that want to reach your clientele. Likewise, if you can connect with their customers, you increase your chances of finding new business. Consider partnering and cross promoting one another’s businesses.

9. Expand Services (But Only Where it Makes Sense)
You may have been asked by clients whether you offer grooming or walking services. Consider what additional services you could offer without difficulty, and which would have the highest value to your customers. There’s an old adage that says it’s easier to sell to existing customers than find new ones, and expanding your offerings can give clients a reason to keep coming back.

10. Measure Everything
Whether it’s marketing, sales, or even how many dogs you take in on a given day, measure it. This gives you a baseline to measure against in the future. For example, if you took out an ad in the newspaper, you need to know your average daily client numbers before the ad runs so you can see if you get a bump in business as a result of the ad.

With a few smart strategies in place, your boarding business can boom!

Jon Forknell is the Vice President and General Manager of Atlas Business Solutions, Inc., a software marketing company specializing in employee scheduling software, including ScheduleBase, and other business software solutions. In the past, Jon has been recognized by the U.S. Small Business Administration as a SBA Young Entrepreneur of the Year. Atlas Business Solutions was named as one of Software Magazine’s Top 500 Software Companies in 2004 through 2007 and again in 2010 and 2013.

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