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Your strength is your size

Writer's picture: dave shanahandave shanahan

When I’m out walking my dogs I often notice the difference between Big Dogs and Little Dogs. Personally I am the owner of two little Bichon Frisés (long story) which I exercise each day in my local park. Obviously I come across many like-minded people out walking with their many different breeds of canine buddies, but I have noticed some key differences between the larger and smaller species and the benefits of being small are often overlooked.

• Smaller dogs are easier to control • They’re more approachable • They appeal to a wider audience • They’re less expensive to feed and maintain • Their bark is usually worse than their bite

Don’t get me wrong, I understand that all dogs are good and that their owners are invariably the problem but the reality is that the smaller dog has a wider appeal and the owner of the small dog has an easier task in overall management.

Your business

If you are a small/medium pharmacy owner you do have many advantages over your larger multiple competitors. Firstly, you need to see where you are going to compete with them and a good starting point is realising that you are not the same. Just as the public has a different perception of my Bichon Frisé compared to a German Shepherd, they also realise that you are not a major multiple. Competing on price across the board will never be a reality for you, nor should it be. You do however need to compete on the quality of your product (business). Key areas to look at may be obvious but how good at them are you?

• Overall appearance of your premises and staff • The image you portray as a dedicated community professional • Quality of your staff and staff knowledge • Continual staff training/education and motivation • Key in-store messages • Product range and category management • Relevant product offers • Additional services • Customer service and patient care

Local pharmacy plays a vital role in your community. As an independent pharmacy owner you are part of a unique profession which balances the day-to-day issues of healthcare with the reality of being a retailer. You are trusted and it’s up to you as individuals to keep your standards as high as possible. If you no longer function as a retailer, then you no longer have a tool to deliver your services as a pivotal gatekeeper of health.

There is a saying that goes ‘the best gifts come in smaller parcels’. It’s up to you to decide how you are going to be the best. Why not start by making a list of the negatives and positives about your own business? Invariably your negative list will be larger (it seems to be instinctive in all of us) so, once you have your list made, ask some other senior staff members to add their opinions to it. Now look at prioritising key issues you need to address.

Here’s an exercise which may help you. Visit other retailers in your nearest town or city. Go to a wide range - not just pharmacies - and look closely at the good and not so good aspects of their businesses (as you perceive them from a consumers point of view). Then relate them to your own business and see where you can improve and what changes you are going to make in order to deliver the best possible service to your community, your patients and your customers. Engage your staff in the process and explain clearly what you require to change and why. This is a team effort but, in any business, large or small, the boss must lead by example.

There is nothing wrong in being a Little Dog in what sometimes seems like a Big Dogs’ world. What is wrong is trying to be something that you are not. So, compete on your terms and make sure that what you lack in size you make up for in personality and attitude!!!

Remember,your strength is your size!

John Donnelly


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