LET US ASSESS THE SWOT

M. Piczak March 2004

The following was sent to me by a student after several attempts to complete their SWOT analysis. Assess the condition of the SWOT analysis.

Swot Analysis
The purpose of this section is to show the opportunities, and threats in the pet industry. This section will also indicate the new trends in the industry so future growth can be achieved. Opportunities Microchipping Pet nsurance Adoption nterview Allergens !rand clothing lines " love you# Threats $estructive Mental llness Animal %aws Pet Obesity Specialty Services

Strengths Pic& up drop off Pricing Stress'free Preferred (ustomer (ertification Associations Sponsors )rooming Options *mergency services Pampering trends +eport cards

Wea&nesses %ocation pricing ,ew (omer

Swot Ex lain!" O ort#niti!s

Microchi in$% A microchip is a tiny, totally inert electronic transponder about the si-e of a grain of rice. The chip is implanted into an animal using a simple, painless procedure similar to a routine vaccination. .or most animals /dogs and cats0 the chip is implanted in the scruff of the nec& / the loose s&in over the pets shoulder blades0. Once implanted into the animal, the microchip remains inactive until read with a scanner. Scanners send a low'radio'fre1uency'signal to the chip, providing the power needed by the microchip to send its uni1ue code bac& to the scanner with the animal2s $ number. After implantation, the device

remains with the animal for life. Once the microchip is inserted it would re1uire a veterinarian to surgically remove the chip. &Hi$h T!ch Ani'al Li(!sa)!rs *y

*o+ ,hristians!n- w!+sit!% www.sa)!o#rstrays.co'.

Proper identification could mean the difference between life and death for your dog or cat. Appro3imately 45 million dogs and 6 million cats enter shelters throughout the 7nited States each year as strays according to the American humane association. Tragically, their owners ever redeem only 468 of the dogs and 98 of the cats. These percentages would increase dramatically if more pets were properly identified. All pets, including indoor dogs and cats, need to wear collars with city licenses and rabies vaccination tags. Personal identification tags with owner2s name, address, and telephone number are important bac&'ups. *ven the most responsible owners e3perience une3pected circumstances that cause pets to accidentally stray, becoming lost or in:ured. &/ansas H#'an!

Soci!ty0P!t ,ar! Ti s w!+sit!% www.ksh#'an!.or$.co'.

Pet Insurance: These days more and more people are ta&ing advantage of pet insurance to ensure that their pet will receive the best care available should an emergency arise. One of the benefits of having pet insurance is that many of the policies available cover not only emergency care but also routine e3penses such as vaccinations and routine surgery such as neutering and spaying. Another type of insurance that is steadily gaining popularity with pet owners is one that resembles a human ;MO. With this type of policy, the pet owner is not re1uired to pay the bill. nstead, the veterinarian must submit the paperwor& to the insurance company in order to be paid for the services provided. This type of coverage may be attractive to pet owners, but may not be as widely accepted by veterinarians because of paperwor& involved. &1!nni(!r

Ston! 2n(or'ation S !cialist ,oll!$! o( 3!t!rinary M!"icin!. P#+lish!" P!t col#'n (or th! w!!k o( S! t!'+!r 24- 2004.
The Adoption Interview . Through proper screening helps find the best homes for dogs in need. Pet adoption used to mean wal&ing through a row of cages choosing a dog and ta&ing her home. !ut with results of current studies the rates are low for success with that strategy. ,ow there is a formal interview where agencies try to pair dogs with families that suit them best. n a similar interview by some place li&e P*T SMA+T such 1uestions where as&ed< +enting=Owning>, other pets>, sleeping conditions>, (hildren>, other people>, ?ard conditions>, Wor& schedule>, +eferences and @eterinarian availability. This strategy has high hopes for dog rescues. &*y 1o"y 5or'an 6o$ 7ancy Ma$azin!

S! t!'+!r 2008.
Allergens are inside and out. +egular grooming helps control not only the allergens your dog produces, but also those he pic&s up outside. "People often fail to reali-e that allergens are right in their own bac&yards#, says !olivia Powell of the American Minitaure Schnau-er +escue Association in $allas. "They /allergy sufferers0 put their animals outside, thin&ing that will eliminate the problem. !ut then grass and pollen get on the dog2s coat. When the dog comes bac& inside the house, the owners have an even worse allergic reaction. That2s

why it is so important to groom your dog regularly#. &6o$(ancy Ma$azin!

A ril 2004 $.94.

Brand name clothing lines such as well'&nown ;arley $avidson 4st dog and cat clothing line that has made its mar& on pet stores around several countries. This is a small loo& into the future of dog and cat clothing lines. &6o$ Worl" 5o):08. I love you is what regular grooming says to your dog. +outine grooming assures your dogs cleanliness to be inside and around its family. $irty smelly or unbrushed dogs usually remain outside in the cold or heat. ?ou can demonstrate your love by guaranteeing that your dog has access to the house and family by ta&ing your dog to the groomers as often as needed. &/!! it # *y 6iana

Mohl!r.

Thr!ats
Separation Anxiety: A Destructive ental Illness: "Seperation an3iety is a form of mental illness affecting dogs. The second their owners leave, they become e3tremely upset and an3ious. Then they become frantic. At this point the dog is not in control of its behavior,# e3plains 6r. ;hon"a Sch#l'an3!t!rinarian at the 7niversity of llinois @eterinary Teaching ;ospital in 7rbana. Seperation an3iety is a panic disorder li&ely caused by overstimulation of the parts of the brain that regulate fear and stress, but the term is often misapplied. %i&e Attention $eficit $isorder in children, separation an3iety has become a trendy diagnosis. ,ot every dog that misbehaves when the owners are away separation an3iety. & Ann Mari! 7alk 2n(or'ation S !cialist ,oll!$! o( 3!t!rinary M!"icin! P!t ,ol#'n (or th! w!!k o( S! t!'+!r 4- 20080 "7nfortunately separation an3iety is self'perpetuating. These dogs &eep getting more and more upset each time the owners leave. ;aving another pet does help these dogs, as it is not boredom that is causing the behavior. These dogs are e3tremely attached to their owners and are very people'orented. They are often wonderful pets otherwise.# States 6r. Sch#la'an. Ani'al Laws ,an *it! *ack% !esides re1uiring that dog owners &eep their pets confinded or on a leash in order to prevent bites, the laws assign liability when bites do occur. Often the pet owner will be held strictly liable for any in:ury or damage a pet infilicts upon another person, whether or not the owner is to "blame#. (ommon sense can go a long way in preventing dog bites, so always obey leash laws and rabies license laws. Ma&e sure dog sports identification tags to aid his homecoming should he become lost. Most dog bites come from male, unneutered dogs who tend to be more territorial and aggressive. / (arrie )ustavson (ollege of @eterinary Medicine. Pet (olumn for the wee& of ,ovember A, BCCC0.

Pet Obesity s a )rowing (oncern< "Since more pets are overweight, we have become accustomed to seeing pets who weigh more than is ideal. The norm now seems to be several pounds overweight. Often if a pet is lean, owners thin& the pet is starving. ;owever, studies show that lean pets have fewer health problems and an increased life span of up to B yearsD# states 6r. ,hristin! M!rl! a

s'all ani'al Ext!nsion 3!t!rinarian at th! Uni)!rsity o( 2llinois ,oll!$! o( 3!t!rinary M!"icin! in Ur+ana.
An overweight pet is not a healthy pet. Owners need to recogni-e that they are putting their pets health at ris& by allowing that e3tra weight. Obesity commonly leads to diabetes, heart problems, and arthritis. An overweight pet does not age well, either. Overweight pets are more prone to hip dysplasia, bac& and :oint pain, and endocrine diseases. *3tra weight also decreases a veterinarian2s ability to manage these conditions both medically and surgically.

&Ann Mari! 7alk 2n(or'ation S !cialist Uni)!rsity o( 2llinois ,oll!$! o( 3!t!rinary M!"icin!..

Strengths
Pick # an" "ro o(( o tions. Pets Pleasure Pawlish will determine on a case' to'case basis on a pic& up and drop off options to customers in the area. P!ts Pl!as#r! Pawlish will "!t!r'in! a be tolerated. ro riat! ricin$ no over pricing will

Str!ss0(r!! visits are a must separate rooms for each individual pet to be groomed in /anti'stress rooms0. Stress levels for pets going to regular grooming can be very high and traumati-ing. This way their stress levels will stay at a minimum. Pr!(!rr!" ,#sto'!r ,ar". *ach customer will be as&ed to do a one'time survey as&ing a series of 1uestions for the groomer to &now your pet. This way each visit will need little phone or conversation preparation. This will move things along faster in this fast paced world. ,!rti(i!" <roo'in$ Att!n"ant, certified grooming attendants only. M!'+!rs o( th! !t0sitt!rs Association this will ensure each pet will be ta&en care of properly. M!'+!rs o( th! *!tt!r *#sin!ss *#r!a#. This is to ensure customer reliability on business. S onsors &M*=.. Mohaw&s of the !ay of Euinte will be sponsoring Pets Pleasure Pawlish in start up costs.

P!ts Pl!as#r! Pawlish o((!rin$ $roo'in$ o tions consisting in a basic, total or ultimate groom. Optional services such as pic& up and drop off available at customer2s discretion.

Weaknesses
Location will not be cheap. 7nfortunate location will be costly but Pets Pleasure Pawlish is willing to spend money to ma&e money. Mary Maracl! will +! a n!w co'!r to (ity and Pet ndustry. This means not everyone will &now business is opening but with smaller population people will eventually hear or see business.

=UEST2O5S 7O; >OU THE ASSESSO;%

WHAT 6O >OU TH25/ O7 THE SWOT? WHAT ,;2TE;2A WOUL6 >OU USE TO ASSESS THE SWOT?

+eturn e'mail March B4, BCCF /my assessment0 Mary This is M7(; better. ?ou have a short blurb to introduce the section you have the table properly organi-ed bullets are short subheadings match narrative e3plains and the sourcing validates the observation or trend. believe the *nglish is improved too. %et me offer you this< Geep in mind that any point in the SWOT must answer the following 1uestion< "a given change in an industry has implications for businesses that are in that industry /sometimes a lot, sometimes a little, sometimes positively, sometimes negatively0Hthus, when we observe a change what MPA(T does that change have on industry players> That is, if you are seeing " %ove ?ou#H.does that have impact on the industry to the e3tent that more dogs will be owned, more grooming will occur, more accessories will be demanded, etc. !asically, SWOT amounts to changes that you have no control over but if you get the right product or service available for your customers, they will sell themselves because that is what2s hotH ;aving said that< %oo& over the following points in your SWOT and carefully e3amine the relevance of the following points< love you Separation Pet obesity These may be true and happening but are they genuinely trends affecting industry players and do they translate into loss or gain /opportunity or threat0 for a given business> Or, are they simply things you have noticed that while they may be true, do not translate into opportunity or threat for industry players> Attend to the above, fi3 the financials and bring it in tomorrow to computer class. can have a loo& at it right there and thenHyou are much closer to presentingHa big improvement over previous efforts. hope that the changes you have made to the SWOT ma&e sense to youHit is your business after all. Mi&e p.s. ?ou could use a plan to shore up wea&nesses. $o spellchec& too.