4 Signs Pharmacy Owners Can Use To Determine It Is Time For Change

Too many small business owners run their companies in a hesitant and tentative manner. While your tried-and-true methods may have gotten you this far, they are probably not the best way to maximize your pharmacy’s potential in the coming months and years. In order to determine whether it is time to make changes, begin by making some observations.

• Are your employees happy?
• Are your customers satisfied with their experiences in your store?
• How do you feel about going to work each day?

When it comes to managing your pharmacy, being “good enough” is not actually good enough.  Remaining in the comfort zone can be very damaging to any business. Do not wait until your pharmacy is failing to take action. Here are 4 signs it may be time for a change.

You Wake Up Unhappy

If you are going to sleep anxious and waking up unhappy, it may be time to make changes. Most people have stressful periods in their careers and many will bring that stress home with them. Independent pharmacy owners are certainly no different, but if you are taking stress to bed every night and losing sleep, it may be time to rethink your current workload. Could you pass off some of your daily duties to a manager? Perhaps you are simply understaffed and need to hire more help. Sleep is crucial to your health and happiness, so losing sleep over work-related anxiety is a hindrance to your success.

If you are unable to remove responsibilities or immediately fix what’s troubling you, find an escape that relieves the pressure. Read a book, go for a walk, or start a new hobby. In order to prevent burnout, your life needs a healthy balance outside of the pharmacy.

You Are Only Concerned with Profits

Running any business, especially one as important as a pharmacy, should be about much more than making money. Money can help maintain a lifestyle, but rarely it is not the key to happiness. If you have lost focus on why you went into pharmacy to begin with, it may be time to rediscover that passion.

You Have Little Good to Say

Make a conscious effort to pay attention to your own words and actions. How is your attitude in staff meetings, on the phone, and when dealing with customers? If negativity is seeping into your daily interactions, your unhappiness will impact those around you. Do not let yourself be the reason that your staff is feeling down about the company they work for. Your leadership will set the tone for every area of the business.

You Don’t See the Light at the End of the Tunnel

When you try to imagine your pharmacy’s future, what do you see? What about when you think about your own future? Are you excited about upcoming events, like this year’s Christmas party or your vacation to Disney World next summer? Perhaps all you see is a long, straight road of the same old stress and misery. If you are afraid that pharmacy policies will remain the same, interoffice communication will be as dysfunctional as ever, and everyone seems complicit in maintaining poor customer service, you are heading down a bleak path. Fortunately for you, as the pharmacy owner, you’re the one who can change this.

Many people resist change, and it is easy to see why. Contemplating the unknown is scary, so many businesses stick with the status quo, even if it is no longer working. But those businesses will be far less successful than those who embrace the opportunity to evolve and improve. If you find that you are not happy, your staff is underperforming, or your profits are not increasing in the way you would like, it’s time to implement some changes. Getting started can be overwhelming, but there are plenty of resources available to help you.

Each year, thousands of pharmacy owners attend the industry’s main event, the PDS Super-Conference. They learn about industry changes and discuss new ways to forge ahead successfully. They leave the event feeling energized and ready to implement improvements in their business year-round. Don’t miss the opportunity to gain the support and direction you need for independent pharmacy success. 

Click here to reserve your seat before this event sells out!