It’s International Cat Day! This may not be the event of the year for some (we know how many dog lovers there are out there) but that doesn’t mean there isn’t any worthwhile lessons we can take from our feline friends. Here are 9 business lessons to help you become the cat’s pyjamas.

Lesson 1: You’ve got 9 lives too

We’ve all seen videos of cats dashing off without a scratch after a death-defying fall. It’s a skill that all successful entrepreneurs have also experienced, figuratively speaking. Failure is unavoidable if you’re starting something new, and you have to prepare for it in order to succeed the next time round. The earlier you realise your weaknesses and your shortcomings, the faster you’ll succeed.

Lesson 2: Keep meowing

Any cat owner knows that as soon as they walk into their kitchen, they’re not going to be left alone until they’ve fed the feline. We should learn from this approach; winning a new business involves a lot of hard work and persistence. You need to meow louder than the rest, and know that success is not going to come straight away.

Lesson 3: Cats are fickle

If you don’t feed your cat as well as a nearby neighbour does, chances are you’re going to find yourself down a moggie. It’s the same with your clients and customers; there will always be competitors who are looking for ways to do things better than you can in order to tempt your clients away. Give your client your attention as best you can; if they start to feel neglected, you’ll lose them.

Lesson 4: Cat around

Cats aren’t all business – whether it’s a ball of yarn or a fly to try and catch, a feline knows how to unwind. We should all take a leaf out of their book – working yourself to the point of burnout isn’t going to get your project done any faster, and it could end up negatively effecting your quality of work. Taking breaks help us retain information and help us to re-evaluate our goals, so make sure you allow yourself some time to play with some string (or something more appropriate for humans).

Lesson 5: Cats are always expanding their territory

Any self-respecting cat shouldn’t just settle for what they have, and neither should you. Expanding your business with a marketing and branding strategy will expose you to new customers, and could help you receive increased revenue from your existing ones. Listen to your customers’ pain points and work out how to address them, and make your services a fuller package in the process.

Lesson 6:  Cats are clean

Most cats spend half of their time grooming themselves, and always aim to be prim and proper. This is how a business should want to portray itself, especially when it comes to social media; take a clean approach to social media by avoiding petty arguments, unwarranted criticisms of other businesses and poorly written articles.

Lesson 7:  Cats want the best

Your cat will be less than impressed with you if you switch up their favourite, premium brand cat food for some cheap, poor quality alternative. The same applies to your customers and your clients; you have to maintain the same great level of service that you’ve always provided; any dip in form will leave them feeling disregarded and unsatisfied.

Lesson 8: Don’t be a house cat

Many cats never leave their homes, choosing the comfort and safety of the indoors over the uncertainty and mystery of the world outside. The same can be said for many businesses and the rest of the world; they’re comfortable operating on a national level, so why change things? The answer is simply that there’s a global marketplace full of people who could probably benefit from your product or service, and with that comes an unmissable opportunity for business growth.

Lesson 9: Face your fears… and land on your feet

Cats climb all sorts of things, despite the potential dangers that they could face. They don’t let their challenges get the best of them; and neither should you. If there’s something in your position that you’re unfamiliar with, or not overly good at, make steps to master it and overcome it. Beating these weaknesses early will help you take on more challenges with ease in future – beating your weaknesses one by one is a sure-fire way to ensure you achieve great things.

The life of a cat is something that many of us can only dream about. There’s something to be said for learning from their lifestyle, even though they don’t exactly get much done. Take heed of these lessons and you could end up the cat’s meow; just try not to sleep too much.

For some no obligation business advice that really is the cat’s meow, give us a call on 01462 262020 or email hello@focus7int.com