If you had to guess what brought us together several years ago, you would probably say our love of Disney, right? But actually, it was MOSQUITOS! 

More specifically, how Disney manages mosquitos on their property. If you’ve ever taken a trip to Florida, you know it’s pretty much “swampland.” So, why then when we’re at Disney, we rarely ever get bit?

We totally geeked out at how Disney manages this mosquito problem from an operational standpoint! Disney uses data to find pesky “hot spots” and adjusts its actions accordingly. Keep reading and we’ll teach you how to use metrics to make decisions in your business! 

Managing the Pests

Disney manages their mosquitos in a number of ways, but the most impactful way they keep these pesky bugs away is with chicken coops. The cool thing about chickens is they’re actually not prone to viruses like Zika and won’t get sick if they have it. Every day, they check these chickens and do little tests to see if they’ve been diagnosed with Zika or West Nile. If they find that these chickens are contracting viruses, they know there is an uptick of mosquitos in the area so they can implement measures to address it.

Avoiding chemicals to get rid of bugs was something Walt Disney wanted to avoid, as it would away from the safe environment he imagined Disney to be. So, they use a garlic spray because mosquitoes hate garlic! They have an entire task force dedicated to managing the mosquitos, and only treat the areas where the chickens are experiencing more bites, saving time and money! They use metrics and data, probably on some sort of dashboard, to wisely manage and use their resources to keep the mosquitoes away. 

Disney is also constructed in such a way that there is no standing water throughout their property, and slopes help to keep water from pooling. Water flows or has mechanisms to keep it moving so mosquitoes can’t settle and hatch their eggs. Additionally, the landscaping on the property allows for proper drainage, and flowers and herbs planted throughout naturally repel mosquitoes.  

Fight Fires Strategically

If you can’t tell by now, it is so important that you know how to measure various markers in your business. Often we will finish something up and think, I wonder how many people came through this funnel or how many people converted here? The thing is, if you don’t have the tools or the necessary means in place to capture that data, it’s going to be a lot more work later on to try and figure it out on the backend. We’ve been there, done that! 

Conversion rates, traffic to your site, clicks on trip funnels, opened emails – these are all markers to put in place so you can use data to make decisions for your business moving forward. How Disney handles the annoying mosquito population is a lot like tracking your business metrics.

Metrics Challenge

Nicole here! I developed a Metrics Challenge to help business owners like you figure out which metrics matter for your business, and how to use them to make advised and forward-focused decisions! I want to help you move from a place where you are tracking nothing to tracking something, and this really is a step-by-step guide to get you in the door to start thinking about using metrics to make decisions for your business. 

Think through this…If your ads are getting clicks, are they turning into leads? Are people actually putting their email addresses in or purchasing the thing that you sent them to? If they’re not, then that tells you there’s something wrong with the landing page because you’re getting clicks. People are getting there and they’re not moving to the next step. If they are going ahead and opting in, but they’re not buying the second offer, then there’s a problem with something on the second page. See how we are using the data to figure out where the disconnect is?

Diagnostics is really the heart of metrics. You can see where the drop-offs are happening and then understand where you need to focus your efforts, time, money, or hire support. Feeling like something isn’t working isn’t enough! You’ve got to take a look at your metrics, and this Metrics Challenge will help you get started. It’s the non-sexy stuff that honestly can result in the biggest life leaps and bounds in your business.

Use Your Data

Don’t let words like metrics, measurements, KPIs, or any of these words scare you! Disney has managed their mosquito situation by simply tracking its data and taking action when the numbers show an uptick in bites. By implementing markers and tracking data for your business, you will be able to better understand what is or isn’t working so you can optimize and improve your business, making it more profitable! 
Don’t forget to subscribe to Pixie Dust & Profits and tune in each week, as we share more tips from the Mouse that can help you grow your small business. Be sure to follow us @pixiedustandprofits and sign up for our mailing list to get some fun extras! See ya real soon.