Working as a manager at the Lubbock location for four years gave her the skills and expertise to keep the business afloat, but Hammack is not a person to accept the status quo. She wanted her store to maintain its existing clientele and generate new business. \u201cTo grow my customer base, I hit the pavement,\u201d Hammack said.<\/p>\n
Unhappy with television advertising, Hammack implemented a marketing campaign with sweet treats as the star. She took small bags of candy with her card attached to area businesses. She visited doctor\u2019s offices, car dealerships, lawyers and local restaurants, among other places. Shortly after hitting the pavement, Hammack\u2019s business tripled. \u201cMy marketing approach offers no stress, no pressure. I\u2019m not the type of person who gets in people\u2019s faces,\u201d Hammack said. \u201cIf you want to sit in the office and let people come to you, that\u2019s fine, but if you want to make a successful business, you have to put yourself out there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Contrary to popular belief, it is common for doctor\u2019s offices, when they learn about Hammack\u2019s business, to send cash-pay patients to Any Lab Test Now for blood work. \u201cYou\u2019d be surprised how many doctors will send cash-pay patients. If a doctor cares about their cash-pay patients, they tell them about our services because their regular labs can\u2019t offer tests at our low prices.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hammack also took advantage of the unit\u2019s location in a college town. She was able to make a key contact in Texas Tech University\u2019s athletic department, resulting in the school sending all of its athletes to her location for required sports medical tests, like sickle-cell anemia. College students respond to Any Lab Test Now\u2019s business model because it offers easy, no appointment required testing without a doctor\u2019s prescription. \u201cSTD testing is an essential offering in any college town,\u201d Hammack said. \u201cCollege students value privacy and affordable pricing. If necessary, they can take their results to a doctor.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hiring Strategy Ensures Employee Satisfaction \u00a0<\/strong>Working from open to close was in Hammack\u2019s wheelhouse, but she knew she would be unable to open future locations if she didn\u2019t find a workable hiring solution. To find reliable employees, Hammack relies on an internship strategy started by the former owner of her location. Hammack\u2019s storefront offers five-week internships to local students who attend Vista College. Rules for the interns are strict, and they require supervision. But, when each student\u2019s five-week tenure ends, Hammack can be certain she\u2019s offering a capable and reliable person a job. \u201cI don\u2019t hire from the street. I train the interns myself for five weeks. If I like them, I\u2019ll hire them on the spot when their internship ends,\u201d Hammack said.<\/p>\n Growth Mindset Fuels Success<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>Having a reliable hiring strategy allowed Hammack and her co-owner and husband, Scott Hammack, to aim for expansion. Recognizing the value of a location in a college town, the pair made the decision to add a new location in the home of Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. Their College Station unit is slated to open in March 2020. Hammack and her husband also purchased the Kingwood, Texas, territory for expansion. Hammack\u2019s reliable staff enabled the pair to relocate to 11 acres in Buna, Texas. \u201cI\u2019m nine hours from Lubbock, three hours from College Station and three hours from Kingwood,\u201d Hammack said. \u201cHaving confidence in my staff has allowed me to live on the farm I never knew I wanted.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.anylabtestnow.com\/franchise\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/180\/2020\/02\/Kelli-Hammack-ALTN-U-300x169.jpg\")
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