221: Leveraging Your Business Community
Summary
Are you connected with the broader business community in your area? We had a great opportunity recently to introduce our business to other business owners.
On this episode, we share why these networking events are important and the role they play in raising the awareness of the pet care industry.
They also help us to feel more legitimate as business owners. We discuss the benefits that come from being connected to other businesses, and how to prepare for the networking opportunities.
Then, Natasha O’Banion answers, “How do I view myself as more legitimate?”
Topics on this episode:
Business networking opportunities
Why be plugged in?
Other benefits?
How to make the most out of it
Ask a Pet Biz Coach
Main takeaway: Meeting professionals from other industries exposes you to a wide range of ideas, procedures, and insights.
Links:
1 Million Cups: www.1millioncups.com
Episode 057: www.petsitterconfessional.com/episodes/community-with-natalie-durack
Episode 116: www.petsitterconfessional.com/episodes/116
Episode 145: www.petsitterconfessional.com/episodes/145
Episode 173: www.petsitterconfessional.com/episodes/173
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A VERY ROUGH TRANSCRIPT OF THE EPISODE
Provided by otter.ai
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
business, people, area, meeting, business owners, pet, community, talk, clients, support, listening, confessional, learn, industry, legitimate, ideas, find, sitter, grows, pet sitters
SPEAKERS
Meghan, Collin Funkhouser, Natasha
Meghan 00:17
Hi, I'm Meghan.
00:18
I'm Collin and this is pet sitter. confessional
Meghan 00:20
an open and honest discussion about life as a pet sitter. Hello, welcome to Episode 221. Hello, thank you to our amazing Patreon members, especially our newest Patreon member, Catherine.
Collin Funkhouser 00:42
Catherine, thank you so much for investing in the show and finding it valuable to you. And if you want to learn more about what it means to be a Patreon and to support the show in that way, you can go to pet sitter professional comm forward slash support.
Meghan 00:57
So over the weekend was the pet sitters international conference. And we actually had a virtual booth there. We got connected with a ton of other sitters from all over the world. And it was a lot of fun. It was
Collin Funkhouser 01:10
it was really cool to get connected with people see how everybody's business is doing and just kind of hear from from everybody as well.
Meghan 01:17
And so a lot of people didn't even know who we were. So if this is your first episode listening to us, welcome, welcome. Hello. We are excited that you're here. There were some awesome speakers and it was a great weekend and we will actually be at the Texas pet sitters conference coming up in February. Collin is going to be a speaker there.
Collin Funkhouser 01:36
Oh no. Yes, I will be talking about identity as a pet sitter, and what that means and how to find it. So looking forward to getting back to in person events. So psi was this weekend, and next year, I think they're really open, that'll be in person. But if you're going to be in the Texas area or just want to go for a trip, they are taking registration right now for that conference. So hopefully we'll see you there.
Meghan 02:01
So today we are talking about business community. And I know we've talked a lot on the podcast about community in general, whether it's building a network with other pet sitters, or just community within your pet business and forward facing that to clients or just within your staff or employees. We have a lot of episodes about that. And we will link those in the show notes or on petsitter confessional comm with this episode.
Collin Funkhouser 02:29
Yeah, but today specifically, we wanted to talk about being plugged into the broader business community and why it's so important for us. So recently, one of our clients invited us to a 1 Million Cups meeting and we had no idea what that was I had never heard of this says you how plugged in we were before. But here's a blurb from the 1 Million Cups website. It's based on the notion that entrepreneurs discover solutions and engage with their communities over 8 million cups of coffee. The Kauffman Foundation developed this, too, as a free program designed to educate, engage and inspire entrepreneurs across the country through the power of volunteers. It's grown to more than 160 communities. So basically, it's a way of equipping entrepreneurs and small business owners in communities around the country. And we have never heard of this. But once a month, small business owners get together to hear a 20 ish minute presentation from other business owners ask questions, and then hear how they can best support each other. It's not an elevator pitch, or an investor pitch. And you're really not asking them to use your service. You're just reaching out and asking about advice and business help.
Meghan 03:37
Yeah, I think the last question that they pose is how can we help you?
Collin Funkhouser 03:42
Yeah, how can we as the business community help you and your business, and it's pretty impactful to listen to different people's responses. And it was it was a lot of fun. And we will actually be getting the opportunity to present our business next month. So stay tuned for how that goes.
Meghan 04:00
great presenter to find.
Collin Funkhouser 04:03
If you're interested in something like this, they do have a group finder on their website, you can enter your zip code and see if they're meeting in your area. And again, you can check out links on our show notes and on our website as well. To find those.
Meghan 04:13
Well, I will say that we live in a very small town like 20,000 people. So if they have one in our very small rural town, I'm sure they have one in yours.
Collin Funkhouser 04:22
And they are always looking for people to start new ones. So if you don't have one in your area, they have all of the tools, all the programs all the process is ready to go to start hosting something in your area. So I think that would be a great thing to do if you don't have one if you can't find one.
Meghan 04:38
But that's just one business group that you can join. There are a ton of others. We've talked about the Chamber of Commerce before. There's also in our area. There's a young professionals group which we are young, you may not be young, maybe you could start an older professionals group
Collin Funkhouser 04:54
or just a professionals group. There you go. We also have a chapter of the Business Network International, it's bmi.com. And you actually went to a couple meetings I did, I was invited there by another business owner, but you have to pay to be a member. And they also not a bad thing, not a bad thing, you know, but they also have very strict attendance policies that we couldn't quite meet, because we are very busy with droppings and things like that in the morning during the times where they meet. So your mileage may vary, you can send a representative sometimes if you can't make it, but you do track that thing. So it wasn't something that was going to work for us to be able to consistently and reliably go to. So we haven't dipped our toe into that yet. But check out to see if they have a chapter for you to it. It's kind of very much like the 1 Million Cups mindset of business owners getting together and sharing ideas.
Meghan 05:45
If you are a woman, there may be a specific women in business networking group. There's also the rotary club that you may be involved in, or the Kiwanis Club or the Optimist Club of your area, there are a ton of networking groups that you can be involved in. I mean, obviously, you don't have to be involved in them all, you can pick and choose what's going to work for you and what's going to be the most beneficial for your business. But it is a great way to get your face out there to get your business name out there, but also to learn from others. And so we're going to talk about some ways, specifically that this is beneficial for your business.
Collin Funkhouser 06:24
But we'd love to hear also about what kind of business groups you're involved in, or you have in your area. So we can start sharing those with others to make sure that they are looking for those. But the first reason that we need to be connected with the broader business community is because it helps you feel more legitimate. Just from my personal experience. As I sat there surrounded by other entrepreneurs and fancy business people while I was covered in hair, from meeting to Huskies earlier, I felt totally accepted in seeing as a business person. As I talked with others about our business, they were so excited to see us there and to hear about how we were operating and our story and to learn about our operations. And I believe this is because when we are in our business, and we're just operating by ourselves, we can feel like outsiders to everybody, we can feel not as legitimate because we don't see our other businesses or businesses like us represented across the board. It's only when we go into pet specific corners of the world where we see felt and feel seen. And additionally, many of us don't start a business because we were a quote unquote business person, we don't come from that background, we find ourselves running an operating a business. So to be around other business owners, it does lift you up and you do see Oh, they are also struggling with these things. They have these similar processes, I actually have learned an awful lot about running a business, and then just to get to talk about it freely and openly. There's an interesting story of an artist actually in our area, who struggled with this exact same concept where the business community really didn't view him as a business owner as an entrepreneur. Until one day he was giving a talk. And they asked Okay, well what was the last time how much was the your most recent painting sold for and he said $100,000, all the business heads whipped around and stared at him. And they took him seriously, because they realized this person is actually doing something, this person is actually making something real. And it's making a huge impact on the community and on the area as well. When people hear about your business, they might not initially feel like it's a thing because many of us many people have exposure to pet businesses through the neighbor next door or through hiring somebody for just a quick weekend. But not understanding that it can be an actual business that's recognized across multiple levels. And you get to be that representation and that's part of this education as well.
Meghan 09:01
Connecting with your local business community also helps to educate about our industry something that you were just talking about, you know, as they ask you questions, you can see their brains really turning about Oh, pet sitting is a thing. dog walking is a thing you can actually make it into a business. It's not just something that you do for fun. I mean it is fun, but it's we make money off of this too and we live our livelihoods because of this. And most of these people have never even thought that you can do it full time or really what all is involved. It's not just puppy cuddles and kitty kisses. It's actual running your business. It's talking to people, it's invoicing them, it's scheduling them, it takes a lot and attending some of these meetings. We are the first exposure that someone outside of the industry has to somebody inside the industry. We talked about some of our business processes, you know things that we do every day, you know how we take payment, our website. It was a really cool feeling to know that They were actively listening. And we're interested in what we had to say.
Collin Funkhouser 10:04
As the industry becomes more mature, we're coming up on 30 years ish of it being a quote unquote, thing. It's shocking and surprising how still so few people actually view it as legitimate actually view it as something people can make their livelihood on. And I think as we start to talk about our businesses, from a business perspective, more people will see it for what it is something that can provide a livelihood, because maybe people don't believe that they don't think that it actually can, we still get shocked looks when we tell people, it's our full time thing. And that's a big part of what it means to be a part of the broader business community is educating them on something that they've never heard about. Then a third reason of why you should be plugged in to a business community is because it helps you learn how other industries solve problems. A really great example that I came across recently was about talking, discussing how we're slammed for the holidays. But we don't really have the capacity on the offseason to support employee around. So hire seasonal staff, that really kind of broke my brain for a minute, because I had never thought about it until I realized that just about every single other retail or service based industry. They do that all the time. And I had never thought to apply it to our business because I wasn't thinking in a broader context, and who knows where the solutions will come from, or how they will be applied to your business. But if you don't put yourself out there, if you don't come up with an open mind and approach it with, what can I learn today from these people from these other business owners, we get we will miss those concepts and will miss those applications to us as well.
Meghan 11:49
Along with the three that we just listed, there are a ton of other benefits for connecting with your business community, you can meet or recruit new clients. It all kind of happened naturally. But just by knowing more people, and knowing that they know what you do, you can gain more clients. If you are really in the entrepreneurial spirit, you can find potential capital for your startup business, you may get in touch with a banker at a meeting or someone looking to invest in a growing business. These are great ways to find capital. You can also learn new techniques, or possibly a new technology that will make your life easier. as business owners we are constantly growing and innovating and changing with what our clients want. And looking at outside industries and seeing what they use, what kind of software they have to make their business more efficient, will potentially help you as well. It will also improve your skills. Obviously, socialization is a huge one. Some of us are wallflowers high. But it's still good to get out of your comfort zone. If you're presenting at a meeting that's obviously huge for getting in touch with a broader audience. And even just talking the talk of business, you may also be able to find new opportunities through these meetings are the markets changing?
Collin Funkhouser 13:09
Yeah, I talked with the realtor for almost 10 minutes about the struggle. He's having finding houses for people wanting to move to the area. And it gave me insight on the kind of people moving here and whether they be good fits for us as clients till.
Meghan 13:22
From that interaction. We also started thinking about how we can message our services better to renters versus homeowners, and the ratio in our town. Going to a networking event will also help to keep up with the latest trends. Like I just mentioned, software, or marketing or communications, client expectations. All are important to stay on top of especially at the local level, you know your community best. And when you partner with other businesses that know your local area as well as you do, you can come together and brainstorm ideas on how you can help each other grow and be more prevalent in the community. You may also be able to find a mentor in these meetings, whether you're trying to get over a slump or trying to hit a goal and you really need some accountability and mentor may be able to help you with that. And then obviously these networking events, build awareness for your brand. Or maybe you're trying to start off a latest business adventure, whether that's a new service or a new area that you're trying to conquer getting these ideas in front of other people. other business owners will also help you to get feedback, they will be able to gently tell you where you can improve and tell you where you're doing a great job.
Collin Funkhouser 14:36
So meeting professionals from other industries exposes us to a wide range of ideas, procedures and insights. And so when we attend these kind of networking events or get together with these groups, I we do need to make sure we are prepared so what are some ways that we can prepare to get the most out of this. Prepare in a physical manner. Bring your business cards, wear your shirt or mask with your brand thing on it. And then decide if you're going to be able to send one of your staff or yourself or your business partner there as well. Depending on the kind of time you have and the representation that they need. Mentally, you can prepare by rehearsing and honing your 32nd elevator pitch or the about me or the history of your business when people ask you about that. So be prepared to ask questions as well have other businesses be genuine about learning from other companies. Obviously, you want to get your name out there, but we have to realize that this is a two way street. That's the point of networking businesses helping each other. So come prepared to talk about your business. If someone asks, make sure you know your prices and availability, and be ready to answer questions like how can we support you? Or what problems are you facing? The most important thing to come prepared to do is to listen to a lot of listening and just taking notes to remember who the businesses are out there, what their owner's names are, what help they need, so that when those opportunities come, you can refer people to them. Be open minded about who you talk to, just because someone is in another industry, to her insights and knowledge to be gained. A mechanic can teach us a lot about customer service. And the smoothie bar down the street has an awful lot to share about clients expectations and meeting them quickly.
Meghan 16:23
See if there are realtors or House Cleaners or painters in those meetings as well. Those are great services that can fit in well with pet services if the house cleaner needs the dogs out of the house, if the painters are going to come by and the dogs need to be in daycare for a little bit, or shuttled to a vet appointment. These are great people to connect with and partner with. While you're learning from other people in your town. Don't forget to read broadly as well. I know a lot of us are busy, we don't have time, we may be listening to audiobooks or podcasts instead of reading a physical book. But don't just read petsitting books don't just listen to petsitting podcast, it's important to stay current on our industry, obviously we need to know the ins and outs of it and what's going on and client expectations and all of that and the latest trends. But don't forget that we don't exist in a vacuum, we need to be learning from everyone, all businesses. And that's why these business networking local events are so important because they are targeting your specific area. And they're from businesses outside of the industry who can take a look at your business, see where you need to change some things, see where you're doing great. And you can learn from them as well. Well, that's a really
Collin Funkhouser 17:37
good point too. Because as your business grows, as you begin to expand, you may take on more staff, you have more and more income coming in, you do start to rub shoulders with other larger businesses outside of the pet care industry. So we need to be learning from our peers. So as your business grows, you might not always be able to learn from peers within the pet care industry, you may find that there is somebody in another industry that has a very similar business structure goals or operating procedures that you're better able to gel with and can learn from them as well. And continue to learn from people who have who are running an operating larger and larger businesses. And that's okay, that means that we are being exposed to new ideas. We are learning new procedures and processes and staying on top of trends and all of that, but it starts with looking at where opportunities are letting others know that we are businesses that we are there we're willing to learn and help as we can to.
Meghan 18:36
We would love to know if you have tried some business networking events in your area, which ones you like to go to or if you have found that they're not very helpful. Let us know that too. Right? You can hit us up on Facebook and Instagram at pet sitter confessional. And actually Natasha's question this week pet business coach Natasha opionion, her question is talking about viewing ourselves as legitimate. And so this ties in great with that,
Collin Funkhouser 19:00
as a business many times we may struggle with the feelings of legitimacy of Am I a real business. And this can be perpetuated when others in the business community where you operate. Don't see you as legitimate because they don't see as dog walking or petsitting as a real thing. Is there anything that we can do to help legitimize ourselves in the broader community or to help ourselves be accepted by those who may not really see this as a legitimate business or something to make a living from?
Natasha 19:29
Yeah, they have the old saying, whatever you think it is, whatever you say it is. I love that one. Because if I don't think I'm a legitimate business, then I'm not. But if I think I'm a legitimate business than I am, and I'm going to act accordingly. So if you realize you're providing a service, you can be contacted, you can get paid, you have insurance, you have a process. You're a business, just like anybody else. I can teach any type of business from pet care because it's the same in any business, same fundamentals on everything. So don't worry about if they think I liked it. I like to talk crap. I say Listen, I'm a multi multi figure pooper scooper. Hey, I poop scoop I got one of the Dirty Dozen jobs and I'm living well. So I like I like to kind of have fun with you because there were there's, you know, struggling and I'm like, well, we get dog kisses. Obviously our days are not all a dog kisses. But I'm like, Hey, we're a multi figure pooping life. They're like, Okay, you got to really look at stuff. That's it, just change your mindset about it, you're legitimate. We're all legitimate. Obviously, if you're treating me like a hobbyist, then you are going to and that's another thing if you know in your heart of hearts, that you're doing something legitimate or you're acting like a hobbyist, that's where that comes from, because you have a little bit insecurity because you may not be doing things the way that you should be doing so get in with the pet care circle. There's tons of companies out here nationwide, we all help each other that hey, if you have some insecurities, hey I'm not sure if I'm taking you serious because I do this. Let's talk about it. Let's see if we can change it or let's see if we can alter that. But you should have full confidence that you're doing what you need to do.
Meghan 21:17
Natasha is a very successful pet business owner but she also coaches pet business owners as well. And if you would like to work one on one with her, you can go to start scale sale calm and use the code p sc 20 for 15% off her coaching. Thank you again to our wonderful Patreon members who continue to support us every month and really bring a lot of value to the show giving us topic ideas, suggestions, and financial support as well. And again, if you would like to financially support us you can do so at petsitter confessional comm slash support.
Collin Funkhouser 21:49
We also want to thank you for listening and taking time out of your day to to be with us. And we know not everybody is in a position to support the show financially and that's totally fine. The show will always be free and accessible to everybody. The best thing you can do is share the episodes and continue to listen and give us feedback. We absolutely love that. So thank you so much for listening and being here. Until next time,
