368: Conferences and Professional Pet Sitters Week
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March started with a bang! Spring conference season just wrapped up and Professional Pet Sitters week concluded as well. We share our experiences attending the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters conference. We talk through what to consider when determining if you should go to a conference or not. We also give an overview of Professional Pet Sitters week, and why customer service is central to what we do.
Main topics
Pet Sitter tip feedback
NAPPS conference
Professional Pet Sitters Week
Importance of customer service
Main takeaway: As business owners, it’s our responsibility to think deeply about how we operate to make sure we’re in alignment with our values and serving our clients with excellence.
Links:
Industry conferences: petsitterconfessional.com/conferences
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A VERY ROUGH TRANSCRIPT OF THE EPISODE
Provided by otter.ai
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
business, pet sitter, pet, client, conference, pill, sitter, confessional, quit, foster, associates, rethink, pets, naps, refresh, dog, questions, care, patreon supporters, aspects
SPEAKERS
Meghan, Collin
Meghan 00:02
Hi, I'm Megan Collins and we are the hosts of pet sitter confessional and open and honest discussion about life as a pet sitter.
Collin 00:10
Today, we're brought to you by pet sitters associates and our wonderful Patreon supporters.
Meghan 00:15
Yeah, we had the chance to meet several of them at the NAPS conference last weekend, the National Association of Professional pet sitters. It was in New Orleans, and it was really awesome. Yeah, it
Collin 00:25
was really surreal to meet several supporters at that conference and just sit down, get to know them over dinner or experience the conference in the presentations with them. And we really want to give a huge thank you to Devin and Kevin, who are our newest patreon supporters so firecracker, and for one of our existing Patreon supporters, Savannah for increasing her support of the show.
Meghan 00:48
Thank you very much if you would like to join them in supporting the show financially with a few dollars every month, you can do so at Pet Sitter confessional.com/support. Last episode, we had asked for some pet sitting and dog walking tips. And Kathy wrote in I enjoy listening to your show and I wanted to share a tip I found helpful I have had to give medication to cats many times. As we all know, animals have a great sense of smell. Usually you pick up the pill with your fingers, then the treat or food that will hide the pill, the food now has the smell of the pill on it. To avoid that I pick up the pill with tweezers, then place the pill in the treat and use my clean fingers to cover the pill avoiding the smell of the pill to ever get on the treat. This has worked for the pets that can sniff out the pill in their food, I will also only give the pet a small amount of food with the pill in it. So I know that they have taken the medication before giving them their regular amount of food.
Collin 01:36
This is a great tip because many times we become really frustrated when we just don't understand why they're not taking the pill. Why are they refusing the pill? Why do they keep spitting it out I'm hiding it and all XYZ and all sorts of places, it just seems like no matter what we put in it, they spit it back out, they smell it? Well, this is because they do they do smell it right, they smell it on your fingers, they smell on the fork, they smell it on the food itself. And so if you have a dog or a cat that's like this and you're just infuriated to no end, try an air gap this as much as possible and make sure that nothing has been cross contaminated with that smell because it is so powerful. And once they can to that it can be almost impossible to then circumvent it and come back around until you start all over from the very beginning.
Meghan 02:20
If you want to know all of the other pet sitting and dog walking tips from listeners, you can go back and listen to episode 366. Or if you have a new one that we haven't mentioned, feel free to email that to us we'd be happy to share it on the show. It's feedback at petsitter confessional.com. So like we just mentioned, we're coming off of the NAPS conference weekend. We had a great time, great speakers, great community, great food and interesting nightlife for sure in New Orleans. But we were actually invited to talk and we talked a little bit about the life of a pet sitter and what that means. And you know, think about what kind of images and words that you hear when you think about the life of a pet sitter.
Collin 03:01
So the conference has this theme had this theme of refresh, rethink, revive, and we really feel like the life of a pet sitter falls into those pretty easily. We all enter into the industry as a brand new baby from something else. And for throughout our teen years. That's the refresh cycle, the refresh part of our life as a pet sitter.
Meghan 03:20
Yeah, everything is coming at us really fast. We're having a ton of firsts, we are learning a bunch of stuff at all at the same time. And it can be a little overwhelming. But it's where we all start. We're all learning super fast in the beginning.
Collin 03:32
And then as our business goes from the teen into the adult, we make this transition and we really start going into the rethink part of the cycle.
Meghan 03:41
Yeah, if you are going off to get higher education after you graduate high school, or you're just exploring and experimenting new things you are really trying to figure out and hone in on what exactly you want for your business, what works, what doesn't, what you like to do, what you don't want to do. And really just experimenting a lot.
Collin 04:01
That's about finding that that niche and experimenting well in your business through trying new things, and you're consuming a lot of new information. So there's all sorts of possibilities as you're creating not just for social media posts, but thinking about the way your business operates, your policies, your procedures, your onboarding, your training, all of that stuff is a creative process that only happens when you are consuming good information, good knowledge and asking really good questions.
Meghan 04:26
And then after that is when you're in your adult phase, it's the midlife crisis and you're really trying to revive your business and maybe this is through a logo change or completely cutting out your business or flipping it on its head going. I no longer do the bread and butter but I'm going to do something completely different,
Collin 04:42
which in itself can be scary because you are rediscovering who you are and trying to regain it get reconnected with your passions as a person and making sure that your business is in alignment. And then once we've gone through the refresh we enter into the industry we go through the rethink as we are challenging our preconceived notions and learning all sorts of new information, then we revive our business and the midlife crisis, whether that's through internally where we don't feel connected, or that's externally through something like, I don't know, a global pandemic, makes you suddenly shut down your business. And you have to question everything. Toward the end of the life of a pet sitter in our business, we go back into another refresh, where we get to reimagine our life beyond the industry beyond our business,
Meghan 05:26
whether that means selling it off to somebody you know, where you don't know or referring out to other people, and letting your business die, whatever that looks like for you. It's, you know, your businesses can live on without us, but they don't have to necessarily, but it is a decision we all have to make, which can
Collin 05:42
be really hard and scary, because it is our baby that we started. But we started the business so we could decide how to end it and knowing that difference between grit and quit in our business, when is it time for us to call it quits, versus when do I push forward and continue to try. And that's a part of the business process that really is a never ending part of being a business owner, because you are going to try things and you and I have to commit to this for a time. And so I love those 90 Day windows or those 60 Day windows, I'm going I'm going to try this for x amount of time. And then I can assess to see if it's doing something, but really asking those questions. Am I going to commit to this? Because I think I can be good at it. Am I going to commit to this? Because I think it's needed? Am I going to commit to this? Because I think it can benefit other people? Or am I going to not do it? Because I don't think it can answer any of those questions or other questions that you may have for your business or yourself as you decide what you want to commit to and not being afraid to quit. We all quit at some point. And there's no pivot is just quit by another day. We changed our idea, we changed our mind. Now we're doing something new and fresh.
Meghan 06:53
But I think the word quit has negative connotations to it. And it doesn't necessarily have to I mean, you just said the word pivot, that in my mind is much a more positive word than the word quit. Oh, for sure.
Collin 07:05
So there's a mindset shift about that, that you have to make it so that you can embrace that. So you don't find yourself committed to something that should have died a long, long time ago.
Meghan 07:16
So that's a little bit about what we talked about during our talk at the NAPS conference. Yeah, well, if you're if you're planning on going to a conference this year, or if you had absolutely no idea that petsitting conferences existed, you can go to pet sitter confessional.com/conferences. And we have them all listed there. There was the Texas pet sitters a few weeks ago, then the NAPS conference. And then there's a PSI in the fall. There's the Florida conference in August
Collin 07:41
and the ibpsa conference as well. So it tends to be split, Texas and naps are spring conferences in the fall is going to be the Florida's first one this year plus psis. And then ibpsa is all are which are amazing options and amazing opportunities for you to go to. And most
Meghan 07:58
importantly, it's a business expense. So if you re if you're interested in going to any any conference, it's very important to get connected with other pet sitters. And I know it's very hard for us as introverts, I'm very much an introvert. And so it's hard to really come out of your shell during those weekends during that time. But it really is imperative because the connections that you make with other pet sitters who may be across the country, or maybe in your own backyard, there were two senators from Connecticut who had no idea that they were going to be there and didn't even know of each other, and then they got connected. And now we're going to be potentially referring clients to each other. So it's experiences like that, that you can't really have on a Facebook group or on Instagram, but it's the one on one in person. I see you I'm looking at your eyeballs kind of connection that you really can have.
Collin 08:47
It can be tricky. It can be scary to make that decision, though of which one do I choose? How do I know it's going to be a good fit for me? And so I think first just starting, is there one that's really close to you? Right? That because obviously travel costs and travel time and expenses are a major deciding factor in this. It's not easy to get away for a weekend or five days if you include days of travel. So going, is there one near me that I can get to easily and then going, is the theme something that I'm interested in? What are the speakers going to be talking about? Are they relevant to where I am in my business right now? Or do I want to go because I see myself needing that information later with how my business grows and adapts.
Meghan 09:29
So again, you can go to petsitter confessional.com/conferences, and see the whole list there. And if you have a question about a specific conference, maybe you're trying to decide whether you should go to one or the other or which one's going to be a good fit for you. Feel free to go into our Facebook group sitter confessionals. And you can ask your question there something that's always the right fit is business insurance. As pet care professionals, your clients trust you to care for their furry family members and that's why pet sitters Associates is here to help for over 20 years they have provided 1000s of members with quality Pet Care Insurance. Because you work in the pet care industry, you can take your career to the next level with flexible coverage options, client connections and complete freedom in running your business. Learn why pet sitters Associates is the perfect fit for you and get a free quote today at Pet sit llc.com You can get a discount when you join by clicking membership Pet Sitter confessional and use the discount code confessional at checkout to get $10 off. Check out the benefits of membership and insurance once again at pets it llc.com Last week was also professional pet sitters week.
Collin 10:31
More fireworks, yeah.
Meghan 10:33
Hopefully you saw some of our posts on Instagram and Facebook about the whole week and kind of different aspects that we think are great for other pet sitters to know, we covered why you should be a pet sitter, some different services to offer the gear that you should use customer service and then self care. All of these are very important two aspects to doing this as a career.
Collin 10:58
And all of one's all of those are going to be facets and aspects of your business that you can adapt to your specific needs. Right? It's not saying here is the only gear that you need. It's you need to think about and consider the gear that you use. Okay, do you have a leash? Is it the best leash in the world for the way you walk dogs? Okay, what about your boots? What about your shoes? What about your rain jacket? What about your first aid kit? These are conscious, intentional decisions that we have to sit down and decide what's the best thing for me? Obviously taking into effect or aspects of budget going okay, what can I afford right now what's worked for me and my business right now, then, how does that grow and change with my business and my business needs as as as I evolve.
Meghan 11:47
While there definitely are some characteristics that are specific to you and your business, there's also things that are universal as well. So like self care, you absolutely need to be taking days off time off, getting a hobby, whatever you need to do, because this career really can chew you up and spit you out working seven days a week non stop. So unless you implement boundaries and self care that that is going to happen. And then also the customer service aspect of this. You know, as many times as we say, the pets don't pay the bills, the people pay the bills. And so you really, even if you're an introvert, you really have to get out there and not only market and advertise your own business, but also then client relations and making sure that your clients are happy and satisfied with your business. We talked about being proactive versus reactive. So if you've finished a visit, and you don't feel like it went very well communicate that to the client in real time, show them that you care,
Collin 12:40
it's important to recognize that this is an ongoing relationship that we need to foster and being proactive means speaking up and out. When we have questions when we have concerns. There are times in our business. I know, Megan, that you and I talked about this quite a lot of really going. Okay, well, the client told us that they'd let us know by Thursday, they haven't let us know by Thursday, whose responsibility is it?
Meghan 13:02
Well, ultimately, it's ours because we need to follow up with the client. So we
13:06
have to reach out because okay, we could say okay, we're going to wait for that. But then is that going to give them the best possible interaction and experience with our company, if it gets delayed, and it's there? Sure, it could be their fault could be 100% on them.
Meghan 13:20
But at the end of the day, it's probably going to be more of an inconvenience to me in my business, because I may have to fit them in last minute, or I may not be able to accommodate them at all. So if I know that the client is going to let me know by x date, I need to then put it in my calendar to make sure that they do that. And they hold up their end of the bargain so that my business is not put in a tight spot.
Collin 13:39
And we want to make sure it's a good reflection of us. No, I also think we have to be cautious and make sure that we aren't just chasing down random people at all hours of the day and feeling like we have to do this. But if you have an existing client who has been booking you and you have a good relationship with them, following up with them, it dropped the if they dropped the ball on their end, that is going to that is a good client experience that you want to foster by being proactive going hey, I know you said you had this trip coming up. I haven't written here. I haven't heard from you about that booking. Is that something that you're doing? And how can I help you in getting that taken care of? Right? So customer experience, Client Relations is about fostering that and doing whatever you can. And understanding that it's not just done at the visit in the moment with the update or the report card. That's a 365 day a year relationship that you're building through the content that you're producing, through how you communicate business changes through the social media through all of these different aspects of the events that you host that is continuing to build and foster and that's part of that customer service. It's not just solving problems, but it's building that relationship with them.
Meghan 14:49
And with that relationship, I think one of the most important things is being a resource. And that means knowing the groomers and trainers and other pet care service providers and other pet resources, other pet stores in your community. So you can give your clients the full experience of going, okay? You have a puppy, here are some resources for your puppy, maybe you need training, maybe you need a new vet, all the way up to senior are there in home euthanasia services that are offered, is there a pet crematorium in your area, you know, and then obviously, the grooming all along the dog's life. And everything in between, you know, maybe they want treats, or maybe they want something else to help with their pet. You being that resource being the go to person or team in your community is really going to highlight you and separate you from everybody else.
Collin 15:39
Yeah, we actually just came upon a new person offering hospice and in home euthanasia services for elderly dogs or dogs who are really sick and cats as well. And we reached out to him immediately once we saw them starting to post them and hey, you're new in this area and offering the service we want to get connected with you because I know for Megan I were thinking, we actually have some clients who may need the service in the near future with their pets. And while it's not a happy thing, or an interesting thing to talk about, that is a resource we can give our clients to help them maybe have peace of mind in the future.
Meghan 16:15
So when thinking about being a professional pet sitter, what are some aspects that you consider? If you would like to let us know you can email us at feedback at Pet Sitter confessional.com Or you can even call us if you want and leave us a voicemail. Oh, what's that number? All right number is 636-364-8260. Thank you very much to pet sitters associates and our lovely Patreon members for supporting today's show. Thank you for listening. We appreciate you. Bye
