All tagged pet sitting business
Have you been to a conference? In a first for us, we were LIVE all weekend at the 2024 Texas Pet Sitters Association Conference! It was a jammed packed weekend filled with amazing people and great information. Listen in to get a little taste of what it's like to attend a conference, and check out our resource pages to see which one you can attend!
What does leadership mean to you? 💪 Ruby Ballesteros, owner of RubyReds Pet Care, discusses her transition from a corporate background to pet sitting. Ruby emphasizes professionalism and leadership, and stresses the importance of viewing and presenting yourself as a business owner first, rather than just being a pet lover. She highlights her military background as influential in shaping her values and practices. Ruby also speaks about the art of building strong, trust-based relationships with clients, going beyond mere services, to ensure their complete peace of mind.
Do you struggle with whether to hire an employee or work with an independent contractor? Many of us face wanting to grow, find space in our life, or take a break from the day-to-day work, but then worry about whether an employee or independent contractor is the right fit. Kim Ottone Tank, owner of both Apronstrings and Staffingstrings, joins the show to help us understand what it really means to hire an employee. Kim breaks down what the differences are between an employee and an independent contractor, how that impacts our businesses, and how to understand the true costs of each.
We were recently asked to be on a local TV program to talk about our business, so on this episode, we discuss how you can make the most of unexpected media exposure. We also share why you need to be intentional with your business interactions, connect others with your message, and understand that your business is highly visible in your community.
Summary:
Is it ever ok to judge yourself? When we become aware of our weaknesses, we’re better able to understand where we need help, and strengthen ourselves over time. As pet care providers, we often find ourselves questioning if we’re on the right path in life. Colleen Pelar shares why it’s important to judge yourself while staying kind to yourself. She also walks us through how to properly grieve the loss of a dream or vision we had for our life, so we can embrace what we do have.
Julie Fredrick, owner of The Pet Sitter of Boise, has been running her pet sitting business since 2003, while still holding down a full time job. With a team of over 35 employees, she spends her time focusing on giving the best possible service to the right clients. Julie shares how her background in operations and process improvement helps her run her business better and why more growth isn't always better. She also encourages us to start being a leader in the industry.
What does moving on the next phase of your life mean? How do you know when it’s time to make a big shift? Becky Eberly grew her business to over 35 employees in 17 years. Then decided she needed a change. Becky shares what that decision process was like and how she sold her business.
Mary Cornelius, owner of Aunt Mary’s Pet Sitting, started a pet care business 5 years ago with an extensive background in the hospitality industry. From how she defines who her clients are to how she meets their needs, she brings that expertise into everything she does. Mary discusses the importance of clear communication and setting expectations in her policies, and how she makes clients and their pets feels happy and respected.
The Pet Nanny Coach, Colleen Sedgwick, joins us to talk all about mindset and mindfulness in the face of adversity. We discuss the importance of delegating tasks and hiring the right people to be more present in the day-to-day operations of your business. Colleen also shares some of her most influential books and must reads as a pet business owner.
We share some of our thoughts on recent events and the Black Lives Matter movement. We have a special interview with Natasha O’Banion, owner of Walk with Renzo and Ruby, and Kylie Holliman-Rivera, owner of Fire Hydrant Pet Sitting. They sit down to discuss the BLM movement, what being an ally looks like, and what the pet care industry has to do with it. We end the episode with another “Question with a Pet Business Coach” segment with Natasha!
After some back-to-back meet and greets left us feeling a bit rusty after being closed down for so long, we breakdown some of the most commonly asked new client questions. Additionally, we're so happy to annouce a new segment with Natasha O'Banion, from Start.Scale.Sail. Each week Natasha will address some frequent pet business questions.
Mary Beth joins us this week to tell us her story of starting her pet care business. With a background in horses and animal care, when the opportunity arose she dove right into working with a friend in pet care. She shares how to handle working closely with a friend, and respecting both the friendship and the business. Plus, she gives us her process for staying organized and being prepared for emergencies.
