All tagged service
In this episode, we explore how to determine if your area is reaching market saturation and what it means for your business. We break down essential factors like competition with lower prices, difficulty acquiring clients, and tracking pet ownership trends. By analyzing these elements, you can decide whether to differentiate services or adjust marketing strategies to stay ahead. With actionable insights, this episode helps you navigate a potentially oversaturated pet care industry.
What does it take to run a successful dog waste removal business that goes beyond just scooping poop? In this episode, Erica Krupin, owner of Kroopin's Poopin Scoopin, shares the behind-the-scenes realities of managing her growing business. She emphasizes the importance of providing an exceptional customer experience, from building trust through reliability to creating peace of mind with professional services. Erica dives into the challenges of hiring and retaining great employees, explaining how paying well and setting clear expectations helps her maintain a high standard of service. She also talks about the complexities of pricing for quality and managing company vehicles, highlighting how investing in these areas ensures long-term success. With her down-to-earth approach, Erica offers valuable insights into what it truly takes to lead a thriving, people-centered business.
What does it mean to pull your punches in business? In this episode, we explore the concept of strategically holding back to ensure sustainable growth and long-term success. We discuss how pacing your expansion, marketing, and client onboarding can help maintain high service quality and prevent burnout. Learn how to set realistic client expectations, manage your resources wisely, and avoid the race to the bottom on pricing. Join us as we dive into strategies for balancing ambition with caution, adapting to challenges, and positioning your business for lasting success.
Zara Wilmott, owner of Cat Sitter Toronto, shares her journey from cat sitter to business owner, highlighting the unique challenges and rewards of her niche. She discusses how the pandemic accelerated her transition and led to innovative operational changes that ensured both client and staff safety. With a deep passion for feline well-being, Zara emphasizes the importance of specialized care and open communication with clients.
Does hospitality translate from restaurants to pet care? Ken Botts, owner of Creekside Critters Pet Sitters, shares his journey into the world of pet care. He discusses the importance of community engagement, effective hiring practices, and the parallels between providing excellent service in restaurants and pet sitting. Ken emphasizes the role of heart-driven hospitality in building trust with both human clients and their furry companions.
Are you engaging with the right clients? Kate McQuillan, owner of Pet Sitters Ireland and Pet Business Owners, emphasizes the importance of market research and understanding your audience. She highlights how local content can drive meaningful engagement and how a consistent blogging strategy can significantly impact business growth. Kate stresses the value of genuine customer engagement over vanity metrics and the need for efficient operations to meet client expectations.
How is your business doing? So far, 2024 has been a challenging economic landscape, marked by a significant downturn in both new and returning clients. The pet sitting industry has experienced a saturation of the market post-COVID-19 and now economic pressures have led pet owners to tighten their budgets. We share strategies for adapting services and specializing to meet changing customer needs while maintaining a resilient and optimistic business approach. We cover everything from building in-person relationships with business owners, to also the challenges of niching in lean times and prioritizing mental health during slow periods.
Can you meet the promises you make to your clients? Our goal should be to truly embody values like professionalism, dependability, and transparency. Whatever you promise your clients, these should not merely be marketing terms but actual practices, supported by robust systems. There can be significant repercussions if we fail to meet the standards we set for ourselves, and we should be prepared to defend our practices when clients hold us accountable. Ultimately, we should strive to align our practices with our core values and maintain consistency in all interactions to build and sustain trust with clients.
What does it mean to reinvent yourself? Kirsten Kruska, co-owner of Pet and Plant Pal, explores the journey of career reinvention after a pivotal health challenge forced her out of dog grooming. Kirsten shares how she transformed her expertise in pet care and horticulture into a flourishing business. Emphasizing health & wellness, Kirsten shares how her commitment to physical fitness and overcoming injury shaped her approach to business and life. She also discusses ethical entrepreneurship, highlighting her dedication to ethical practices rooted in Buddhist principles, and how these values distinguish her services. Lastly, Kirsten discusses the importance of knowledge sharing, from grooming advice to plant care tips, illustrating her belief in education as a cornerstone of her business model.
How can you navigate the twists and turns of life through fostering community? Shannon Hendon, founder of Ocala Pet Sitting, takes us through her 18-year saga of transforming challenges into opportunities. From altering her career path away from vet school to implementing cool new services like kitty cam rentals, Shannon's story is a masterclass in adaptability and passion. She also discusses the power of community, the evolution of her business model as she adapted to personal challenges, and her dedication to setting new standards in the pet care industry.
What are you saying ‘No’ to? For many, saying ‘No’ is almost unthinkable; we have to service the client, right? Liz Raitman, owner of Dogs Next Best Friend, joins the show to share how a love of hiking and running turned into a full-time dog walking company. By learning to say ‘No’ more, Liz talks about how she’s learned from past mistakes to run a company that fits her better. Liz also gives her perspective on why we should hold customer appreciation in such high regard.
What does it mean to sell on price vs selling on features? When we go to market our business, do we understand what our messaging is communicating? When we sell at our price, we’re trying to differentiate ourselves by how much we charge. Selling on our features is when we can lean into experiences, expertise, and our high quality. There is a time for each as we work to hone our messaging for our target audience and our stage of business. On this podcast episode, we break down how to implement each strategy in your business, and what to watch out for.
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.
What was your 2023 like? If you’re like many, it was a very successful, but very difficult year. Running a business means tackling the ups, and working through the downs. The difficulties we face will be as unique as the businesses we run. We break down four challenges we worked through in our business this year, how they’re not all solved yet, and how we’re growing from each of them.
Ever wondered what it takes to be a pet detective and how you could add it as a service to your business? Annalisa Burns, The Pet Detective, sheds light on the unique skills and training required for pet search and rescue. She discusses the challenges and emotional aspects of tracking lost pets, emphasizing the critical role of understanding animal behavior. She shares about the growing demand for pet detective services across the U.S., and ways to add it as a service, or a grow a business around it.
How do you help potential clients see the value you provide? Connecting with the right clients is an art form as you refine who you are for, and who you are not. More than simply selling yourself, it’s about connecting at an emotional level with a client’s needs. Kerri-Ann Griffith, owner of Nashville Kitty Sitter, joins the podcast to explain how she runs a boutique business, while also finding clients who have never used a professional service before. Kerri-Ann shares why emergency planning is so important, and how it helps you become a better business owner. She also talks about how she uses her show business background to make the most of her meet and greets.
Can you transform a simple passion into a thriving business? Abby Strong, founder of Auntie Abby's Pet Sitting Service, shares her journey from a part-time pet sitter and full-time nanny to a thriving business owner. Abby shares the challenges and triumphs of transitioning from working solo to leading 21 pet sitters and dog walkers, emphasizing the importance of tackling hard tasks and taking pride in one's work. She discusses balancing the multifaceted role of a caretaker, the customization of pet care services, and the significance of building strong client relationships. It’s not just about growth, it’s about personal development and finding fulfillment and taking pride in our hard work.
How do spending habits change in a slowing economy? How should we respond? We break down possible options for making your business and services more valuable to your clients. It’s not about being cheap, it’s about finding an affordable way of serving our clients. There are pros and cons to consider when offering a more affordable option in your service line-up. Everything from a possible wider market appeal, to administrative overhead, you must have a clearer picture of whether introducing a more affordable service aligns with your business goals, the needs of your target market, and your operational capacities.
How much does it cost you to walk a dog or stay overnight in a client's home? While we typically consider expenses such as gas, insurance, and experience, what else should we include? Jill Jaffe, owner of "Fur Paws' Sake," joins the show to discuss why she's so passionate about offering "almost overnights" instead of actual overnights to her clients. Jill draws on the lessons she learned from her spirited little pup, Lily, emphasizing that running a business involves more than just financial costs.
Do you consider yourself a project manager? Running a pet sitting and dog walking company, we face many unique challenges and have to be able to adapt quickly, while keeping everything organized and structured. We take the traditional project management triangle and adapt it to the pet services industry, with the primary focus being on people. Obviously pet care is a number one priority in our businesses, but the people aspect cannot be minimized and should be accounted for when taking on any visit, walk, or extended care.
