All tagged staff
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.
Have you ever wondered how neurodivergence can shape the way a business is run? In this interview, Ilana Engel, owner of Park Slope Pups, shares her journey as a neurodivergent business owner with ADHD. She discusses the unique challenges and strengths that come with managing a pet care business while being neurodivergent. Ilana emphasizes the importance of using tools and strategies, like technology and structured methods, to succeed. She also highlights the benefits of hiring neurodivergent staff and the need to break down stigmas and misconceptions.
How are you navigating the challenges of business ownership? Joette White, owner of Park Cities Pet Sitter, shares her journey from being fired to successfully owning and growing a pet sitting business. She emphasizes the importance of staff management and trusting employees to foster growth. Joette highlights how personal growth and learning from failures have shaped her leadership style. She discusses adapting to challenges, especially during the pandemic, to strengthen the business foundation. Joette stresses the need for clear leadership and allowing space for staff to develop their strengths and confidence
Marie and Justin Plummer, the entrepreneurial duo behind Winston Salem Dog Care, share their journey from a small start-up to a thriving business with 17 employees. Their discussion delves into the nuances of hiring staff with a focus on professionalism in the pet care industry, while also maintaining a deeply personal touch. They highlight the importance of iteration in refining their hiring and onboarding processes and the role of technology in facilitating growth. The Plummers' story is a testament to the power of creativity, flexibility, and continuous learning in building a business that not only succeeds but also brings joy and satisfaction to its owners and clients alike.
Do you run team meetings? Meetings are usually one of the last things we want to do, and may even feel overwhelmed by putting one together. We walk through points to consider when planning the frequency and length of meetings. Plus, we share our 15-minute meeting format and how to prepare well!
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.
What are the unique challenges your business faces? Our business is shaped by our own values and how we want things done. It’s also molded by the community we service. Everything from how we hire, the services we can offer, and the kind of marketing we do is influenced by where we are. Natalie Spedden, owner of Aggieland Pet Sitting, walks through how she runs and hires in a town heavily influenced by a large university. Natalie shares how to take off our rose colored glasses to make hard decisions. She also talks about how she is building a professional team focused on the client’s needs.
What does it mean to embrace change while staying focused on the client experience? As your business grows, you may face necessary changes that push you out of your comfort zone. Transform any doubt in your abilities into motivation to learn, grow, and discover new methods. Alisha Riley, the owner of Alisha’s Pet Playcations, exemplifies this. She restarted her business after relocating across the country. In her journey, she discusses the importance of integrating oneself into the community and leveraging personal connections through your network. Additionally, Alisha shares her decision to start a coffee shop driven by a very special mission.
What do you do when life happens? The fact is, things happen that are out of our control, and our only roll is in how we respond. When running a business, we set policies that match the flexibility many clients need, or adapt to their requests if we want. In our personal lives, we respond by stepping up and showing our true character. Jessica and Chris Milam, owners of Fur Services Fur Pets, discuss what it means to live a life full of the right amount of crazy, love, and passion.
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.
Are you running the business you thought you’d be? Kimberly Layman, owner of Kimberly's Kritter Care, shares the process of refocusing her company to better align with her passions after experiencing burnout early on in the pandemic. She outlines her personalized onboarding strategy of phone calls and in-person meetings to set clients at ease. In addition, Kimberly explains how she structures clear expectations around communication preferences upfront to avoid issues down the road. She also details her strategic approach to obtaining reviews through timely and specific follow-up requests.
What should you consider before expanding to a remote service area? After a few years of trial and error, we've broken down 10 things you should ask yourself before starting in a remote area. We cover everything from planning your logistics to following local licensing and legal requirements. We also share about the biggest struggles we've faced and where you can expect to grow the most as a business owner.
Have you ever wanted to start a remote location for your business? We share our experiences two years into our experiment with our business. We needed a way to grow our business, and found a remote location fit exactly what we needed. From our struggles hiring and training the right staff, to managing an office and learning a brand new city, there was a lot we had to learn. We’ve changed our entire operations and many of our policies to meet the new challenge, and give insights into how that went for us.
What does it mean to be committed to your business? It means fully dedicating yourself to the success and growth, but it also involves a combination of personal investment, professional investment, and planning to ensure your business thrives. By fully committing to your business, you demonstrate your belief in its potential and lay the foundation for lasting success. We break down the key areas to commit to and how your goals and values drive everything.
Where do you go for new ideas and adapt to changing business landscapes? The ability to create and seek out new ways of thinking is a super power. As a business owner, it’s critical to staying successful and relevant to your clients. Maria Teran, owner of Chicawoof Dog Walking and Field Days, joins us for a conversation centered around how to seek out feedback and then make necessary changes. Maria walks through her two powerful tools for getting feedback, and why you have to leave emotion out of it. She also shares what it means to stay creative as a business owner and the importance of continually exposing ourselves to novel ideas. Throughout the process of changing and adapting, Maria stresses how to stay connected with your mission so you stay true to yourself.
How do you know when it’s time to walk away from a dream? As a business owner and entrepreneur, we are driven by our passions to our goals we set for ourselves. However, sometimes we have to quit and start over. Pivoting (quit by a different name) means course correcting due to either external, or internal factors. Wayne Hartley Jr., owner and founder of Happy Hearts Pet Care ATL, joins the show to share how he quit his dream of mobile grooming to start a brick and mortar business. Wayne sacrificed a lot to make it happen, but it was all because he recognized he needed the change to better connect with his mission. He gives advice on how to keep moving forward, even when you’re exhausted, and how to innovate well in your business.
Have you thought of using lockboxes? We discuss the benefits and implementation of lockboxes for managing client keys. We break down the reasons for adopting lockboxes, communicating the change to clients, and tailoring the approach for new and existing clients. We walk through our process of implementing them and how to address potential issues.
What does it take to completely transform your business? Creating a business that works for us means that sometimes we have to step back and realize we are capable of change. We can still serve clients with excellence, with an entirely new model of business. Michelle Kline, owner of Venture Dog Walking, converted her pet sitting business into a dog walking company. She shares the groundwork she laid to make it successful and outlines her communication strategy to both staff and clients.
Just as we work to educate clients, when we bring on staff, it’s our role to educate and mentor them in the career of pet care. Cassidy LeMair, owner of Cassidys Custom Pet Services, shares how she builds lasting relationships and partnerships with both staff and clients through her open and straightforward style. Cassidy details how she creates consistent customizable services and gives her insights into how she learns from her mistakes.
Have you had issues with staffing? 2022 may very well be defined by the labor market flipping to empowering employees. This has meant hiring and retaining staff has been difficult, especially as a small business. From competing on wages, to connecting with mission, job applicants are able to be very picky. We break down how we’ve changed our processes and have been investing in existing staff. Having staff will continue to be a major issue into the new year, and we have to prepare for it.
