Have you attended a pet sitting conference? We just went to our first in-person conference, the Texas Pet Sitters Conference. Attending, especially in person, brings a ton of benefits, if you’ve prepared and are ready to take advantage of them. We share our experience and why we think you should go to one too! Plus, Natasha answers, “How do I make my life about more than my business?”
Jen Tserng joins the show again to discuss how to have an investing mindset and what it means to make saving money fun. From setting budgets to raising prices, taking a wholistic approach to our financial health is really what sets us up for success. Regardless of whether you want to retire in 10 years, or 30, it takes understanding your numbers and financial discipline to execute the plan.
So, after everything we have learned and experienced through hiring, what are our major takeaways? We discuss it in this episode. Hiring has certainly been a major growth opportunity for the business as well as our personal mindsets. We share some of our mistakes, lessons learned, and how we can do better next time. Natasha answers, “I’m solo, do I need to care about company culture?”
Dom Hodgson, the Pet Biz Wiz, talks about growing your business sustainably through pricing and upselling on additional services. By continuing to focus on the fundamentals of our businesses, we’ll be less likely to make rushed and stressed decisions. Dom also shares what it means to give your clients a premium on-boarding experience and how to increase lock-in of existing clients. Dom has an upcoming live event in March (INSPIRE 2022) that we are taking part in, and would love to see you there!
Jen Walmsley is a trainer and dog walker in Bedford and operates Fetch Club, with a mission to provide top quality mental and physical stimulation to her clients. She shares how the growth of her business helped her be more creative and why hiring was so important to her. We also discuss what it means to focus on training fundamentals and how she makes her group walks function.
It’s now time for you to bring your new hire into your company and help them feel like they belong. You need them to feel valued and part of your company, which takes time and intentionality on your part. Onboarding and training staff can feel daunting, but planning out the first six months to one year for them will help you make sure they’re on track and you don’t miss anything that will leave them hanging. Then, Natasha answers, “How do I become a better manager?”
Mikkel Becker, from Fear Free and Fear Free Happy Homes, discusses how following the Fear Free philosophy impacts our ability to build trust with the pets in our care. It not only makes our job easier, but also sets up the pet and owner for success. Mikkel shares how fear manifests itself in dogs and cats, and what we can do to help them in those moments.
Have you ever felt overwhelmed with everything you have to do? Or maybe you’ve felt inadequate because you can’t seem to make any headway on your to-do list. Whatever the reason, you are not alone. Life as a business owner means there is a never end list of things you have to get done. Managing these feelings takes understanding that we all have our limits. It also means setting better expectations for what you’re able to do and when it can be done. Then, Natasha O’Banion answers, “What are you looking forward to this year?”
Do you speak dog? Garrett Stevens has spent his life trying to understand what the animals around him are saying. Garrett owns Stevens Family Kennels and Dog Language Center, and questions everything when it comes to dog training and behavior. The use of touch is extremely important in a dog’s control of their environment and gives us clues as to what they need. Garrett gives advice on assessing whether a dog is mature and how to foster a better relationship with them. Your clients are looking for family members, not robots, which means we get to help them find balance.
What happens after you post your job ad? Should you be doing anything else? 🤔Turns out, there are a LOT of things you need to have in place and think through. From insurance to team communication, we break down what you need to do before bringing on staff. Having a manager mindset will allow you to anticipate problems and remember that you are the authority. Then, Natasha answers, “What else can I have my staff do?”
After only providing nail trims to meet the needs of her community, Gricel Arroyo has experienced rapid growth and is about to make the leap to full-time. As such, she’s caught between knowing she wants to grow and expand, but also trying to run the business she has. Gricel balances the growth and social media by keeping it in perspective and working towards her goals. She shares with us what her growth has been like, and how she stays transparent with her clients about her business.
in this episode, we break down the 4 stages in our hiring process and why we think they are critical. We also explain how to remain impartial throughout the process and the importance of knowing exactly what you’re looking for before you start.. You should have a plan and know what is a good vs bad answer to your questions. Then, Natasha O’Banion answers, “How can I celebrate holidays and still run my business?”
Do you ever feel guilty that you should be doing more in your marketing? 📢With as many hats as we wear as business owners, it's common to start feeling like you're not doing enough. In this episode, Jane Harrell, from Working with Dog and Cause Digital Marketing, shared ways we can market efficiently, use time effectively, and learn to forgive ourselves when we don't get everything done.
Have you ever posted a hiring ad? In the current job market it’s more critical than ever to nail the ad posting so you get what you need out of your hire. With more people switching jobs and careers than ever before, your ad has to connect with what they’re looking for and help them see a future with your company. We break down the ads we’ve placed and what you should consider before you post yours. Then, Natasha O’Banion answers, “How do I set good goals?”
How has your business grown? Growing rapidly is never easy. Since starting Fur Baby Comfort & Care three years ago, K.C. Heitchue has worked hard to provide exceptional pet care to Southeast Michigan and has grown to over 900 clients. K.C. shares her motivations for starting the business and how that has continued to drive her. She also discusses how growing her Facebook page helped her build a network rather than competition. She shares the key to staff retention and what it means to go the extra mile for clients.
Have you thought about hiring? We have. A LOT. We recently hired for the first time and will be doing a series of episodes on what the process was like for us. Hiring isn’t always the answer to our struggles in business, so we break down some of our reasons for deciding it was time to hire. We also give you some questions to think through if you’re on the fence. Then, Natasha O’Banion answers, “How do I get over my fear and make big changes?”
Have you ever used Canva for your business? It's a software and app that gets recommended as a great way to create social media posts, but what exactly is it and how do we get the most out of it? Jessica Bay from Templates for Pet Pros joins the show to share simple workflows to use in Canva and how to make sure you don't spend hours making your posts. She gives us some of the power features everyone should be using and how it's more than just social media posts. We also discuss many facets of Instagram and why having a strong social media presence builds authority with your clients.
Did you raise your prices starting January 1st? There are often stumbling blocks and fears surrounding charging what you need to in order for your business to survive. We debunk several of those and discuss the importance of doing a personal (and business!) budget so you know exactly how much you need to live the life you want. During this first week of the New Year, re-evaluate what you charge and how you determine that price.
How should you set your prices? 💰Because pricing is such a huge topic in the pet care industry, we asked Natasha O'Banion, Doug Keeling, & Dan Reitman to each share their mindset around pricing. With us going into a New Year, right now is the perfect time to step back and assess not only your prices, but also your mindset around charging for your services, and viewing yourself as a business owner. It's so much more than "know your worth". It's about understanding the opportunities available when you price right, and the opportunity costs when they're not set correctly.
What were your wins for 2021? On the last Monday of the year, we review what has happened to us this year. We discuss our biggest moment from each month and what we hope to carry forward into 2022. Reflecting on your wins will help keep you motivated as you move forward into the new year.
