How do you manage your finances? Wendy Thomson, owner of My Three Cats, spent over 20 years as an accountant. She credits her background with her ability to get her business off the ground quickly during Covid. She joins the show today to share her experience of growing quickly, why we need to understand our finances, and why she decided to start a cat only business. She also shares what she looks for in a good hire for business.
2020 taught us we shouldn’t put all our eggs in one basket, which is why add on products or services are so great. On this episode, we share 20 way to make extra money in your pet business. Keep in mind though, that not every add on is good for every business and there are questions you need to ask before bringing something new into your business. Natasha O’Banion answers the question, “How do I streamline client communication?”
What does it take to merge two pet sitting and dog walking companies? Therese Villemure and Lindsay Licata believe it takes passion and sacrifice. Owners of Suburban Pets, they share their individual journeys into pet care and what prompted them to merge in 2018. From policies to software, there is a lot to consider! Therese and Lindsay give advice for how to make the most out of the relationships in our lives and why you should pick your battles.
Do you ever feel like you’re on a roller coaster? We know business is never static and there are things we can do to try to manage the business side of change. We cannot ignore the emotional toll the ups and down take on us though. We break down how to start preparing to embrace the emotions from the high and lows that happen, and how to make sure we don’t get derailed. Natasha O’Banion answers the question, “How do I get better at upselling my services?”
What fuels you? Dog walking and pet sitting is hard grueling work that takes a toll on our bodies. If we are not eating the right foods or finding the right balance, we are potentially signing up for a lot of health problems. Alex D'Elia, owner of Olox Nutrition, joins the show to talk about how to fuel our bodies well with the right nutrition. While it depends on your lifestyle, activity, and genetics, there are basic principles we can all follow to lead a healthier, more balanced lifestyle.
Do you have potential clients contact you for services you don’t offer or advertise? How do you convert a potential client from one service to another? It’s all in how you communicate with them! First, you have to make sure you are both using the same terminology. We break out 5 steps in communicating that can help you when faced with converting a client to a service you actually offer. Plus, Natasha O’Banion answers, “When is the right time to market?”
What does HR mean to you? Human Resources is all about how we treat the people in our company. Even if you're solo, having an HR mindset helps you treat people well. The pet sitting industry has quite a few challenges when it comes to HR. Kim Ottone Tank, owner of Apronstrings Pet Sitting, shares how to approach the unique nature of HR in pet care. Kim helps us understand why we should take HR seriously and why it's not such a massive burden.
Do you have a strong brand for your pet business? Why should we be concerned about it? Our brand is being built as we operate our business so the process of strengthening our brand is purposefully steering it to better position our business in the market. We share 5 ways to start building a stronger brand today. Plus, Natasha O’Banion with Automated CEO answers, “Should I take business and marketing classes?”
Pet sitting is a global community, with different flavors and markets across countries. Alexiane Arcens joins us to share what being a pet sitter is like in South Africa. She shares what challenges she and other sitters face in Johannesburg. Alexiane encourages others to price according to their skills and why client education is a big hurdle. She has endeavored to raise the bar in South Africa and has put together the very first pet sitters conference for Johannesburg.
Chances are, you’re probably using social media for your business. How is it working for you? Social media can be overwhelming and feel like it’s actually not getting you any business. While social media has many upsides, we discuss some of the pitfalls and how to avoid them. We also break down six common mistakes to avoid when using social media for your business. Then, Natasha O’Banion, Automated CEO, answers, “How do I make the most out of in-person marketing events?”
The lessons from the pandemic continue to highlight the importance of self reflection and knowing your ‘why’. The last couple of years have taught Heidi Lewis that she wanted to run a different kind of business. As the owner of Heidi and Hope Pet Services, she set about defining her boundaries and understanding what she didn’t want to do anymore. She has focused on converting clients from overnight to drop-in services and hiring staff so she can have more breathing room in her life. Heidi shares how she’s building relationships with local businesses and why she will always put her value first.
What do you stress about? As a business owner, you have a lot on your plate. Stress and anxiety can be a big part of running a business, but they don’t have to be! Use it as a tool to propel your business forward instead of it holding you back. We discuss the difference between fear and anxiety, some common stressful situations, and how we can start overcoming the anxiety they induce. Then, Natasha O’Banion answers, “How do I avoid paying payment processing fees?”
Abagail Girordano was given hope when she started as a dog walker for a company, but several years later found herself taking over ownership of it. She now runs Pack Pals NY and talks about her experience of growing into a management role and what it means to see change in yourself, without losing yourself. She shares what it means to fight for legitimacy in pet care and why we need to set appropriate boundaries. She gives advice on how our businesses can help others, instead of only thinking about what they do for us.
We all think we want to grow and grow our businesses. Just growing without a plan means we’re spending a lot of money and having a lot more headaches than we should be having. If you feel like you’re wasting time on tasks in your business and looking for a better way, you’re ready to scale. When we scale our businesses and processes, it means we can grow with less headache. We break down several examples of scaling in pet care and walk through four steps to use on everything you’d like to scale.
Tami Guy, owner of Creatures Pet Care in Kalamazoo, uses her background in zookeeping, and educating, to teach her clients all things pet care. Tami shares how she continues to learn from her staff when it comes to running her business. From equipping them with knowledge to providing membership opportunities, she dives into what it means to help pet parents live their best life with their pets.
We frequently talk about “knowing your numbers”, but what does that mean? What numbers do you need to know so you can determine if your business is healthy and growing? We discuss the five key financial numbers to know, as well as other areas to dissect to make sure your business is staying on track. From sales to website hits, we take a broad approach to look for red flags so we can make the necessary changes. Then, Natasha O’Banion answers, “How do I know if my marketing messages are landing?”
What does it take to be a flight nanny and how does someone get started? JP Anunciacion, owner of Dog Days & Cat Naps, who was previously on Episode 180, joins us to shed light on this growing niche service in pet care. JP outlines how to find clients and what to take into account when pricing your services. He also walks through how he prepares for the flight and what kind of gear he likes to have with him.
We had a client abruptly stop using our services recently. It hurt. In the pet care industry, we invest so much of ourselves, which means we’re more vulnerable. However, when we step back and assess a critique, we begin to not take things personally. On this episode we discuss ways to overcome being hurt by business transactions and why bring thick skinned in your business is important. Then, Natasha O’Banion answers, “How do I build my brand?”
What is a Google My Business (GMB) listing and how does it help a local business? Amy Toman, from Pet Sitter SEO, discusses the power behind a well optimized GMB listing and how client behavior is changing when searching for services. She gives advice on what to avoid to make sure your listing doesn't get removed (including how to use your address appropriately), why you should list your business on quality directory services, and how to approach Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
Once again, there is so much going on in the world around us. From Ukraine being invaded to rapidly rising inflation and gas prices, there’s a lot to overwhelm us. As business owners, we’re now navigating through yet another period of the unknown. How do we do that without burning out and stressing out every day? We share some ways to stay adaptable and deal with the rising costs. Natasha O'Banion answers the question, "How do I hire a virtual assistant?"
