How are you using social media in your business? From just having a presence to being the main powerhouse of new clients, there are an infinite number of ways to approach social media. We break down our own usage and why it’s so important to find your purpose before you create your next post. It’s all about the content, but you won’t know what to post until you figure out why you’re posting.
What does it mean to serve others well? Pet care is a service industry at its core, meaning we need to be hyper focused on the needs of our clients. Madeline Best, co-owner of Happy Bark and Tails and Royal Dog of Honor, shares how she is balancing serving others, while running a business that meets her lifestyle. By leaning into wedding services, she’s found flexibility while also giving her clients a high-end service. She shares how she’s changed her staffing to hiring full-time only, and how we can continue to refine the services we offer, without losing touch with ourselves.
What tools does it take to build a business? As the business owner, you need to be equipped with the right tools to grow and run a successful business. We break down 10 tools we think every pet business owner should have in their tool box, and why they help you run a better business. Everything from organization and policies, to mindsets and personal development are needed, but you get to decide how they’re implemented for you. The best tools are the ones you know how to use and fit how you work.
What does resiliency look like in your business? Abagail Giordano, owner of Pack Pals NY, discusses how she is building her business through policies, procedures, and retaining the right staff and clients. She explains how it's important to create a sustainable and happy environment. Abagail also suggests to make decisions backwards and start with what’s best for you first. As she prepares for the birth of her child, she shares why making changes to your business is scary, but also necessary, to keep it resilient and relevant for the future.
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.
Do you feel like there’s too many things to get done in a day? Running a business means there is never a shortage of tasks demanding our time and attention. As pet professionals, our schedules are even more hectic, making managing tasks all that much more difficult. We break down the Getting Things Done system and how to apply it to your business. From capturing everything to regular reviews, once you get a system in place, your mind is freed up to do what it does best: create.
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.
How do you handle transformation and change? Gricel Arroyo, owner of Arroyo Pets, shares her journey of transforming her business over the past year. Starting with a focus on nail trims, she gradually expanded her services, with grooming now accounting for half of her business. She emphasizes the importance of up-selling services as a solution for clients. She highlights the need of being open-minded and learning from one another's experiences within the team. Becoming an employer has been a learning experience for Gricel, as she considers herself more of a team leader and mentor than a boss. Her primary goal is to create a better workplace where people feel heard and can grow within the team. She also delves into how she has changed as a person, learning to cope when things don't go as planned and understanding that she cannot control everything.
Are you using Digital Marketing to its fullest? In our busy lives as business owners, it can be hard to know where to invest our time, attention, and financial resources. Thankfully, there are a lot of free options! We break down the four we love and how to get the most out of them. We also discuss how to know which to start in and the importance of balance so you don’t feel like you have to do everything.
Claire Aither, owner and creator of Pet Sitting MKE, hiked the entire Appalachian Trail and kept her business running. Claire joins the show to share what preparing to leave was like and how she (and her team) worked through the hurdles that came. Claire explains her process of re-entering her business with fresh eyes and how she brought back a better version of herself.
Do you experiment in your business? Being a business owner means making changes, both big and small, so your company adapts to the constantly changing environment. But how do you do that well? By experimenting! On this episode, we share ways to approach making changes in your business so you get the most out of them. From setting time frames to recording data and results for later review, there are best practices you can do to optimize the results.
How do you get better over time? Taylor Leedahl, owner and founder of Tiny Horse, joins the show to describe how to approach process improvement and how we can develop a healthier relationship with our businesses. Taylor shares how she got started in the business and the challenges she has faced along the way. We cover the development of new products, the importance of understanding customer needs, and how to keep mission creep from taking over a business.
March started with a bang! Spring conference season just wrapped up and Professional Pet Sitters week concluded as well. We share our experiences attending the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters conference. We talk through what to consider when determining if you should go to a conference or not. We also give an overview of Professional Pet Sitters week, and why customer service is central to what we do.
You pay for insurance, but is it protecting you? Running a business means we have to understand the risk we take on with the services we offer. As your business changes, so too do your insurance needs. Colleen Giles-Harris, Underwriter with Pet Sitters Associates, joins the show to walk us through the questions we need to ask about our businesses to make sure we are covered. She explains where the homeowners insurance comes into play during a claims process and why it matters the kind of pets you’re caring for. Colleen also shares how to properly document for a claims process and how to approach minimum-level of care concerns.
What’s your best pet sitting or dog walking tip? We asked, and you answered! Everything from how to deal with nervous cats, to when should you get a poop bag ready, you sent in your best tips. On today’s episode, we share the results and share some tips of our own. Thank you to all who submitted feedback!
How do you serve your community? From offering employment opportunities to serving specific needs, our businesses can be a huge asset to our local communities. LeAnna Quartuccio and Brandon Elkins, owners of Hyde Bark Dog Walking & Pet Care + Hyde Bark Play and Park, join us to discuss why focusing on staying local is so powerful. They work hard to offer appealing benefits to their staff, and walk through how they can make that happen. LeAnna and Brandon made a huge decision to open a doggy daycare to better serve their community. They share their lessons from that process and their training protocol to turn new staff members into professionals.
What mindsets and behaviors help a pet business owner thrive? Like high quality tools, the characteristics we exhibit should help us, instead of being a hindrance to our success. It starts with knowing yourself and the kind of business you want to run. Then, you can implement the best practices. We break down five essential attitudes of a thriving pet business owner and what it looks like to implement them.
How do you show up for yourself? Hard work and dedication are definitional of what it means to be a pet sitter. The services you offer should be connected to the passions you have in life. Emily Duhancik, owner of Pet Sitting & Care by Emily, joins the show to discuss what it takes to offer farm care to very particular clients. Her motivation comes from a lifelong love of animals, and a desire to be an excellent role model for her daughter. Emily shares how she designs an amazing client experience, where to get more experience with farm animals, and how she honors her feelings and emotions through the services she offers.
