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484: Balancing Your vs Your Company’s Needs

484: Balancing Your vs Your Company’s Needs

Collin

Ever faced a business roadblock that made you question everything? Here's a deep dive into how we handled an unexpected hurdle and the strategies we used to keep afloat. From employee turnover to shifting business goals, we share the ups and downs you could potentially encounter, and the mindset you need to overcome. Balancing personal life and company demands is a constant challenge, requiring flexibility and a clear vision. That balance is critical to navigate obstacles while keeping your business and personal values intact.

474: Pitfalls to Productivity

474: Pitfalls to Productivity

Collin

Why is it so challenging to implement productivity tips into our lives? Amazon has over 10,000 books on the subject of ‘productivity’, so there certainly isn’t a universal solution for everyone. One of the major stumbling blocks to actually being more productive is a lack of understanding of how we work, and the nature of the work we need to get done. We break down common misconceptions to being more productive, along with several things to take into consideration when assessing a new productivity method, tool, or technique.

472: Tuning Out the Noise of Opinions from Others

472: Tuning Out the Noise of Opinions from Others

Collin

Who are you allowing to speak into your life and business? As a business owner, there are a lot of people who have opinions about what you do and how you do them. There is a lot of advice out there that clutters up our brain space and processing abilities, which can lead to decision fatigue and an incoherent approach. Instead of following the whims of other people, we have to tune out the noise by quieting our own life to better recognize the irrelevant advice from others.

470: Don’t Just Learn: DO!

470: Don’t Just Learn: DO!

Collin

What are you learning right now? Are you doing anything with it? We’re reflecting on the overwhelming abundance of information available to us, especially in running a pet care business. There is a crucial difference between endlessly acquiring knowledge and actually applying it to make tangible progress in our business. Something that is a hard balance to walk. We want to encourage you to prioritize action over consumption of new information!

462: Give Yourself Permission

462: Give Yourself Permission

Collin

Have you ever been frustrated by one more thing being added to your plate? There come times when our personal life impacts our ability to run our business and show up at our best. Whether it’s a personal loss, a new venture opportunity, or even moving to a new home, the pressure to continue to perform increases beyond our capacity sometimes. It’s in these moments where we have to carve out space we need to take that pressure off so we can focus on the right priorities.

456: Running an Efficient Team Meeting

456: Running an Efficient Team Meeting

Collin

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!

454: Fighting Jealousy to Find Joy in Your Business

454: Fighting Jealousy to Find Joy in Your Business

Collin

How do you overcome jealousy? As we step into the new year, it's an opportunity to embrace both new regulations and manage our emotions effectively. We begin by discussing the FinCEN and the U.S. Beneficial Ownership Information Registry, outlining what registration entails and its requirements. We then address a common yet powerful emotion: jealousy. We explore its triggers and potential impacts on your business. We then share four practical ways to start fighting jealousy so you can have more joy in your life.

444: Stress Testing Your Business, How to Learn From the Busy Times

444: Stress Testing Your Business, How to Learn From the Busy Times

Collin

How did your business hold up during the recent busy period? If you found yourself pulling your hair out, with multiple things falling through the cracks and your systems breaking, you’re not alone! Stress testing your business comes in the form of tackling more visits than you typically do. It allows us to see where our existing systems and policies fall down so we improve for next time! We break down 4 areas that commonly buckle under heavy business, questions to ask yourself to assess how you did, and ways to improve before the next busy time!

442: The Costs of Being a Business Owner

442: The Costs of Being a Business Owner

Collin

What does it cost to be a business owner? While there are certainty financial obligations involved, there are many more demands on us than if we didn’t run our own company. When we can identify the costs, we can better prepare for them, set boundaries and policies to control them, or remove them from our plates entirely through delegation and hiring. We break down five major costs to understand in being a business owner, and how to overcome them. 

432: Listener Mailbag!

432: Listener Mailbag!

Collin

We reached out on social media for your questions, and you responded! On this episode we cover everything asking about client cameras and our long term goals, to getting health insurance and our favorite cartoon pet. Thank you to all who sent in questions! 

428: Why You Should Join a Chamber of Commerce

428: Why You Should Join a Chamber of Commerce

Collin

Have you thought about joining a chamber of commerce or other local business support group? We had been throwing the idea around for a while and very recently decided to do it! Today, we break down what a chamber of commerce is, some of their benefits, and how we plan on getting the most of out it!

418: Putting in Hard Work

418: Putting in Hard Work

Collin

How does continually taking shortcuts in your business hurt you in the long run? While it may seem like a good idea to go after “tips and tricks” or “hacks” to overcome obstacles, you end up cheating yourself out of learning opportunities and confidence building. We break down several elements as to why tackling hard things is good for you, and how to know the difference between a hard task and a hardship in your life. 

398: Risky Business?

398: Risky Business?

Collin

What risks have you taken on in your business? While running a dog walking and pet sitting business is inherently risky, as the business owner you have control over the amount of risk and exposure you take on. We walk through the steps in a risk assessment and the questions to consider as you review the threats to your business. We also share how to know if the mitigation processes you’ve put in place are actually working.

380: The Pet Business Owner Toolbox

380: The Pet Business Owner Toolbox

Collin

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.

368: Conferences and Professional Pet Sitters Week

368: Conferences and Professional Pet Sitters Week

Collin

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.

367: Getting the Most out of Your Insurance with Colleen Giles-Harris

367: Getting the Most out of Your Insurance with Colleen Giles-Harris

Collin

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.

362: Marketing a New Service

362: Marketing a New Service

Collin

How do you market a new service? Whether you’ve created a brand new service, or reconfigured an existing one, getting it in front of your clients is the biggest hurdle. Sometimes, the same marketing tactics don’t work for a new service, so as business owners, we have to be aware of what our options are. We walk through why marketing a new service involves a mindset shift and why you should start marketing before you launch your service.

360: When You Want to Remove a Service

360: When You Want to Remove a Service

Collin

How do you know it’s time to remove a service you currently offer? Sometimes you find yourself no longer in love with a particular service. It may be massively popular, or just a massive headache, but it’s time for a change. We walk through how, over the course of a year, we planned and removed a major service from our business. We give some of the lessons we learned and some points to help make it as easy as possible.

354: What’s in a Name?

354: What’s in a Name?

Collin

Does it matter what you call your services? The language we use in our businesses is a very powerful tool in both attracting the right clients and repelling the wrong ones. As a business owner, we need to use clear language in everything we do, including what we name our services. We break down some areas of possible confusion, and then suggest ways to overcome those to connect with your clients.

352: Carrying Mental Burdens in Business

352: Carrying Mental Burdens in Business

Collin

How is your mental health doing? It’s a new year, so it’s a great time to assess how you are doing. With so much anticipation for 2023, hopes remain high for booming business. However, busy business doesn’t mean a happy heart. Life happens, which impacts you and your ability to run your business. We break down a recent poll we ran, what it says about the state of the industry, and how we can move forward!

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