520: Finding Opportunities in a Changing Economy
Have you ever attended an economic outlook presentation? In this episode, we share insights from a recent local presentation that highlighted key economic trends affecting pet care businesses. We discuss how inflation is increasing price sensitivity among clients, making efficiency and added value services crucial. We also emphasize the importance of focusing on stable sectors like healthcare and education to maintain a consistent client base. Understanding and adapting to the local economy is essential for thriving, even in uncertain times.
392: Finding P.R.O.F.I.T in Your Business
Are you profitable in your business? More than just finances, truly being profitable is about finding balance and building relationships when running your business. We break down the six aspects of being profitable and the major roadblocks to achieving them. From vague mission statements to your pricing structure, there’s a lot that could be holding you back.
363: Proving it to Yourself with Emily Duhancik
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.
338: The Damage of Undercharging
How can undercharging damage your business? While there are clear benefits of raising your prices, we tend to ignore the damage of undercharging. Undercharging impacts everything from your quality of life, to the perception potential clients have of your business. We break down 5 ways not charging enough can impact you and your business, and give some ways to start changing our mindset around what we charge.
332: Marketing Messages That Attract and Repel
What does your marketing say about you? Not only does our messaging need to attract clients, it also needs to repel some as well. By being up-front and honest about who you are and what you do, you’ll have potential clients realize you’re not a good fit before they even contact you. The power of your messaging means you have to be very intentional about what you’re putting out.
306: You Need to Stop Apologizing
While saying “I’m sorry” can come from many good places, often it’s driven by personal fears and anxieties. Apologizing when it’s not actually your fault damages your authority and trustworthiness with your clients. Today, we share why over apologizing becomes an unconscious habit and to start working towards healthier ways of communicating with clients and people in our lives.
300: Listener Questions
We’ve hit 300 episodes! On this episode we talk about why we started the podcast and answer some listener questions! We discuss how to take days off, addressing clients that question your prices, how to meet your money goals, and what to do about a biting puppy. We’ve learned and grown so much for hosting the podcast, so we share our biggest lessons from the last 299 episodes!
293: Decide to be the Leader with Julie Fredrick
Julie Fredrick, owner of The Pet Sitter of Boise, has been running her pet sitting business since 2003, while still holding down a full time job. With a team of over 35 employees, she spends her time focusing on giving the best possible service to the right clients. Julie shares how her background in operations and process improvement helps her run her business better and why more growth isn't always better. She also encourages us to start being a leader in the industry.
292: How to Handle Inflation as a Pet Business
How are you handling inflation and high gas prices? Prices on everything continue to rise and businesses are feeling the pinch more and more. Unfortunately, most economists aren’t seeing any bright spots in the future. So how do we tackle these concerns and make sure our businesses continue to operate and provide us a living? We break down four things you should be considering in the days and months ahead to make sure you’re positioned to weather the storms.
288: What to do When a Client Disagrees with Your Business Decision
Have you raised prices, brought on staff, made a policy change, and a client disagreed with the decision you made? Whether a new client or an existing client, it will happen eventually. It can be tough to get negative feedback on our businesses, so how do we properly (and professionally) handle it? We discuss the options and how to keep your business moving forward. Plus, Natasha O’Banion answers, “How do I break bad habits in business?”
277: Pet Sitting in South Africa with Alexiane Arcens
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.
274: Stress and Anxiety as a Business Owner
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?”
266: Rising Costs and Uncertainty
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?"
245: Pricing Mindset
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.
179: Avoiding the Pitfalls in Pet Care
Being a service based industry, we should provide both excellent pet care and excellent customer service. However, as we strive to meet those demands on us and our business, there may be some pitfalls along the way. We cover the common ones we see in pet care, and those we have fallen into. We share how to avoid them and get out of them, if you find yourself already in one. Natasha O’Banion answers, “What’s one policy you wish you would have started sooner?”
167: Conversation About Prices
Have you recently thought about raising your prices? On this episode, we have a conversation about prices and dive into the pros and cons of telling your clients, how to tell them, and some rules around prices we think everyone should have. Natasha O’Banion answers, “How do I convert social media followers into clients?”
090- Knowing Your Worth
We share responses from last week’s episode and discuss knowing your worth. We take a holistic approach to understanding that you are valuable and your business provides a value to your clients. Natasha O’Banion answers the question, “How do you know when to delegate and actually stick to it?”
031 - Heather Scott
On this weeks episode we talk with Heather Scott, owner of Heather’s Pet Care LLC about taking her business from a side hustle to a full time business. She also talks about some lessons she’s learned along the way with employees and how she keeps her clients coming back year after year.