All tagged website
What does it mean to surround yourself with people who can help make you better? How do we go about being vulnerable enough to admit we need that help? As a business owner, personal improvement and a supportive network are key to longevity! Angela Reinbacher, owner of Wild Paws, shares how she is making networking work for her. Angela also talks about how she is approaching marketing with video to attract her clientele, while also managing the growth in a healthy and sustainable way.
How is word of mouth marketing working for you? If you’re like many people right now, you’re finding that word of mouth is not quite enough to keep your business growing or maintaining the level you need. Today, we break down 20 marketing ideas to try if you’ve never had to market before. If it’s all a little intimidating, we also discuss 5 things to focus on to get started.
What makes a personal website? Dive deep with Mikaela Vargas, Founder of Pet Marketing Unleashed, as she unravels today's web dynamics on this podcast episode. Discover how AI is reshaping content creation, why SEO is becoming more human-centric, and the art of efficient website tinkering. Ever wondered how to keep your site fresh without a complete overhaul? Mikaela's got you covered. She shares everything from optimizing client onboarding to evading common web pitfalls.
What is a CRM and how can it help your business? As the marketer of your business, you’re in charge of finding ways of getting your business in front of more people and connecting them to the right services. A CRM (Customer Relationship Management) allows you to supercharge how you interact with your existing and potential client. Dom Hodgson, The Pet Biz Wiz, joins the show to break down how to make the most of a CRM and find the hidden money in your business. Dom explains what a quality CRM can actually do, how to communicate with your clients, and help you understand your clients better.
How do you know it's time to bite down and go 110% to make your dream a reality? We all find our own motivating forces in our lives. For Stephanie Brown, owner of Happy Trail's Pet Sitting & Dog Walking Services, she found her motivation in her family. She shares how her business has evolved and how it wasn't always easy to leave services behind. Stephanie focuses on client education and fostering relationships through a personal touch. She also gives great advice around implementing a power hour to stay organized in your business and how she's navigated bringing on a manager in her business.
Every day we do work that both directly and indirectly makes us money. The dog walks, grooming, pet sitting visits, and training are all pretty straightforward in that when we perform those tasks, we get paid for them. But what about the other work? How do we find the motivation to keep doing it, and doing it well, even when we don’t get paid directly for doing them?
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.
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.
Have you thought about trademarking your business? Getting a trademark is a great way to protect your business and gain credibility. Jay Pattiz, owner of Pampered Pet Sitting and Cat Sitting at Home, joins the show to share what it took to gain a registered trademark for his business. Jay started the process when he was thinking of expanding, but has found many other benefits for him. Jay gives advice on how to plan for multiple month long pet care visits, and why having guest blogging is so powerful.
Do you recognize the value of the skills you have? Most people get into a pet care because they find it ‘easy’ and are predisposed to excel. Ashley Carr, owner of Ashley’s Pawsome Pets, shares how she turned a natural skill into a business that has served clients with excellence sine 2014. Ashley gives her perspective on taking on challenges from regulations, and how she uses her community to adapt and strengthen her business. From hiring to training, Ashley walks through how she grows her team.
What is a lead magnet and why should we be using them? Lead magnets are a way of getting information from your client, or potential client, in exchange for something valuable to them. There are best practices to be mindful of when implementing one, and things to avoid doing. We walk through the different types of lead magnets, how to promote them, and how to assess if they’re working for you or not. We also break down 5 easy to implement ideas for a lead magnet you can start using today!
What does it mean to alleviate pet parent guilt? Tannis Martin, owner of Pawty Waggin, saw firsthand the power and impact pet care services had on pet owners, and knew she had found her calling. Tannis shares how she focuses on serving her human clients by helping to make her community more pet friendly and advocating for pet owners. Tannis grew her business extensively without a website and gives some insight into how she did that, but how ultimately she knew a website would benefit her company. She also breaks down her pet taxi service and how it became known not just to pet owners but to the local vet clinics and hospital as well.
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.
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.
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 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).
What are the business fundamentals for a pet sitting or dog walking business? Do you know someone who wants to run their own pet care biz but doesn’t know where to start? On this episode, we discuss how to get started. From a plan and getting a business license, to checking out insurance, we walk through what you need to have in place, and share from our own experience. Then, Natasha O’Banion answers, “How do I forgive myself after I make a mistake?”
Maria Teran, owner of Chicawoof Dog Walking, has gone through many life altering events. From fleeing her home country, to uprooting to a brand new city to start a business, Maria faces change with optimism and opportunities. She joins the show to reflect on those events, how she found and stays true to her brand, and growing and selling businesses.
Have you ever felt overwhelmed by not only physical clutter, but also perceived obligations and expectations? Minimalism is more than just getting rid of “stuff” and decluttering. It’s a way of getting more connected with your “why” and acting in your values. Paul and Sandra, from Minimalist Journeys, share their journey into minimalism and travel house sitting. They help break down what minimalism is, and isn’t. They also tell stories from nomadic house sitting and how to get better at receiving feedback!
Have you ever wondered how to grow a business organically and not take on extra debt? We break down what bootstrapping your business looks like from the ground up. We discuss the critical expenses in a new business and, once you’re making money, where you should consider reinvesting into your business. From websites and Google My Business, to licenses and continuing education, there are ways to save money. Bootstrapping is the process you apply to your goals and objectives for your business. Then, Natasha O’Banion answers, “How do I become more mindful?”
