415: Fostering Relationships Through Your Software with Mike Grenier

415: Fostering Relationships Through Your Software with Mike Grenier

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What drives close relationships in your business? We should view everything we do as an opportunity to foster relationships with our clients, including our software. Mike Grenier, co-founder of Time to Pet, joins the show to share how they prioritize problem-solving. Mike emphasizes the importance of adhering to guiding principles while not being afraid to pivot in response to market changes. He describes the process of building a niche business and how his early days running a pet sitting business with his wife influenced their approach to software.

414: When You’re Paralyzed by Doubt

414: When You’re Paralyzed by Doubt

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Have you ever experienced self doubt? It can come from many areas; lack of information, conflicting information, or internal conflicts of beliefs and values. As a business owner, we’re required to do hard things in our business, which means we’re likely to encounter doubt and insecurity more often. We break down the relationship between fear and doubt and how to keep moving forward. Doubt doesn’t have to mean the end of anything. It should act as a trigger to do something different or seek out help.

413: Navigating CRMs with Dom Hodgson

413: Navigating CRMs with Dom Hodgson

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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.

412: 4 Lessons From 4 Years of Podcasting

412: 4 Lessons From 4 Years of Podcasting

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We just celebrated four years of podcasting! We can’t believe where the time has gone. What started off as a to share from our experiences quickly turned into a while of showcasing the amazing people working in the pet industry. We’ve been honored to share their stories and learn from the best of the best. We break down four lessons we’ve learned and how they’re impacting our own business, and the importance of tackling big problems.

411: Transitioning from International to Local Pet Care with Kelly Hayes-Raitt

411: Transitioning from International to Local Pet Care with Kelly Hayes-Raitt

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When making big decisions, it's important to gather new information and seek out novel experiences in order to fully understand the situation before moving forward. In this episode, Kelly Hayes-Raitt, known as the HouseSit Diva, shares her experience of using international travel house and pet sitting to find a new place to live. By experimenting across different cultures and lifestyles, Kelly emphasizes the importance of embracing each step as an opportunity to grow and learn. She also discusses how she transitioned from being a free house and pet sitter to offering a paid service in her new hometown, and how this change has affected client expectations. Whether you're planning a business shift or a major life change, new experiences can teach you a lot!

410: Finding Creative Flow

410: Finding Creative Flow

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How do you stay creative? As a busy business owner, our ability to be and stay creative is critical to the longevity of our business. Unfortunately, we often find ourselves unable to reach creative flow and end up sticking to the same old same old. We break out ways in which creativity is essential to your business (it’s WAY more than social media posts). We also share the common reasons we find it difficult to be creative and 3 strategies you can use to start overcoming them today.

409: Growing the Pet Care Industry with Jamie Migdal

409: Growing the Pet Care Industry with Jamie Migdal

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Do you see yourself as playing a vital role in the health of the pet care industry? To ensure a robust future, we can all be ambassadors for professional dog walking and pet sitting. Jamie Migdal, founder of Fetchfind!, joins the show to share her vision for the future of pet care. From collaborative approaches to pushing the limits of our own education, Jamie believes we can all make our mark on the legacy of pet sitting. She also discusses how in order to decrease competition, there needs to be an increase in the consumer base. By being advocates for pet owners, we help bring more people, pets, and profits to our businesses.

407: Bookkeeping Mindset with Anne-Marie Kaden

407: Bookkeeping Mindset with Anne-Marie Kaden

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Are you a numbers person? Whether you’d describe yourself as one or not, you run a business, so understanding your numbers is critical! Some people think it’s too complicated, others may have an emotional block to diving into them, but the fact remains that you will struggle to make sound decisions without drilling into your books. Anne-Marie Kaden, owner of Tiny Paws Pet Sitting & Tiny Paws Book Keeping, joins the show to share her passion for bookkeeping. She walks us through how good record keeping and number crunching helped her own pet sitting business, and why even knowing a little can be game changing for you. Anne-Marie discusses the different accounting methods, how to choose the right one for you, and even some best practices for using accounting software.

406: Making the Most of Media Exposure

406: Making the Most of Media Exposure

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We were recently asked to be on a local TV program to talk about our business, so on this episode, we discuss how you can make the most of unexpected media exposure. We also share why you need to be intentional with your business interactions, connect others with your message, and understand that your business is highly visible in your community.

405: Thriving Through an Emergency with Amy Sparrow

405: Thriving Through an Emergency with Amy Sparrow

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What kind of emergencies are you prepared for? While we may focus on natural disasters, lost pets, or medical emergencies, what about you? After going through a severe medical emergency, Amy Sparrow had to make drastic changes to her business, Fur Kid Sitting & Services. Amy shares how having a multi-year business plan allowed her to accelerate a brand new business structure. From growing a network, to addressing your personal risks, Amy stresses the importance of getting a plan in place today. She also explains why it’s critical to give back to the community.

404: Communicating in Stressful Situations

404: Communicating in Stressful Situations

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How do you handle stressful situations? From acute to chronic, we encounter all sorts of situations in running our business. As a business owner, we’re obligated to not just take care of stressful situations and emergencies, but also communicate and help others through it as well. We break down how to cope with stress in the moment. We give several strategies for effective communication and also how to plan for after the emergency is taken care of.

403: Business Exit Planning with Joshua Winterswyk

403: Business Exit Planning with Joshua Winterswyk

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Do you have an exit plan from your business? While it may feel like you’ll be working for the rest of your life, you will stop working eventually. Having an exit plan means taking the time to step out of your business in some way. Joshua Winterswyk, Certified Financial Planner with RPA Wealth Management, shares the strategies for exiting your business well. Josh walks through the various options you have as the business owner. He also discusses why you should build a strong team to guide you through the process.

402: Planning the Perfect Visit

402: Planning the Perfect Visit

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How do you plan your visits? While not every visit is the most complicated, every detail still matters. To ensure you don’t miss a thing, and that the client’s expectations are met, preparation is key! We break down the 5 big buckets of information you need from each client. We then walk through the process of turning that information into a well organized (and time budgeted) visit!

401: How to Retain the Best Clients with Candace D’Agnolo

401: How to Retain the Best Clients with Candace D’Agnolo

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How do you keep clients coming back over and over? Candace D’Agnolo, from Pet Boss Nation, joins the show to discuss how to create raving fans of your business. Candace breaks down strategies for building long-lasting relationships with clients, and how to help them fall in love with your services. She also shows us ways to increase the perceived value of your business, while anticipating your client’s needs. Finally, Candace encourages us to implement follow-up services as a way to keep clients invested and engaged.

400: The Life of a Pet Sitter

400: The Life of a Pet Sitter

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What does the life of a pet sitter mean to you? We’re celebrating 400 episodes by reflecting on 5 major lessons we’ve learned about the life of a pet sitter. Pulling from over 200 interviews, we share what it means to be a pet sitter, and the best advice we’ve learned. We’re so thankful for you listening and are so excited for another 400!

399: Running a Multi-Dimensional Business with Susan Morin

399: Running a Multi-Dimensional Business with Susan Morin

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What does it mean to run a multi-dimensional business? Not only do you offer a range of services, but you also have a lot going on every day. Susan Morin, owner of Susan’s Pampered Pet Care, shares how she’s piloted a growing business. She discusses how she highlights the strengths of her business to attract her target clients and walks through the balance of running a business to meet her client’s needs, while also enjoying the day to day operations.

398: Risky Business?

398: Risky Business?

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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.

397: Implications of Perceived Generational Differences in Your Business with Dr. Michael Urick

397: Implications of Perceived Generational Differences in Your Business with Dr. Michael Urick

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Have you struggled hiring and managing employees for your business? One of the most common complaints is the issue of hiring someone from a different age bracket and how they work and communicate. Dr. Michael Urick (Dean of the Alex G. McKenna School of Business, Economics, and Government at Saint Vincent College) discusses the dangers of relying on stereotypes and perceptions, and emphasizes the importance of effective communication and understanding in the workplace. He also addresses the impact of generational differences on internal and external relationships, and offers suggestions for mitigating these risks. We explore the challenges and misconceptions surrounding intergenerational interactions, and encourages us to question our own biases and assumptions.

396: Considerations for Starting a Remote Service Area

396: Considerations for Starting a Remote Service Area

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What should you consider before expanding to a remote service area? After a few years of trial and error, we've broken down 10 things you should ask yourself before starting in a remote area. We cover everything from planning your logistics to following local licensing and legal requirements. We also share about the biggest struggles we've faced and where you can expect to grow the most as a business owner.

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