Goal Setting

Discover how to set business goals in your pet sitting and dog walking business.

Can Pet Sitting Business Owners Leave their Businesses and Travel for 2 Months?

Dog Sitting Business, dog walking business, Goal Setting, Pet Business, Pet Sitting Business / /

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Yes. Yes. Yes! If you’ve got a supportive management team and great pet sitters and walkers on staff you can take time off to see the world.

And that’s just what I am going to be doing in January 2010.

When my business was 3-5 years old I traveled each year for 2 months. I would do lots of pet sitting for 10 months and then have my manager oversee everything for the two months that I’d be gone from the business and out of the country.

I went on a lot of great trips. I traveled for two months in Europe. Two months in Bali. Two months in Thailand. (Thai villagers dressed me up in Thai gown and crown and I led a parade of villagers down the street but that’s for another blog post!)

I have been desiring to travel again. What has held me back is that my business is now MUCH larger than it was 10-12 years ago! We have 35 staff members. Our huge client list continues to grow with the new calls we get daily.

I have been mulling over traveling for an extended period of time for awhile now and was noticing that fear was holding me back. I try to live my life in such a way that I normally don’t let fear run my life. I’ve coached many of you business owners on how to make peace with your fears and really live in a way that is fulfilling and meaningful both in business and in life. And yet here I was finding myself wanting to travel and letting the thoughts of fear stop me from committing to something that I really want to do.

My fear thoughts went something like this:  Will everything be okay while I’m gone? What if something happens while I’m away? What if……? (fill in the blank.)

Well, last week I decided to look the fear straight in the eye and smile at it and say, “I’m going.”

So I took the first step and asked my main business manager if she could manage the business while I was away. She said that she would love to.

And now I’m compiling an ultra long list of many tasks that need to be completed before I depart in 5 months. I’m also exploring: where do I want to go? I’m still mulling it over. Bali is definitely calling to me. I might start there and end up some place totally different.

I’ll keep you posted!

In the meantime I’d love to hear about you: what are some unrealized dreams that you have that you are afraid of fulfilling? Is there a way your business could support you in making those visions a reality? Email me privately or post your comment below if you like.

Can Pet Sitting Business Owners Leave their Businesses and Travel for 2 Months? Read More »

The Power of a Post It Note

Goal Setting / /

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In 1953, researchers surveyed Yale’s graduating seniors to determine how many of them had specific, written goals for their future. The answer: 3%.

Twenty years later, researchers polled the surviving members of the Class of 1953 — and found that the 3% with specific, written goals had accumulated more personal financial wealth than the other 97% of the class combined.

Do you have specific, written goals for your business?

If not, it is time to start.

One of the simplest ways to start setting goals is to write this month’s money goal on a Post It note and stick it on your computer where you see it every day (and usually you’ll see it multiple times a day if you are a frequent computer user).

I wrote my money goal on a Post It note on July 1.  Next to the amount that I wanted to earn for the month July, I wrote that I ‘easily and effortlessly achieve my goal’. And guess what? Money has easily and effortlessly come to me this month–I am almost to my target profit goal.

The power of the Post It note is that it creates an intention of what is wanting to be created. Creating a clear intention often inspires direct actions to take. THAT’S where the power ultimately is. Taking action in a way that will increase your business success. Sometimes we need a yellow sticky note to prompt us to do that.

Tomorrow is August 1, the perfect time to start experiencing your own Post It note success. What will your money goal be for August?

The Power of a Post It Note Read More »

Marketing: Are clients finding you everywhere?

Goal Setting / /

bb114s1946I spoke with Felicia Lembesis, the executive director for National Association of Professional Pet Sitters (NAPPS) on Monday.  We were discussing pet sitters and marketing and how it seems that many pet sitters have a fear or extreme dislike of marketing. Because a lot of pet sitters dislike it or fear it they end up not doing much of it and ‘hope for success’ instead of actively creating their business success.

In my own pet sitting business I ask clients how they heard about us and will often hear new clients say, “I see your company everywhere.”

How do I get EVERYWHERE?

Here is just some of what I do to get my business “everywhere”:
~ My website is search engine optimized (SEO) so I show up on the first or second line of most of the search engines. (Need help with this? I can do a complete SEO session with you.)
~ I drop off my attention-grabbing business cards on a consistent basis (every 1-2 months) to groomers, vets and pet stores.
~ I advertise in different pet publications that pet owners read.
~ I have signs on my car.
~ I look for advertising opportunities wherever–my feelers are open for possibilities to spread the word about my pet sitting company.
~ I have my website information on the bottom of my personal email so that friends are reminded (or alerted to) the fact that I own a pet sitting company.

Begin promoting your pet sitting business in a way that clients will soon be saying, “I see you EVERYWHERE!”

Marketing: Are clients finding you everywhere? Read More »

How to Write and Send the Perfect Rate Increase Letter

Goal Setting / /

In the last blog post I wrote about the importance of raising your rates and how, by simply raising your rates $2/per walk with 10 clients you can increase your earnings up to $5,200 a year.

Now, it’s time to actually do it!

Below are 5 tips around writing and sending the perfect rate increase letter for your pet sitting clients:

…

How to Write and Send the Perfect Rate Increase LetterRead More »

How to Write and Send the Perfect Rate Increase Letter Read More »

Tails Up! Business advice from a dog (and Cesar Millan)

Dog Sitting Business, Goal Setting, Pet Business, Pet Sitting Business / /

108173922_8c580a0230_mSince I don’t watch TV I have to get all my television episodes from friends second-hand and verbally instead of visually.

It’s kind of fun actually. You should try it sometime. I think you’ll like it. Especially if you have friends who are animated and entertaining like I have.  Who needs TV? Anyway, I digress…

So someone …

Tails Up! Business advice from a dog (and Cesar Millan)Read More »

Tails Up! Business advice from a dog (and Cesar Millan) Read More »

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