Pet Business Marketing Teleseminar - Get Your Marketing Questions Answered For $7

Filed Under Pet Business Interviews, Pet Business Coaching, Pet Business Success Circle | July 11, 2008

Marketing a Pet Business Next Tuesday July 15th at 7pm CT I will be interviewing pet business marketing expert Leslie May - CEO of Pawsible Marketing. No matter what type of small business you have or want to start, one of your most important tasks is marketing your business to attract new clients.

There are so many options including advertising, networking, businesss cards, flyers, publicity that it can be difficult to decide where to focus your efforts so that you are most effective.

Leslie has been a marketing consultant to small business since 2002 and launched Pawsible marketing in 2007 which focuses on helping pet businesses. Here is a taste of what I will be discussing with Leslie :

The 5 most effective marketing methods you should use to promote your pet business

How to get the most bang for your advertising bucks

Why you need a marketing plan and how to create a plan and marketing budget

How to get local publicity via newspapers, radio, TV, and local pet events

Every one who joins us on the call will also have the opportunity to get answers to their burning marketing questions from Leslie.

This call is part of the Pet Business Success Circle Coaching and Mastermind Program that I have just re-launched.

You can join us on the call for only $7 and also get access to the recording and written transcript of the call. After the call you will also receive my action plan checklist that will show you how you can apply everything discussed on the call to your pet business.

This is a very small investment to get personal advice from a specialist pet business marketing consultant. Getting the help you need to get more clients will cost you less than dinner at Chilli’s!

If you need help with marketing your business please consider joining us on the call. I’d love to hear you get your questions answered.

To sign up for the call and the other great benefits of becoming a success circle member click here.

If you have marketing questions that you would like to see answered on the call please leave them in the comment section below and I will add them to my interview questions.

Tags :pet business coaching, Pet Business Interviews, Pet Business Success Circle

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How to Create a Pricing Strategy for Your Pet Business

Filed Under Pet Business Tips | July 9, 2008

Pricing Strategy Pricing your services is perhaps one of the most anxiety filled steps in building a successful pet business. Too low and you’re not taken seriously, too high and no one can or will afford your services. It’s a wiggly tightrope to walk. Here are three steps to help you stay balanced and find the perfect pricing structure to meet both your needs and the needs of your customers.

Step One. What is your competition doing? Your competition’s pricing strategy is an essential metric by which you will measure your own pricing strategy. Take the time to examine the pricing of the pet service down the street as well as the pet service on the other side of the country. Use this information as a starting point, not the determining factor, by which you’ll establish your prices.

Be sure to examine your direct competition as well as the indirect competition. For example, perhaps you offer grooming services so other grooming businesses will be your direct competition however a boarding facility or a veterinarian who also offer grooming services are your indirect competition. Additionally, stores which offer ‘do it yourself’ grooming products may also be considered indirect competition.

Step Two. What is your USP? USP stands for Unique Selling Proposition. What makes you unique and different from your competition? What can you do better or add to the services to demand a higher price? Make a list of everything your competition does. What benefits do they offer? What makes them unique? What do they do very well? What are their weaknesses? Now make a list of what you presently do very well and what you can offer to make yourself stand out above your competition. This uniqueness, this essential customer service is what you charge for.

Step Three. Market your uniqueness. A large part of the success of a pricing strategy rests in the success of your marketing. To demand higher prices, it is necessary to position yourself as the expert, as worthy of those high prices. Take a look at your current marketing strategy. What can you do to position yourself as a leader in your industry? How can you market your ‘expert status’ to raise the value of your services?

Armed with the information you now have about your competition’s pricing as well as what makes your services better and unique, you can now create a pricing strategy which makes sense for you. Make sure that with the pricing you choose that you are able to cover your costs and make a profit that you are comfortable with.

Remember that no pricing strategy is set in stone. If you find you’re a bit too high for some services add an incentive or package your services differently to justify the price. Offer special promotions and use a lower pricing structure as a marketing opportunity. Likewise if you find you’re booked solid then consider raising your prices. Your customers won’t likely mind and the extra income is always good.

Tags :pet business tips

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Pet Sitters International State of Industry Survey Results

Filed Under Pet News | July 8, 2008

This year I participated in PSI’s State of the Pet Sitting Industry survey and today I received an email with the early results. The information about pet sitting clients can help you tailor your marketing efforts to attract more ideal customers. Here is your sneak peek!

This year’s survey was conducted exclusively online. PSI conducted the survey from April 9, 2008, to April 27, 2008. A total of 1,814 members completed the survey, which is a 24 percent response rate. RESULTS

Business Profile

98% of all businesses are independently owned.

84% of these businesses are owned by women.

On average, 12% of members have at least one full-time employee and 23 % have at least one part-time employee.

Businesses that made $40,000 or more in 2007 on average have one full-time employee.

On average, those who have been members for more than 7 years and made more than $40,000 in 2007 have 2 part-time employees.

52% of members state they never use independent contractors—23% say they rarely do.

84% of members carry both liability and bonding insurance (This percentage decreases slightly to 77% for those who have been members less than a year.)

Nearly all PSI members service both Dogs and Cats (97%), while two-thirds service Fish (69%), Birds (68%), and Cage Pets (66%).

44% of members primarily service suburban areas—58% of members located in the Northeast United States primarily service suburban areas, more than any other location.

Median revenue for 2007 was $20,000, median number of clients was 50, and median number of pet-sitting assignments was 775.

The median number of pet-sitting assignments quadruples to 3,506 for those who made more than $40,000 in 2007.

The average length of time taken to service a client was 38 minutes.

The average fee charged for a visit was $18.51.

More than 90% of all members advertise through Word of Mouth (98%), Business Cards (96%), and PSI Pet Sitter Locator Web (94%).

68% of all members advertise through their own Web sites.

The top five services offered by members are: Basic pet care (95%), Dog walking (92%), Care of special needs pets (85%), Pet transportation (62%) and Overnight sitting (54%).

PSI Member Profile

The typical member is Female (92%), Age 41 to 60 (60%), Caucasian (94%), Married (59%) and Owns her home (82%). Additionally, she has completed at least some college (88%), entered the pet-sitting industry due to her love of animals (55%), and has been in the business for 5 years or less (61%).

Pet sitters most commonly own Dogs (79%) and Cats (61%). Of these, members typically own 2 dogs and 3 cats. Approximately one-third of all members belong to the following organizations: Animal Rescue (39%), ASPCA (37%), Local Humane Society (36%), Local Pet Sitters Network (35%), and Pet Sitters Associates LLC (31%).

57% of all members belong to their local Chamber of Commerce, and 23%belong to Better Business Bureau.

Pet Sitting Client Profile

On average the typical pet-sitter client is a married couple between the ages of 36-50. Members state there are more married couples without children (40.5%), than couples with children (28.9%) who utilize their services.

Single females (24.6%) tend to use pet sitters at a higher rate than males (10%).

Individuals ages 26-35 (24.4%) and 51-65 (23.8%) appear to utilize pet sitters at the same rate.

Less than 25 years old was the smallest group, making up only 4.2% of all clients. 80.3% of all clients pay in the form of a check—only 17.3% pay with cashn and 7.2% use a debit/credit card.

The top three reasons for the use of pet sitters are: Vacations, Midday walksn & visits, and Work schedule.

Technology

34% of members were highly interested in participating in PSI Webinars. The same number of members was moderately interested.

Pet sitters who have been in the business less than one year had much higher interest (51%).

“Pet Care and Education,” “Running Your Pet-Sitting Business,” and “Marketing/Advertising” were the top three topics mentioned for possible PSI Webinars.

More than 57% of members stated that petsit.com is the Web site visited most often for pet sitting and business-related issues.

58% visit the site at least once a month or more.

46% stated they visit the Members Only section at least once a month. Of those who have been members less than one year, 67% visit at least once a month (22% once a week or more)

Tags :Pet News

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How to Be an Environmentally Friendly Pet Owner

Filed Under Pet News, Pet Health | July 6, 2008

When examining what you can do for the environment the simplest answers are often right at your feet. Those furry little creatures we love so much, our cats and dogs, offer a truly great way to not only do our share to improve the environment but to give them better care. Here are five things you can do right now to be a greener pet owner.Dogs unlike cats leave little packages outside. Cleaning up their waste for disposal keeps our water supply much cleaner however rather than using a standard bag, consider using a biodegradable animal waste bag found at your local pet store. Biodegradable bags ensure your dog’s waste ends up at the junkyard where measures are taken to keep chemicals from leaching into the water supply and the material is allowed to degrade naturally so it doesn’t consume space and stay in our landfills for decades.

Natural product cat litter is sure to keep toxins out of your home and your environment. Did you know that many kitty litter products contain silica dust which is a known carcinogen. There are however several viable alternatives which are made out of natural products like wood chips or recycled newspapers. Some can even be flushed right down your toilet and are harmless to your septic system and our ground water. The good news is they can be found at your local pet store. Organic shampoos and cleaners are a pet owners best bet. Many pet care products contain Phthalates and/or Triclosan both known toxins which make their way into our ground water and eventually into our drinking glasses. Organic shampoos and cleaners do not contain these chemicals and are therefore safer for our environment.

Purchase non plastic pet products. Many pet products contain Phthalates and Bisphenol A which are both harmful to your pet and can contaminate our ground water. Some animals can actually have allergic reactions to these chemicals and can suffer symptoms ranging from warts on their cute faces to lung and breathing difficulties. Who can forget the contaminated pet food scare last summer? So many of our favorite furry loved ones suffered illness and even death. Most pet foods contain preservatives, additives, chemicals for coloring and even fragrance and toxins. These toxins come both from the production process as well as natural process like molding and fermenting which produce dangerous effects. Organic food means no chemicals in your pet and no chemicals on the ground or in our water supply. They’re also significantly healthier for your cat or dog.

Ready to do your part to help your environment? Partner with your pet for a better, cleaner, and healthier world for you and for them.

Tags :pet health, Pet News

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Pet Safety Tips for a Fun 4th of July

Filed Under Pet Business Tips, Pet Safety | July 3, 2008

Many of us will be taking care of pets this weekend as customers travel for the forth of July. Most cities host fireworks and if you are in a rural area you may have friends and neighbors who launch fireworks in their backyard. If you have pets that are afraid of thunderstorms, the garbage truck, or other loud noises they will probably also be disturbed by the noise of the fireworks.

My friend, Diana Guerrero is an animal behaviorist and gives the following tips for making 4th of July a safe and fun celebration for everyone and ensuring that you don’t reinforce negative responses in the pets.

“Pet lovers need to first understand that ‘comforting the pet, although done with good intentions, can actually reinforce the fear and panic.”

Diana L. Guerrero is an author and pet pioneer who shares over thirty years of revolutionary techniques and innovative services. She publishes ARKANIMALS.COM and is an international columnist on animal behavior and training. She writes for animalsnet.com, a animals only search engine (scheduled to launch in August) and many others magazines and journals.

She explained that “training by accident” often escalates pet problems and suggests pet owners verbally reassure their pets. Voice communication does not reinforce the fear like cuddling, petting, holding, and trying to physically relieve the stress does.

The age of your pet, socialization, experience, and breed can also influence their reactions. Animals with an established history of problems will likely worsen. Elderly animals may get better simply because they lose their hearing.

Animal are fine-tuned for survival and their senses are distinctly more acute than humans. Smells, rumbles and sudden bursts of light can illicit escalated reactions in pets.” Guerrero explained.

There are ways to work through noise phobia exhibited before earthquakes, during thunderstorms and throughout firework displays, but it takes time and preplanning. In the meantime use some quick tips and tools to address the problem behavior, which escalates annually during the Fourth of July holiday.

Diana suggests the following:

· Keep your animals inside during July 4th and for a few days to a week prior to the holiday.
· Make sure you have a tag with current information on your pet during this time.
· If you take your animal outside for toileting or any other activity, make sure they are under physical restraint via a collar and leash.
· Leave your pets safely at home instead of taking them to picnics or other holiday events.
· Play music or turn on a radio station with soothing music to help mask outside noises.
· Buy a plug-in Dog Appeasing Pheromone (DAP) dispenser. This permeates the air with a calming scent and reduces fear and anxiety.
· Keep your pet busy with activities or chew items before the height of noise making occurs.
· Visit your veterinary medical professional and ask for melatonin. This oral neurohormone often provides help for sensitive animals. Use with the veterinarians dosage recommendation and dont try to do it yourself.
· Flower remedies work on an energetic level. Five Flower® or Rescue Remedy® mixes may help reduce your pets anxiety.
· Create a safe haven. If your animal is habituated to a crate you may want to provide access for security. Other options include the bathroom, laundry room, garage, basement, or any other den area. The room to choose is one where there are no windows to jump through, or where windows can be blocked off and are too high and narrow to access.
· Some animals want to hide and will feel safe in a favorite spot, like under the bed. You can create sleeping bag tunnel or similar option for them.
· Plan a party and play instead of participating in other events. Making new traditions can be fun and helpful for your pet.

Pet owners should always check with their veterinarian or behavior specialist before using any drugs or tranquilizers. They should also watch guests–since an open door can provide an opportunity for animals to bolt outside.” She said.

Use simple steps to get you through the crisis. If your pet has noise phobia problems you should start your behavior modification problem right after this holiday.”

You can check out more of Diana’s great pet behavior tips at her blog http://www.arkanimals.com.