OverDog: Dog Daycare & Boarding Business Tips

Traditional dog boarding has historically meant placing dogs in kennels and is still the most common method dog businesses use for keeping dogs overnight. Recently, some businesses have been taking a much different approach to boarding dogs. Instead of caging them, why not let them all sleep together in a group? Cage-free boarding is actually not something all that new. In fact, there are business...

There's lots of new tools and channels that you can use to reach leads and customers in today's ever changing digital ecosystem. They all have value and can work but no matter what new tool comes on the market, there's one that's been around since the beginning of the internet that’s still a very powerful way to build your business . . . email.  Yes, email. Today we'll tal...

If you want your business to be the very best you need to know how it's REALY doing and you, as the business owner, have a very one sided viewpoint. To know the complete truth about you business you need to ask both your customers and your staff for their opinion on things.  Today we'll talk about how to use surveys to get gold nuggets out of your customer base and your employees that wi...

Do you want a business that's around 10 or 20+ years from now? If so, you need to do things today to set up that future success. In today's episode, we'll discuss some of the core things you need to be doing right now that will not only enable your business to stand the test of time, but also make the journey easy and enjoyable. 

If your customers (and prospects) only identify you as your main service, it greatly limits your business. If, however, you are seen as much more than "just a daycare" or whatever your main service is, you'll have no problem growing and remaining successful over time.  In this episode we'll discuss 5 ways you can help you business be seen as the go to place for all things dog,...

When someone is searching the web for the services you provide you want your business to show up as close to the top of the search results as possible. If you're not up there, they may never see your business and head over to your competitors.  In this episode, I'll go over some simple things you can do to help your business get ranked higher so that you get more people to find you onlin...

There are a number of annual conferences that are specifically for dog daycare and boarding businesses. These events are an amazing way to learn new information that will help you move your business forward, as well as allow you to network with others doing just what you are.  In this episode, I'll go over the main events in the industry and tell you how you can get the most out of them. 

So much of the stress and frustration created by employees is in some way related to the communication within your organization. If you get intentional about how you communicate with your staff and foster an environment where open communication is encouraged, you'll see an improvement in not only your staff's productivity but create a better company culture all around.  This episode will...

Everyone wants to be profitable as soon as possible but very few have a plan on how to do it. If you know how to run and market your business, it's actually not as hard as you might think, as you'll learn from this week's guest.  Discover how The Dog Patch in Florida went from just opening to looking for their second location in only a year and a half. 

Discover how a new, indoor only, dog daycare in South Philadelphia was able to double their revenue in only a few months. Hanora Rodgers from Wag Days joins the show to share her incredible growth journey.  Learn what she did to get more clients, increase her profit margin and expand her services in such a short period of time. 

How cool would it be if both customers and non customers were so excited about what you are doing that they feel compelled to share it with everyone they know? That would mean that other people are talking about your business and there's a buzz about your business that keeps customers coming back for more and brings in new people who are fired up by how you do business.  In this episode, I go...

With all the responsibilities and daily stresses, it's easy to feel burned out and exhausted, however you can't stay that way for too long. If you do, both your personal life and your business will ultimately suffer.  But there is a way to run your own business, keep your sanity and enjoy your days. On today's show I'll go over some ways you can create a lifestyle and business...

Satisfied customers will get you no where. To have a thriving business that beats the competition and is around for years to come, you need to turn your customers into raving fans. Raving fans are loyal to your business no matter what, buy more stuff from you and go out of their way to promote you.  In this episode you'll learn exactly how you can turn all those average customers into high oc...

I really believe that in the very near future all dog daycare businesses are going to have to incorporate training into their service offerings. Having a training program enables you to provide a much needed service to your customers, helps shape better behavior in the dogs and will bring in more money to your business.  The question then becomes, how do you create a structured program to accompli...

In this weeks episode Fern answers a question from a listener why he's struggling to get in more dog daycare customers and keep them for a longer period of time.  The key is to figure out where the problem is in your sales process and then take action to improve it. Learn how you can determine where you need to focus your time in order to make your customer acquisition and retention rates go...

Every business wants and needs customers. It's what brings in revenue and helps us to grow. Customers are the best, BUT they are also the worst. Nothing saps the fun out a business quicker than pain in the butt customers who cause you and your staff aggravation and stress.  In this episode, we'll discuss how to make sure you're brining in the right kind of customers, how stop them f...

We learn more from our mistakes than we do from our successes, but what's even better is that if we can learn from the mistakes of others, so that we don't have to make them at all.  In this episode, I'll highlight 8 mistakes I see being made by dog daycares over and over again. These things are holding businesses back, causing more problems and hampering growth potential. See which...

Luckily for you there are so many different channels available to market your business. This is great because you've got a lot of options to grow your dog daycare business, however it's also overwhelming and more than a bit confusing.  In today's episode we'll go over all of the marketing options out there and help you determine which ones are the best use of your time and will...

Having a business with plenty of clients is great, UNLESS it has you overworked, overstressed and overwhelmed. If you feel like you're stuck putting out fires all day and are constantly scrambling to balance too many things within your business, you need to listen carefully here.  I'll go over 8 tips that will help you create a business that runs smoothly, that requires less effort and a...

There are two things I know to be true of the future of the dog daycare industry. One, that business owners need to get creative in finding new ways to bring in more money and two, that we need to figure out how to provide more value to the customers. If you do #2, you'll get #1.  On todays's show Kristen Delea-Sacco of Metro Pooch joins us to share a few of the inventive programs she&ap...

Getting all the leads in the world won't make a damn bit of difference if you can't convert them into paying customers. To do that, you need to have a process designed to make people feel comfortable, overcome their objections and help them take the next step. So, what's your process? Do you have one? No worries, I've got you covered. In this episode we'll go over the thin...

The trend in dog daycare is moving away from just playgroups to more of an enrichment and training model. That sounds great but how do you do it? On today's show learn from Mandy Eakin of Manners Matter, a dog daycare that has been doing day training and working with dogs while they are at daycare for some time now. See how they structure their services and how it works as a revenue stream. 

How cool would it be to have access dog owners right in your area? How great would it be to be seen in the community more often and have your business be top of mind to them? All this is possible with Facebook groups and in this episode I'll show you how you can utilize them to position your business as an authority and help you get more customers. The best part is it's totally free to d...

Bigger isn't always better. Having a small boutique dog daycare business that is thriving can make you a good living without the stress and problems of managing everything that comes from having a larger facility. And there's plenty that big business can learn from the little guys.  Today I bring on Kritika Prakash who owns Pack of Paws in Toronto Canada, who shares what she's done...

How do you determine what to charge people for what you do? Was it a well thought out process or just some numbers you chose at random? Your pricing is very important to not only how much money you make but also the impression of your business and how the public will perceive you.  In this episode, we'll discuss your pricing so you'll have a better understand of what you want and need to...