Your pet business, Your way

When Katie Gwilt decided to leave her corporate career in science, she didn’t know it would lead to becoming a leading advocate for cats and their care across the UK. Katie’s journey into the cat care industry began by accident as she recovered from being seriously ill and realised she wanted to do something that brought her joy - working with cats. Like many pet professionals, growing up, she tho...

Have you ever tried to start something new in your pet business, like a newsletter or a weekly piece of content?  At first, it feels easy, but then life gets in the way, and it falls to the bottom of the to-do list. After a while, it has stopped altogether. First, don’t beat yourself up. Running a business is a slog, and there are only so many plates you can spin, especially if you’re on your...

When Jessica Morris forgot to pack a treat for her dog Rudy on a day out to the pub, she didn’t realise it would spark the idea for a business that would soon have tails wagging across the UK. Jess wanted something to occupy Rudy as she had a drink with friends at the end of a long walk, and it was getting a 'no' from the barperson that sparked a lightbulb moment. Now, four years on, Jess is co-fo...

Running a pet business is incredibly rewarding, but it can also feel isolating. Whether you’re a product maker or service provider, you’re juggling everything - creating products or delivering services, marketing yourself, managing social media, connecting with clients, and handling the day-to-day. If you’re doing it on your own, it can sometimes feel like you’re shouting into the void. But you do...

Have you ever wondered what you’d do if you were kicked off Facebook and couldn’t use Instagram or WhatsApp anymore?  Or what it would be like to move your pet business to a completely new area where nobody knows you?  That’s exactly what happened to Gill Gallagher, and in this episode, I’m chatting with her about how she handled both of these challenges. Gill is the founder of Speaking...

Do you have tasks in your business that you keep putting off, and you can't quite figure out why? Maybe it’s your accounts, social media, or even sending invoices that would really help your business. In this episode of the Your Pet Business, Your Way podcast, I’m diving into the topic of procrastination—why we do it, how it impacts our work, and practical strategies to overcome it. I explore the...

Do you feel resilient as a pet professional? Are you able to recover from setbacks and keep moving forward? It can be tough managing your energy and navigating challenges while meeting the demands of caring for animals and their humans. In the second of a two-part podcast on taking care of your mental health as a pet professional, I’m chatting to Andy Hale on the topic of resilience. Andy is a dog...

Taking care of your emotional wellbeing is essential for anyone in the pet care industry, where the demands of supporting animals and humans can take their toll. Andy Hale is a dog behaviourist, behaviour consultant for Pet Remedy and expert advisor for Canine Arthritis Management and combines his expertise in training with an understanding of mental health. With a background in human psychology,...

Do you ever take a moment to stop, look back and see how far you've come in your pet business? We can be so busy trying to figure out the many things we need to do as business owners, and spinning so many plates, we forget to acknowledge our successes. In this week’s episode, I’m sharing experiences from my time as a journalist - where success was quickly forgotten - to now, where I’ve learned the...

Rachel Down is the founder of Boil and Broth and The British Broth Company , and she began making bone broth after experiencing her own health challenges. Rachel suffered from chronic health problems and discovered that bone broth could help her body heal itself. When she found that there wasn’t a product on the market that didn’t contain ingredients she was intolerant to, she decided to make her...

Are you looking for a coach to support you in growing your pet business? Working for yourself can be hard, and having a coach means that you have someone in your corner to support and guide you. Like dog training, the coaching industry is unregulated, and there are lots of different kinds of coaches you can turn to. In this podcast episode and blog, I'm exploring three different approaches to coac...

Are you looking to grow your pet business by using Instagram? Charlotte Perrott is a social media manager and coach for pet businesses, and she stays on top of the latest Instagram features and trends. It’s a platform that can sometimes feel overwhelming, and mastering how to use it can put you in front of pet parents who need what you have to offer. Charlotte, who runs Canine Marketing Support an...

What do you want to be known for in your pet business? And what would you like people to say about you when someone asks about your business or what you offer? That’s the topic of this week’s podcast, as it’s a common theme that comes up in my coaching and membership calls. In this episode, I’m exploring how to figure out what you want to be known for, and how to bring that to life. There’s a simp...

You've heard of microbiome tests for humans, and this week on the podcast, I have an interview with Dr. Joe Inglis from Biome9, who creates the same for dogs. Your dog's gut health offers a window into their overall well-being. Their gut microbiome can reveal valuable insights into their digestive health, nutrient absorption, and general health. This test provides a 'gut health score' and personal...

As a pet business owner, showing up regularly and having a social media strategy is key for reaching and engaging with your target audience.  One of the best ways to ensure you’re consistent and can make the sales you hope for is by creating a social media calendar. In this podcast, I'm chatting about the key reasons why you should create a social media calendar for your pet business, as well...

Fiona Pedley is known as The Canine VA, a virtual assistant specialising in supporting dog businesses. A former executive assistant working in corporate, Fiona began her self-employed journey in the 2020 lockdown, making the leap to start her own business. As a dog mum and having studied and worked as a dog trainer, she gravitated towards working with dog-related businesses and in 2024 rebranded a...

In June 2023, I launched my first pet-related business, a dog-friendly holiday let called Sunnyside Cottage in Robin Hood’s Bay.  In the first year, the bookings and takings have doubled compared to the previous year, and I’m sharing how in this podcast episode. It has always been a dream to have a holiday cottage and to make it as dog-welcoming as possible, so this has been an absolute joy.&...

Can understanding the different functional characters of the dogs you support help you as a pet professional? Heather Stevens is a dog trainer who is on a mission to educate people in the industry around this topic and believes it can. She'd spent her life training dogs and 10 years studying the different functional characters and helping pet professionals and owners identify the characters of dif...

Do qualifications matter when you’re working as a pet professional or running a pet business? This is a topic that comes up regularly on my coaching calls, and online, with a range of clients from different parts of the industry. It might be that you run a business creating products, and your qualifications might be around production, sustainability, marketing or HR if you have a team. You might h...

Helen ‘Scotty’ King is a cartoonist and illustrator supporting business owners in the pet industry by bringing their messages to life. She works with all kinds of clients, including holiday cottage owners, product makers, coaches, and people providing pet services, capturing the essence of what they do. Helen says she was ‘rubbish’ at drawing growing up, but loved the work of Walt Disney as a litt...

In this bonus episode, I'm sharing key takeaways from the Business of Pets event organised by the Pet Industry Federation. This covers range of topics including the importance of having a mentor, the value of a strong support network, the need for a business plan, and the significance of knowing your numbers. Plus the power of storytelling, the impact of customer confidence on the pet industry, an...

Would you like support in growing your pet business and to feel part of a community by joining a membership? It can be lonely and overwhelming as a solo business owner, and there are always new skills and challenges to figure out. Being part of a community of other people who are in your industry and are experiencing the same thing can be valuable and that’s where memberships come in. Over the las...

Can playing to your strengths rather than focusing on your challenges help you feel more comfortable with self-promotion? Sasha Louise Smith, a life coach supporting dog professionals, says embracing what makes you unique can help your business thrive, on your own terms. Sasha has worked in the dog industry since 2015, as a walker, trainer and dog boarder. She decided to train as a coach after exp...

Are you looking to approach content creators to feature your pet business? In this podcast episode, I'm talking about why thinking 'What's in it for them,' rather than 'What's in it for me,' will drastically improve your pitch success rate. One of the exercises I do with my clients is to ask them to create a ‘wishlist’ of publications where they’d like to be published. Regularly, people will get i...

 Would you love to secure press coverage for your pet business and need some story inspiration? You’ll find plenty in this blog post and episode of the podcast where I’m sharing my top 20 favourite stories from five years of helping clients get in the press. To celebrate the 200th episode of the Your Pet Business Content, Your Way podcast, I’ve rounded up a selection to show what journalists look...