Tools That I Love

Today I want to share with you the tools I use daily in my business that I love and recommend.

Active Campaign

One of the high-level strategies I teach to my Multiply Mastermind students is automating the manual tasks in your business. I recommend Active Campaign because it works and is easy to learn. It’s a fraction of the cost of something like InfusionSoft or ConvertKit. All right, love, love, love ActiveCampaign for automation in your business.

Canva

So creating images for your business that you can use on social media. I’m always there creating slides or PDFs for my students and members of my community.

I love Canva; they have a million templates to help you start creating your images.

Grammarly

So if you know me, I’m always talking about blogging. If you have a pet-sitting website, I’m always writing emails, content, and blog posts, and I could not live without Grammarly.

Gusto

So running payroll for my team of 40 plus pet sitters, my managers, my coaches, everybody, my online business manager, and all of the people on my team. I run it all through Gusto. They make it so, so easy. I can’t recommend them enough.

LeadPages

Another high-level online marketing strategy I teach my students is creating landing pages to which you could run paid traffic in your business. Leadpages make it easy, and it’s very inexpensive.

Business Tools That I Love


Loom

Something else I teach my multipliers is creating standard operating procedures in your business. And one of the tools that I use to do this is Loom. It allows you to record your screen doing the process and procedure in your business. When you’re done recording, it automatically creates a link that you can share with your team members and include in your SOPs, making crystal clear the result you want from every standard operating procedure in your business.

SiteGround

So years ago, I used another hosting company; my websites were constantly hacked. So I had to switch hosting companies. I found SiteGround. They add all the security I need for my business websites at a fraction of what I was paying this other company where my sites were getting hacked. Love, love, love SiteGround.

SmarterQueue

So instead of me having to go in every day and schedule manually what posts I want to put out on my social media channels. I can do all of that in the background using SmarterQueue on a preset schedule, and it posts it for me.

Zoom

We do sitter interviews on Zoom. We have team meetings on Zoom. You can record your meetings, which you can then share with your team members if they can’t make it live to the meeting. Love Zoom. I could not live without them.

Time to Pet

Now for pet-sitting software, you have a bunch of options. I personally love Time to Pet. I love the guys over there. They’ve created amazing software.

PocketSuite

If Time To Pet is out of your budget, you could start with a software program called PocketSuite if you are new to the industry. It’s extremely inexpensive. It keeps a calendar on the app; you can collect payments using it.

And then, as your business grows and your budget increases, you could move over to a software program like Time to Pet. Again, those guys over there are amazing. They’re constantly improving the software. If you’re ready, I will include a link to a discount to use that software. So when you’re ready, you know, head on over there.

Reference:
Time To Pet

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Website Security for Pet Sitting Websites

Many years ago, I had an issue where my pet sitting website was being consistently hacked. That would mean the website would be down, resulting in lost sales and customer acquisition because I run my traffic through my website.

Today I have three things you can do to ensure your website stays safe, up and running, and makes money for you.

First thing is you want to keep your pet sitting website up to date.

This is by far the biggest risk when it comes to securities. New vulnerabilities are discovered in WordPress and its plugins and themes regularly; if your site is out of date, it is at risk.

Hackers actively search for outdated websites they can attack, so make it a point to keep your site up to date. This includes your plugins, your themes, and the WordPress software itself. It’s a regular thing that my virtual assistant does that keeps my website safe.

Use strong passwords.

I know you might be like, “Hello, duh,” but the truth is most people still aren’t using strong passwords. Hackers are always looking for weak passwords. They use something called a brute force attack.

Simply put, a hacker sets up computer programs to repeatedly attempt to log into your site, using thousands of the most commonly used passwords and what are known as dictionary words. This type of vulnerability can be easily avoided simply by choosing good passwords.

Ideally, your password should be 12 characters, contain upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols, never be used for multiple sites, never be stored in plain text on your computer, and never be sent by email.

Also, consider using a password manager like LastPass, which I love. LastPass will generate and securely store good and strong passwords, and you’ll never have to worry about remembering your passwords, and you’re going to greatly reduce your risk of being hacked.

All right, so strong passwords and look into something like LastPass.

Website security for Pet Sitting Websites


Be smart about your hosting.

All these companies say unlimited domains, space, and bandwidth for $8 a month. I’m sure you’ve seen these claims, but here’s the problem. The type of standard hosting is inexpensive only because they overload their servers with thousands of websites.

Just as close proximity in crowded classrooms allows human viruses to spread quickly, the close proximity of websites on a shared server means one infected site is a risk to all the others.

After my site was consistently hacked, and this was by a reputable company, I decided to move to a company that had added security. So, every day, they scan my site for any malware, attempted hacks, and so on.

After years and years and years of being with one of the most well-known companies, my site is constantly getting taken down. So, I love SiteGround hosting. Been with them for years and have not had a single problem. I’m going to link to this below the video.

Again, three things. Keep your site up to date, use strong passwords, and choose a smart host. I love SiteGround.

All right, guys. I’m always interested and happy to make videos for you, answer your questions, and support you in any way I can. If you have any questions about how to grow your pet-sitting business, please let me know.

So, either in the comments below, you can email me or post in our free Facebook group at petnannycoachcommunity.com. I am always here to serve you.

References:
Siteground.com

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Blogging for Pet Sitters

Before we get into the basics, some of you may be wondering what a blog is, and this is a place to share content about a topic you’re most passionate about. So, in this case, it’s pets, pet sitting, and dog walking.

A blog will typically include written and visual elements published in an easy-to-read article format so that visitors can swiftly browse and find what they’re looking for. In short, you are creating content to post on your website to attract ideal customers and convert them into paying customers.

So you have to think: “What content can I create that my ideal prospect, aka pet owners in your area, would find valuable?

You create the content, and you post it on your blog. You use different keywords, specific keywords that your visitors are going to be typing into the Google search engine, which is then going to bring them to your website. They’re going to say, “Oh my gosh, what an amazing article. This is so great. Oh, look at this business. This is my local pet center. I’m going to call them to book service.”

Know your keywords.

So what are your ideal prospects typing into Google and search engines to find a pet sitter in your area? Are they typing in pet sitter Wayne, Pennsylvania, pet sitting Malvern, Pennsylvania, dog walking Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania? So on and so forth.

So it’s what you do, the service you provide, and where you live, and then you can swap those. Where you live, plus the services that you provide. So make a long list of these keywords, then you’re going to create articles and content around those keywords.

Remember that you are writing for people.

It will help if you remember that you are writing for people. So often, you’ll get to a blog, and you’re like, “This is just stuffed with keywords, and this is not meant to be anything but a search engine article, and I find zero value in it.”

Remember, you have people that will be reading this article, so you do want to write to your ideal prospect at the same time as using the keyword, so it's a good balance.

Consistency is the next key.

You need to create the content consistently. Most pet sitters I talk to start a blog; they’ll write a couple of blogs, and they won’t do it for a year, or they may do it every five months. No, you need to commit to a weekly or biweekly schedule.

This will show Google that your website is fresh and new and not just a stagnant brochure-type website. That means you will be shown up on the search engine results. You’re going to be favored, so you’re going to come up much higher if you consistently take action with posting to your blog.

Keep the long-term goal in mind.

Keep the long-term goal in mind. Blogging is not a fast business growth strategy. It is excellent for long-term sustainability. So these articles and content that you create will help you and your business for years and years and years to come, and it’s a compound effect.

As you continuously write and create valuable content for your ideal pet-owning community, it’s going to build, and it’s going to have a long-term positive effect on your business.

Use good SEO practices.

Aside from keywords, great bloggers know that there are many techniques that you can use to bring in more readers, including linking out to authority sites within your blog.

Don’t overstuff your blog posts with keywords. You want the reader to enjoy the value of the article. The keywords should compliment the blog post.


Link out to authority sites within your blog.

Authority sites are well-known websites that have a lot of clout. And if you are linking to them, Google knows that this is a trustworthy site and will rank your content higher.

Link internally to other related content on your site.

Link internally to other related content on your site, and use graphics and sub-headlines to break up long text passages. You ever go to those sites, and you see a bunch of texts, and you’re like, “Oh,” and immediately click away.

So using subheads, bold text, and images will help the reader’s experience.

Take time to write compelling meta descriptions.

So this again will help with your website’s search engine optimization.

Create content that other sites will link to.

You want to be in cahoots with other websites with the same target market that you can link back and forth. That also creates authority and clout for your blog.

Regularly share your articles to your email list and social media platforms.

You need to get the word out, and you need to share. So take the time to share your articles with your email list and all your social media platforms regularly.

Mix it up.

Not every post has to be 3000 words. You can do different types of blogs. You can do videos, infographics, curated content, short opinion pieces, and audio. There are all different things that you can do on your blog.

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6 Places to use Keywords on Your Pet Sitting Website

Before we jump into the six locations where you can use keywords, let’s talk about what keywords are. These are the terms your ideal clients are typing into Google or a search engine to find a pet sitter, a dog walker, or a house sitter in your area.

For example, they might type in “Pet sitter, Wayne, Pennsylvania,” Dog walker, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,” or “House sitter, Pennsylvania.” It is the service you provide and where you provide the service.

All right, six places where you can use keywords.

1. Page titles or subjects.

The subject is the keyword field to which Google and other search providers give the most weight. Keep this in mind if you’re tempted to use cute, clever blog post titles. Don’t waste that space with a clever turn of phrase. Instead, be clear and concise and say exactly what your article or post is about.

You may have an article on your website or a blog post, How to Find a Reputable Pet Sitter, in Wayne, Pennsylvania. Okay? So it’s clear and concise what the subject is, and those keywords are there.

2. Subheadings.

Not only do subheadings give your website visitor or your blog post reader a better bird’s eye view of the information they’re taking in, but Google also loves that information because, through your subheadings, you’re telling Google what your content is about. And that is what they’re going to index.

Don’t overstuff your content with keywords. That is actually detrimental to what you’re trying to accomplish versus being able to help you get found.


3. Titles and file names.

Search for nearly anything on Google, and you’ll see images appear at the top of the search results. These images will almost always have file names and titles corresponding to the keyword you’ve searched for. You can and should use your chosen keyword by naming any images appropriately and setting the titles, and all attributes to describe what the image is clearly.

So if you have, for example, images of your pet-sitting team on your website, you can give them a file name of Pet Sitter, Malvern, Pennsylvania, Dog Walker, Wayne, Pennsylvania, and so on. That image will come up when somebody types into Google, and that will click over and link back to your website. So remember to use your keywords on your image titles and file names.

4. Meta descriptions.

The meta description is the snippet of text that shows up below a listing in Google and other search engines. With WordPress, you can either explicitly declare a meta-description using a plugin such as WordPress SEO by Yoast or let Google decide what to use. While the meta description itself has no weight when it comes to your search result placement, it can have a great deal of impact on whether or not somebody clicks through to your site. Take care to write a compelling description that contains the keyword you want to be found for.

You know what this is. You go to Google. You type something in, you have a whole list of results that you can choose from. You’ll likely read the meta description before deciding actually to click. And that’s what they’re saying.

Take the time, use the keywords in those meta descriptions, and make them compelling so your prospects will click over to your site. What does it matter if you get found if people aren’t clicking over to your site if you know what I mean?

5. Inbound links.

As you’re creating new blog posts and pages on your site, it’s a good idea to link from one to another. This serves two purposes.

It helps readers learn more about a subject and helps search engines find and explore other content on your site. In both cases, it’s helpful to use keywords as the anchor text for these links. It’s a clear declaration to both human and non-human readers that the content linked is about a specific subject.

So inbound links, you want to connect two different pages on your website through those constantly. And you want to be using keywords.

6. Content.

Including a keyword in your content is important not only for the search engines but for the readers too. But don’t make the mistake of using the same phrase over and over again. Doing so will turn your readers off.

Instead, use variations of your keywords throughout your text or your article. You don’t want to bore your readers. Plus, you’ll reinforce your main point with the search engines, which are now smart enough to recognize synonyms and rank your content accordingly.

So you don’t want to overstuff your content on your website and your blog post. One, it’s painful to read as a visitor to your website. And they will know this was just created to be stuffed with keywords. Use them, have a good balance of them, is what they’re saying. Google will know when you’re trying to overstuff an article or a blog post, and that’s detrimental to you versus being able to help you get found.

The six places are page titles or subjects, subheadings, image titles and file names, meta descriptions, inbound links, and your content.

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Work ON Your Pet Business, Not Just IN It

Many moons ago, I came across the book The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber, who is the one who coined this concept. What it means is that when they start businesses, most people come to the business and start their businesses with the mindset of a technician.

Meaning, I love animals, I love pets, and I’m going to start a business, and I’m going to walk all the dogs, and I’m going to take care of all the cats, I’m going to house-sit. This is a technician mindset. Meaning I created a place for myself to go to work. I didn’t necessarily create a business.

QUOTE - Work ON Your Pet Business, Not Just IN It


So I had to delegate my pet sits, and my dog walks to a team of amazing pet care providers and administrative work to an amazing manager.

So that person takes care of all the scheduling, phone calls, emails, issues with clients, and hiring. All of that I took off my plate so that my only focus was marketing and systematizing, which then multiplied my business so quickly.

It’s really that simple. When you’re working in your business, there are only so many hours that you can trade for dollars. But for you to create that replicable, turnkey business that somebody could come in and turn the key and turn on the revenue streams, that is what the value is, and that is where you’re going to make a substantial income in this industry.

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About Your Comparison Monster

Have you ever heard the term compare or despair? That means that comparing yourself to others can be a destructive thought process that you might not even be aware you are doing to yourself.

Many times, if you’re looking at a colleague and they have a business that is doing better than you, they have more revenue, they have a bigger team, they have a manager, they’re making more money, they have more freedom, all of these things and you say, “Well, why am I not there yet? Are they better than me? I must not be good enough. It must be my service area. I must not live in an area where clients are willing to pay that amount of money. I can’t find team members in my area.”

We start going into these destructive thought patterns where we feel like we’re less, and then we start creating stories around why our colleagues aren’t achieving what we are.

About Your Comparison Monster


So my homework for you this week is to pay attention to your thoughts and catch yourself when you are doing this. And instead of saying, “Okay, they are better than me,” say, “I am going to be inspired by them because they are proof positive that I can do it too.”

It’s a very simple shift. We all have the comparison monster, every single person on this earth. We’re human beings. That’s the way we’re wired. But you also have control of your thoughts, and you also have control of what meaning you assign to any of the thoughts that you have.

So this week, I am not going to compare. I’m going to be inspired because I, too, have great big goals of 10 timing my business. I want to create more revenue, I want to create more freedom, I want to grow my team, and I want to have more fun in my business, and they are doing just that. So I will work hard at the end of 2022 and into 2023 to have an amazing year. All right? Simple mindset shift.

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Don’t Let Anyone Hold the Keys to Your Pet Sitting Business

I was coaching one of my private students the other day, and she was very stressed because her number one employee had left the company. This girl did all the scheduling, the phone calls, and the email. She would do pet sitting. She would plug in, plug herself in wherever they needed somebody. She was her go-to person.

Then, this person’s life changed out of nowhere, and she had to leave the position. So now my student is like, “What am I going to do?”

We have a long discussion about not letting anybody have that much control in the business. You can’t lean so much on one person because if that person were to go, you’d be left holding the bag.

If they decide to stay, there becomes this weird energy exchange where they feel like they are in charge because they’re doing all of this. I have been here myself, I’ve had many managers, and I know you need somebody else who also knows how to do that position.

Don’t Let Anyone Hold the Keys to Your Pet Sitting Business


So we mapped out a plan for what she would do, and she hired two people, a Monday through Friday person who would work mornings until around four, and then she hired an evening and weekend person. They are both trained to know the scheduling systems and all of the business’s operations, and they will plug themselves in as emergency backups if the pet sitters aren’t available. So we got this up and running. She feels really good about it. Out of nowhere, one of these new hires got really, really sick and taken out.

Now she has this other person that’s able to help her. Again, this is a good reminder of why you need two people to fill this position. You never know what life is going to throw at you. You never know who’s going to get sick, who’s going to have to leave, and you can’t put all of your eggs in one basket with one person.

Trust me on this. Have a regular manager for the day-to-day and then a weekend manager or a headset sitter that will be able to fill in. Don’t count on one person. It never ends well.

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How to Create a Magical Management Team for Your Pet Care Business

Bring somebody who can handle the scuffs and issues with running a service-based business.

Today’s business growth video is to hire a manager who is thick-skinned.
What I mean by this is you want to bring somebody onto your team who can handle the scuffs and the issues that come with running a service-based business.

You are going to have a team of people that are going to be going into your clients’ homes. You are dealing with human beings, your sitter team, and your client roster. Things are going to happen.

I, myself, am an extremely emotional person. I get upset, and I’m a people pleaser. When I started hiring, I would bring in people who were just like me, which wasn’t a good fit for the position. I needed someone with a little more like… wasn’t afraid of the confrontation.

How to Create a Magical Management Team for Your Pet Care Business


When I found that person, she’s been with me for 12 years. Her name is Sue, love her dearly. She is soft, warm, kind, and loves our team and clients, but she’s also not going to put up with a lot of BS from either side.
So if we have a client trying to cross boundaries, it will not happen.

If we have a sitter making mistakes, stepping out of line, or not following protocol, uh-uh, she’s not going to put up with them. She’s going to call it out. She has this ability, something that I necessarily when I was in the management position, didn’t have. I was way too nice when I was in that leadership role. She fits in perfectly because she has thicker skin than I do.

Take a test, and you come up with your five biggest strengths.

There’s something called strengthsfinder.com. You should look into it, take a test, and come up with your five biggest strengths. The idea is that when you’re hiring, you’re not looking for people with those same strengths.

You’re looking for people that have strengths that complement your strengths. This is how you create an amazing management team.

Try to fill the holes.

What do you wish you had in terms of disposition, communication skills, and whatever that you would like to see in your counterpart? That is how you make magic happen with your team members.

Don’t hire people that are like you. Hire people that are going to compliment you.

In the managerial position, where you’re going to have hiccups, there will be problems because you’re dealing with human beings. Having someone that has a thicker skin, that isn’t afraid of confrontation, that isn’t afraid to stand up and implement and enforce your policies and procedures, you’re going to have a much nicer experience, I promise you. Learn from my mistakes.

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