Bella In Your Business: Pet Sitting and Dog Walking Podcast

Are you tired of sifting through countless resumes and interviewing candidates who just don't seem to fit the bill? Well, you're not alone. Hiring the right candidate is a crucial task that can make or break the success of your business. It goes beyond simply finding someone to show up for an interview; you need individuals who possess the qualities that align with your company's values and goals.

In today’s episode of the Bella in Your Business podcast! I will be sharing tips and strategies on finding the ideal candidate and developing an efficient recruitment strategy and the four steps in mastering hiring systems. As someone who has experienced the importance of these aspects firsthand, I can't stress enough how crucial it is to have empathetic, nurturing, detail-oriented, trainable, and pet-loving individuals on your team. I invite all of you to join my hiring group and mastermind community, where we delve deeper into these topics and provide ongoing guidance and advice. It's a great way to connect with like-minded individuals and learn from each other's experiences. 

Let's get started!

Topics & Key Points:

The four steps in mastering hiring systems

The value of surprising and delighting employees during the hiring process

Importance of Hiring and Employee Engagement 

Leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Hiring

Utilizing tools like Jazz HR

Employee retention and engagement

Encouraging employee advocacy through social media engagement to attract more talent.

Timestamps:

[00:05] Introduction to hiring systems

[01:48] AI hiring group announcement and discount code

[05:22] Your Ideal candidate

[07:59] Developing an efficient recruitment strategy 

[09:14] Onboarding and training new hires

[11:17] Retaining and engaging employees

[14:26] Discount code for hiring with AI for your pet business

Notable Quotes:

[00:00:56] “ One of the problems a lot of us have is that we think that hiring is simply posting a job ad asking a couple of questions, living on a prayer and offering the job and hoping that they don't ghost us and that they show up.”

[00:08:59] “One of the cool things about Jaz HR is that it'll tell you how many people have seen the ad. And then you see how many people applied, therefore you understand your conversion rate.”

 [00:09:58] “You're not the only cat in town. They've been like applying with a bunch of different people. Some of them might not even need the job. You have to really court them and you have to understand how to get them excited how to make them feel really comfy.” 

 [00:13:06] “The businesses I work with that have figured out a way to get their staff to adopt being on Instagram and doing all of the Instagram-like story takeovers are the ones that have employees that are also bringing other people, they have reached that advocate phase of their employees”

Resources:

Podcast: Bella in Your Business: Pet Industry Business Podcast

Join Mastermind

Email Bella: [email protected]

Listen to  Learn How To Never Lose An Employee With Joey Coleman

Mentioned book: Never Lose an Employee Again by Joey Coleman

Code AI 20 for $20 off: jumpconsulting.net/hiringai

JazzHR

Connect with Bella

Website

Facebook

YouTube

Did you love this episode?

If you liked this episode, please head on over to iTunes and leave a five-star rating and review. Every single review helps get this community bigger, stronger, and better. It gets other jumpers just like you into the community. Always remember when life gets down, always keep jumping

Transcript:

Welcome to another episode of Bella in your business. My name is Bella Vasta. And today we're gonna talk about hiring. Because I know it's a super hot topic. We just had Joey Coleman come and blow the lid off of it in a special free training we did last Friday. I am not exaggerating when I tell you that people were amazed. And as one person said, I can't believe we got a private lesson with Joey Coleman and got to brainstorm. One of the questions that came up was pretty unique. And Joey and the whole group started figuring out ways that we could surprise, surprise and delight are employees at a specific stage of the hiring process. And the ideas that came out were like, I've never heard of them ever before in the industry like it is genius. And so what we also did is because it was open to the entire industry, actually you can still get in on it. If you wanted to go in order, never lose an employee and send that receipt to [email protected] We will get you that recording. It's a one-hour recording. And it is wildly valuable if you're at the place of life, where you are trying to hire. Or you're trying to keep your hires and you want to keep them happy. Joey made an incredible point. I think he even said it on the podcast Two episodes ago, he said, You know, some so many people are like, hey, we'll give you X amount of dollars if you bring in a referral. But what we've neglected to understand is that we have not done a good job of making most of our employees advocates for their position or the company. So how can we have someone who's not an advocate of our company, go out there and bring people in? Right? It was wildly mind-blowing. It was so cool. It was so cool. But today, oh, wait a minute, I have one more announcement, there's so much stuff going on in jump headquarters, we have decided to leverage the power of artificial intelligence, AI, and hiring and bring you a group for one week, it's going to be June 19, to the 23rd. It is only going to be $47. But because you listen to this podcast, if you use ai20, you can get $20 off, so then it's only $27. And that group is going to be cool. It's going to show you what AI can do with your already existing or the hiring process you're trying to create. Because here's the thing, artificial intelligence isn't going anywhere. It's getting better and better and better and better. And what's going to happen is it's literally like the internet like we are in an industrial revolution or technology revolution, rather. And when other people are starting to use this. It's mind-blowing. And so we're breaking down, what is it? Where's it already in your life? Because I think I don't think a lot of people understand how much AI is already incorporated into your life. They think it's like this new thing. And it's not it's been around for 10 years, it's just been getting amazing, amazing, amazing. We've been using Jump since December 2022. And it is integrated into my company. I have told people if you don't understand or learn how to leverage this, and this isn't an ongoing conversation, there's not going to be a place for you and my company. Because that's how powerful it can be if given the right hands and prompts. So when you take that and you couple it with your hiring process, now all of a sudden your challenges of like, how do I write a job post? How do I write an offer letter? How do I do? You know, how do I do open-ended questions about x topic? AI can tremendously help you and that's just the tip of the iceberg. So if you want to join that go to jumpconsulting.net/hiringai , and that's where you can sign up for like, under $30 for the week. And of course, in true Bella fashion, we're gonna be giving you lots of extra stuff. And of course, our wonderful partners at Jaz HR are helping to sponsor this. That's why we're able to keep the cost so low, as well as the jump mastermind and pet care team training. But more on that in the group. Let's get into the show today.

So I want to continue with hiring of course, of course, because we can never talk too much about it. I am really, I think, really long and hard about how can I give you guys value on these shows. And so I want to like kind of, you know, sometimes we're zoomed in into like the woods. Now I want to like zoom us out, not necessarily 30,000 feet, maybe 20,000 feet. And I want you to consider this because I think one of the problems a lot of us have is that we think that hiring is simply posting a job ad asking a couple of questions, living on a prayer and offering the job, and hoping that they don't show like ghost us and that they show up, am I right? I know I'm talking to some of you out there. And if that's the way your process is right now, I cannot stress enough how much things need to change. And so I'm gonna give you three things to focus on not the full 10 I'm gonna give you three high level sections almost to focus on. And so or rather four, I guess. And we're gonna really talk about this because this is something that you really have to hone in on. So the very first one is your ideal candidate, and having a pulse and breathing. And showing up to an interview is not enough. Okay, I know like leave those for like McDonald's and Wendy's and Burger King and Taco Bell. Alright, leave those people for them. All right, you are not looking for that kind of person, you are looking for an empathetic person, you are looking for a nurturing person, someone who is a good communicator, detail-oriented, a pet lover, all like trainable a follower, you're looking for all those kinds of things. And so the best thing you can do is create characters like you are creating a screenplay for a movie, I want to know everything about these people, I want you to tell me who they are, what they like, what they fear what they want, I want all of it. And when you do that, it's going to help you so much. Because when you start to write that hiring ad, you're gonna be Well, it's kind of like writing a love letter to them. And when you post these hiring ads, so many of you that come to me, thankfully, you guys come to me if you have jazz HR, and it's not working for you. It's you that's not working. And I don't mean that to sound mean. But you got to email me and you got to talk to me about it, because jazz HR has transformed so many of my clients,...

Are systems and processes the unsung heroes that make or break a business? Think about it for a moment. Just like gears in a well-oiled machine, these unassuming elements play a vital role in the day-to-day operations of any successful venture. They ensure smooth functioning and optimal performance, helping businesses scale, avoiding costly mistakes, and maximizing efficiency. Without them, chaos reigns, opportunities slip away, and growth becomes an uphill battle. Join us as we unveil the secrets behind these powerhouses of business success.

Get ready for an exciting episode of the Bella in Your Business podcast! Join me as I take a deep dive into systems and processes in business. Trust me, you don't want to miss out on what's coming up in June. With ChatGPT and other Ai technologies taking the world by storm, it's crucial that your business stays ahead of the game, especially when it comes to hiring. That's why this month, I'll be teaching you how to leverage Ai in your hiring process and take your business to the next level.

But wait, there's more! I'm thrilled to announce a pop-up group called "Hiring with AI for Your Pet Business" that I'll be hosting in June. You'll learn all the insider tips and tricks to make the most of A. I in your hiring process. And as a special treat for our podcast listeners, I'm offering a discount of $20! So tune in to this engaging episode and get ready to take your business to new heights. Don't forget to check out my website for more information. Let's make your business thrive!

Topics & Key Points:

Importance of systems and processes

Ways to implement systematic approach

Utilizing AI for hiring in your pet business

The crucial functions of systems and processes in daily business operations

How systems facilitate scalability in a business

How systems pave the way for scalability 

Optimizing workflows through streamlined processes

The potential of AI in supporting diverse systems and processes

Timestamps:

[01:02] An overview of systems and processes.

[02:49] Upcoming topic and how to leverage AI in the  hiring process

[08:15] Costly mistakes businesses can make without efficient systems and processes.

[10:46] The roles of systems

[13:27] The power of a process

[15:55] Key takeaway

[16:21] AI hiring group announcement

[16:54] Discount code for hiring with AI for your pet business

Notable Quotes:

[00:04:17] “If you are solving the same problem again and again, it's one of the reasons why you're burnt out, overworked, stressed out, and feel like you're running in a thousand different directions. You should not be solving the same problem multiple times. That is called insanity and you need to systematize the solution.” [00:04:34]

[00:08:53] “Systems and processes play a vital role in the day-to-day operations of a business. They are like the gears of a well-oiled machine, ensuring smooth functioning and optimal performance. Without effective systems and processes, businesses can struggle to scale, face inefficiencies, and even experience costly mistakes.” [00:09:11]

 [00:10:20] “When you have well-designed systems and processes, they become your secret weapon for efficiency, consistency and growth. They allow you to automate routines, delegate effectively, and focus on strategic decision-making.” [00:10:33]

 [00:10:47] “Systems provide a framework that establishes order and structure in your business operations. They act as a set of predefined rules, guidelines and procedures that everyone in your team follows.” [00:11:00]

 [00:14:17] “Processes help identify and eliminate bottlenecks within your business operations. Bottlenecks are the points of your workflow where your work gets stuck and it causes delays and inefficiencies. By now analyzing your processes, you can identify these bottlenecks and implement strategies to remove or mitigate them.” [00:14:38]

 [00:15:55] “Systems and processes are not competitors, but rather complementary elements. In building a successful business. Finding the right balance between the two is crucial.” [00:16:05]

Resources:

Podcast: Bella in Your Business: Pet Industry Business Podcast

Join Mastermind

Email Bella: [email protected]

Paws Around Motown Becky’s review

Listen to  Learn How To Never Lose An Employee With Joey Coleman

Mentioned book: Never Lose an Employee Again by Joey Coleman

Code AI 20 for $20 off: jumpconsulting.net/hiringai

Connect with Bella

Website

Facebook

YouTube

Did you love this episode?

If you liked this episode, please head on over to iTunes and leave a five-star rating and review. Every single review helps get this community bigger, stronger, and better. It gets other jumpers just like you into the community. Always remember when life gets down, always keep jumping

Transcript:

Welcome to another episode of Bella in your business. My name is Bella Vasta. And good morning, it is Memorial Day 2023 It is May 29. I am still in my pajamas. It is 10 o'clock in the morning and this podcast needs to come out in a couple of days. Which is why I am not. For all of you YouTube watchers. I know there's a lot of guys that love to watch it on YouTube. I am not doing a video today. I'm just not okay. And I think this is actually really poignant today. Because it's kind of a lesson in you just like everything's not going to be perfect all the time. Do I want to you know, get on camera and get camera ready and do all of that. Yes, but my life just does not allow for that to happen right now. And so in true Bella fashion, we are going to ebb and flow. But at the end of the day, we're still going to get it done. Okay, we're not going to miss a podcast episode. Because you all like notice if that ever happens. The only time that usually ever happens is around Christmas and New Year's, where we do take it off. But I also have something else really cool to share with you today, we're going to talk about systems and processes and the difference between them. Because truth be told, it's something that a lot of people need help with myself included. Imagine that. But you know, we got some feedback last week that I wanted to share with you because it was actually really perfect and very much in alignment with what I am about to tell you today. And I couldn't believe the synergy of it. And so give me one second. I'm gonna sit here and play it for you. This is Becky from paws around Motown up in Michigan and she is a mastermind member. She's better marketing with Bella. We had an intensive I went to Chicago for an intensive like two years ago now I think it is and or two summers ago. And she flew down from Michigan and we met for the day and we like ironed out her entire hiring process where her process we're going to talk systems and processes today is so lethal. It's amazing. She ends up getting people for the final interview that she ends up hiring and then they end up staying with her because she's worked on the I'm just I'm like literally so proud of her. If you want evidence that what we work on works, definitely check her out pause around Motown. But listen to what Becky said about the podcast, and how she uses it to help leverage it as free training for her staff. Here we go.

Let's talk Bella in your business. Can I just tell you how I use this valuable training tool. I listened to it in my car. And if I think I'm not going to remember which episode strikes me, I take a picture of the screen so I know what episode it is. And then I like to go back and listen to it again. And take notes, all those juicy little nuggets. And then whatever is suitable for me and my business. I'll put together my version. And I'll roll it out to my staff. Thank you, Bella and your business.

Okay, how fabulous is that? Like? How amazing is it that she has systematized the entire process of the podcast and then passes it on to her staff. I love it. And it's funny because I posted that on my Instagram. If you guys aren't following me on Instagram yet go hit it up right now. Bella Vasta. I'm sorry, instagram.com, forward slash Bella Vasta. And you'll see all kinds of things on there. And it was cool, because when I posted it, Tracy was like, oh, yeah, I do this too. This is amazing. And Morag said the same thing as well. So they're also both better marketing and Bella, and mastermind members, all three of them. And it's no wonder that, you know, they're jumpers, jumpers jump jumpers do things. And so I encourage you, if you want to be a jumper, you want to start systematizing things and you know, working smarter, not harder, definitely join our community. But today, we're gonna get into systems and processes. I want to kind of, you know, drop some nuggets on you and make you think about how are you doing things that you do. And I'm going to preface this entire thing by saying is, what is something what is a problem that you are solving constantly? Because if you are solving the same problem again and again, it's one of the reasons why you're burnt out, overworked, stressed out, feel like you're running in 1000 different directions, you should not be solving the same problem multiple times. That is called insanity. And you need to systematize the solution. Okay. This means getting new clients, it means getting new employees. It means onboarding, training. It means confirmations. It means charging it means everything in your business. Now I know because I used to be one of these people that think that if you systematize something, then all of a sudden you take away that personnel the personality, or you now don't have control. Yeah, it's good that you don't have control over it like solve it. Once and for all, and move on to other things, okay? And there are many ways that you can systematize things where you don't actually give up that personality or that personal touch. So we're gonna, we're gonna really get into it today....

Are you tired of losing employees within the first 100 days? The constant cycle of recruitment, onboarding, and training can be a never-ending challenge for businesses. Just when you think you've found the perfect candidate, they vanish, leaving you to start the process all over again. It's frustrating, time-consuming, and costly. But fear not! In this podcast episode, we're about to dive deep into the heart of this issue and uncover the secrets to retaining top talent from day one.

Today's episode of Bella in Your Business: Pet Industry Business Podcast, we are thrilled to feature  Joey Coleman on the show. Joey is an award-winning speaker and author specializing in customer and employee retention. With over 20 years of experience, his captivating keynotes and actionable consulting projects empower organizations to enhance customer experiences. Joey's expertise has earned him recognition as a trusted advisor in the field. He is also releasing his latest book, "Never Lose an Employee Again," on June 27, providing valuable insights into fostering solid relationships and turning your employees into advocates.

In our conversation with Joey, we discuss the eight phases of the employee journey and emphasize the importance of each phase. Joey explains that businesses should make the offer letter feel like an invitation to the best place the employee will ever work, rather than a memo from a lawyer. We also highlight the shocking fact that 40% of new hires do not make it to their 100-day anniversary, making it crucial to get the first 100 days right. Joey shares the case study of Jam, which creates a remarkable first-day experience for new employees. If you're interested, Joey is offering a training session for his new book. Attending the training session or purchasing the book could provide valuable insights and strategies for retaining employees.

Topics and Keypoints:

Eight phases of the employee journey

How to make an employee feel wanted

Eight Phases of the employee journey 

Creating a positive employee experience and keeping your customers happy

The importance of letting employees know about open positions to increase employee referrals.

How to entice potential employees with job descriptions 

Why Cash incentives aren’t  the best 

"Never Lose a Customer Again" Joey’s new book and early access training

Time Stamps

[00:13] Introduction to Joey Coleman

[01:11] Joey’s experiences and achievements in public speaking and traveling worldwide.

[02:05] Joey's social media following remains small despite speaking at a major event.

[03:43] Offer letter as an invitation

[06:52] Introduction to the eight phases of the employee journey

[07:08] The assess phase

[07:31] The accept phase

[07:47] The affirm phase

[07:55] New hires' remorse

[08:33]  Activate phase

(09:59) The acclimate phase

(10:35) The accomplish phase

(11:32) The adopt phase

(12:32) The advocate phase

(13:41) Incentivizing employees and employee referrals.

(14:31) 40% of new hires will not make the 100-day anniversary.

(16:14) Creating a remarkable first-day experience

(16:37)  The high-five tunnel and personalized walk-on music

(20:02) Job descriptions as an enticement

(22:08) Importance of excited colleagues

(23:33) Joey’s upcoming book and early access training

Noteable Quotes

[00:01:14] “I've been very fortunate to have a number of speaking awards along the way. I love being in front of audiences, and thankfully, audiences seem to love having me in front of them. So I feel very blessed that I have the opportunity to travel around the world. I've now given speeches on all seven continents.” [00:01:31]

 [00:04:18] “I understand that depending on the jurisdiction you're in, you are required to state certain things in the offer letter, but that doesn't mean they need to be stated in a boring legalistic way. Instead, what I like to encourage people to think about is the best wedding invitation you ever received.” [00:04:36]

 [00:07:58] “There is scientific research that shows when somebody accepts a job offer, they feel fear, doubt, uncertainty about the offer they just accepted. Is this going to be the right employer? Am I going to be happy here? I was waiting to hear back from three other places I was interviewing with, but I had to accept this one should I've held out a little longer.” [00:08:15]

 [00:08:46] “The secret to the first day on the job is to make it so remarkable, so interesting, so energetic that this employee says, " I have never worked anywhere like this before and I never want to work anywhere else.” [00:08:59]

[00:12:37] “If your employees aren't actively getting their friends, their colleagues, the smartest people they've ever met, to come to work with them. Your business is not as successful as you think it is, and you don't really have advocates.” [00:12:51]

Links

Podcast: Bella in Your Business: Pet Industry Business Podcast

Join Mastermind

Email Bella: [email protected]

Sign up for a 20 mins call 

Book: Never Lose a Customer Again

Joey’s upcoming book: Never Lose an Employee Again

Connect with Joey Coleman

Website

Linkedin 

Connect with Bella

Website

Facebook

YouTube

Transcript

Welcome, everybody to the newest episode of Bella in your business. If you are watching on YouTube, you see that I've got a friend with me, a genuine friend. His name is Joey Coleman. This man is incredible. He wrote this incredible book called Never Lose a Customer years ago that helped change the process of customer experience in so many pet-sitting and dog-walking companies and jump consulting. So when I say I'm excited for his next book coming out, I'm like, that's an understatement. Okay, but if you're joining us for the first time, you've recently started your business and you don't know, Joey. For almost 20 years, he's helped organizations retain their best customers and turn them into raving fans via his entertaining and actionable keynote workshops and consulting projects. He has a long history of energizing and motivating audiences to enhance their customer experiences. And he's an award-winning speaker. Yes, they do have speaking contests at both national and international conferences. Joey, aren't you like, like this? I feel like this is understating your things. Because I'm pretty sure I saw you got a major speaking award.

You're right, you are very kind, you are very kind. Yes, I've been very fortunate to have several speaking awards along the way. I just love being in front of audiences. And thankfully, audiences seem to love having me in front of them. So I feel very blessed that I have the opportunity to travel around the world. I've now given speeches on all seven continents, I was able to knock Antarctica off the list early last year. So super excited about that. That was number seven out of seven. And yeah, it's been an amazing experience.

And I have to just brag on you too, because your accolades include, like Secret Service, and like major comp, like you're the most eclectic person I know. And we met because you were the keynote at Social Media Marketing World. Way back when I don't remember COVID. Like it feels like 1000 years ago. Yeah. And you got up on stage. You're like, I don't have social media. Like, wait, what? But I remember the audible gasp in the audience. I remember walking on stage. And I was like, I want to tell you about my social media following I have 117 followers on Twitter. And there was an audible gasp because people thought I meant like 117,000 or 117 million. I was like No 117 Because I just got on Twitter two days ago, and a bunch of you decided to follow me because I was speaking here. Yeah, I've never been a big social media guy but was honored to speak at Social Media Marketing World. I'm just so happy to meet you there because that was the antithesis of all that Marcus Sheridan was like, You need to meet this man. And I'm just so grateful for that. Because of that book that you were also talking about, there was the need for the Wall Street Journal's number two best-time seller, guys, that's not easy to do. Okay. And we love Joey so much that I'm gonna be putting it right out there, we're gonna have a really special offer for you at the end. That involves if you preorder his book that's coming out, which I've already done, and you should do, then you get some extra special Joey time, and I'll be there too. But we're all going. That's the best part is that you'll be there. That's the main reason I'm doing our mini training in our organism in our industry. And that's the cool thing, too about you, Joe, is that you understand the pet sitters and dog walkers. So I'm so happy to have you here we have a whole bunch of different kinds of points to go out. I'm not gonna go in any particular order. I want to start with the one that just really knocked my socks off. And I was like, You're so right. And I'd love to hear more about this. It was you who said your offer letter should be like an invitation to the best place they'll ever work, not a memo from a lawyer. And I think 99% of us do this wrong. Right. So can you expand on that?

Well, and I should say from the outset, I'm a recovering attorney. So this isn't on lawyers, right? The first step is admitting you have a problem. There are 11 steps after that. But here's the thing, so many organizations go through this unbelievable recruiting and hiring process, right? They job posts, they get applications, they do tons of interviews, and then they find their person. And they're super excited because they finally found their person. And what do they do? They send them boilerplate dribble, they send them something that feels like was written by a lawyer and has no enthusiasm and no excitement. It's very technical. Now I understand depending on the jurisdiction you're in, you are required to state certain things in the offer letter....

Have you ever walked into a restaurant, only to be met with indifferent waiters and lackluster service? Or tried to contact a business, only to be left on hold for what feels like an eternity? We've all been there, and it's a frustrating experience that can leave a sour taste in our mouths. But for businesses, it's more than just a frustrating encounter – it's a slow death. Ignoring the customer experience is a surefire way to lose customers and damage your brand's reputation. On the flip side, successful businesses know that treating the customer as king is the secret to their success Are you ready to turn your business into a customer experience powerhouse? Tune in to today's episode of Bella in Your Business: Pet Industry Business Podcast, where I will spill the tea on seven insider tips to improve your customer experience game. Drawing from my own experience, I'll share practical advice on managing client expectations, streamlining communication, and building trust. From clear communication to client-centered onboarding, I'll reveal the keys to success that will take your business to the next level. Don't miss out - listen now and start wowing your customers today!   Let's dive in!

Topics Discussed and Key Points:

Seven Tips for Businesses to improve their customer experience

Simplifying the communication process with clients

Retaining clients and employees by perfecting onboarding methods.

How to cultivate a positive attitude and transparent culture in business.

Strengthening  trust and achieving  success in business

The importance of supporting and empowering staff

Importance of Community

Timestamps:

[01:23] Introduction, customer experience

[02:49] Asking the right questions

[03:57] Let clients know what the next steps are

[05:02] Document everything

[04:00] Manage expectations

[06:51] Streamline communication

[08:19] Back up your staff

[09:47] Moving to solutions

[13:02] This month on the Mastermind

[14:26] Benefits of a supportive community

Notable Quotes:

[00:04:27] “You need to let the clients know what the next step is. By doing this, by managing people's expectations, what you do is they gain trust in you.” [00:04:34]

[00:09:21] “Sometimes it's better to hand it off to the staff and through that, they get to see that you trust them, that you value their opinion, that you realize that they're a valuable member of your team. And all of this is going to help solidify your company culture.” [00:09:38]

[00:09:44] “Always when you have these conflicts, you want to be moving towards solutions, not talking about the problem or playing the blame game or nitpicking who did what.” [00:09:54]

[00:10:35] “You also need to go through situations to provide a beautiful experience for people. That means always moving to solutions. It means backing up your staff. It means setting expectations. It means having streamlined communication. It means letting the buyer know what to expect, and what your process is. It means asking the right questions.” [00:10:57]

[00:11:31] "Onboarding is where a lot of people lose a client. Onboarding either takes too long. There are too many steps. There are too many stops in the sales process. You need to be looking at this from a client-centered focus, not from yours, not from your ego.”[00:11:48]

Links:

Resources

Podcast: Bella in Your Business: Pet Industry Business Podcast

Join Mastermind

Email Bella: [email protected]

Sign up for a 20 mins call

Did you love this episode?

If you liked this episode on customer experience, please head on over to iTunes and leave a five-star rating and review. Every single review helps get this community bigger, stronger, and better. It gets other jumpers just like you into the community. Always remember when life gets down, Always Keep Jumping!

Transcript:

Welcome to another episode of Bella in your business. My name is Bella Vasta. Today we've got quite the show for you. We're drawing on some of the goodness that is happening right now in the mastermind in May 2023. We are talking all about customer experience. And as our previous guests Eddie Cristian describe to us customer experience is being on the offense and customer, and customer service is being on the defense, it was cool. If you're a mastermind member, you want to go check that out. But first, before we get into the show, I want to do a major shout-out to some of you. I've been inviting you guys to call me. And like let's set up a call for the free 20 Minute Calls at jumpconsulting.net/20. And I've had the pleasure of speaking with a bunch of you. Through that, I learned that you're not just listening to me while you're walking dogs driving, or folding laundry. Like I usually say, Leah, is getting her Bella in your business while she's in the shower, which is amazing. Because she's just she's getting it however she can get it. I talked to Kristen and Kristen was digging ditches in her backyard and she had her earbuds in so that she didn't have to remember that she was doing a task that she didn't like, you guys, I love it. I love hearing where you're listening and what you're doing. So keep that coming shoot me an email, [email protected].

Well, today we're gonna get into some lessons learned. We recently at jump consulting redesigned our website and it was a total train wreck. For any of you who have ever designed websites, you can't expect it not to always go completely smooth, because there's just too much stuff with tech that you cannot foresee. And that's okay, that's expected. What isn't expected is when you have one of the most worst horrible experiences with a company. And things get sideways, there is just hostility, there is a lack of communication, there is blaming, and there is a lack of professionalism. And if you're in the mastermind, you know what I'm talking about, because we talked about it in depth there. But today, I'm going to use that experience. And I'm working to make out lemonades. We're going to make lemonade out of these lemons, I am going to 1234567 we have seven different things that I want you to remember when you are doing customer experience and customer service. Because this is on both ends of it. It is the defensive end and the offensive end. And when you encounter situations where the company or, or your clients, I want you to remember these lessons that we learned.

So the very first thing that any business should do is they should ask really good questions and the right questions. If you guys have downloaded, my sales class, my phone script class that's on the website, it's only $79. We talk a lot about that during that discovery phase. That's what we're asking all the questions where we get to understand the client's pain points, their specific pain points. And knowing this stuff, and doing the investigation, asking the right kind of questions will deter you from making mistakes in the future. Now, when it comes to the website example, we had two websites that were emerging, and for the lack of communication or lack of questions, the clients aren't going to know the right information to tell you that's why they're hiring you. They're the expert. As the expert, you need to know things like how does your dog react around other dogs? How does your dog react when people they don't know come through the front door? All of these are important things to ask and to know. But at the right time during the onboarding process.

The next part about that kind of coincides very easily with that is to let your clients know what the next steps are to manage their expectations. What do I mean by this? Oftentimes, I see pet sitters fail at this because people will fill out a form on their website. And then crickets, the client has no idea if they got the form, and they have no idea when they're going to contact them back. And one of those will reach back to you in 24 to 48 hours is not what I'm talking about either. That is drastically hurting your sales process. But you need to know what the mean you need to let the clients know what the next step is. By doing this and by managing people's expectations, what you do is they gain trust in you, they start to know that they can follow your lead and that you truly are the expert, and that all of the voices in their heads can subside. Also, if they know what to expect their anxiety will go down and they also know what steps of the process are coming up and where things are going to be appropriate. So definitely let your clients know what the next steps are.

The other thing I would do if you or ever in a situation with a contractor is document everything. Now, you might think that email is enough, and it's a really good start. But sometimes email threads even get really out of hand. Email is for email, it is like a full-on conversation, it's a document, it's a letter back and forth. Okay? It is not a text chat, it is not something for one-word answers or one-sentence answers, and like 26 threads deep, that is not efficient communication with your clients. That is not efficient communication with your staff or inter staff period. Emails, and should be clear, concise, have good subject lines, the subject lines should change as it goes through. All of this stuff is going to help give your clients a better experience when they want to look at or recall any kind of information that they might need. When they have clear subject lines, it's easy to search for also internally inside of your own business. So you want to make sure that you have clear emails, clear communication, and that everything is documented, so that no one can ever really come back at you and say, Well, you promised this or you said this, or you can hold someone else accountable to it.

A good example of this in the pet industry and something I used to use in my former business before I sold it was telling people I could be inside my client system at that t

Have you ever had a negative experience with a company but felt like your voice wasn't being heard? You're not alone. Many companies today are failing because they do not ask for feedback from their customers. This can result in a disconnect between what customers want and what companies are delivering, leading to lost sales and damaged reputations. In today's fast-paced and ever-changing business landscape, it's more important than ever to actively seek out feedback from your customers and take action.In this episode of the Bella in Your Business: Pet Industry Business , I am talking about the importance of asking for feedback from your clients. I will be diving deep into the triggers and insecurities that may hold some business owners back from asking for feedback, and explaining why every pet business owner must embrace feedback as a tool for growth and improvement. You won't want to miss out on the insights, including some of the feedback loop examples and the significance of personalizing the feedback process and actively listening to your clients. So be sure to tune in for much more! :)

Topics Discussed and Key Points:

Feedback is not just about creating positive testimonials

How feedback can help improve services

The fear of negative feedback and how it can be related to personal triggers and insecurities.

Alleviating some of the pressure that comes with feedback

Embracing feedback and constructive criticism

Good girl syndrome, the  desire for validation and approval

Asking for feedback using open-ended questions.

Systematic systematized feedback collection

Importance of feedback loops

The “100 days’ system

The importance of not letting insecurities and ego prevent you from  asking for feedback:

Timestamps:

[00:16] Introduction to today’s show

[01:31] Why is feedback important?

[03:36] Addressing triggers and insecurities

[07:38] Creating feedback loops

[08:50] Examples of feedback loops

[09:39] Listening to clients and  what they have to say

[10:29] Why you should create a structure

Notable Quotes:

[00:01:35] “As a pet business owner, you want to make sure that you're providing the best possible service and experience for your clients, right? The only way to know if you're achieving it is to hear from customers directly. And that's where the feedback comes in.” [00:01:48]

[00:01:48] “Feedback is not just about creating positive testimonials as we talked about, but it's also listening to it for constructive criticism and making changes accordingly. It's a valuable tool for growth and improvement.” [00:02:01]

[00:03:42] “As a business owner, it's natural to want to do your best and provide top-notch service for your clients. Although it's important to remember that no one's perfect and mistakes happen.” [00:03:51]

[00:04:05] “Feedback can be scary, especially if you're worried about receiving negative comments. However, constructive criticism can be a valuable tool for improving your services and growing your business.” [00:04:18]

[00:04:30] “By listening to your customers' feedback and addressing their concerns, you can build trust and loyalty.” [00:04:36]

[00:06:39] “It's not until you grow and evolve that you realize that your business isn't you. And when they're saying something against the business, they're not saying it against you. They're saying it against this entity.” [00:06:50]

[00:07:40] “Creating feedback loops is crucial for the success of any pet business. It's important to have multiple ways to collect feedback, including face-to-face interactions, online reviews, and surveys by providing different options for client customers to share their feedback.”[00:07:56]

[00:11:21] “Don't let your own insecurities in your ego prevent you from asking for feedback because you don't want to see anything negative or you're afraid of being in trouble.” [00:11:31]

Links:

Resources

Podcast: Bella in Your Business: Pet Industry Business Podcast

Join Mastermind

Email Bella: [email protected]

Book:  Joey Coleman: Never Lose a Customer Again

Tracy Instagram feedback

Connect with Bella

Website

Facebook

Instagram

YouTube

Did you love this episode?

If you liked this episode, please head on over to iTunes and leave a five-star rating and review. Every single review helps get this community bigger, stronger, and better. It gets other jumpers just like you into the community. Always remember when life gets down, always keep jumping

Transcript:

Oh boy, I don't know if you're ready for this episode. What's up everybody, my name is Bella Vasta. Today, we're not talking about asking for feedback. But I am talking about why a lot of you don't ask for feedback, and I'm gonna call you out. I don't mean any of you to take this personally I am sitting here in my office right now all by myself, I do not have anyone in my head. But I do have these notes. And this, we're gonna talk about the psychology of this. Because a few episodes ago, we talked about how to get feedback and how to get testimonies we talked about, I gave you scripts, and I told you, this is exactly what you need to say. And, you know, some of you downloaded it. But I was kind of surprised how many people didn't just take that gift, it was like it was given out chocolate. I love chocolate. But before we get into that, I want to say thank you for listening to the episode, please subscribe, like, share, share it out, and let people know you're listening to it. And this episode in particular, might ruffle some feathers, but I'm okay with that I have been put in this position too. To do that. Again, this is not intended for any one person, even if you think it feels like that. But remember that I can only teach what I know. And when I'm doing this, and when I'm talking about this, I'm talking from experience. So why is feedback so important? As a pet business owner, you want to make sure that you're providing the best possible service and experience for your clients, right? The only way to know if you're achieving it is to hear from customers directly. And that's where the feedback comes in Feedback is not just about creating positive testimonials like we talked about. But it's also listening to it for constructive criticism, and making changes accordingly. It's a valuable tool for growth and improvement. Here I go off script again, I was doing an intensive in Seattle. And it was amazing. It was such a good time. And my client kind of looked at me and she's like Bella, pet care team training. Because I'm the co-owner of that it's you can train your staff and under two hours, get them petsitting CPR and First Aid certified, as well as a dog walker and petsitter certified. Each one of those is two-hour certification. So for four hours, you can get them certified, which is amazing, because it's the only thing out there that it will only be four hours or two hours depending on which one you get. But um, she said to me, she said, You know, when I hire a bunch of people, it's expensive, because it's like 150 a pop. And I was like, okay, but it's an investment. She's like, Yeah, but what did you think about a subscription? And I was kind of resistant to the idea first, but right now we're working on the tech for that. What if you could do you know, two subscriptions, you know, you just buy two subscriptions a month on autopilot? So it's banking in your bank, right? So when you need it, and when you hire, it's not an additional expense. It's something that's already been happening. And so that is my example. That's my point on why we do want to listen to our clients constructive criticism and make changes accordingly. It's a valuable tool for growth and improvement. So today, we're going to talk actually about addressing your triggers, and insecurities. I told you, this is gonna get uncomfortable before it gets comfortable, the infamous good girl syndrome and creating feedback loops. So here we go, we're gonna, let's let's start with your triggers and insecurities. Okay, so let's start by understanding that as a business owner, it's natural to want to do your best and provide top-notch service for your clients. Although it's important to remember that no one's perfect and mistakes happen. So acknowledging this fact can help alleviate some of the pressure that comes with the feedback. So I know that a lot of times, no, I'm not even going to jump there yet. I'm not going to jump there yet. I'm gonna stay on script. There's gonna be so good, though. So feedback can be scary, especially if you're worried about receiving negative comments. However, constructive criticism can be a valuable tool for improving your services and growing your business. So instead of seeing feedback as a threat, I want you to embrace it. I want you to think about it as ways to identify for improvement of your business and you can make adjustments that can lead to a better customer service experience, by listening to your customer's feedback and addressing their concerns. You can build trust and loyalty because now they say something, you fix it for them. And then they come back and they're like, Okay, great. They care about what I'm thinking, right? I think the deep down and I'm going to talk about my own experience. And I think you know any of you guys I'm gonna be 41 in July. And I think generally, generationally, we can all kind of relate because we were all kind of brought up roughly the same way. I was always, I was brought up in a loud, strict Italian household. And, I think that I was always seeking approval as a child. So I know I was always seeking approval, I've done lots of therapy and inner child work. And I'm so seeking feedback from clients, or I remember, anytime a client would be upset at me, or upset at the system, or the product, or whatever it was, I would instantly go into my little girl, and I didn't realize it....

Imagine this: You're running a successful business, sales are booming, and life is good. Suddenly, your customers start dropping off like flies, and you can't figure out why. This nightmare scenario can be avoided by tracking your churn rates. Let's dive into why it's crucial for your business's survival.In this episode of the Bella in Your Business: Pet Industry Business Podcast , I discuss the importance of tracking churn rates to gain insight into the health of a business. While emphasizing the need for businesses to be proactive in addressing underlying issues. Do you know retaining existing customers is not only cheaper than acquiring new ones, but it also increases your revenue? So, if you want to make more money and keep your business thriving, buckle up, and let's talk about churn rates.

Topics Discussed and Key Points:

Churn rate and what it means

The importance of knowing your churn rate

Optimization of your business processes using the Mastermind  churn rate template  

Importance of customer and employee experience

the importance of tracking churn rate and how it impacts the business's profitability and growth.

Business scurrying and why it is not good

Predictability typically comes from numbers

Building customer relationships 

Churn rate strategies 

Why you don’t need loans in  a pet sitting and dog walking business

Timestamps:

[00:34] Introduction to the concept of churn rate

[03:25] What is the churn rate?

[04:27] Churn rate template

[05:52] What is in the Mastermind this month?

[06:10] The importance of addressing touch points in business and employee satisfaction

[07:25] Why knowing the churn rate is critical for your business

[09:15] Implementing churn rate strategies

[11:08] Importance of financial and time freedom

[12:16] Next episode: Asking for feedback

Notable Quotes:

[00:03:31] “It's important to know your churn rate because it can give you insight into the health of your business. If you have a high churn rate, it may mean that there are underlying issues that need to be addressed.” [00:03:44]

[00:04:40] “The template allowed them to set meaningful goals and targets for their business, helping them stay focused and on track towards achieving sustainable growth by keeping a close eye on their churn rate and setting proactive measures to improve retention.” [00:04:54]

[00:07:26] “Knowing the churn rate is critical to the success of your business, otherwise, you're just scurrying and you have no idea what's going on. You have no idea when you need to implement anything.” [00:07:37]

[00:08:38] “We continue to build a relationship and let customers know that we're here to support them and to enhance their life, not to give them more problems.” [00:08:49]

[00:09:24] “It is going to be so much easier for you to flex this muscle and to start doing these kinds of business push-ups. We'll call them workouts. Now, when your data is small, it grows larger and larger.” [00:09:38]

[00:10:51] “If we see problems in our business and we try to throw money at it as I'll just pay more and I'll get people I need. Then what happens is you're running a nonprofit or you're running at like a 4% profit margin, which is not okay in a pet sitting in a dog walking business.” [00:11:08]

[00:11:41] “Churn rate is just one of those little tweaks, those buttons that we can adjust in turn to really understand when and where our clients and our employees are dropping off.” [00:11:52]

Links:

Resources

Podcast: Bella in Your Business: Pet Industry Business Podcast

Join Mastermind

Email Bella: [email protected]

Book:  Joey Coleman: Never Lose a Customer Again

Connect with Bella

Website

Facebook

Instagram

YouTube

Did you love this episode?

If you liked this episode, please head on over to iTunes and leave a five-star rating and review. Every single review helps get this community bigger, stronger, and better. It gets other jumpers just like you into the community. Always remember when life gets down, always keep jumping.

Transcript:

Welcome welcome to another episode of Bella in your business. My name is Bella Vasta. And Today I want you to just imagine, imagine if you could predict when a client going to leave you, or an employee was going to leave you. Imagine what that would do for your ability to plan to hire to market. What it would do to get your brain thinking about one thing or the other and not feeling frazzled. Like you have to do all of it, let alone, let's say we knew this information and there was something we could proactively do about it to keep people with us longer, whether they're employees or clients. How amazing would that be? Well, you can. It's called churn rate. And today, we're talking all about that. So you're not going to want to miss this episode. But before we get into it, I want to encourage you guys to like, share, subscribe to the podcast, and go ahead and tell a friend to share it in one of the Facebook groups. Let people know how valuable this teaching podcast is. Because I know I've gotten a lot of phone calls. And you guys call me all the time we do these 20 Minute Calls. If you want one, jumpconsulting.net/20. And I hear I've been listening to all of your episodes, or I've been binging on Bella. And I love that because it means that all of this work that I'm doing is not for nothing. It means that it's Saturday morning, when I'm recording this, thank goodness for makeup, I am super tired. My daughter is with her occupational therapist right now in the living room. And I'm here sitting with you. And I'm making a conscious effort to get it done and to keep consistent for you guys, every single Thursday since 2014. What? So please, if you like this episode, tell all your friends. Also, if you want to meet with me, I would love to meet with you just go to jumpconsulting.net/20. I'll give you a complimentary 20-minute call, we can solve one problem that you have. And this is for anybody who I've never met before. It's my way of getting to meet you. And I promise. There's no sales pitch. It is going down deep and dirty. And sometimes at the end of these calls, it's interesting because you're all like, so how do I work with you, Bella, and I'm like, Well, this is what you can do. Or sometimes I'm like, You're not ready to work with like, we're not ready to work together yet. Because you need to figure out some really fundamental foundations of your business that only you can decide. And then when you come we can work on stuff, you know. So I love it because I get to point people in the right direction, whether or not it's with me.

But let's get into it today. So a churn rate is the rate in which employees and clients leave your business over a given period. It's important to know your churn rate because it can give you insight into the health of your business. If you have a high churn rate, it may mean that there are underlying issues that need to be addressed. So high and low is going to be dependent upon a lot of different people. Because let's say that you have you're in a college town and you hire college kids, well, they might be a little bit more transient than someone who might be a freelancer at home. And so your churn rate the rate at which you have to hire someone new because someone quit is going to be longer. Think of the churn rate for employees or clients. If, if anytime you hired someone or anytime you onboard a new client, you did not ever lose them, what would that mean for your business? But that's the thing. We're constantly trying to get new clients, but at what rate are we losing clients? Last month in the mastermind, we actually provided our members with a powerful tool. It was a churn rate template that enabled them to monitor and track the retention of both their clients and employees. That template allowed them to set meaningful goals and targets for their business helping them stay focused and on track towards achieving sustainable growth. By keeping a close eye on their churn rate and setting proactive measures to improve retention. Our members are now equipped with the insights they need to optimize their business processes and deliver exceptional experiences to their clients and employees alike. This, this, you have to, you have to track it. Because once you have the information, then you can start seeing trends, you can start seeing like, oh, employees drop off right after I hire them, employees drop off right after the six-month line, clients daily dog walking the average, they stay with us for 16 weeks, and then they start dropping off or cutting back.

All right, this information is so valuable, because what happens is you're able to put in these, these, these safety nets, so to speak. So Joey Coleman has his book on never lose a customer. And we've done book clubs on it in the mastermind, too, in the years past. And some of you might have done that with us. But the main premise of this and customer experience, what we're talking about in the mastermind this month, is taking those numbers and putting them into action. And so one of the things that you can do, and even though we say customer experience, it's also employee experiment experience, right? Because we know that both of these systems are the same. Once you get this, you can start understanding where you need to do touch points. And that's big. I'm not going to go into that today. But, if you know that, you know, people are excited, they like got your solution, you're going to be their pet sitter. And then they get buyer's remorse. And they're wondering, oh, my gosh, did I make the right decision? Is this going to be okay? Did I like how it happened? Was the service good enough for me? All these things, or maybe they consistently have trouble booking with you or getting a hold of you or getting feedback from you, or communicating....

Hey, Jumpers! Today's topic is all about numbers and their importance in your business. It may not be the most exciting subject, but hear me out, because it is definitely one of the most critical aspects of running a successful business. Many business owners tend to overlook the significance of numbers in their operations, leading to financial mismanagement and potential losses. In this podcast episode, we'll dive into the numbers you need to know in your business and ensure you're getting them right. Whether you're a small business owner or a CEO of a large corporation, understanding and utilizing the right numbers can help you make better decisions, identify growth opportunities, and increase your bottom line.

Topics Discussed and Key Points:

Why tracking numbers is important

Numbers make us better leaders when making decisions

Mastermind

Six numbers to track for your business

Chinese wall

The importance of tracking website analytics

Knowing the profit margin for all services, charging by time, and using numbers to make decisions.

Timestamps:

[00:32] Introducing today’s show

[01:51] Why we need to know numbers

[03:44] Tracking revenue

[03:58] Tracking expenses

[05:17] Tracking net income or loss

[06:24] Tracking  gross margin

[06:35] Tracking  cash flow

[06:43] A break-even point

[08:27] The importance of Google Analytics

[08:51] Why do you track your user number

[09:24] Sessions

[09:41] Bounce rate

[10:18] Average session duration

[10:53] The conversion  rate

[11:17] Employee retention rate, churn rate, and client retention rate

[12:36] Check out the Mastermind

Notable Quotes:

[00:01:06] ‘If you want to grow your business, you need to know your numbers. You need to know them at a minimum every quarter. I encourage you every month.” [00:01:17]

[00:02:11] “Our team needs numbers to hit or to strive for, to know. All right. This is the litmus test. We're doing good or we're not doing good.” [00:02:19]

[00:03:14] “Numbers matter. Your business numbers matter. The revenue numbers matter. Your client total. All of that matters. But it can be a real pain to try to figure out which ones you should be tracking.” [00:03:25]

[00:03:58] “If you guys are using a debit card right now to pay for anything in your business, you're not leveraging what you could be. I highly recommend applying for a credit card, a business credit card, and get your business credit going and you can earn points that way.” [00:04:16]

[00:07:11] “By tracking those numbers and analyzing them regularly, you can gain valuable insights into your performance and then be able to make informed decisions on what you should do.” [00:07:21]

[00:08:02] “While you might not love numbers as a business owner, as a responsible business owner, you need to know some of these business numbers.” [00:08:11]

[00:08:33] “Your Google Analytics is the epitome of if you had a storefront, you want to know how many people come in your door a day, right? You want to know what the average sale is every day. You want to know how many people walk in and walk out without buying anything.” [00:08:50]

[00:09:28] “By tracking the number of sessions, a business can see how often users are visiting the website and identify opportunities to engage in or train them.” [00:09:36]

[00:09:53] “A high bounce rate isn't necessarily a bad indication. Why? Because most of you guys have an online scheduling system that is hosted on a third-party website.” [00:10:04]

[00:10:30] “There are so many statistics that the more people read on your website and watch, the more likely they are to buy your product or service because they are invested.” [00:10:41]

[00:13:03] “Failure is the greatest lesson we can have. And so you want to fail forward. You want to fail fast. You want to learn everything from that failure so that you can tweak and adjust. It's testing, you can tweak and adjust and keep going.” [00:13:16]

[00:14:51] “If your 20 minutes is $20, then your 30 minutes should be $30. But most of the time your 20 minutes is $20 and your 30 minutes is like $24. That doesn't make sense. It doesn't make sense, nor does it make sense that a lot of people who charge by time don't charge by time.” [00:15:10]

Links:

Resources

Podcast: Bella in Your Business: Pet Industry Business Podcast

Join Mastermind

Email Bella: [email protected]

Connect with Bella

Website

Facebook

Instagram

YouTube

Did you love this episode?

If you liked this episode, please head on over to iTunes and leave a five-star rating and review. Every single review helps get this community bigger, stronger, and better. It gets other jumpers just like you into the community. Always remember when life gets down, always keep jumping

Transcript:

Welcome everybody to another episode of Bella in your business. My name is Bella Vasta. And today we're going to talk about something that a lot of you do not like talking about. It is the number one topic that hinders a lot of your decisions. It's the number one thing that if you paid more attention to it and used it to make more decisions, you would make better decisions. Do you know what it is? It's numbers. Yep, the numbers in your company. Today, we're gonna talk all about the numbers that you need to know in your business, I'm gonna give you a good overview of it so that you can kind of just start thinking about it. And tracking it tracking is key. If you are if you want to grow your business, you need to know your numbers, you need to know them. At the minimum every quarter, I encourage you on a monthly basis, you need to have these things called key performance indicators, KPIs so that you can kind of set up a spreadsheet and whatever, whatever is the indication of good performance, those are the numbers you should be tracking. And it might be different for everyone, depending on your goals. But we're gonna talk all about this today, we're gonna get down and dirty. I'm gonna give you a good overview, some good food for thought if you will. But first, if you love this podcast, please feel free to share it with your friends and tag us. And also don't forget to subscribe, and I would love it if you would leave a review.

Alright, so getting into it. Why do we need to know numbers, it takes the feeling out of it. And it helps us be better leaders. So we can make decisions based on numbers and not our feelings. As we delegate and we need to bring people on our team, we need to define their success not based on our gut, but based on the numbers. Our team needs numbers to hit to strive to know, alright, this is the litmus test, we're doing good or we're not doing good. And it's just in time for taxes. Taxes were due this week, and personal taxes, and corporate taxes were due last month. But you know, it's just everything's numbers. It's even-numbered in the mastermind this month. We're talking deeply about it. We're giving out all kinds of freebies it's a champ churn rate freebie for regular dog-walking clients. And we're going deep on it. We're not going to go too deep today, because this is just like me too many. And it's kind of hard to have that intimate conversation. But if you're looking to have that intimate conversation, the mastermind is someplace you might want to check out. That's jumpconsulting.net/mastermind. Or if you're still unsure, shoot me an email [email protected]. And we can get together and have a chat on the phone. All right, so pardon me. So what I wish someone had told me a long, long time ago, numbers matter. Your Business numbers matter, the revenue numbers matter your client total, all of that matters. But it can be a real pain to try to figure out which ones you should be tracking. Because frankly, not all of us went to business school. Here are some quick tips for everyone who is learning as they're going to make mistake steaks and pick us up, pick ourselves back up again, as the owner of a dog walker in your pet sitting business, you need to track these six numbers.

So the first one is revenue. So that's how much money the business earns, from your services, and expenses. That's the total money amount of money that goes out. And I would, really, really encourage you if you guys are using a debit card right now, to pay for anything in your business. You're not leveraging what you could be, I highly recommend applying for a credit card, a business credit card, to get your business credit going. And you can earn points that way and those points you can turn in to get an airline ticket or Disney tickets for the family or whatever it might be. But I want to encourage you to be strategic about it. I have got one of the best business cards ever. I make double at least double back on all of the annual fees. It's it's amazing. It's my favorite card ever. If you want to know about that, let me know. And I will I'll send you a link it's [email protected] Just email me but I'm definitely all of your expenses should be that way and then you also need what they call a Chinese wall like it means that nothing is intertwined. You charge everything on this one card ARD and you pay everything from the business bank account, it actually will make things a heck of a lot easier when you're trying to reconcile your expenses or your bookkeeper is because it just makes it streamline and flow. I know most of you guys know this, but I know a lot of you aren't doing it. So I want to encourage you.

The third, third thing is net income or loss. So this is the difference between the business's revenue and expenses. And if the business earns more than it spends, it's a net income, if they spend more than they have, it's a loss. Now I know some of you guys try to write off everything and the kitchen sink. And that is a strategy. It's personally not a strategy I feel comfortable with. And the reason is, because one day,...

In this episode of " Bella in Your Business: Pet Industry Business Podcast," I discuss three pet business trends I see right now that you should be jumping on. As a former pet business owner myself, I can recognize pet business trends such as: Standing in your own power when communicating price increases to clients, and considering virtual consultations as a way to streamline your processes and save time. Lastly, take note of the increasing number of pet walking and sitting companies also offering dog training services.

What pet business trends have you been seeing lately in business? Does anything big stand out to you? Let me know! Also, if you're thinking about numbers in your business, I will be discussing crucial numbers that are essential for every pet business owner to be aware of. Don't forget to tune in to stay updated with the latest developments in the ever-changing landscape of the pet business. Thank you, and I hope you enjoy it!

Topics Discussed and Key Points:

Three noteworthy trends currently shaping the pet industry.

Unique value proposition and why it is important to always look at the bottom line

 The trend of virtual consultations especially for well-behaved dogs

The adverse behaviors caused by the co-dependency of dogs and humans in 2020 during the pandemic

Timestamps:

[00:13] Introducing today’s show about pet business trends

[01:08] Price increases

[03:24] Virtual consultations

[05:47] Pet walking and sitting companies becoming dog training companies

[07:31] Numbers you need to know in your business /next episode

[08:45] Meet Bella and share your business

Notable Quotes:

[00:01:15] “People are increasing prices because their profit margins are shrinking because inflation and employee wages are going up.” [00:01:23]

[00:02:16] “When it comes to reducing your costs, a lot of people need to look at their bottom line, they need to look at things like where are you spending money, where are you not getting your return on investment? You should get a return on investment on everything.” [00:02:29]

[00:02:56] “I do not want you paying someone to do something for 10 hours that could be really done in 2 hours. Stop complicating it.” [00:03:04]

[00:04:40] “If you have the right systems and processes and the right questions and the right onboarding for clients, you don't necessarily even need a consultation, but let alone you could do a virtual consultation, you actually could be pretty effective.” [00:04:58]

[00:06:44] “2020 changed you know us all and the dogs and the humans started really spending a lot of time together and they the humans kind of became codependent on the dogs to the point they don't ever want to leave them alone. And it has caused these adverse behaviors that almost need to be untied.” [00:07:01]

Links:

Resources

Podcast: Bella in Your Business: Pet Industry Business Podcast

Email Bella: [email protected]

Website

Marcus Sheridan

Petcare by Jessica in Connecticut

Jenni Peaceful Paws Petcare

Connect with Bella

Website

Facebook

Instagram

YouTube

Did you love this episode?

If you liked this episode, please head on over to your favorite streaming platform and leave a five-star rating and review. Every single review helps get this community bigger, stronger, and better. It gets other jumpers just like you into the community. Always remember when life gets down, always keep jumping

Transcript:

Welcome to another episode of Bella in your business. My name is Bella vasta. And today we are going to get into it, I had a really good question that was asked inside of one of my communities. And it was what are the trends that I'm seeing in the industry. And I came up with two and one of my members came up with one that I completely agree with. And we're going to dive into it today. But before I begin, I want to encourage you to like, and share comment on this podcast, if you have not already, we would love that we love getting new viewers. And I also want to, if we've never met each other, I would love to meet you. So shoot me an email at [email protected] We can get on a 20-minute call, and just get to know each other, I always like to solve one problem for you during that time. Also, it seemed as though you guys loved the last episode, even though it was nine minutes, you loved it. I got a lot of emails last week, and I appreciate it. So keep them coming. Because I love hearing back from you guys.

Alright, so the very first one that we're going to talk about is price increases. And I'm sure that makes sense to you. You've probably seen it happening around a lot. But the thing is, is that people are increasing prices because their profit margins shrinking because simply put inflation and employee wages are going up. Okay. And so that is something that's happening, but I see it happening in a lot of different ways. I want to remind you to stand in your power as it talks about your unique value proposition and why it's a great thing that your prices are increasing. Yeah, I do mean it, there are ways to position yourself on this ways not to position yourself on this is a long, boring, fluffy email that does not include the so what factor and that basically is begging people to permit you to increase your rates and then overwhelm them with a long menu of all the different rates. Don't do that. Don't do that. I would argue that you don't need to send anything at all. Yeah, I mean it, I can show you what I mean, if we work together or like you're in the community, and I can go into it, but it's too much to go into the podcast here. The other thing is that, um, when it comes to, you know, reducing your costs, a lot of people need to look at their bottom line, they need to look at like, where are you spending money, where you're not getting your return on investment, you should get a return on investment on everything. I had one girl that just joined better marketing, and she was spending almost $1,000 on her Google ads, and she has no idea if she was making that money back. Ouch. As we that you that's something you deserve to know, as a business owner. So I want to encourage you to be empowered with that information. Okay. Ask for it. The other thing too, that kind of parlays into this price increase thing is making sure that you're doing things as swiftly and smoothly as possible. I do not want you paying someone to do something for 10 hours that can be done in two hours. Stop complicating it. I see I just literally got off a coaching call where someone was overcomplicating a system. And she was like, That's it. I'm like, yeah, it's dog walking and pet sitting. It does not need to be that complicated. So think about that. And I want you to think about how does that affect you? And do you feel like that trend is happening with you?

The next trend that I see is virtual consultations. Now, I am so proud to say that back in April of 2020, April 2020, Marcus Sheridan, one of the leading sales coaches in the world came in and broke it down and showed us all how to do virtual consultations. Now would you believe it? If I told you I actually had a lot of clients that are doing virtual consultations, and some are not even doing consultations? Oh, the blasphemy of that. I know don't get scared, stay with me here. Before you completely reject it, I am going to challenge your thinking like I do all the time. If you are one of those companies that do not pride yourself on the special need cases or the fear cases or, or the heavy medication cases, right, you're just a dog walker, and you do not want and I mean that lovingly and you do not want to try to save the world, right? If you want to walk nice dogs that are well-behaved and won't rip your dog walker's shoulder out of the socket, then you can create a system where you almost don't even need it or you charge a lot for it if the client wants it. Yeah. And you can also set it up so that the first visit is almost like a consultation, but not really. But if you have the right systems and processes and the right questions and the right onboarding for clients, you don't necessarily even need a consultation. But let alone you could do a virtual consultation you actually could be pretty effective. Okay, that's one Mmm, the good thing that came out in 2020 is that everybody is very fluent doing this now, whereas before they were like, I don't want to be on camera, everyone's on camera now. It's just a way of life. Okay? So I want you to consider doing virtual consultations, if you are in our community, just go to the guides, and you can see that entire breakdown, and the teaching on how to do virtual consultations in your dog walking or pet sitting business. It's phenomenal. And as I said, there's a lot of people in our community that are already done that they've been doing it, but it's kind of cool to start seeing the rest of the industry catch up, which is typically what happens we kind of do things and then it kind of starts gaining momentum.

Now the last thing I'm going to say is that Becky and Stephanie brought this up in our community, and they said they're seeing a lot of pet-sitting dog walking company has also become dog training companies. And this is very true. It's something I deeply believe in. We've got let's see, we've got Jessica from RCO pet care in. In Connecticut that just got certified is now a dog trainer as well. We've got Jenny COEs in peaceful paws pet care who also has a dog ology universe. No, wiggle, but University dog Ology is Matt, Matt, but he's not I think just a dog. trainer, I don't think he's also dog walking. And then we've also got Randa who has a couple of businesses, but one of them is also training. She did that a couple of years ago. And so I am seeing that. And the reason and Becky put this so eloquently, so I'm not going to take credit for this. But you know, 2020 changed a lot of dogs....

Social media is a great way to connect with your customers and build trust, but it can also be a huge time-sink. We all know that social media is a big part of our business. It's where people are, and it's where they talk about your business in the most positive ways. That’s why you need to get it right! But how do you start getting results on social media? How do you grow your audience and make more sales? In this episode of the Bella in Your Business: Pet Industry Business Podcast, I will share four things that business owners should stop doing on social media to get better results. Emphasizing the importance of having a strategy for social media highlights, engaging with the audience, including others in posts, and creating evergreen posts. My advice is practical and actionable. These tips are part of the strategies taught in Better Marketing with Bella.

Topics Discussed and Key Points:

The importance of having a strategy for your highlights and making sure they reflect your goals for social media.

The importance of engaging with followers who comment, answer questions, or like posts to increase visibility and reach.

The importance of collaborations, tagging clients, and emailing clients to make them feel included and interested in your social media content.

The importance of creating evergreen posts

Tips for creating effective social media posts

Timestamps:

[00:35] Introducing today’s show

[02:25] Your highlights

[03:33] Ignoring engagement

[04:33] Not including anyone in your posts

[05:15] Meaningless posts that can’t be reused

[05:46] Recap

Notable Quotes:

[00:02:26] “There are two things on your highlights. One of them is it is a really good chance for you to brand your company and to have your branding shine through with the pictures that are on all of those brandings.” [00:02:39]

[00:03:01] “A lot of the time I know you're just throwing highlight reels up there to be like, Hey there. But like, unless they actually have a purpose, you're actually doing yourself a disservice.” [00:03:10]

[00:03:43] “When people press “see more” or they scroll through on a carousel ad that actually counts as engagement, but you don't really know who does that. I'm talking about engagement or people like a story or a post. I'm talking about the engagement or people answering a question or a pull or comments.” [00:04:02]

[00:04:59] “And a lot of you are saying, oh, well, social media doesn't work because you're expecting everyone to care about what you do. And the simple matter of fact is that they don't. You have to almost make them care. And there are certain ways that you can do that.” [00:05:12]

[00:05:22] “Evergreen posts are something that really works really well, that they're timeless. It doesn't matter what time of year it is or what time of day it is, what day of the week it is. They are posts that can literally be posted whenever you feel like it.” [00:05:37]

[00:06:52] “If you feel like social media doesn't work, you should definitely join our program because I'm going to teach you how to make social media work.” [00:07:00]

Links:

Resources

Podcast: Bella in Your Business: Pet Industry Business Podcast

Better Marketing with Bella

Bella’s book: The Four Types of Dogs Every Business Needs

Email Bella

Website

Connect with Bella

Website

Facebook

Instagram

YouTube

Did you love this episode?

If you liked this episode, please head on over to iTunes and leave a five-star rating and review. Every single review helps get this community bigger, stronger, and better. It gets other jumpers just like you into the community. Always remember when life gets down, always keep jumping!

Transcript:

Welcome to another episode of Bella in your business. My name is Bella Vasta. And today we're going to talk about the four things you should stop doing on social media so you can start getting results. Guys, this is going to round up our last social media episode for this series, just in time for better marketing with Bella where the doors kind of already closed. But if you missed your chance, or you're like, oh, no, Bella, I have been thinking about it. If I still want to get in, go ahead and shoot me a quick email at Bella at jump consulting.net. It is now airing of this, it is on April 13. And we can still slide you in, but really honestly, not after today. So let's get into it. Because I have been seeing a lot of stuff, what we do is we stay on top of all of our better marketing with Bella people, and we see what they're doing. But amongst that, you know, our feed is filled with a lot of people who are not in better marketing and Bella as well. And these are the things that we teach, we teach the strategy, we teach you what to say we teach you how to say it. And we also, you know, celebrate when people are doing it right and getting amazing results, which happens frequently. So these are four things that I'm sure you are at least doing of them. Because this is kind of high-level stuff. I keep saying I'm not going to teach on this podcast. But I am going to try my best to ignite you into realizing oh, shoot, I'm doing that wrong, and I need to change and things can happen. There's also probably going to be another short, quick episode because our last one was a little bit lengthy. But before we get started, I want you to subscribe to the podcast, wherever you listen to it, make sure that you get it every single day, I make them short and sweet just for you. Because I used to be in the field, just like you or I used to be running my pet business. And I know that your time is limited, we're not going to have hour-long episodes that are going to be short, usually between about 10 to 20 minutes or so closer to the 10. So without further ado, let's get going.

The number one thing or the first thing that I want you to think about is your highlights, there are two things on your holiday highlights. One of them is it is a really good chance for you to brand your company, and to have your branding shine through with the pictures that are on all of those brandings. So you want to make sure that you're taking care of those pictures. The second thing I want you to think about is what are using the highlight reels for most of the time, it's like a smorgasbord of whatever. And it has nothing to do with what you're trying to accomplish in your business. I want you to think about what are your goals. And what are your goals for social? And those highlight reels should reflect that. Okay? A lot of the times I know you're just throwing highlight reels up there to be like, hey, but like unless they have a purpose, you're doing yourself a disservice. So make sure that your strategy for what you want on social media is lining up with your highlight reels. Again, if you want more understanding of what that all is, you should join our program. Because we can help you leverage that for sales and marketing and a whole bunch of other stuff that really helped push people over the line and want to hire you.

The second thing is ignoring engagement. You guys fight so hard to get people to engage with you. And then when it happens, we don't do much. Now, sidenote, little known fact when people press see more, or they scroll through a carousel ad that counts as engagement, but you don't know who does that. I'm talking about the engagement or people like a story or a post, I'm talking about the engagement or people answer a question or a poll or comment. I don't see enough of you engaging with them not liking it, but engaging. And there are lots of different ways that we could do this. If you have a social media manager, if you have an office manager, or if it's you, there are a lot of ways that you can easily systematize this and get that going. So rather than just like someone's comment, if you draw a conversation out of them, and you start conversating back and forth, the logarithms gonna see this post and it's gonna push it out to even more people. And if you're not doing that you're missing out. All right.

The third thing is not including anyone in your posts. What do I mean by these collaborations, tagging clients, or maybe not collaboration or tagging, but simply emailing your client and letting them know that their pet is a star. There are certain words that you can use their certain emails that you can send out, all of that stuff can be wildly exciting and important, and, and help your social media. But a lot of you are doing these, and a lot of yours saying, Oh, well, social media doesn't work because you're expecting everyone to care about what you do. And the simple matter of the fact is that they don't, you have to almost make them care. And there are certain ways that you can do that. So you're missing out on well, I'll wait to recap, let me give you my fourth one quickly. So meaningless posts that can't be reused, not creating evergreen posts that you can use in sales.

So evergreen posts are something that like really work well. That they're timeless, it doesn't matter what time of year it is, or what time of day it is, what day of the week it is, they are posts that can be posted whenever you feel like it. And these posts are strategically created, that you know will pop off for your audience, whether that be employees, or whether that be by clients. So these are four things that I'm wondering, Is this any of you, I want you to find out where you saw this podcast post, or shoot me an email and be like, Bella, how do I do it? And so you want strategies for your highlights and you want your highlights branded, you don't want to ignore engagement or take too long on getting back to people you want to, you want to I call it like squeeze the lemon juice to get that engagement going. By saying certain things, you want to include as many people as you can in your posts, either through collaborations, tagging, or emailing them. So when you post a post,...

Hey, Jumpers! If you're feeling overwhelmed trying to juggle your business and personal life while struggling to attract new clients, you're not alone. The good news is that there's a solution that can help take your business to the next level! Have you heard of Better Marketing with Bella? A pro at helping businesses like yours grow without sacrificing your personal life and relationships. You can shoot me an email at [email protected] or schedule a quick 20-minute phone call at jumpconsulting.net/20. Remember, investing in marketing is key to growing your business, and my program can help make it happen. In this podcast episode, Bella Vasta, a business coach and host of the "Bella in Your Business: Pet Industry Business Podcast discusses the importance of marketing and how her program, Better Marketing with Bella, can help business owners solve common problems. I emphasize that marketing is not just about getting more clients, but also about building relationships and creating a strategy that works for the long term. I share examples of how her program has helped business owners hire multiple people and even create waitlists due to high demand. I encourage listeners to expand their mindset and consider the power of marketing beyond just graphics. Please tune in for more!

Topics Discussed and Key Points:

Marketing and business struggles

Better Marketing with Bella

How marketing is essential for business growth and how it differs from advertising.

Why you should not be advertising on social media

Challenges of DIY Marketing

The importance of using professional graphics on social media to show that a business is responsible and trustworthy.

Success strategies from business owners who have used Better Marketing with Bella to attract clients and employees

Why you should focus both on employees and clients at the same time

The importance of planning for social media

Discounts and options for joining

Better Marketing with Bella   program, including a small package for $97 and a larger package for $497

The importance of social media in marketing

Upcoming group coaching calls

Timestamps:

[00:11] Introducing today’s show

[03:32] Bella’s credibility as a business coach and social media expert

[05:41] Benefits of Better Marketing with Bella

[08:20] Marketing Program Overview

[11:38] Testimonials

[13:35] Importance of professional graphics

[16:22] Marketing and the importance of focusing on both clients and employees

[18:37] Creating a social media plan for the Future

[19:36] Discounts and options for joining Better Marketing with Bella

[21:22] The success story of Better Marketing with Bella

[24:56] Partnership with clients

Notable Quotes:

[00:02:54] “Marketing is something that you do now for the next 3 to 6 months. So if you're ever behind in April and trying to catch up all the time, it's simply because you market when you need it. Not realizing that marketing is something that builds up over time 3 to 6 months, advertising is something different.” [00:03:18]

[00:05:18] “Creative energy is something that it's really hard to have if you're one of those business owners right now that are in survival mode.” [00:05:26]

[00:09:22] “We've been doing this since January 2017, and I started it because I missed doing marketing for my own business. And you can only imagine the leaps and bounds that social media has changed over the past five years.” [00:09:38]

[00:11:46] “We've got 200. Stories of all kinds of testimonies. They are videos from people, they are written, they are screenshotted, and they are in the DMS. They are all very authentic. Things like this program work to get you employees and clients.” [00:12:05]

[00:16:11] “We teach you strategies that help you attract people so that you don't even have to go to Indeed, imagine that.” [00:16:19]

[00:22:54] “Your website probably sells the industry. If you're like the general public, it doesn't necessarily do your unique value proposition and why you're special. So your website doesn't impress people.” [00:23:06]

[00:23:25] “You're not selling dog walking and cat sitting and pet sitting and all that stuff. You're selling peace of mind, trust and security and if you are not doing that on social media, you're missing the point.” [00:23:39]

[00:24:06] “People are crying that they can't get their posts posted on Facebook and no one is interacting. Well, it's because what you're putting out there doesn't matter. There's no strategy.” [00:24:17]

Links:

Resources

Podcast: Bella in Your Business: Pet Industry Business Podcast

Better Marketing with Bella

Previous episodes  Stephanie from Chicago Urban Pet Care.

Email Bella

Website

Book 20 minutes Meeting with Bella

Connect with Bella

Website

Facebook

Instagram

YouTube

Did you love this episode?

If you liked this episode, please head on over to iTunes and leave a five-star rating and review. Every single review helps get this community bigger, stronger, and better. It gets other jumpers just like you into the community. Always remember when life gets down, always keep jumping.

Transcript:

Welcome to another episode of Bella in your business. My name is Bella Vasta. Today I am here I'm going to go completely off-script. My team does not even know that I am like throwing out the window, the show notes that I'm supposed to be recording for today. Because you know, I just really needed to talk to you guys. I've been talking to a lot of you on DMS and in emails, and even on those 20-minute complimentary calls that we do, just to get to know you and get to, you know, connect. And I'm seeing something that needs to be addressed. I want you to imagine that you are a business owner who has a steady flow of clients or is happy with what you've got going on. But you're breaking your back and blowing up your life and ruining relationships. Or don't even have many left. Because you're a slave to your business. You are working on the weekends, you're working early in the mornings you're working at night, you are a when you're not working, you're a complete stress ball. Because you're wondering, oh my gosh, if I lose just one more person, the whole thing is going to come crumbling down, I'm going to be a big failure, and my business is going to go under. Does it sound familiar? For some of you, it might not be a stretch. I can say that so perfectly because I was there in the early 2000s Before I hired or knew how to hire properly. But I hear this from a lot of you. And I'm talking to a lot of you right now because better marketing with Bella doors is open, but they're closing soon. And I want to let you know that I stay with me here. Better marketing with Bella can help you solve this problem. And I think a lot of people think about marketing and they think, Oh, well, it's just a bunch of generic stuff. And I don't need any more clients. That marketing equals more of a problem. If you're one of those people that are looking for more people to work for you, right? You're like I don't need marketing? Well, you kind of do. And I'm gonna give you some examples and stories of people that have been able to use better marketing with Bella to hire multiple people at the same time. I'm going to talk about people who have them on a waitlist right now because they don't have enough clients. And I'm also going to tell you about how marketing works. Marketing is something that you do now for the next three to six months. So if you're ever behind the eight ball and trying to catch up all the time, it's simply because you mark it when you need it not realizing that marketing is something that builds up over time three to six months.

Advertising is something different. And we don't advertise on social media at least you should not be advertising on social media, because it is about relationship marketing. So let's get into this. First of all, if you are just joining us on the podcast What's Up my name is Bella Vasta. I have been a business coach since 2002. I have been nationally and locally award-winning I've been on some of the largest stages talking social media, teaching 1000s of people how to do it. I've been hired personally by big companies, both in our industry and outside of our industry to help a revamped strategize their social media and for some companies teach their people how to be better sales reps online and build their social media. I know what I'm talking about. More so and I will stand on this I will die on this on this platform here. More so than anyone else right now in the industry. I do Not only have I done it for myself, but I've also done it for hundreds of companies, whether it's personal side-by-side and better marketing with Bella or helping them. So I want you to take all of this to heart today. Because I want you to open up your mind you know the mindset switch the mindset change, you can sit here and fight me the entire episode in your head and that's okay. I want you to email me all of the things that your yeah buts. Okay. And if I haven't properly addressed something, it is your job to call me out on that. All right, and I want you to call me out on that. But I do need to tell you this stuff. So I've got notes I've got if you're watching Seeing on YouTube right now, I'm not going to necessarily be looking at the camera the entire time. I've got so many notes for you. But I do need to talk about a lot of stuff. So people that are I'm so worn down, I don't have a creative bone in my body to write, I get it. Creative energy is something that it's really hard to have. If you're one of those business owners right now they're in survival mode. If you guys remember my divorce podcast, I was in survival mode for quite a while. And I know what it's like to be trying just to survive in your life for whatever reason, and then also have to show up with creative energy no longer time for that you are not a C