Bella In Your Business: Pet Sitting and Dog Walking Podcast

In this week's Podcast, Bella is going to give you 4 major tips on how to handle the increase of leads that may be leaving you feeling overwhelmed or stressed out. Are you taking on the right clients or hiring the right employees?

Biggest Takeaways You Don’t Want To Miss

Are You Considering Inflation?

Inflation entails a lot but the biggest thing is supply and demand. If you are experiencing stress from your increase of leads then maybe it is time to increase prices.

Show What Kind of Clients You Want, Don't Just Settle 

The type of clients you bring on will have a huge impact on your new leads. are you willing to accept just anyone? Filter down the clients coming to you by showing them who you are looking for. It is okay to say no.

The Right Employees Will Help Relieve the Stress of Bringing on New Clients

Having the right employees is so important when you are expanding and receiving an influx of leads. They will help set you up for success by being able to take new leads off your plate. Imagine how much stress will disappear if you had the perfect staff. You CAN make this happen.

Show Highlights

Are You Feeling Stressed Out About How Many Leads You Have? [4:00]

Raise Prices - This is a Huge Part of Inflation [6:15]

Find Clients that You Want and Not Just the Ones Coming to You [8:15]

What if You Had the Perfect Staff? It is Time to Start Hiring Correctly [11:35]

Get your Leads and Follow-ups Organized [16:20]

Bella's Recent Coaching Stories [18:00]

Links:

20min Work With Me Call

Mastermind

Free Download

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In this week's Podcast, I am going to talk about the secrets to make your employee scheduling more efficient. Don't be afraid, look at your SOP and employee handbook, do they set you and your employees up for success?

Biggest Takeaways You Don’t Want To Miss

How Does Your Business Handle Employee Route Schedules?

Giving your employees the freedom to set their own schedules using time blocks can save time and money. However... are they trained to be able to do this correctly? Look at your systems and processes and ask yourself if you are just doing the work because you are afraid to let them take it over?

SOP and Employee Handbooks

Having an SOP and Employee handbook that streamlines this process will help you not have to micromanage. Employees will be more responsive if you are able to provide them with the trust that they can hit all their appointments as they need to and have you there to help them if they are unable to create their own route.

Is Fear Controlling Your Decisions?

Don't let fear be the thing that holds you back. Fear comes from the unknown so make things known. This helps you take those steps that desperately need to be taken to make your business more efficient and get the most out of your employees. They want to do good and help you but micromanaging can prevent them from being able to do this.

Show Highlights

Does your SOP train your employees to schedule their own routes? (5.40)

Now when to take over scheduling and Offer help to assist them (7.15)

When to be alerted about when your employees are late (7.50)

When to realize you are micromanaging and how this can save you time and money (8.48)

Don't be afraid of change. Rely on your SOP and Employee handbook (11.45)

Be prepared for the new changes in the business world (14.14)

Links:

Bella's Email: [email protected]

Liz Illg Group SOP

Jump Mastermind

Better Marketing with Bella

Let's Connect:

Did you enjoy the show? We would love it if you subscribed today and left us a 5-star review!

Click this link – Bella In Your Business

Click on the ‘Subscribe’ button below the artwork

Go to the ‘Ratings and Reviews’ section

Click on ‘Write a Review’'

Are You New Here?

Welcome, I am so glad you are here. If you are a dog walker, dog sitter, cat sitter, doggy daycare, or kennel owner, then you found the right place. Jump Consulting is the one place on the internet to get all the resources you need for your pet care business. Can I give you some freebies to generate sales and increase revenues for your business? Grab your freebies below.

Are you starting out? Been in business for less than two years? Get your startup resources here.

Do you own an established pet care business and you want to take it to the next level.? Get Your builder resources here.

Transcript:

This is episode 253 of Bella in Your Business. Hi there, I’m Bella Vasta from Jump Consulting. You might know me from CBS, NBC, Fox, Huffington Post, Entrepreneur, or maybe you’ve seen me speak on stage or read my book, The Four Dogs That Every Business Owner Needs. In any case, get ready because you’re about to get your hashtag Bella Butt Kickin’ in this next episode of Bella in Your Business.

So what do you say? Let’s get ready and jump. Welcome everybody to another episode of Bella in Your Business. I’m so excited to be here with you today, talking about something that, honestly, I think every single one of you listening has probably struggled with at some point in your business, and that’s employee scheduling. Scheduling your team can feel like a full-time job on its own—especially when you’re growing, trying to accommodate different availabilities, and making sure clients’ needs are met.

So today, we’re diving into the secrets behind employee scheduling. I’ve worked with so many pet sitting and dog walking business owners who say that scheduling their team is one of their biggest headaches. But here’s the truth: it doesn’t have to be. There are strategies and systems that can make this so much easier, and that’s exactly what I want to share with you.

Before we dive in, though, let’s talk about why this is such a pain point. Most of the time, it comes down to two things—overcomplicating your process and trying to do too much manually. Many of you are still using spreadsheets or even pen and paper to manage schedules. That might have worked when you had a small team, but as your business grows, it’s just not sustainable. You need systems that can scale with you, not slow you down.

So let’s start with the first secret: boundaries. You’ve got to have clear boundaries with your employees. One of the biggest mistakes I see is owners who allow their staff to dictate their schedules entirely. And look, I get it—you want to be accommodating. You want to keep your people happy. But if you’re bending over backward every week trying to make everyone’s schedule work perfectly, you’re going to burn out. Instead, create clear availability expectations right from the hiring process. When you bring someone onto your team, make sure they understand your business needs come first.

Here’s a phrase I love to use: “We schedule for the business, not the babysitter.” What that means is that you build your schedule around what your clients need, and then you plug in your staff based on the availability that fits that model. You are not here to create a custom work-life balance for every single employee. You are here to serve your clients and build a business that works efficiently.

Now, the second secret is automation. There are so many great software options out there for pet sitting and dog walking businesses—Precise Petcare, Time to Pet, Pet Sitter Plus, and so many more. Each of these has features that allow you to automate your scheduling process, communicate changes, and avoid mistakes. If you’re still manually sending texts or writing down schedules, it’s time to evolve.

Automation doesn’t mean losing control—it means gaining time. Time to focus on growth, time to train your team, time to actually live your life. You can set up recurring schedules, recurring visits, and rules that assign jobs automatically to your team based on their availability, location, and workload. Use those features!

The third secret is communication. I can’t tell you how many scheduling issues are really just communication issues. Maybe someone didn’t see the update, maybe a shift was changed but not confirmed, or maybe there’s confusion about time off. You need a clear, consistent communication system. Whether that’s using your software’s built-in messaging feature or something like Slack, it’s got to be centralized. No more chasing conversations across text messages, Facebook Messenger, and emails. Keep it simple, keep it consistent.

Another big piece of this is training your staff to take responsibility for their own schedules. Teach them to check the app daily. Teach them to confirm their shifts. Teach them to communicate early when something comes up. When your team understands that scheduling is a shared responsibility, not just yours, you take a huge weight off your shoulders.

The fourth secret is flexibility with structure. I know that sounds contradictory, but hear me out. You want to have a structured system in place for how scheduling works, but within that, you need some flexibility. Life happens. People get sick. Cars break down. Kids need to be picked up. Build your team with enough redundancy so that when something like that happens, you have backups ready to step in. Don’t let your entire business crumble because one person can’t make a shift.

This is why cross-training is so powerful. If you have people who can cover multiple neighborhoods, handle different types of clients, or switch between dog walks and pet sits, you’ll never be held hostage by your schedule again. Train for flexibility. Plan for it. Expect it.

Finally, the fifth secret is mindset. Scheduling will always be part of your business, but it doesn’t have to be the monster under the bed. When you have the right systems, clear expectations, and the right tools, scheduling becomes routine. It becomes predictable. You stop feeling like you’re constantly reacting and start feeling like you’re leading with intention.

And here’s the real truth: when you get your scheduling under control, your whole business feels calmer. You stop dreading those last-minute texts. You stop waking up at 2 a.m. wondering if someone’s going to show up for the morning walk. You start to breathe again. You can actually enjoy running your business instead of feeling trapped by it.

So let’s recap. The five secrets behind employee scheduling are:

Boundaries – Set expectations from the start.

Automation – Use technology to save time and reduce errors.

Communication – Keep everything centralized and consistent.

Flexibility with structure – Build in room for real life, but keep your systems strong.

Mindset – Take control of your scheduling instead of letting it control you.

I want to challenge you today to pick one of those areas and improve it this week. Don’t try to overhaul everything all at once. Just pick one. Maybe it’s setting clearer expectations with your staff. Maybe it’s finally trying out a scheduling software you’ve been putting off. Maybe it’s organizing your communication so everything happens in one place. Whatever it is, take action.

If you need help figuring out which scheduling software is right for your business, check out the resources on my website at jumpconsulting.net. I’ve got tons of guides and comparisons to help you make the right choice.

Scheduling doesn’t have to be stressful, and you don’t have to do it alone. You can absolutely build a business where your team runs smoothly, your clients are happy, and you actually have time to breathe.

So what did you think? Did you love this episode?...

Choosing a pet sitting software is not an easy task. Maybe you're overwhelmed with all of the different options out there, or even tried them all but just can't decide.

It's difficult to determine which features are important to YOU and then to match those needs up with software.

In this episode of Bella In Your Business, I sit down with Kristin Young, where she shares her scientific process for successfully choosing a pet sitting software to use in your pet business.

Kristin spent 20 years in corporate real estate and business. She "woke up" one day and realized she wanted to take control of her time and get away from the common cubicle. With two young kids and a supportive husband, she began the search for an income model that she could manage, grow, and LOVE.

In January of 2019, she came across the opportunity to buy NOT ONE, but TWO cat-sitting companies, with the intent to merge them into a single business. Kristen uses her business experience to take a little of what she knows and a little of what she doesn't know to learn how to run a pet care business. One of the first steps was finding the RIGHT pet sitting software company.

Show Highlights

[5:30] - Who is Kristin Young?

[8:00] - What was the driving force behind switching pet sitting software companies?

[10:45] - Can you describe what an "RFP" is?

[21:00] - How did you come up with the methodology for RFP and choosing a pet sitting software company?

[19:15] - How long did you try each pet sitting software for? What advice would you have for someone that is stuck trying to choose a pet sitting software?

[25:00] - Where can you find Kristin online?

Links

Kristin's Website: www.preciousfur.com

Jump Consulting Facebook Group

Let's Connect!

Did you enjoy the show? We would love it if you subscribed today and left us a 5-star review!

Click this link – Bella In Your Business

Click on the ‘Subscribe’ button below the artwork

Go to the ‘Ratings and Reviews’ section

Click on ‘Write a Review’'

Are You New Here?

Welcome, I am so glad you are here. If you are a dog walker, dog sitter, cat sitter, doggy daycare, or kennel owner, then you found the right place. Jump Consulting is the one place on the internet to get all the resources you need for your pet care business. Can I give you some freebies to generate sales and increase revenues for your business? Grab your freebies below.

Are you starting out? Been in business for less than two years? Get your startup resources here.

Do you own an established pet care business and you want to take it to the next level.? Get Your builder resources here.

Transcript:

This is episode 252 of Bella in Your Business. Hi there, I'm Bella Vasta from Jump Consulting. You might know me from CBS, NBC, Fox, Huffington Post, Entrepreneur, or maybe you've seen me speak on stage or read my book, The Four Dogs That Every Business Owner Needs. In any case, get ready because you're about to get your hashtag Bella Butt Kickin' in this next episode of Bella in Your Business.

So what do you say? Let's get ready and jump. Welcome jumpers to today's episode. Today's episode is very, very important. It is something that I've actually had a lot of conversations with you guys recently where you have been saying to me things like, how do I get all my leads organized? How do I land more leads? How do I understand how many miles my people are driving? How do I streamline the communications so that we are never missing anything happening when someone sends us a journal and we lose a thousand-dollar booking because I did not see that message come through? Guys, there is so much muck out there. There are so many muddy waters of people's systems and softwares, and a lot of softwares are actually working against my clients. My clients are wanting to do things one way, but their system is bucking against them.

So friends, this is when you take a step back and honestly say, am I molding my business to the software company that I'm currently paying because I'm too afraid to switch? Or do I actually understand what my most important things are with my business, my growth, and my expansion—and get a software that helps assist that? Guys, I got news for you. A lot of the popular ones are actually working against my clients. Once they’ve realized this and made the switch and made the flip, things have skyrocketed. In today's episode, we're going to talk about choosing a pet sitting software that is going to help support your business and support your growth rather than work against you.

Our guest today is going to help us with that. She is going to walk us through her experience of evaluating different software options and how she came to her decision. She’s also going to share her process and the lessons she learned along the way. Let’s dive right into it.

The first step she took was identifying what she really needed in a software. She didn’t just jump into demos or free trials; she actually started with the end in mind. She asked herself what was most important for her business, what problems she needed to solve, and what features would make the biggest impact. From there, she created a spreadsheet to compare options.

She started by listing all the available software she could find—everything from Precise Petcare, Time to Pet, Pet Sitter Plus, and others. Then she narrowed it down to a handful she could really dig into. Next, she developed ranking and weighting criteria to evaluate them. For example, one of her biggest priorities was key management, since in cat sitting, keys are constantly switching hands. Because of that, she weighted key management very heavily in her comparison.

Price was another factor, but it wasn’t the most important one. All the options were within about $100 to $150 of each other monthly, so price didn’t influence her decision as much. What did matter was functionality, customer service, and ease of use. Once she had her ranking and weighting system built, she reached out to four or five of the software companies for interviews. She sent them her list of questions ahead of time to see who would take the time to prepare and respond thoroughly. Interestingly, two of them didn’t even look at her questions, which immediately disqualified them.

The ones that did respond demonstrated that they cared about customer service and valued communication. After reviewing their answers, she conducted one-on-one interviews with the remaining software companies. Each interview lasted about an hour and a half, during which she and her team walked through every key feature and evaluated it against their criteria. She also created a Gantt chart to help visualize implementation timelines and transitions.

Each feature was scored and weighted according to its importance. For example, key management might have an 80% weight, while price might only be 10%. That way, the final decision wasn’t just based on feelings—it was based on a quantitative analysis that reflected what was most important for her business.

After all the research and interviews, she made her final selection and created an implementation plan. She even called the launch day “D-Day” because it was such a big event for her team. They ran both systems simultaneously for a short time to smooth out any errors and make sure the new software was running correctly before completely switching over.

One key takeaway here is that she didn’t rush the process. From start to finish, it took her six months to complete the evaluation and implementation. She says that trying to do this in one or two weeks is unrealistic—you’ll only overwhelm yourself. But if you take your time and approach it strategically, you’ll feel confident in your decision.

When asked if she was happy with her choice, she said yes—she was very happy. She narrowed it down to two major contenders: Precise Petcare and Time to Pet, both well-known in the pet sitting industry. Ultimately, she chose Precise Petcare because of its strong customer service and willingness to listen to users’ feedback. For example, one of her biggest pain points was communication between sitters and clients. She wanted her sitters to be able to communicate directly without her having to be the middleman. The team at Precise Petcare promised to work on improving that feature, and their responsiveness and openness to feedback were major deciding factors.

However, she also mentioned that Time to Pet had a beautiful client interface, which she thought was more visually appealing from a customer’s perspective. In the end, though, she chose the option that best aligned with her priorities. She also pointed out that while she’s happy with her choice, she believes that the pet sitting software industry as a whole still has room to grow and improve.

Her advice to other business owners? Communicate with your software company instead of just complaining. It’s easy to vent frustrations in Facebook groups or forums, but that doesn’t solve anything. Instead, have open, honest, and positive communication with your software provider. Tell them what you love about their product so they don’t remove those features, and clearly explain what needs improvement and why. For example, don’t just say, “I don’t like this button.” Instead, say, “My clients are struggling to find this button, which affects their ability to book services.” That kind of feedback helps software companies understand your needs and make meaningful changes.

As pet business owners, it’s our responsibility to push software companies to innovate and evolve. We need to advocate for our industry’s needs in a constructive way that helps everyone grow.

If you want to check out our guest’s business, you can find her at preciousfur.com. She’s also active in the Jump Consulting community on Facebook, where she shares tips and experiences with other pet sitting professionals.

Cat sitting businesses can thrive,...

Imagine starting a new job, feeling welcomed, and having all the resources you need to succeed, compared to feeling lost and unsupported. Bella will share some relatable examples and personal experiences to help you understand why onboarding is crucial for employee retention and company success. In this week's Podcast, Bella is going to take you on a journey of understanding the importance of a smooth and effective onboarding process.

Biggest Takeaways

Real-Life Examples of Things Pet Based Business Owners Say and Do When It Comes to Employees [7:28]

Why you’ll be needing to onboard employees in record time very soon and how you can be ready [10:10]

Exactly what NOT to do in the onboarding process [10:45]

Defining Onboarding and what it means [11:45]

Studies pertaining to high employee turnover [13:00]

Why employees leave companies [13:30]

Standardization of onboarding process [13:05]

Importance of schedule for onboarding [18:30]

Why pet care team training videos can give you a headstart [21:45]

What is an employee's worth vs a client's worth? [23:35]

Types of employee learning and training styles for employees [26:30]

Links:

Pet Care Team Training

Jump Mastermind

Subscribe To The Show:

Did you enjoy the show? We would love it if you subscribed today and left us a 5-star review!

Click this link – Bella In Your Business

Click on the ‘Subscribe’ button below the artwork

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Transcript:

This is episode 251 of Bella in Your Business. Hi there, I'm Bella Vasta from Jump Consulting. You might know me from CBS, NBC, Fox, Huffington Post, Entrepreneur, or maybe you've seen me speak on stage or read my book, The Four Dogs That Every Business Owner Needs. In any case, get ready because you're about to get your hashtag Bella Butt Kickin' in this next episode of Bella in Your Business.

So what do you say? Let's get ready and jump. Welcome to the summer of 2021, where our businesses are exploding and we cannot hire fast enough. What's up, everybody? My name is Bella Vasta, your host for this podcast, Bella in Your Business, because guess what? I am totally in your business. I recently got off two intensives in Maryland, and one of my girls said to me, “Bella, how does it feel always being right?” It’s kind of embarrassing to say that, but I kind of was. I predicted a lot of the stuff that happened. In fact, there was something so important that I really want to put on this podcast again. This is why I'm bringing it to you again. The one thing that's going to be happening right now is, as I've been saying, the market is very volatile and we want to do our best to decrease turnover. That means that just like when you market for new clients, you need to be disruptive when you're marketing for new employees as well.

That looks like a way to really start the company culture from the very minute that they read your job description and then through the whole entire ecosystem from beginning to end. I want you to think of a rainbow—how it starts on one side and goes all the way to the other end. Unfortunately, I think people just kind of say, “Cool, you're going to work for me, awesome,” and then people end up helping them, not actually working for them. And then they end up basically being a slave to them. They’re like, “You can’t do it this weekend? Okay, I’ll let you work another time.” The other person doesn’t take the business seriously because their entire onboarding process wasn’t really that amazing to begin with.

If you really think about how you can create raving employees and make them part of your company culture where they never want to leave you, I think you could radically change your business because your people are now never leaving you. Imagine if you never had an employee leave your company. Now, is that feasible? Probably not. If you’ve got them for a year, that’s really good. Obviously, you want them longer than that, but we want to get people on board and not dropping. We don’t want people ghosting us or getting confused during training and feeling like they’re supposed to be mind readers. We want them empowered.

In today’s episode, I’m going to break that down for you and show you exactly how you can decrease turnover and create raving employees. I have a really cool thing for you today—we’re going to talk all about problems with onboarding new employees. You’ll want to stick around for this because there are constant challenges that people overlook all the time, and they cause massive problems later on. Before we dive in, I just want to thank you for all of your feedback on the last couple of podcasts. Our downloads have been skyrocketing, and I’ve gotten amazing feedback from you guys. I wanted to read a few because I’m so honored that you took the time.

First, W. Fisher says: “No matter how big my company gets, I'm still picking up useful advice from Bella. She gives away mountains of information for free, which is greatly appreciated by all who follow her.” Thank you for everything, Bella. We appreciate you.” Well, I appreciate you too! You're exactly right—I’ve been in your shoes. And another one, from Angel Karma: “I listen to all Bella’s podcasts and they always motivate me. Bella cares about her community and tries to make the pet care industry better. I’ve been amazed with her motivation during the pandemic, but today's episode blew me away.”

She’s referring to the episode where I talked about growing your business through a divorce, and I shared what I went through two years ago. I’ve now come through it, but I’ve also consoled many of you going through it. Without further ado, let’s transition. This topic has been birthed from your questions about how to properly onboard people. Once you finally hire someone, you're elated. You’ve interviewed what you thought was the perfect person, and now you have to extract everything from your brain into theirs—and trust that they’re picking it up. There’s so much information about our business. People often come in thinking it’s just dog walking or pet sitting, as if it’s just playing with puppies all day, without realizing the responsibility and professionalism required.

As leaders, it’s our job to rise up and empower others to help us grow. But I’ve heard so many stories: “They shadowed me for days, but they still don’t get it.” Or, “I told my best sitter to train them.” Or, “I wrote everything down in caps and red text with five exclamation points, but they still don’t get it.” Sound familiar? That’s how I used to think too—without realizing I was sabotaging myself.

There are so many new people entering the industry right now, ramping up after the pandemic. Many of you have had to cut staff, but now with travel reopening and pandemic puppies everywhere, people will start booking vacations again. You’ll have to onboard staff at record pace. And remember—you’re not the only option. If you don’t make the onboarding process amazing, you’ll lose them. You need to make them feel excited, empowered, and appreciated.

Today, I’ve got seven things I don’t want you to do. The first is not having a standard process. Standardization means everything is done the same way for everyone. If you don’t have written steps or a manual, new hires won’t clearly understand where instruction ends and autonomy begins. They may feel micromanaged—or completely ignored. It also confuses whoever handles onboarding for you. You can’t tell clients “everyone’s trained the same way” if you don’t actually have a system for it.

The second mistake is not having clear instructions during training. Your new hire wants to impress you, but if your expectations are a moving target, they’ll get frustrated. You need a handbook explaining your mission, values, policies, and step-by-step procedures. Don’t assume that because you’ve said something once, it’s locked into memory. Provide reference materials they can revisit.

The third mistake: not having a training schedule. Assuming a new hire knows everything after shadowing for three days is unrealistic. Each employee learns differently, so some will miss key details. Have a schedule: “Day one, we’ll cover these 10 things.” Review them at the end of the day. This structure ensures consistency and builds trust. Without it, your business looks disorganized—and that erodes confidence.

Fourth: no follow-up or goals. How do you know training went well? Did they absorb it? Are they confident handling clients? Set goals and check in. Employees who know they’ll be evaluated tend to feel empowered and confident. They perform better and go the extra mile. Take care of your employees, and they’ll take care of your clients.

Fifth: not offering a variety of learning resources. People learn in different ways—visual, auditory, verbal, and kinesthetic. The more senses you engage, the better. That’s why tools like Pet Care Team Training are powerful. They offer professional, engaging video training you can customize. Avoid boring slides or monotone recordings. Combine videos, manuals, and hands-on learning.

Finally, remember: your employees are worth more than any client. If one employee brings in $20,000 a year and your average client brings $2,000, who’s more valuable? Your focus should be on keeping your staff happy, trained, and loyal.

I know building systems can be overwhelming. That’s why I created the Mastermind—to help you develop onboarding processes, systems, and strategies that grow your business sustainably. You don’t have to do this alone. If you join, I’ll even give you $25 off every month. It’s $147 a month, no contract. I challenge you to join, show up Monday through Friday, and work alongside others building the same systems.

Are you further along this month than last month? If not, it’s time to take action. I’ll help you every step of the way—but you have to show up. I love you guys. Remember,...

This week's podcast is all about perseverance and how this can make you a better leader. You will learn the benefits of being a part of a community and how to motivate yourself and your staff. As well as how to find the different things that make you want to preserve more.

Biggest Takeaways:

Perseverance

"Doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success." It is all about how you press on and keep going no matter what challenges you have to face.

Be Apart of Your Community, Isolation is Dangerous

The people you surround yourself with are going to have the most impact on you. They can see what you are blind to, where you need help, and have faith in you. You can succeed and keep pressing on and having the right people around you will give you that motivation.

To Be A Great Leader You Need to Know What Makes You Preserve

Other people having faith in you is important but you need to have faith in yourself! What motivates you? What makes you try again and again until you can do it? Knowing what gives you motivation and providing support to your employees will make you a better leader!

Show Highlights

How to Keep Pressing On (3.40)

Screen Your Applicants and Learn Who to Select (5.45)

Recognizing if You are off Balance and Jump Back-Up (9.00)

Look at the People You Surround Yourself with (14.00)

Find What Makes You Persevere (17.50)

You are a Leader, Uplift Yourself so You Can Uplift Others (22.20)

Links

Jump Start Your Pet Business Facebook Group

Episode 243 – Why You Need Hiring Phases To Hire Fast and Effectively

Mastermind

Share The Show

Did you enjoy the show? We would love it if you subscribed today and left us a 5-star review!

Click this link – Bella In Your Business

Click on the ‘Subscribe’ button below the artwork

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Transcript:

Coming up next is episode 250 of Bella in Your Business. Hi there, I'm Bella Vasta from Jump Consulting. You might know me from CBS, NBC, Fox, Huffington Post, Entrepreneur, or maybe you've seen me speak on stage or read my book, The Four Dogs That Every Business Owner Needs. In any case, get ready because you're about to get your hashtag Bella Butt Kickin' in this next episode of Bella in Your Business.

So what do you say? Let's get ready and jump. What's up all you jumpers? Welcome to the 250th episode of Bella in Your Business. I cannot believe that we are at 250 episodes, and let me tell you, it takes a lot of perseverance to keep this up. We’ve gone through a lot of different ebbs and flows with this thing. First, it started off solo, then I did about 200 episodes of interviewing just about everyone I knew about all kinds of topics. Then, starting in January 2020, I just started talking to you personally. And it seems like you guys actually like this the best. But perseverance, man—you have to persevere. You have to keep going. That’s what today’s topic is about, because I would not be here with you if I didn’t keep persevering, especially when I didn’t want to continue. There have been some days where I’m sliding in the recording of the podcast just a couple of days before it airs, either because I had a really busy week, wasn’t feeling motivated, wasn’t sure what I wanted to talk about, or just wasn’t organized.

Imagine that, right? I know you guys have all felt that or been there at some point in your business life. I was listening to someone this weekend who was talking about how you need to keep pressing on, to run toward the challenge sometimes. And I started thinking about how this ties into being a great leader for your team. You have to keep persevering when you have a team surrounding you. You have to keep pressing forward. The true definition of perseverance is doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success. Ain’t that the truth? Owning your own company and going forward is difficult. It’s always difficult. And it never feels like success comes when you want it, right? It feels delayed or full of obstacles, or like you don’t have enough staff, clients, or good enough social media. There’s always something.

What gets you through it all is how you persevere—how you press on and keep going. Right now, the job market is very volatile. You’ve got to be a leader inside your company. It’s not enough to throw a handbook or manual at someone and expect them to know what to do. You can’t just say, “You signed it, so you got it,” or on the other side of the spectrum, be a pushover asking, “When do you want to work? Can you do this shift?” People tend to swing between dictator and pushover, but there’s a happy medium. The greatest gains you’ll ever get come from persevering through the pain. Remember when you work out, your muscles hurt not because of the workout itself, but because they’re rebuilding. The same goes for business—growth comes from the rebuild after the struggle.

Adversity helps you sharpen your sword. You’ll get better at screening and selecting. Just today in the Jumpstart group, which is our free Facebook group, I was talking to people from all different business levels. Some don’t have clear systems for hiring—they’ll say, “I have a phone call, then an on-the-job interview,” and then wonder why they’re hiring the wrong kind of people. You have to get better at screening and selecting. You must persevere and push through when things don’t go your way—when you make the wrong hire or when someone quits after three months. It’s not always you, but good leaders persevere by reevaluating and zigging and zagging around challenges.

When you can get better at screening and know what kind of person you need, you’ll gain more confidence to persevere through onboarding, training, and nurturing relationships. Your staff is your biggest asset—more important than your clients. You have to run toward the pain. If you’re feeling stressed, challenged, or overwhelmed, it means things are out of balance. It doesn’t mean things are wrong; it just means you need to rebalance. The problem is many people stick their heads in the sand and refuse to acknowledge it. Persevering means fighting back, not being passive.

So, what have you been persevering through in your business? Is it your website that’s been half-done for six months? Maybe it’s your handbook or SOPs that you’ve been putting off. Or maybe you want to hire an office manager but feel blocked about writing things down. You’re not persevering right now—but you can. You’re bigger than that. You’re better than that. If you truly want to succeed in this business, you have to persevere.

I have clients who’ve opened four new businesses in the past two years. Have they all been perfect? No—they’ve faced lawsuits, zoning issues, and one business even lost money. But they keep going forward. If they stayed down after getting knocked down, they wouldn’t be persevering. One of my favorite sayings is: it’s not how many times you get knocked down, it’s how fast you get back up. That’s perseverance—the grit it takes to make things happen.

As a coach, I’ve worked with so many businesses, and within fifteen minutes of talking, I can tell if someone’s going to succeed or stay stuck for years. That’s why I only do intensives with people I believe in. You have to have grit. You have to persevere. You have to be the one who turns inspiration into action. You must run toward the pain.

But here’s the thing—it’s hard to do alone. When you’re isolated, stuck in your head, and the only people you talk to are online, it’s easy to lose motivation. You might feel like your business is eating you alive. The way to get out of that is through community. Surround yourself with people who believe in you when you don’t. I know because there are times I don’t believe in myself either. When you’re too emotionally wrapped up in a problem, others can help you see clearly.

Maybe you’ve got someone at home who doesn’t believe in your business. I’ve seen clients held back by unsupportive partners—and once they left those relationships, their businesses took off. They grew because they became aware of their blind spots. Are you aware of yours? You need people who can point them out, so you’re not blindsided. You also need to see others doing what you thought was impossible—like running a business remotely, raising rates, or hiring in seven days. When you’re around others achieving big things, that energy rubs off on you.

Perseverance isn’t about doing it alone. You need people cheering you on through challenges, personal struggles, or setbacks. Isolation kills perseverance. You have to surround yourself with people who push you, hold you accountable, and call you out when you’re not following through. That’s what will make you a better leader—the kind of leader your team wants to follow, even into the fire, because they know you’ll persevere and find the silver lining.

People need your leadership, your light, and your guidance. Are you leading from confidence or from crisis? Are you pouring into your people and teaching them perseverance through your example? Leadership isn’t about control—it’s about balance, awareness, and empathy.

So, what’s knocking you down right now? What do you need to get back up from? I’m telling you—you can do it. You can persevere. I’ve been there. I’ve stared down impossible odds and survived. You can too. But it’s easier when you’re not alone. Build your community. Find people who believe in you. Let them hold you accountable.

That’s how you become a better leader—by persevering, leaning into pain, finding lessons in hardship, and helping others do the same. From my heart to yours, I believe in you. My goal is to inspire hope, and you’re listening to this for a reason. Take action. Join a mastermind. Build your tribe. Don’t be afraid of failure—embrace it. You’re going to fail more than you succeed,...

In this week’s podcast, we are going to get MOTIVED and TAKE ACTION. I am so thrilled all of you get so inspired but it is time to do something with that inspiration

I am going to tell you how you can motivate yourself to take action and what to analyze to make sure you continue to take action.

Biggest Takeaways:

Inspiration and Results

Many people get inspired but no one really does anything about it. We are going to jump in and get motivated. It is time to take action!

Actions to Take

Just trying to figure it out... that is the worst thing you can do. There are so many positive actions you can take from your inspiration. Think about them all and use your resources.

Get Motivated and Get Uncomfortable

Taking the proper steps to get motivated and actually do something with your inspiration can be challenging. But what happens when you get challenged? You get uncomfortable? Then what... you do something about it. Recognize the time you stepped out of your comfort zone and think about what happened when you did.

Show Highlights

What is Being Done with Your Inspiration? (3:30)

Actions that can be taken from Your Inspiration (5.30)

How to Get Motivated and Take Action (9.20)

Acknowledge the Challenges You Overcome (10.55)

What do You do When You Get Inspired? (12.40)

Links

Bella's email [email protected]

Mastermind

Mel Robbin's 5 Second Rule

Share The Show

Did you enjoy the show? We would love it if you subscribed today and left us a 5-star review!

Click this link – Bella In Your Business

Click on the ‘Subscribe’ button below the artwork

Go to the ‘Ratings and Reviews’ section

Click on ‘Write a Review'

Transcript:

This is episode 249 of Bella in Your Business. Hi there, I'm Bella Vasta from Jump Consulting. You might know me from CBS, NBC, Fox, Huffington Post, Entrepreneur, or maybe you've seen me speak on stage or read my book, The Four Dogs That Every Business Owner Needs. In any case, get ready because you're about to get your hashtag Bella Butt Kickin' in this next episode of Bella in Your Business.

So what do you say? Let's get ready and jump to another episode of Bella in Your Business. My name is Bella Vasta, and today I literally just got off a coaching call and knew exactly what I wanted to talk to you guys about. I want to give a big shout-out to Adriana for a great coaching call together. We talked about something that I wanted to share with you today, and that's basically what to do when you're inspired. Because here's the thing I hear all the time: “Bella, you're so inspiring. You're so motivating.” And I'm like, that's great, but you can't take that to the bank, you guys.

Today, I'm going to blow the lid off of that because there are a lot of things you're listening to in this podcast, which is great. You know about the things I talk about. You've heard them. You binge on Bella. But what have you produced? What have you actually done? I love hearing that you’re inspired—but what have you implemented? I want to know right now. Write me at [email protected]. I’ve told you so many amazing stories about how people in the mastermind are doing things like hiring three or four people at once and getting them all through the interview and training process within one week. What? Yeah, because throughout COVID they were actually working on it. But I don’t need to beat you over the head about that because you already know the stories.

As I was on this coaching call, something was brought up that some of your friends or family—or people in other groups—might tell you: “Just figure it out as you go.” No, don’t do that. Please don’t do that. If you figure it out as you go, that’s no better than falling on your face trying to go skateboarding when you’ve never done it before—no pads, no helmet, no clue. You’ll end up bruised and bleeding with gravel in your skin. Don’t do that. “Figure it out as you go” is one of the worst pieces of advice you can follow. You’ll spend money in random places and have nothing to show for it. Even worse, you’ll waste a lot of time. Last I checked, none of you are walking around saying, “I have so much time on my hands.”

I know you’re running around right now, and I hope that you’re either celebrating the fact that you spent 2020 creating systems and processes to onboard fast—both clients and employees—or you’ve realized you need to brush up on those skills. In any case, being motivated or inspired without taking action means nothing. Every episode, I give you a goal or focus point, and I really want to encourage you to take that seriously. Don’t just keep listening. I love that you listen, share it, and post about it—but don’t just keep absorbing. Do something.

The reason people say “figure it out as you go” is because they don’t have structure. And when people told me that, I asked, “How big is their business? How successful are they? How much do they have in the bank?” Usually, the answer is “not much.” So consider your source. If you want to know what to do when you get inspired, surround yourself with other inspiring people. Get in a community that will help you achieve your goals. Don’t always be the biggest person in the room—sometimes you want to be surrounded by people bigger than you. You want to be around winners, not naysayers or Debbie Downers telling you what you can’t do.

When things like virtual consultations or interviews come up and most of the industry balks, there are others doing it successfully—growing their staff, working less, and actually taking vacations. I’ve never seen so many six-figure business owners taking time off with family as I do now. Meanwhile, others are suffocating in their business—and it doesn’t have to be that way.

You listen to these podcasts, get motivated and inspired—but what do you do with it? I am begging you: do something with it. Join a community. State your goals to people who care, people who know what a real goal is, people who will ask you how it’s going. Surround yourself with people who face challenges and keep pushing. Be around people who have a healthy relationship with fear. Fear is always there—it’s there for me, it’s there for you. The difference is what we do with it. Does it paralyze you or push you to act? The biggest thing you can do as a business owner is make decisions—even wrong ones. Just keep moving forward.

When you’re inspired, move forward. Try something. Take a step. Use that energy. And like Mel Robbins says in The 5 Second Rule—count down: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1—and do it. Psych yourself up, get momentum, and act. When people step out despite fear, they realize the thing they dreaded wasn’t that bad. Ask yourself: what’s the worst that could happen? When you finish a podcast feeling inspired but unsure what to do, take a step forward.

Guys, I appreciate you listening to this podcast. I love your feedback, but I beg you to take action. A lot of you are doers, but I know many of you are lurking in the shadows—listening while you’re walking dogs, tired, hungry, dehydrated, or up late worrying. Maybe you’re going through something hard—family struggles, business chaos, burnout. Life wasn’t meant to feel like that. And if you’re a jumper, it’s my goal to show you there is hope. I believe I was put on this earth to inspire hope, especially in pet sitters and dog walkers. You can do this—but you have to be around people who are doing it too.

You started this business for a reason—freedom, security, choices. Business should give you options, not trap you. So what do you do when you get inspired? Get around other inspiring people. Surround yourself with those who challenge you, who make you a little uncomfortable. Growth only happens outside your comfort zone.

Let’s talk about that. When was the last time you were uncomfortable? For me, it’s scuba diving—I get seasick, my ears hurt, and I doubt myself. But I push through because that discomfort stretches me. Same with dancing—I feel awkward, but I do it anyway. I get around people better than me, and I fight through negative thoughts. As your coach, I know I need to stay uncomfortable to grow—and I want you to do the same.

So what do you do when you get inspired? Get uncomfortable. Take steps. Move forward. Do things you’re not used to doing. Prove to yourself that you can do hard things—not because life forces you to, but because you choose to grow. Build mental resilience by challenging yourself. When you’re inspired and uncertain, draw confidence from all the times you’ve overcome discomfort before. You’ll know you can do hard things.

It’s conditioning your mind—reading, listening, learning, and surrounding yourself with others doing the same. This is your invitation to join the Mastermind. That’s what funds this podcast and allows me to help you. What do you do when you get inspired? Do you act or just move on to the next task? What’s one thing you’ll do today? Email me at [email protected] or tag me online. I want to see you move from inspiration to action.

If you follow my weekly emails, you know my in-person intensives are booking fast. I’ve done some incredible sessions—Chicago, DC, and beyond—and they’ve been amazing. If you want me in your business physically, reach out. I’m doing about two intensives a month now.

So what do you do when you get inspired? Let me know. It’s not enough to be motivated—you have to turn it into action. I love you guys. Remember to always keep jumping.

So what did you think? Did you love this episode? I sure hope you did because I put a lot of love into this for you. The best way you can show me that is by going to iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, or wherever you listen to your podcast and leaving a review. I just might read it on the next episode. I also want to remind you that when life gets you down, remember to always keep jumping. Thanks for listening.

In this week’s podcast, we are talking about the current influx of clients and how to properly handle taking care of our clients so that we can continue to expand.

You probably want an office manager so your business can be taken care of and you can maintain the balance of work and life. Are we right?

Today's podcast will cover topics such as managing client expectations, using technology, communication flow, and more!

Biggest Takeaways:

Balancing Your Business During Expansion

Communication Processes and Proper Client Love

How to Stand Out with Current Conditions

Show Highlights

Being Aware of Your Sales Process and How the Influx of Clients Effects You (11.30)

Do You Have a Good Communication Flow? (16.40)

When to Show Your Clients Love (18.30)

What are You Doing to Stand Out? (24.00)

Links

Bella's email [email protected]

Mastermind

Share The Show

Did you enjoy the show? We would love it if you subscribed today and left us a 5-star review!

Click this link – Bella In Your Business

Click on the ‘Subscribe’ button below the artwork

Go to the ‘Ratings and Reviews’ section

Click on ‘Write a Review’

Transcript:

This is episode 248 of Bella in Your Business. Hi there, I'm Bella Vasta from Jump Consulting. You might know me from CBS, NBC, Fox, Huffington Post, Entrepreneur, or maybe you've seen me speak on stage or read my book, The Four Dogs That Every Business Owner Needs. In any case, get ready because you're about to get your hashtag Bella Butt Kickin' in this next episode of Bella in Your Business.

So what do you say? Let's get ready and jump. Welcome to another episode of Bella in Your Business. My name is Bella Vasta and today I start them all out like that, right? First, I got to give a shout out. I got to give a couple of shout outs. First, I want to shout out to Catherine. What's up, girl? Thank you so much for listening and always reposting this stuff on Instagram. I love that you get the word out there. Thank you also to Michelle, which just so happens to be Catherine's accountability partner in the mastermind. She too is always commenting and sharing this podcast. Thank you so, so much, ladies. I appreciate that. And then Tiffany, Tiffany Lewis, thank you so much for also listening. I got a lot of emails from you guys recently. I think it's probably because I've been asking you to let me know when you're listening, but nonetheless, I absolutely love to hear from you. So you keep it coming. [email protected]. Let's get into this week's show.

Guys, this is a big one and I'm actually putting aside all of the hiring talk that we've been doing for the past, I don't know, two months, right? If you don't remember or you're a new time listener to the show, you might have realized or remembered that in the past, I actually made a prediction and the prediction has come true. That often happens, not to toot my own horn, but toot toot. I have been making a lot of predictions in this industry six months out or so, and it absolutely has come true if you just kind of look on a bigger scale. I really try to surround myself by people that are smarter than me and really listen to kind of what they say and then kind of see what's happening in our industry. And sure enough, a lot of people that spent the time in 2020 perfecting all of their systems and processes, I mean, new client systems, I mean, new employee systems, onboarding, client love, 100 days, we're going to talk more about that today, have really been reaping the benefits. There's two different things that you really want to be aware of right now.

If you're listening and you are saying, but Bella, my business is back and it's just amazing and look at what happened. And it just kind of feels like it's falling out of the sky. Guess what? It is. It totally is. But right now you have an incredible moment to either celebrate and grab it on and make it long term or it could be a flash in the pan because guys, like everything in life, everything's about balance. The whole entire universe is on balance and everything is always going like a pendulum, going from one end of extreme to the other end of the extreme. And it's just a matter of time. And when we feel like everything's balanced, it's just a matter of time before things get unbalanced. Generally speaking, at least that is my take on it. And so right now what is happening is we are experiencing the big, great revenge spending, I've been calling it. It's where everyone's been holding back and now it is the summer. People are excited. They are traveling. They are getting out. They are doing stuff.

Most of the travel is domestic or down to Mexico, of course, because our friends to the north in Canada are still locked down and our friends in the UK, although we can go there, they can't come here. So travel has shifted just a little bit, but nonetheless, it is very much out there. Last week, I myself was in Chicago doing two all-day intensives with a couple of amazing clients and it was so fantastic. And I just, I love being on airplanes, coming and visiting you guys. But while that was all happening, something really interesting happened and I'm going to actually read these to you. The very first one, these are my clients. They're posting things saying, hi, Bella, just wanted to share with you this huge win. We broke $17,000 in June with me taking two weekends off. That's my highest revenue in 10 years. Guys, I want to be really clear. What I'm about to read you, this one and a couple of others is not just, hey, let's compare it to last year and then say, oh, we're doing great because obviously, you're probably doing better than you were last year, right? But she says, this is my highest revenue in 10 years. April and May were also record breakers. Look at that growth. And she actually included a chart....

Finding the right office manager for a pet-sitting business can be a challenging task, as it requires someone who is organized, detail-oriented, and has a passion for animals. An office manager will handle the day-to-day operations of the business, such as scheduling, bookkeeping, and customer service. They will also be responsible for managing the staff and ensuring that the business runs smoothly. In this week’s podcast, we are talking about how to find and hire the RIGHT office manager successfully.

Biggest Takeaways

How Set Yourself Up for Success to Hire an Office Manager (10.00)

Determining the Foundation to Have an Office Manager (20.00)

Knowing Who You are Hiring and Different Personalities (27.50)

Links

Email Me: [email protected]

Schedule a 20min Call: Click Here

JazzHR: Click Here

Share The Show

Did you enjoy the show? We would love it if you subscribed today and left us a 5-star review!

Click this link – Bella In Your Business

Click on the ‘Subscribe’ button below the artwork

Go to the ‘Ratings and Reviews’ section

Click on ‘Write a Review’

Transcript:

This is episode 247 of Bella in Your Business. Hi there, I'm Bella Vasta from Jump Consulting. You might know me from CBS, NBC, Fox, Huffington Post, Entrepreneur, or maybe you've seen me speak on stage or read my book, The Four Dogs That Every Business Owner Needs. In any case, get ready because you're about to get your hashtag Bella Butt Kickin' in this next episode of Bella in Your Business.

So what do you say? Let's get ready and jump. Welcome everybody to another episode of Bella in Your Business. Today we have a very interesting and exciting twist on our hiring theme that we've been talking a lot about. Today I'm going to talk about something that comes up so many times in our group. So many times people are struggling with this exact position to hire, and I'm going to blow the lid off of it today. I again have never seen anyone talk about this topic in the industry quite this way or about this specific position in your business. And I am here to start talking about it because that's what we do here on this podcast.

First, before we get into it, I do want to let you know that this podcast is sponsored by JazzHR. JazzHR is an amazing system where you can not only post on 15 plus job boards but also only see the applications that are actually good ones. Not only that, but you can get people through your workflow—yes, you should have a workflow. We've talked about this in past episodes. Some of my clients have said three steps in one hour. Guys, when we have such a volatile hiring job market, the last thing you need to do is wait till you get home to reply back to people. You have to have this thing flowing and going fast to get them excited about the process to work with you. Otherwise, you will get ghosted. People will not respond back to you or show up for the interview. So go ahead and head on over to jumpconsulting.net/jazzHR. That is exactly how you can get 50% off their software. Thank you very much just for being part of the Bella crew. You'll also get a bunch of freebies too, and of course, the wonderful Abby who has been working with our industry for three years and knows all about your pet sitting and dog walking business. So unlike other vendors who are like, “You do what?” Abby’s down with it. She knows exactly what we do.

So let's get into it today. You are here probably because you want to learn how to actually hire for your administrative part of the business—your office manager, that kind of thing. So let's talk about this because so many times people start off with office management by pulling someone off their routes. And that feels right, right? They know your business, they know pets, they love pets, and they can obviously talk to the clients because they talk to them during meet and greets or consultations. So it just kind of makes sense that they would be good in the office, right? Wrong. And here's why. I'm going to explain all this to you today because I know that some of you have made this mistake before.

Before you ever introduce anybody into your office staff or admin team, I want you to have a couple of things in place first. Just like if you were to hire a dog walker or a pet sitter, you need to have an employee handbook, a manual, and standard operating procedures. This is what we do, this is how we do it—written out step by step. It should be technically written, meaning no exclamation points or fancy formatting. These days, it's often virtual—something like a Google Doc or Google Sites where you can easily search. You cannot expect anyone to do any job for you without proper SOPs.

The next thing is a workflow and checklist. Workflows are step-by-step processes that move you from one step to the next. Include videos if needed—some people learn better visually. Loom is a great free tool to record your screen. You need that foundation in place before you can expect success from anyone you hire.

Cool, Bella, I already have it. It's not perfect, but it's there. Okay, next question: what's your close rate? What percentage of inquiries turn into paying clients? Because if you’re giving up responsibility for leads and client communication to this person, you better make sure they can sell as well as—or better than—you can. Sales is a big part of this job. You need someone who’s not afraid of hearing “no,” but sees it as an opportunity to try again.

Have a sales script ready. Know your lingo, your phrasing, how you respond. If you’re just stating prices and not really selling, you’re losing opportunities. You need to know your numbers: how many people reach out, how many book, and how long it takes to create routes or schedules. This role requires attention to detail and strong operational thinking.

So far we’ve talked about sales, attention to detail, and operations—three key pillars of the role. Start building your interview process around these. Test for problem-solving, communication, and initiative. Someone who loves animals but hates problem-solving will struggle in this role.

You also need to consider skill set. Are you hiring someone exactly like you or someone who complements you? Ideally, hire to complement your weaknesses. And if you can, have two part-time admins instead of one full-time—it creates checks and balances and prevents dependency.

Define KPIs (Key Performance Indicators). How will you measure success—more sales, faster scheduling, fewer route errors, or smoother communication?

If you’re paying employees mileage or travel time, having an efficient operations person can save you hours and money. They can analyze data, identify inefficiencies, and optimize routes. Or maybe you need someone who’s detail-oriented and can manage your brain dump of tasks via Slack or Voxer. The goal is to make you feel supported.

If you feel like you’re constantly supporting your admin instead of the other way around, something’s off. You need someone who can take ownership. Treat the hiring process for this position as seriously as hiring a pet sitter. Test them. Interview deeply. They’ll be your gatekeeper, and that’s a huge responsibility.

When defining the role, categorize tasks under accounts payable/receivable, sales, operations, and marketing. Then identify what you need most help with. If you’re hiring someone already on your team, ask about their admin experience. Being great with pets doesn’t automatically mean they’ll thrive in admin work.

Also, keep track of different pay rates for in-field and office hours since workers’ comp rates differ. Ask your insurance agent about using different classification codes for fieldwork vs. office work.

Next, decide how you’ll communicate. Please don’t rely on text or email—it’s inefficient and disorganized. Use Slack for communication or Asana/Trello for project management. Slack lets you thread conversations, create channels, and search old messages easily. This alone will save hours.

I’ve seen businesses run efficiently with just two hours of admin work per day because everything is streamlined. And yes, it’s possible.

Do not hire an admin just because they’re a great dog walker or pet sitter. Hire someone with operational, detail-oriented, and sales experience. You might not find all three in one person, but you’ll know what you’re hiring for.

During onboarding, learn their communication style and personality. Tools like StrengthsFinder, Enneagram, or 16Personalities are great for this. Understanding what motivates them helps you manage better.

You can’t control whether people quit, but you can control your hiring, onboarding, and training systems. Build them now. It will make your business stronger and even more valuable if you sell one day.

Reconsider pulling someone from the field just because they’re great with clients. Create a job listing on JazzHR and consider virtual candidates. This work can be done remotely.

Find out your budget and what that translates to hourly. Think big. Build systems. Set them up for success.

This has been another episode of Bella in Your Business. I hope this has helped expand your thinking and helped you avoid mistakes that so many have made. I want you to succeed faster and with fewer headaches. Email me at [email protected] or message me wherever you found this episode.

The day this podcast comes out, I’ll actually be in Chicago doing two in-person intensives, helping clients build out their businesses. I am so excited—it’s one of my favorite things to do.

Get ready, because pet sitters are not slowing down anytime soon. If you want to leverage this momentum, you need systems and support. Join the Mastermind at jumpconsulting.net/mastermind, or email me for $25 off.

All right, I’ll talk to you soon. Bye!

So what did you think? Did you love this episode? I sure hope you did because I put a lot of love into this for you....

Unlock the secret to attracting the right clients for your pet-sitting or dog-walking business with our exclusive guide to the 4 different types of avatars that work best in this industry! Say goodbye to generic marketing strategies and hello to tailored techniques that will help you connect with your ideal customers and grow your business. In this week’s podcast, we are talking about 4 different types of avatars that work for pet sitters and dog walkers.

Biggest Takeaways

Finding and Attracting the Right People to Hire (11:50)

Who are the 4 Different Avatars (24.00)

The Psychology Behind the Avatars and Ourselves (30.30)

Links

Join Jumping Scale, here

Google: Social Media Week Lima, here

Let's Connect

Did you enjoy the show? We would love it if you subscribed today and left us a 5-star review!

Click this link – Bella In Your Business

Click on the ‘Subscribe’ button below the artwork

Go to the ‘Ratings and Reviews’ section

Click on ‘Write a Review’

Transcript:

This is episode 246 of Bella in Your Business. Hi there, I'm Bella Vasta from Jump Consulting. You might know me from CBS, NBC, Fox, Huffington Post, Entrepreneur, or maybe you've seen me speak on stage or read my book, The Four Dogs That Every Business Owner Needs. In any case, get ready because you're about to get your hashtag Bella Butt Kickin' in this next episode of Bella in Your Business.

So what do you say? Let's get ready and jump. Welcome to another episode of Bella in Your Business. My name is Bella Vasta, and today we are going to talk all about four types of hiring avatars that work for pet sitters and dog walkers. What is an avatar, you may wonder? I'm going to tell you all about that today. But first, I want you to know that we have a free resource for you. It is called Jumping Scale. If you go to joinjumpconsulting.net, you will be able to sign up for it. It’s a three-hour class—yes, it sounds long, but I really go on a deep dive with you to explain exactly how to do these avatars. It is three one-hour classes that go in increments, and you get to understand what an avatar is.

So what is an avatar? It is a personality, a profile, a persona, a character—however you want to talk about it, I’m going to call it an avatar today. They are types of people that you’re going to want to look for to hire in your business, and there are four of them. I’m going to break them down today. I’m going to explain a little of the psychology behind it and also why I know this. The top four are: the stay-at-home mom, a freelancer, a college student, and a Jill of all trades. Let’s get right into it. If this is your first time here, welcome. My name is Bella Vasta. I am the host of this podcast as well as the administrator and coach for the Jump Mastermind, which also helps sponsor this podcast. It allows me to do this weekly and pay my staff to do the show notes, production, and promotion for free to you.

These podcasts this year have basically become a bunch of trainings for you, and if you are one of those amazing, loyal listeners who are “bingeing on Bella,” I want to sincerely thank you for letting me be in your ears. It is a huge honor and one that I do not take lightly. I always try to bring you value each and every episode. Last week’s episode had an amazing amount of feedback—you guys really felt woken up by it. Some of you felt challenged by it, which was exactly my idea.

Now is the time—2021 is the time—to buckle up, buttercup, and get going because it’s time to jumpstart our businesses and get back up on that saddle. It might be a wild bucking ride; we might get thrown off a few times, but I’ve got your back and we’re going to do this together. One of the biggest things that’s happening with a lot of my clients is that while there might be other institutions out there helping you get your business back, we’re way beyond that. We did that six or nine months ago—we got our businesses back. Now I know that you jumpers are feeling the pain of not having enough people to help you. Clients are raining down, and while it’s tempting to think that it’s all your marketing, the truth is, the country’s reopening, people are being vaccinated, and the money they’ve been sitting on is now being spent.

People are on a buying frenzy. As that’s happening, a lot of industries are still struggling—restaurants are understaffed, rental cars are scarce, Uber and Lyft are overbooked. Everything’s volatile. And though we’re talking about hiring avatars today, I want you to understand that the problem is not finding people to hire—it’s being attractive to the right people. That’s what’s going to make or break your business this summer.

So let’s get real: some people you paid through PPP loans won’t want to come back. They’ll prefer sitting on unemployment. When that happens, you have a choice to make. And if people show you who they are—believe them. Let them go. It’s hard, but necessary. Now is your time to rebuild your dream team. Assume every new hire may only stay for three months. That’s okay. Your job is to hire smart, train fast, and set them up for success quickly.

So let’s talk avatars. If you’ve been using the same generic hiring ad from last year, stop. Every business is hiring right now—it’s a job-seeker’s market. You can’t just throw out a template ad and expect good results. You need to talk directly to your ideal candidate. Think of it like marketing—you’re not just hiring, you’re selling the opportunity to work for you.

The first avatar: the stay-at-home mom. She’s not trying to pay the mortgage or buy a car—she wants to contribute to the family vacation fund or buy herself something nice without touching the family budget. She might also feel unappreciated or restless after having kids home all year. She wants something for herself—a purpose. Words of affirmation will mean more to her than a $1 raise. She’ll thrive on being told she’s doing great work and feeling valued. She’s likely perfect for midday walks when the kids are in school. When you write the ad, talk to her emotions—freedom, balance, fulfillment. Write it like a love letter.

The second avatar: the freelancer. These are people who work from home—maybe as designers, developers, or consultants. They need an excuse to get out of the house, move their body, and reset their mind. For them, this job is the perfect break in their day. They’re not doing it for the money; they’re doing it for purpose and balance. You could literally say, “Do you work from home and need a reason to step away from your screen?” That ad will speak directly to them.

The third avatar: the college student. Especially online students—they love flexible schedules and steady pay. They don’t want unpredictable restaurant shifts or customer-facing jobs. They want to make money doing something active and meaningful. Here’s an example of a college student ad:

“Are you in college, online or in person? Do you love, love, love dogs? Well, I have the best job for you! See, I own this amazing dog walking company called XYZ Pet Sitting, and we’re looking for a college student like you—someone who loves dogs, wants to get paid to exercise, and values flexibility. Sound like you? Check us out on Instagram, then apply!”

That’s conversational, upbeat, and fun. Don’t write corporate-sounding ads. You’re not hiring for a cubicle job—you’re inviting someone into a community.

The last avatar: the Jill of all trades. This person might have multiple part-time gigs—maybe she babysits, works retail, or has a flexible remote job. She’s motivated, adaptable, and thrives on variety. She’s not going to dedicate herself entirely to you, but she can fill important gaps in your schedule—weekends, evenings, or float shifts. Talk to her lifestyle in your ad: “Are you juggling a few flexible jobs but want to add something rewarding that fits perfectly between them?”

Now that you understand these four avatars, stop trying to hire “anyone.” If you attract general, you’ll get general. If you’re clear, you’ll get quality. You need to know exactly who you’re looking for and what drives them. Then you’ll hire faster, train better, and retain longer—even if it’s only for a season.

You’ve got this. You can build a team that loves you so much they’d work for free—because they feel valued and fulfilled. Don’t isolate yourself trying to figure it all out alone. Keep learning, growing, and connecting with others doing the same.

I hope this has inspired you to think differently about hiring. Build your avatars. If you want to go deeper, take my course at joinjumpconsulting.net—it’s a three-hour step-by-step guide to creating hiring avatars that work. And if you’re serious about growth, join the Mastermind. That’s where we create, brainstorm, and refine together every day.

Thank you so much for listening, for sharing, and for always showing up. Keep going. Keep growing. And remember: when life gets you down, always keep jumping.

So what did you think? Did you love this episode? I sure hope you did because I put a lot of love into this for you. The best way you can show me that is by going to iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, or wherever you listen to your podcast and leaving a review. I just might read it on the next episode. I also want to remind you that when life gets you down, remember to always keep jumping. Thanks for listening.

In this week’s podcast, we are thinking big and talking about what you can do to level up with the tools you already have.

BIGGEST TAKEAWAYS:

You won’t grow your business trying to do everything yourself.

Make use of organic opportunities.

The last thing you need is another business course.

Show Highlights

Testimonial of what can happen when you start thinking big! (9:50)

Perfect your processes and nothing can stop you. (14:00)

Questions you need to ask yourself. (20:00)

Bella's call to action. (24:00)

Links

Ready to get serious about your hiring process? Sign up with Jazz HR, click here.

Ready to join Mastermind and start thinking big? click here.

Free Facebook group, Jump Start Your Pet Business here.

To sign up for Pet Care Team Training click here.

To email Bella, if there is anything you’d specifically like to hear about, email [email protected]

Share The Show

Did you enjoy the show? We would love it if you subscribed today and left us a 5-star review!

Click this link – Bella In Your Business

Click on the ‘Subscribe’ button below the artwork

Go to the ‘Ratings and Reviews’ section

Click on ‘Write a Review’

Transcript:

This is episode 245 of Bella in Your Business. Hi there, I'm Bella Vasta from Jump Consulting. You might know me from CBS, NBC, Fox, Huffington Post, Entrepreneur, or maybe you've seen me speak on stage or read my book, The Four Dogs That Every Business Owner Needs. In any case, get ready because you're about to get your hashtag Bella Butt Kickin' in this next episode of Bella in Your Business.

So what do you say? Let's get ready and jump. I want to tell you a story about one of my clients. Her name is Rhonda Clark with Tail Chasers. Her and her husband, Matt, run this magnificent business. They joined the mastermind in 2018. She was one of our OG, original gangsta members. She was struggling to delegate employees when communicating what she was trying to convey with different tasks. Her dog walks at the time were only $17 for 20 minutes or $75 a week, and her plan was to raise her rates $2 per visit on February 1, 2018. She wanted to rebrand her whole company because she wanted to go from being known as dog walkers to everything pet care because she had this big vision for herself. She was working on all of these grandiose plans while doing it scared and wondering what’s happening.

She was also living more in the city in a high-density area with her two young sons and just living life, trying to figure it all out. Today I want to talk to you—are you playing too small in your business? And just how much growth can you see in a year or two? I'm going to give you examples of many of my different clients, both in the mastermind and in Better Marketing with Bella. Through those programs, we get to work together long-term, which is always really amazing because there’s accountability and working through struggles and fears the whole time. But I want you to wonder—are you playing too small with your business? How are you solving problems? The way you solve your problems determines the answer to this question.

Are you using things to the best of your advantage, or are you just of the mindset that, “Well, this is good enough for today,” or “Another day, another dollar,” or “I’m so busy, I don’t even have time to eat, so I’ll just go through drive-through”? Things get worse before they get better, and what determines if they get better is your mindset and your connection to your vision and dreams. Are you dreaming bigger? Are you building a business with a vision for one, two, three, four years from now—or just doing it to get by today? Are you solving problems or creating dreams? Are you creating systems and structures that will let your business grow beyond you?

Most of the time, we miss out on opportunities because we don’t have the time or headspace to take advantage of them. I want to talk about software because I see this as a major pain point in pet sitting and dog walking companies. When I talk about software, I mean all of it—your pet sitting software, JazzHR, your phone, ClickUp, Slack, Evernote, Asana. Are you playing too small? Are you using them to their fullest capability to streamline your systems?

It’s rarely the software’s fault—it’s the user. We need to humble ourselves and say, “I don’t know,” or delegate it to someone who can become an expert. Do you understand integrations and APIs? You don’t need to be an expert, but you need to know enough to be dangerous.

When we evaluate members’ systems in the mastermind, we see huge differences between how people use the same software. Two businesses might use Precise Petcare or Time to Pet, but one appears sleek and automated while the other is clunky—all because of how they set it up. Some let clients self-manage bookings; others insist on doing it for them. How can you grow when you’re spending time being your clients’ virtual assistant? Dream big—it’s possible.

What about Slack? Do you have channels set up or one big chat? Many ask me the difference between Slack and text. It’s huge. Slack allows organization, collaboration, and boundaries. Text threads don’t. You get constant pings, no threading, and chaos.

I’ll tell you right now—you don’t need more courses or education. You just need to use what’s already in front of you better. If only you know how to do things in your business, you’re playing too small. If you were gone tomorrow, could someone take your place? If not, that’s a red flag. You’re not that indispensable—you’re not a brain surgeon. Working from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. isn’t a badge of honor; it’s a road to burnout.

In 2014, when I birthed one of the world’s smallest female babies—only 12 ounces—I would never have been able to sell my business for six figures if I hadn’t built systems and a bigger vision. If I was still doing it all myself, I would’ve lost everything.

Let’s go back to Rhonda. She raised her rates, rebranded, and got flooded with clients—even old ones returning at the new rate. She hired an office manager, opened a daycare, moved her family onto the property, launched her own dog food line, and opened five businesses in three years—all while homeschooling her boys. Was it smooth? No. Was it worth it? Absolutely.

This is what happens when you delegate and dream big. Start solving problems with a big mind. Think bigger. Grow into your business like shoes that are too big now but will fit soon.

What have you done since last year? Are you still waiting for things to “go back to normal”? That’s small thinking. Or are you making a plan and going for it? Big thinkers don’t wait—they act.

I’ll give you another example: a Boston pet sitter who was terrified to hire. She was the queen of control freaks, but she pushed through. Her manager quit with one week’s notice. She hired five new employees—and spent the entire month traveling. Her business had its biggest month ever. She believed in herself.

That’s what happens when you prepare instead of panic. Another client of mine is hiring three people at once because he perfected his systems early. He now runs a $400k business with a VA who works only 10 hours a week. That’s efficiency.

You’re not winning if you have a waitlist—you’re losing revenue. Supply and demand, people! If demand is high, raise your prices. The world is adjusting, and so should you.

This isn’t just about hiring. It’s about thinking bigger. Start systematizing. Create processes for complaints, client calls, employee issues. Build confidence through structure.

Ask yourself: are you building a job or a business? A job depends on you; a business runs without you. Don’t build roles around people’s preferences—build them for the company.

Read Powerful by Patty McCord—the Netflix story. It’ll teach you about letting people go when they outgrow their role, welcoming new energy, and understanding that not everyone is meant to stay forever. Hire for the company’s needs, not sentimentality. Loving dogs doesn’t qualify someone for office work.

You’re not a hostage to your business—you’ve made yourself one. So what are you going to do about it? Automate your marketing, join a mastermind, surround yourself with big thinkers. Or will you keep running in circles until burnout catches up?

We are in a service industry revolution. It’s time to wake up. You are the captain of your ship, not the deckhand. When the iceberg comes, you better be steering.

So—how big can you dream? Can you grow from one business to five in three years? Can you travel for a month while your business runs itself? You can—but only if you dream bigger and systematize smarter.

It’s not easy right now. Hiring is tough. But buckle up, buttercup—it’s supposed to be. The ones who get through this are the ones who build strong systems, protect their mindset, and collaborate with peers. The worst thing you can do is isolate yourself and stay small.

Everything you’re going through is normal—but it’s doable. My clients prove it every day.

I poured my heart into this one, and it’s different from my usual episodes. So please, email me at [email protected] and tell me what you thought. I don’t do this for me—I do it for you.

When I record, I think of you—the business owners in my mastermind and Better Marketing with Bella who are pushing through, crying, scared, and still doing the work. The only difference between those who win and those who give up is that the winners keep showing up.

If you’re ready for me to fight for your business like I do every week, join the mastermind at jumpconsulting.net/mastermind. You can save $600 a year by paying in full. Make that commitment to yourself. Life is hard, but if you keep jumping, you’ll never get stuck in a rut.

So what did you think? Did you love this episode? I sure hope you did because I put a lot of love into this for you. The best way you can show me that is by going to iTunes, Stitcher,...