Bella In Your Business: Pet Sitting and Dog Walking Podcast

So you think you're ready to hire but are you? Do you have a manual? Do you have a handbook? Wait.... aren't those the same thing?  I'll be honest with you, hiring can be frustrating. Having these things in place will make the process much easier for you.

BIGGEST TAKEAWAYS:

Yes, there is a difference between a handbook and a manual.

You need an avatar for your business.

Empower your team with pet sitting software for communication and scheduling.

Show Highlights

10 things you need. (1:15)

Application anatomy and legal requirements (3:00)

Streamlining to get your employees trained and certified! (18:00)

Links

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

Free Facebook group, Jump Start Your Pet Business here.

To sign up for Better Marketing With Bella Semester 2, 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 244 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 continue on this hiring choo-choo train, choo-choo, and we are going to talk about the ten things that you need before you start hiring. Now, if you've already been hiring, that’s quite all right. This podcast is also for you. It does not mean that you cannot brush up on your skills, or maybe you feel like you're epically failing, or there's just something missing, but you're not quite sure what it is. Today I’m going to give you ten different things that I believe you need to do, but you’re going to have to really think about if it’s going to work for you or if this is something you can actually implement. Some of them are completely free and the only currency is your brainpower, and others will have a little bit of a cost associated. But as my mastermind members know, many of them understand exactly how much it costs to hire someone between all of the expenses involved.

What I'd like for you to consider is the investment. You might spend two, three, maybe four hundred dollars for every new hire that you get. However, they can bring in ten, fifteen, even twenty thousand dollars in revenue. That’s a pretty good ROI if I say so myself. So guys, in no particular order, I am going to run down a list. Here it is: handbook, manual, application, avatar, pet sitting software, payroll company, workman’s compensation, training program, workflow training, and training template videos.

The first one is a handbook, and it should not be confused with a manual. They are two separate documents. The employee handbook includes how to do specific tasks like scooping litter, cleaning bowls, walking multiple dogs, or locking up a house. It is specific to your company and explains how to do your job—your secret sauce. The employee manual, on the other hand, is more administrative. It includes things like jury duty, holidays, EEOC policies, and equal opportunity employment language. It’s where you include legal jargon and general policies that most companies have.

Next is the application. Legally, you need one. It should include previous employment, availability, background check consent, and space for a signature verifying accuracy. You must also store it securely for at least 18 months. Be aware of privacy and security requirements, since applications contain sensitive personal information.

The next thing you need is an avatar. How do you know if you’re sitting in front of the perfect applicant if you don’t know who that person is? You need to define your hiring avatar—just like you’d define your ideal client. Maybe it’s a stay-at-home mom with kids in school who loves nurturing and wants to feel appreciated. Or maybe it’s someone looking for a purpose beyond home life. Knowing your avatar lets you target your hiring ads effectively. Generic ads don’t work anymore. We’re in a volatile hiring market. Write specific ads to attract the right people.

The fifth item is pet sitting software. Do not, I repeat, do not give instructions by email, text, or handwritten notes. That’s outdated and creates confusion. A good scheduling software empowers your employees and helps them feel confident and organized. For example, in my company, after consultations, staff had to write down each step in the client’s profile so anyone covering could follow along easily. This ensures consistency, efficiency, and clear communication.

Next is a payroll company. Don’t do payroll manually or through QuickBooks yourself. If you make a mistake or miss a tax filing, it can cost you dearly. Payroll companies handle this and assume the liability. You can even get competitive quotes between companies to find the best price.

Workman’s compensation is next. It protects your employees if they get hurt on the job—anything from a dog bite to a broken ankle. If you’re new, you might start with your state’s fund until you qualify for a private carrier. Established businesses should review their policies and classification codes regularly, often with an insurance broker. Expect yearly audits, which are normal. You can pay-as-you-go or pay a lump sum upfront and reconcile at year-end.

The next essential piece is video training. Whether it’s short clips explaining specific tasks or an organized online course, visual learning makes onboarding faster and more effective. My favorite program is Pet Care Team Training, which offers engaging, customizable videos. Each lesson is three to seven minutes long with built-in check-ins, visuals, and interactive cues. It keeps trainees engaged and excited to work. You can even add Pet First Aid and CPR certification to make your team more prepared and marketable.

Then there’s workflow for training. You need to know exactly how you’ll move candidates through your hiring process. Each interview phase should test specific qualities like empathy, reliability, or attention to detail. The process should feel fast, professional, and well-organized. Using a tool like JazzHR can help you move candidates through multiple stages efficiently, giving them a positive impression of your company from the start.

Finally, you need a training template. Outline what each day of training includes and what the employee should master by the end of it. Instead of simply shadowing, give structure—Day 1 covers these tasks, Day 2 builds on that, and so on. This sets clear expectations, gives new hires confidence, and keeps training consistent.

These ten components—handbook, manual, application, avatar, pet sitting software, payroll company, workman’s compensation, training program, workflow, and training template—are what separate successful businesses from struggling ones. Skipping them causes frustration, confusion, and turnover.

If you implement these, you’ll establish trust, respect, and excitement with new hires. Hiring doesn’t have to be miserable. Build a process that makes people want to work with you. If you need support, resources, or community, join the Mastermind. It’s $147 a month or discounted annually. We share strategies, tools, and real-life systems that work. Visit jumpconsulting.net/mastermind to learn more.

I want to remind you that when life gets you down, always keep jumping. Don’t be a stranger—send feedback or let me know what topics you’d like covered next. This podcast isn’t for me—it’s for you. Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you next Thursday.

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.

This week's podcast is all about hiring phases. Focus on what's important to you in YOUR business, and use hiring phases to save you both time and money.

BIGGEST TAKEAWAYS:

Do some brainstorming to narrow down the traits you're looking for.

Your systems are only as good as you are.

The market is open. What are you going to do about it?

Show Highlights

What are you looking for in a potential employee? (3:00)

Use interview phases to help you identify the things you want to test for. (5:00)

Your solution to hiring fast and efficiently. (7:00)

Links

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

Free Facebook group, Jump Start Your Pet Business here.

To sign up for Better Marketing With Bella Semester 2, 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 243 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. Hello and welcome to another episode of Bella in Your Business. I'm here today to talk to you all about phases of hiring. You guys, we just finished up with the high gear hiring challenge. That was a pop-up group that I did last month, and I really feel like these podcasts are starting to become like mini training series for you. If you're one of those people that have been binging on Bella, as we like to call it, and listening to all the podcast series, shoot me an email. I'd love to hear from you and let me know what resonates with you. My email is [email protected].

Something that comes up a lot in the mastermind—we actually just went through a bunch of people's JazzHR accounts. We went through four different ones to see how they set up their phases. Now, phases of an interview are like the different stages, right? It's not enough to just find someone's application and then all of a sudden want to interview them. You can't do that. You're going to waste a lot of time, you're going to get ghosted, you're not going to have qualified applicants, and honestly, I am here to tell you that your time is worth money. So do not waste your time jumping into an interview before you even know the person, before you know that there are things like trustworthy, detail-oriented, an animal lover, or an empath, or whatever it might be that you're looking for, okay?

So number one I want you to take from this is to understand what you're looking for. What I love to do with this is get a bunch of sticky notes and just kind of brainstorm and stick them all up on a wall. These are almost like your topics or your buckets or something like that. Maybe there are four major things that you really want to test for. Then you can break it down underneath it and examine how you’re going to test for this.

Phases of an interview are really, really important. If you own the Employee Quick Start program, which I started about a decade ago, it teaches you a very simplified interview process. This is before the days of JazzHR. If you have not checked out JazzHR yet, you want to go to jumpconsulting.net/jazzHR. That will give you a sign-up form to talk to Abby, and she can tell you all about it. Abby's been working with pet sitters and dog walkers for three years now, and a lot of my members have been having a lot of success hiring even in this volatile market.

Adriana, one of my mastermind members, actually said that because of the phases and because of JazzHR, she was able to get someone past three phases in one hour the other day. When the market is so volatile and you get a fish on the hook, you are going to want to reel that fish in and get them on the boat as soon as possible. With JazzHR and those systems, you really can—but those systems are only as good as you are. And that’s why I’m talking about phases today.

So let’s take a step back here because I just kind of threw a lot at you, and I’m going to keep this podcast episode short as well. I really, really want you to think about what you are wanting in your next person. Are they in a certain place in life? Are they a stay-at-home mom? Are they a freelancer who is already working from home online but wants to get out and do something else—and this money isn’t their “real” money but their play money? Are you attracting someone who is retired but very active? Are you maybe attracting an online college student who is hustling, working three different jobs? That was me, by the way.

Who are you looking for? It starts off, obviously, with the job post and talking directly to that avatar. Your very first stage should be those knockout questions, and those knockout questions are your non-negotiables. It’s things like: do you live in the area? Do you have a car and a cell phone? Are you able to care for dogs and cats or cuddle with them? It always amazed me when people would apply and say that they’re allergic. Are you kidding me? Anyways, that’s literally your knockout question stage.

Knockout questions are really important because if you have them set up correctly, you are only going to see the qualified applicants. You won’t see people that are half-assing it, not serious about the position, or don’t have the basic qualifications you’re looking for. Then we get into more of the intangibles. So the first phase, we might want to be testing for something like “common sense.” Someone said that the other day in my mastermind, and I asked what she meant by that. She said, “Things like attention to detail, what they would do in situations, or how they would approach challenges.”

I said, “Okay, give me your questions.” And when she did, I told her, “You’re actually testing here for responsibility, attention to detail, and following directions.” Common sense is so abstract—it’s very hard to test for. So we broke it down into specific scenarios where she felt that following directions really applied.

Creating questions and presenting them can be done through a questionnaire, open-ended questions, video responses, or multiple choice. The important part is that you focus on one of these things each phase. If they pass, they move on to the next phase. After knockout questions, you might test for attention to detail, then responsibility. Think about times in your business where responsibility really stood out—an exemplary employee or a memorable situation—and create a question out of that.

Maybe the next phase is empathy or nurture. You want to find people that are doing this job because their heart wants to, not because their wallet wants to. Being a pet sitter, especially in today’s gig economy, means you can’t expect someone to stay for one or two years anymore. That’s why it’s important to always have a funnel of new employees—to have that pipeline filled and to get them through that pipeline really fast, with just a click of a button, going through phases using JazzHR.

I have yet to find another solution for hiring efficiently and fast than JazzHR. I know this sounds like I’m pushing it, and guess what? I am. Because I use them myself to find my own nanny and my own virtual assistants. I really believe in this program. If you want to spend your day trying to keep track of who you said what to and what stage they are in the interview, or if you’re just jumping straight to phone interviews without qualifying candidates, you are doing yourself a terrible disservice.

So if you want to get serious about the interview process, please consider doing phases. And if you want to learn more, you definitely have two choices. One, go to jumpconsulting.net/jazzHR and get on a phone call with Abby and be like, “What is Bella squawking about?” Or two, join the mastermind with us. You can go along the journey as people test and refine their processes and achieve great success. Now, do they have success 10 out of 10 times? No. But what they do is collaborate, figure it out together, and share what’s working and what’s not. They are a community of doers.

So if you want to do this, I suggest you join us—jumpconsulting.net/mastermind. I told you I’d keep this episode short and sweet. I wonder, do you like them when they’re longer, like a half hour, or do you like these bite-sized ones? Shoot me an email and let me know at [email protected].

Now is the time to hire. Now is the time to get your systems perfected and smoothed out so you can take on as much business as possible. The puppies from the pandemic and COVID kitties have increased the number of pet owners right now. More people are staying at home, which means they need you to walk their dogs so they can focus on Zoom calls. Your problem has changed. More businesses are shutting down, which means there’s more market share for you. So what are you going to do about it?

Are you going to let me help you through it? I hope so, because this excites me, as I hope it excites you. This has been another episode of Bella in Your Business. Remember, when life gets you down, always keep jumping. Do your phases, guys. Do your phases. Bye now.

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....

In this week's podcast, I'm challenging you to try something new!

Today I am sharing valuable information that has been tried and tested during our Higher Gear Challenge. Tune in to learn what you should be doing to hire the right candidates for your business. It works!

BIGGEST TAKEAWAYS:

The future of hiring is now and it's virtual!

Use your application process to test your candidate's attention to detail.

 Get your applicants to invest in YOU before you invest in THEM.

 Ask questions that will help you understand where your candidate is in life.

Show Highlights

Approaching video applications and the tech factor - (2:35)

What types are questions are best for video submissions - (8:00)

Stick to your process - (13:50)

Links

Free Facebook group, Jump Start Your Pet Business here.

To sign up for Better Marketing With Bella Semester 2, 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/li>

Click on the ‘Subscribe’ button below the artwork

Go to the ‘Ratings and Reviews’ section

Click on ‘Write a Review’

Transcript:

This is episode 242 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. Today, I'm going to let you in on a little excerpt of something that I did in that high gear hiring challenge that we had this past month of May 2021. It was an incredible time where a lot of pet sitters kind of came together and rallied together to hire as many people as they needed to. And I'd like to say it was a huge success. We had over 25 people hired across the board and in this volatile hiring environment, I consider that a major win. Also, we had a lot of good information and insight and ideas thrown around and definitely out-of-the-box examples of the way things work.

Now, if you didn’t get a chance to join us in there, you can always join us in the mastermind at jumpconsulting.net/mastermind to really be around a bunch of winners who are making things happen—not in the normal ways you hear about in Facebook groups. I also would be remiss if I did not give a shout-out to our other two sponsors, JazzHR, who are helping pet sitters and dog walkers hire multiple people at once because of the simplification of the process they provide for us, and Pet Care Team Training, which is a simplified, strategic, and specific onboarding system where you can do 13 videos in under two hours and get your pet sitters and dog walkers certified, even adding pet CPR and first aid. You can go to PetCareTeamTraining.com to check that out, or if you want to see the videos, visit petcareteamtraining.com/freevideos.

All right, we're going to get right into this episode. This is going to be a smaller one again, but I have made a commitment this year to give you what you need to know. We’re going to stay on this hiring theme, and today we’re going to talk about how to accept video applications. What? Yeah—we can accept video applications, and we're going to get into that today.

So, how do I go about taking video applications? Is there a best practice around the length of video? What types of questions are best for video? And what are the top five interview questions to find the right candidate? I love this, and I’ve got notes for you guys—it’s also to help make sure I stay on track. The first thing we need to discuss is how to accept them because there’s a tech factor to figure out. This is a great opportunity to test for things like attention to detail or their ability to move around online. Maybe in your software system, you want competent people who can figure things out.

How to send a video really isn’t that hard, but when you attach specific instructions or give them multiple options, it shouldn’t hinder them from being able to send it. Here’s how you can go about taking video applications. You can start a Google Drive folder and say, “Upload it to this folder.” You could also say, “Here’s a Dropbox folder—upload it there.” Another option, which might be a bit more advanced, is to have them upload it to YouTube, mark it unlisted, and send you the URL. That one’s great if you’re hiring for an office manager or virtual assistant who should be tech-savvy.

The key to this is giving clear instructions. Even if it seems simple to upload to Dropbox or Google Drive, it’s still a good test because we’re not only testing them on what they say in the video but also how they follow directions. Do they come back saying, “I can’t figure this out”? If so, that’s a good indication they might not be tech-savvy enough. You don’t have to be an expert, but you do need to know how to send pictures or videos to clients.

As for video length, I like one minute. It’s not the only answer, but I like it because it’s simple yet challenging—it tests if they can follow directions and stay concise. If you tell them one minute and they send three or four, that says something. Maybe they didn’t read carefully or they don’t respect boundaries. Maybe they’re nervous and ramble. If they ramble, that might be a red flag—imagine them at a client consultation. This is also a great test of following directions and respecting boundaries.

Next, what types of questions are best for a video? I recommend inserting this in about phase three of your interview process. Maybe phase one is knockout questions, phase two is open-ended questions, and by phase three, you’ve narrowed it down to people you like. This is where you’ll see who’s serious. You’ll lose some applicants here, but that’s okay—it weeds out people who aren’t truly invested.

Now, for video questions. Here are some I recommend. You can either give them a choice or just assign one. One good question is, “Why shouldn’t I hire you?” It’s unconventional and reveals personality and honesty. Another good one is, “Why should I hire you?” Ideally, they’ll reference your job description, showing they did their homework. Give them one minute to answer. Another option is, “Tell me the difference between caring for large dogs and small dogs,” or, “Tell me the difference between caring for a cat versus a dog.” You’ll see if they go with stereotypes or speak from experience and understanding.

Video interviews reveal a lot. Don’t be discouraged if many drop off at this stage—it’s part of the filtering process. If you’re looking for someone who can handle social media, communicate well, and be proactive, this is essential. We’re all used to video now—even my 91-year-old grandmother uses Zoom. Don’t let your fear stop you.

Another great benefit: if I send you a video of me, I’m more invested. It builds a connection and makes me more likely to follow through with the interview. It becomes a mutual relationship, not just you chasing them.

As for the top five interview questions to find the right candidate, it depends on what you’re looking for. There’s no one-size-fits-all. For pet sitting and dog walking, focus on attention to detail, empathy, organization, and life balance. I also like to ask, “How much money do you need to make per month?” If they say they need $2,000 but your position starts around $800, that’s an opportunity to discuss expectations and availability early on.

I can’t stress enough how effective video interviews are, especially when you use JazzHR. People in the mastermind who’ve tested this say the quality of applicants improves dramatically. Yes, some will drop off—but those who remain are serious. Don’t let your ego convince you you’re losing out on the “best” people. If following this process is important to you, stick with it.

So I hope this helps you approach video applications with confidence. Give it a try and see what happens.

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.

On today's podcast, I'm making my next prediction!

There are 8.1 million job openings and 9.8 million unemployed per the Dept of Labor. It's time to stop complaining and start making adjustments to get people hired. You are not alone.... let me help you get your business back!

BIGGEST TAKEAWAYS:

We are in a service industry revolution!

Nobody is looking at your old hiring ads.

Add more phases to your hiring process and get better applicants.

Your applicants are checking you out too!

Show Highlights

Bella's next prediction! (6:45)

Training determines how long people stay with your company. (12:00)

Change up your hiring process. (14:50)

Your business is not meant to put you in bondage. (20:00)

Links

Free Facebook group, Jump Start Your Pet Business here.

To sign up for Better Marketing With Bella Semester 2, 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 241 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. Boy, if you missed it on Monday, I really went off on my Facebook page. I had notes, I had signs, and everything. I just started going—to the point that I actually started sweating. Monday, May 17th, this is my Facebook Live, and I wanted to share it with you all. Please heed my advice. If you’re having trouble with hiring, reach out. You don’t have to struggle alone. There are so many different things you can do, both free and paid, that I can help you out with. Let’s have a chat because you deserve to have the business you want. Without further ado, here’s the next episode.

There are 8.1 million job openings right now and 9.8 million unemployed per the Labor Department. What? My name is Bella Vasta, and if we’re just meeting for the first time, I am the leader of Jump Consulting, also a mastermind, also an agency where we provide people’s graphics and manage Facebook groups. I’m also a podcast host from Bella in Your Business, and today I’m here to give you guys another prediction because I want to tell you something really quick. This is going to start off really in your face. Those of you who know me and love me know this is how I am. I’ve predicted everything that’s happened the past year, and I’m here with more predictions. But I’m not just here with predictions; I’m here with solutions to your problems.

I don’t know how long this is going to go, but this is so important for me to get out to you right now that I’m basically going live on every single channel I possibly can via StreamYard. So first step of business—grant StreamYard permission. Just click that little thing at the top of the comments if you want to interact with me and let me know that you’re here. I’ve got a meeting with my team in 18 minutes that I’m prepared to push back because this is how important this is. I’ve got a list of notes to tell you guys, and we’re going to get straight into it. But first, for those just joining, take a look. If you are a pet sitter or a dog walker company trying to hire right now, look at this. I am so tired of hearing people say that it’s the job market. We’ve heard that the sky is falling many times. If you want to stay in that camp, this video is not for you. If you don’t want solutions or to get a little uncomfortable and have me challenge you, this video is not for you. But if you want some tough love and ideas backed with facts, this is for you.

I predicted this bubble. We knew this bubble was coming, and the people in the mastermind got all their systems smooth. All their onboarding systems—like the six steps to getting someone onto their team—are now easy. But now we can’t find people, right? I’ve asked a couple of questions in the groups. I said, “Okay, so what have you done differently?” You’re always going to have hiring problems. The only thing you can change is how you’re doing it—how you’re looking at the problem, how you’re zigging and zagging. If you’re doing the same thing you did in early 2020, it’s not going to work—or it’s going to take a long time to work. It’s always going to be up to you to change things.

Back in the first quarter of 2020, the unemployment rate was at 3%, and people were saying there’s nobody to hire. Now we’re saying the unemployment rate is off the charts, everything’s volatile. Unemployment was just extended to September. Let’s get into this. Stocks have tumbled for the week as investors stress about rising prices and inflation. Consumer prices jumped 4.2% in April—the biggest increase since 2008. Amazon is now paying new hires $17 an hour. Chipotle bumped up to $15. Uber and Lyft are offering bonuses to get drivers. Walmart raised its average rate to $15. President Biden extended the $300 extra per week benefit to September. This isn’t political—it’s just reality.

Women carried the bulk of childcare duties as schools remained closed. Women stayed home, their jobs were the first to go. Things are moving, and we don’t need to be scared; we need to be armed with information. “Okay, Bella, how do I compete with $17 an hour? Do I need to pay $18?” No, you don’t. The people you hire for dog walking and pet sitting are empathetic nurturers who would do it for free because they care. It’s not a lifelong career job, and turnover might be high. But remember, we are in the service industry—and I predict we are entering a service industry revolution. You’ll hear it more soon, but mark my words—you heard it here first.

There’s a shortage everywhere—restaurants, salons, trades—and it’s going to change how we attract workers. You only have to be this good to do it. First, have the right people on your team. Then hire and continuously train them to impress customers so they stay with you. Many pet businesses went under last year, but there are also more “pandemic puppies” and “COVID kitties.” Even if shelters are full from returns, those pets still need care. There’s a huge opportunity right now. Stop saying, “I hope people will apply.” If your job ad is 21 days old, they won’t. It’s time to work smarter.

Now’s the time to hunker down. If your systems aren’t smooth yet, do it now. You can hire in multiples. When unemployment runs out, it’ll get more volatile. The only thing you can control is how you attract people. Do you have multiple ad versions? Do you know your conversion rate—how many views versus applicants? Do you track which job boards give you the best results? You deserve to know this data. Live in the data, tweak weekly. I suggest posting weekly and using JazzHR. Go to jumpconsulting.net/jazzHR—I got you 50% off. Hundreds of pet sitters use it to hire in bulk. They can even re-engage past applicants quickly.

If you think JazzHR just posts jobs, you’re wrong—it’s much more. I’ve shown blogs, videos, playlists—everything. You’re so busy right now, leads are coming in, and you don’t have workers. That must change. I won’t let you say, “I can’t find anyone to hire,” until you’ve tried everything. You can’t keep posting the same ad. Once you get people, train them properly—with excitement. They need to see it, read it, and hear it repeatedly. Pet Care Team Training helps with that. You can see five sample videos at petcareteamtraining.com/video.

We are in a service industry revolution. How will you train and invest in your people? In 2019, we complained we couldn’t hire because unemployment was too low. Now it’s high, and we’re still complaining. When will we stop and adapt? I have people in my mastermind hiring multiple staff a week because they’ve implemented phases: questionnaires, open-ended questions, short videos, personality tests, and in-person interviews. The further candidates go, the fewer no-shows. Others use social media, videos, and graphics to show that their business is credible. Applicants look at your pages and decide—does this look like a real, professional business?

People want to work for someone who looks reliable, not a mom-and-pop setup. You can do this. You just have to change your mindset. Once you get great candidates, move fast. Don’t wait days to reply—they’ll go somewhere else. If you contact them and wait 10 days for a response, that’s on you. Each hiring phase should test something—empathy, trustworthiness, attention to detail. There’s a better way. Please reach out to me if you’re struggling.

If you had a full staff, what would that mean for your business? Your business isn’t meant to suffocate you—it’s meant to give you freedom: freedom to rest, travel, care for loved ones, and live. You have to fix hiring to get that freedom. My mastermind members spent 2020 smoothing out systems. They’re not complaining—they’re collaborating. You need to hang out with people who are making it happen fast. A new hire could mean $20,000 in revenue. JazzHR costs about $120 a month—it’s worth it. I want you to experience freedom. You need a hiring system that runs smoothly, not one that traps you in emails and Indeed chaos.

Automation is the way forward. It’s hard because it forces you to define what you want—but it pays off. You need to test people before hiring. You need to keep training, meeting, and investing in them to keep them engaged. That’s how they represent your brand well....

Are you wondering if you're ready to take the next step and hire employees for your business? Tune in to today's podcast where we dive into the question of "How do I know if I'm ready to hire?" It's not an easy answer, but we have some expert advice to share with you. Get ready for an exciting and engaging discussion on the challenges and considerations of growing your team. Remember, it's going to get worse before it gets better, but with the right mindset and preparation, you can make the transition smoothly.

BIGGEST TAKEAWAYS:

Do you have time to lay the foundation? (5:17)

How are you going to nurture and coach? Where are you getting your leadership skills? (7:08)

It's going to get worse before it gets better. (9:20)

Think about how much people are worth to your business because that mindset is will change what you are willing to deal with. (12:09)

Special Offers

$10 Hire Challenge! From May 1st – 31st. A $525 value for just $10! Bella is that committed to helping you scale!

www.jumpconsulting.net/challenge

Links

Interested in getting more hires? Get more information on the Challenge starting May 3rd, visit www.jumpconsulting.net/challenge

Free Facebook group, Jump Start Your Pet Business https://www.facebook.com/groups/jumpersnetwork/

To sign up for Better Marketing With Bella Semester 2, visit www.jumpconsulting.net/marketing

To email Bella if there is anything you’d specifically like to hear about, email her at [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 240 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'm going to continue on the hiring train, you guys. I've got a lot to say about this and it was actually inspired by one of you amazing people who reached out to me in a DM on Instagram. The big question was, how do I know when I'm ready to hire? They really wanted to know, right? And so I wanted to talk about this on the podcast. I love it when I get questions from you guys because it truly does tell me what you're thinking and what you need to know. So if you are in that position where you're wondering, when can I hire? What do I need to hire? When is the perfect time to hire? I’ve got news for you—there is no perfect answer. I'm so sorry, okay? But I am going to tell you some factors to consider, and that's something that you really have to think about.

I think that a lot of us feel like it has to be the perfect storm. We actually have that problem with everything in life. People think that there has to be the perfect timing for things—the stars have to align, you have to have everything taken care of. And while that is true to an extent when it comes to hiring—you can’t just do it suddenly—you do need to do some things leading up to it. I believe a lot of it comes down to mindset. And here's why: you're going to fail a lot. You just are. The minute you can get over that failure and accept it is when things will really be beneficial for you. Because if you understand that you might not pick the right person, or you might end up asking the wrong question, or you might think you found the perfect person and then they quit three weeks later, you could see that as failure—or you could see it as a learning curve.

Your definition of failure and what you do with it is vitally important. I want to encourage you to think of failure as a learning experience. What did you learn from it? What could you have changed? Sometimes you can’t change anything, right? Because you can only change yourself—you can’t really change other people. But you can get better at predicting things. So the very first thing I would say when you’re asking, are you ready to hire, is this: how good are you at failure? Because if you’re not and you’re willing to learn, it’s going to teach you a lot. And if you are good at it, then you’ll be fine.

The other thing to consider is time. How much time do you have? There is a lot of time required in creating or getting ready for it, but there’s also a lot of time needed to nurture it. Let’s talk about time first. The time to create SOPs—standard operating procedures—does not mean a handbook and a training manual. A handbook and training manual is one thing. That’s the Bible of your company. That’s the thing that explains what you do when you need time off, or how to scoop a litter box. But a procedure manual is a step-by-step checklist: what we do when we come into a house—first, turn off the alarm, then let the dog out, then check the water bowl, find the cat, and so on. You need systems and procedures for everything. How do you send those text messages? What do you put in them? What does the anatomy look like? How do you greet a customer on the phone, on email, or in person? All of these things matter. You should know that no matter who you send to a house, the client gets the same experience.

One thing I was talking about this morning was pictures. How do you actually send a picture to a client? Do you want one staff member who edits all their photos beautifully while another sends poorly lit pictures from bad angles? How do we systematize that? How do we make sure every single employee is giving the client the same kind of picture? That’s a small but important thing that you might not have accounted for. Along with that, it’s not something you always have to do alone. I am the co-founder of Pet Care Team Training, and at petcareteamtraining.com/freevideos, you can see five sample videos. It’s a series of 13 two-to-five-minute videos that are congruent and streamlined, teaching things like how to send care notes, take good pictures, and recognize bad ones. So, are you ready to hire? Do you have the time to lay the proper foundation? You can’t invite someone into your house if you don’t have a bed for them to sleep in or food to feed them, right? It’s the same thing here.

The next question: are you ready to invest in people? I mean monetarily. If you balk at spending $117 for an online training or $1,000 for a customizable handbook and manual, okay, go do it yourself—but then it comes down to time. Do you have 50 or 60 hours to create that handbook and manual? Then add more time to hire a film crew and create videos. Everyone learns differently—you can’t just tell them something. They have to read it, see it, and experience it. You have to keep investing time in them. Just because you know something by heart doesn’t mean they will. You need to invest in your people and be a good leader.

Also with time—what kind of personal development are you doing? What kind of books are you reading? Who are you surrounding yourself with? Are you expanding your mind or just surviving day to day? We can only empower and train people in our business to be as good as we are. We have to give them tools to help them succeed.

Next, nurturing. How are you going to coach your new hires? It’s like what I do with you guys—I repeat lessons in different ways because sometimes you hear them, sometimes you don’t. Sometimes you’re having a good day, sometimes you’re overwhelmed. That’s how we work. We have to nurture our people with patience and consistency. When they make mistakes, ask: is this a “me” problem or a “them” problem? Did I not present it well enough, or did they not follow instructions? If they don’t have clear instructions, it’s on you. If they do, and still don’t follow them, then it’s on them. You need to understand that and coach accordingly. Leadership requires self-awareness. You have to keep learning and growing. I don’t think I’ll ever be a perfect leader—there’s always more to learn. Leadership starts with yourself. If you can’t lead yourself, how can you lead others? You have to create safe environments where people trust you.

So are you ready to hire? Are you ready to nurture relationships? These are rhetorical questions. Sorry to those who wanted a clear yes or no. It’s not one-size-fits-all. Are you ready to rise to the occasion? You might think hiring will instantly make your life better. But no—it gets worse before it gets better. There’s always a honeymoon phase, and then challenges hit. It happens. Sometimes there’s nothing you can do about it. That’s why your mindset needs to be strong.

Mindset is crucial. When failure happens, think about how much each person is worth to your business. Let’s say your business makes $100,000 with five employees and you don’t work in it. That’s $20,000 per person. One mastermind member said it costs her $358 to onboard a new employee. Some might say that’s expensive. But if that $358 investment helps bring in $20,000 in revenue, that’s only 1%. That’s a fantastic ROI. That’s how you need to think about hiring—an investment, not an expense.

And when frustrations happen—like someone eating cheese from a client’s fridge—pause. Yes, that actually happened, and someone got fired over it. But think about the bigger picture. How much are people worth to your business? Knowing that changes what you’re willing to invest in them, both time and money. The initial investment of that handbook, that training manual, those SOPs, and online video training—all of it makes a huge difference.

So, are you ready to hire? Only you can answer that....

This episode is one of our shorter episodes but I wanted to bring you two very valuable opportunities.

First is the pop up group I am starting for the month of May. I am challenging you to pick a number of people that you will be hiring and let me help you hire. Do not go into this summer under staffed and feeling scared to hire. Join this group for only $10 and I will show you along with a bunch of other people who are in the same exact position you are.

Also, to help you prep for this - I want you to take my Jump and Scale course. It is completely FREE and it is three one hour sessions showing you how to create hiring ads and attract the right people you want for your business. www.joinjumpconsulting.com

Transcript:

This is episode 239 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. This is going to be a short, quick, and dirty episode. In fact, this episode is going to be a gift to you. I want you all to know something that is going to help you hire because I’m continuing on this whole hiring trend right now. And I know that right now, as I record this in April of 2021, the job market is very volatile. We have a lot of people sitting on unemployment right now who are making more money than they would if they actually went to work—more money than a minimum wage job. So understandably, they’re sitting there. Honestly, that’s a whole other story, but it kind of tells you a lot about the people.

In addition, we need to find workers, and we are not the only industry that is struggling. The service industry is struggling majorly in general—a lot of the restaurants, the hotels, all of that. If you’ve been out to a restaurant lately, chances are if you’ve had my experiences, the service has also been crappy. But when it comes to our businesses, there’s a different opportunity, guys. We are not selling widgets. We are not just another serving job. We are dealing with adorable puppies and kitties and dogs and cats and reptiles and goats—well, maybe not goats—but horses and all sorts of things, right? We actually get to do a really fun, loving, nurturing, empathetic job. And with that comes finding the right person.

My gift for you guys today is my Jump and Scale course. I basically just want you to go to joinjumpconsulting.com. That’s join, J-O-I-N, jumpconsulting.com. It is a three-part training series that teaches you four different things. First, how to write a killer job posting. You can learn how to write a job posting that will have people excited to apply for the position in your company. Second, how to attract the right candidates—screening candidates made easy. Imagine having a pool of candidates to choose from. Yes, I said choose from. Third, how to hire the right people. We’ve all been there and hired people who our gut told us might not be right for our business, but we ignored it and hired them anyway, only to be let down because we were desperate. I will show you my systematic approach that will make this decision a simple math calculation.

It’s a streamlined process from start to finish. Hiring and finding people is one of the tasks we all shy away from. I’m going to show you how to make it easier. Imagine not being the sole responsible person for hiring and onboarding. Imagine automating the entire process, where the end result is hiring the perfect person. I created this three-part training series a couple of years ago, and I want to make sure you guys get it. Each one is about an hour long and will make all of this come true. It’s my Jump and Scale course, and I’ll teach you my proven formula that will streamline your onboarding process, fill your candidate pool with the right applicants, and filter out those who are best for you and your business.

The number one problem that everyone says is always, “I can’t find people” or “It’s my area.” And guys, that’s a bunch of BS. Before, when unemployment was at like 3% pre-COVID, everyone said there weren’t enough applicants. Now we’re saying, “I’m getting ghosted,” or “There are too many applicants,” or “I’m not getting enough because people are sitting on unemployment.” It’s volatile. So the one thing you can know is that hiring is always going to feel like you’re sitting on quicksand. The more information you get to test and use in your area, the better. I’m not just talking out of my mouth—I’ve done this stuff with people. They’ve had very good experiences and success.

I want you to go to joinjumpconsulting.com and get on the Jump and Scale course. Listen, I also have a month-long challenge coming up. If you’re listening to this at a later date, I’m sorry—but if you’re listening anywhere up until May 15th, you’ve got to join the group. The way to get in is to go to jumpconsulting.net/challenge. Jumpybot, my message bot on Facebook, will register you and get you in the group. This group is going to be packed with tips, tricks, and knowledge. If you take the Jump and Scale course, it’s basically that course coming to life. It’s there to create a community of other people who are also going through this struggle, and it’s going to help you.

I want you to join me in there. It’s only $10. A course like this two or three years ago would’ve been over $500. It’s only $10 right now. The reason I’m doing that is because $10 is like one or two Starbucks—that’s going to qualify everyone in there. They’re not looky-loos; they’re actually ready to roll up their sleeves and get to work. You’ll be surrounded by other people actively doing exactly what you’re doing. That’s why I wanted to create this boost, this motivational boost. We’ve already got probably about three dozen people in there, and I’ve only just put it out in my email. So, guys, get ready, because it’s opening up this weekend.

If you’re listening to this podcast the day it comes out, it’s opening up this weekend—May 1st to May 31st, 2021—and I hope I see you in there. You’re going to see incredible results in your pet business. Just think about what would happen if you could grow your business without you being in it. If you could be fully staffed or even overstaffed, you could take care of all the clients that are coming in. Take this journey with me. Join this group—it’s called the High Gear Hiring Challenge. I am challenging everybody to pick a number of people they want to hire that month and go for it. I’m going to be your cheerleader alongside you, giving you tips, tricks, resources, and encouragement the entire way.

So there are two things: one, get the Jump and Scale course at joinjumpconsulting.com, and two, register for this group so we can work together. This is your opportunity to work directly with me for a month, Monday through Friday. Go to jumpconsulting.net/challenge. You guys, I hope you have an amazing day.

This is one of the shortest episodes, but that’s all I really had for you this week. I’m not going to filibuster the rest of it. So go on with your bad self, and I hope to see you in the group. Go to jumpconsulting.net/challenge. Remember, when life gets you down, always keep jumping. Bye now.

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 today's show we're going to talk about hiring employees and those fears that may surround this topic. If you're not into hiring employees, that's totally fine! But if you are, sit back and have a listen as we dive into it all and approach those fears that just may be holding you back from growing your business.

Show Highlights

Topic has been talked about my free Facebook group, Jumpstart Your Pet Business. [1:35]

You may have been burned in the past or heard horror stories and that scares you. You feel independent contractors cost you less [2:18]

Having independent contractors is a major liability. [3:02]

I want you to get confident in your process. The hiring process is a two way street and you'll need to understand how that is going to do for your life and your business[3:22]

You may be afraid to hire because you feel you may need to micromanage or they may be a flake and cancel. Or they may not have your same standards unless directly trained by you. [3:37]

Many have gone through a lot of hires over the years with only a handful of good employees.[4:20]

Fear of animals being abused or mishandled has been a big factor [4:40]

Sometimes you have the fear of losing the team you have because they are great and you're afraid they'll leave. [5:00]

Another worry is attention to detail that my endanger the safety of the animals such as not locking things properly [5:28]

Your business is only going to be as good as it's leader - you. It's the captain that steers the ship! If you're down on the docks mopping and doing other tasks and your ship crashes, you can't blame the ship for not sailing right. It's not that it didn't sail right, it's that we left our position - we weren't being the leader [6:10]

What I've learned is that no one is going to be as good as me. Why? Because a lot of them are going to be better than me. I can add value to pet businesses and pets by aligning my values and vision if I'm too busy being in the trenches. Same goes for you. [7:04]

Staff has one job to focus on as their primary responsibility, which can make them better as it instead of you doing way too many things at once. [8:34]

If you've been in that rut of doing it all yourself, how long has it been? How long have you wanted to get out of that rut yet expecting something to change? [9:37]

The hiring challenge from May 1st-31st which is normally $525 will be $10.00! Whoa! It won't be a huge group where you'll get lost. You'll be among people who are doing what you're doing, getting direct advice from me on how to hire and learning the best method hiring practices [13:39]

Once you understand these hiring practices, once you've tweaked them, you'll be able to hire the right people that will support your business [19:30]

Special Offers

$10 Hire Challenge! From May 1st - 31st. A $525 value for just $10! Bella is that committed to helping you scale!

www.jumpconsulting.net/challenge

Links

Interested in getting more hires? Get more information on the Challenge starting May 3rd, visit www.jumpconsulting.net/challenge

Free Facebook group, Jump Start Your Pet Business https://www.facebook.com/groups/jumpersnetwork/

To sign up for Better Marketing With Bella Semester 2, visit www.jumpconsulting.net/marketing

To email Bella if there is anything you’d specifically like to hear about, email her at [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:

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 going to get up all in your business today because today's show is something that is really important. And I don't think we've actually ever talked about it in the 230 plus episodes, or is it 240 plus episodes we've done. My goodness. You guys, you are amazing. You keep me going. I love your emails. I love hearing all of your feedback, especially from last episode learning all about those Facebook hiring ads and things. I love that some of you have already dived in and started. I wanted to go ahead and talk today about something that I think everyone kind of struggles with. It is that thing that is kind of the tipping point that either keeps people a solo pet sitter or it actually catapults them into living the life they always wanted or designing a life that they always wanted where they're not held hostage to their business while their hands are not tied and while the business doesn't run them—and that is hiring employees.

Now don't run away yet. Please don't run away yet. Bella, I don't ever want to hire. That's fine. That's totally fine. I'm not here to convince you today, but I am here to talk about those fears because what I do know as a coach is that a lot of times you guys, your fears hold you exactly where you're at. And I am a big believer that fear comes from the unknown—false evidence appearing real. Ever been a little kid in a room and you think that there's a boogeyman or a monster in the closet? Because you see this outline and the minute that you turn on the lights, you realize it's just a coat hanger. That's all it is. And so today that's what I really want to do. I've been doing a lot of talking in my free group, Jumpstart Your Pet Business. You might be in there and just kind of asking general questions because I have something for you that I'm going to tell you about at the end of this episode that if you have ever been interested in hiring or are struggling currently with hiring, this episode is for you.

So let's get right on into it. I'm not going to say so excited—it's so overused. I am motivated to inspire you into action today. How's that? You may have been wanting to hire, but you're too scared. You might have been in that boat and you might not have known what exactly to do with it. You might have been burnt in the past. I just heard of a conversation with one of my gals where one of her former employees was accused of stealing a Louis Vuitton purse and it never actually came to fruition or we never actually know what happened, but possibly that happened. I'm sure you've heard horror stories like the one I just told you or ones in the Facebook groups, or maybe you're just really unsure on how to do it. And you think that right now your independent contractors cost you less and that it's so much easier and you don't have all the headache of employees. And that could not be further from the truth.

The only thing I'm going to say today about independent contractors is that your risk mitigation is a lot larger than mine because having independent contractors is a major, major liability. And that is not where my risk tolerance is. So my hats are off to you. If you are interested in having that discussion, we can have that at another time, but I'm definitely not here to convince anyone to do anything. You must want to do it. But what I do want to help you through today is to get confident in your process. I want you to understand that the hiring process is a two-way street and what it's going to do for your life and your business.

So you guys, first of all, a lot of people are afraid to hire because they say things like—wait, let me quote you exactly directly from one of my Facebook groups. Babysitting says Melissa and Alexa chimed in and said, you mean like micromanaging? Marybeth says canceling and being a flake. Precious says she actually loves her employees and they're amazing. And she actually goes on to say she never has to micromanage because she trained them well and they will do their job well. Deb says that the staff won't have her standards. That's a big one, you guys. A lot of people are very similar. They feel like, you know, the staff won't do the same thing. Heather says she's gone through many in six years and it's been a nightmare and she's only had a handful of good employees. That makes me cry because obviously—no offense, Heather—if you constantly have bad employees, it tells me that something about your system or your picker is wrong.

Ashley says her number one concern is making sure they don't abuse an animal. And I asked her like, girl, have you seen people abuse animals? Like, is this like a rational, irrational fear basically? And she said, yeah, when she was working at the rescue groups, she saw that happen, which is terrible, of course. Kim, a long-time OG in the pet sitting space says that she loves her team and that her biggest fear is that they will leave. And you guys, I want you to keep that in your head as I talk because that actually is something that is a good problem to have, right? And Michelle says her big fears have more to do about the safety of the pets—like they're not going to lock the door properly and the pets will escape. Are you guys resonating with any of these? I'm sure you are because I'm sure you've thought about it at some point. Robbie actually says the safety of the pets, lack of attention to detail, not having enough business to work them enough and make the pay worth it for them to stick around.

The thing is that, you know, fear is always going to exist in everything that we do in life, you guys—everything. I have fear all day long. It's where you allow it to live in your life that matters the most. And that's why I wanted to really kind of talk about being a fear buster today....

In today's show we are rounding out the series that has been all about Social Media and the best way to actually leverage it! We're going to talk to you about using the graphics you can get from Better Marketing With Bella, (or any graphics you might make) and how you can create a campaign to attract people in your local area, who are already members of your page, to work with you.

First off, it's important to remember: US & Canada Ads must not discriminate or encourage discrimination against people based on personal attributes such as race, ethnicity, color, national origin, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, family status, disability, medical or genetic condition.

Show Highlights

Difference between 'Boosting' and an ad. Ads are used to get people to take action and it then directs traffic to your website. A boost just pushes it out to as many people as possible so your ad can be seen. A boost doesn't inspire action. [2:50]

A Campaign Setup is the initial part to do when in Ads Manager. You start setup in under the umbrella which is your hiring campaign [3:41]

When starting your hiring campaign, you must declare to Facebook that it's a hiring campaign when you're in the U.S. and Canada. When using a Custom Audience, be sure that your audience selections do not discriminate against people based on certain personal characteristics. [4:07]

Have your pixel on your website. It will immediately start gathering data. Research how to add your pixel. [7:53]

Location is the next part. We desire to hire with our proximity, but with FB ads it's difficult to get a precise location range. Not use of postcodes or specific locations [9:23]

Power of the localized audience. This is where it helps you find the right people [10:43]

Be selective and broad with your targeting interest to have more of a range in results. Think of people like your team [11:07]

Placements: go with all placements just to start with and let Facebook to the optimization [12:09]

Optimization: Important to select Landing Page View so Facebook know what action you want people to take [12:44]

It's important that people press "see more" because that tells

Facebook that you are engaging your audience [14:26]

Can you come up with one sentence, or five words, that will make me want to click "see more" [15:06]

Create ad copy. Use a well performing post from your page to create the ad. Keep it short and simple, lead with the benefits, and do not include a list of "must haves"

Media: Do not use stock images. Use pictures of you actual team members with dogs, selfies, or behind the scenes photos. Carousel ads. Better Marketing With Bella graphic [16:00]

Headline: Have fun with it! Finish ad with website URL. Send traffic to your landing page [18:07]

Make sure everything is working properly and all the correct links from your landing page is taking people the right place [12:12]

Make sure your pixel is on and tracking is captured

Biggest Takeaway:

You have to make sure that the entire process is completely taken care of and is a smooth journey for your visitors - from start to finish.

Links

Where to find Pam, visit her Instagram page at, www.instagram.com/vibrantmarketingonline/

How to add a pixel to your website free training! visit www.jumpconsulting.net/pixel

To add the pixel to your website, visit www.hotjar.com

Plugin to speed up your website, visit www.nitropack.io

Google Website Speed, visit https://developers.google.com/speed/pagespeed/insights/

Interested in getting more hires? Get more information on on the Challenge starting May 3rd, visit www.jumpconsulting.net/challenge

To sign up for Better Marketing With Bella Semester 2, visit www.jumpconsulting.net/marketing

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

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Transcript:

This is episode 237 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 we are rounding out our series all about social media and how to actually leverage it the best way. You guys know that we're on the tail end of actually accepting people into the Better Marketing with Bella program, which you can find out more at jumpconsulting.net/marketing. But today we're going to actually talk about how you can use the graphics that we get from Better Marketing with Bella or any graphics you might make and how to actually create a campaign so that you can attract people in your local area who are already members of your page to work for you.

Ooh, hiring, yes guys. And I want you to stay tuned because at the end, I'm going to tell you about this amazing group that I'm about to set up just for you for the entire month of May 2021, where I'm going to come alongside you and inspire, motivate, and guide you on how to do an entire hiring list because the bubble's here, guys. The bubble that I have been predicting is here, and people are super duper busy and they don't have enough staff. I'm going to help you pull up your pants so that they don't stay down. We're going to do it. But as to get used to that, okay, I want to introduce you to my good friend, Pam Curry.

Pam was not always a friend. I first met Pam when she actually owned Toronto Dog Walking and she now licenses it out. She is in Ireland taking care of her mom, hanging out with her mom during this whole quarantine thing. But what I love about Pam's story is she created Vibrant Marketing a couple of years ago. I was one of her first clients. She was able to grow her pet sitting company to a certain level where she could then turn it over to somebody and then move into her zone of genius and her passion, which is doing Facebook ads and driving traffic to websites through awesome marketing tactics. And she has done an amazing job with us at Jump Consulting.

So we were talking and because she also is helping me, she said, “Bella, it's so easy to get people wanting to work for these pet sitting companies. And I've done it for pet sitting companies before. Let me teach your viewers.” So I said, “Okay.” So strap up, you guys, kick back, relax, grab a pen and paper, get out your notepad on your phone, whatever it might be. Or maybe you're listening to this again for the second time because I'm about to blow your mind with my guest, Pam Curry.

Woo. Second time on the show. Yeah, that’s because you're that good, girl. That’s because you're just that good—like so much goodness. So Pam, I know that like when everybody starts out with Facebook ads or whatever, we're like, “Yeah, I've done Facebook ads,” but really it was a boost. So can we just start out really quick? Can you just tell me the difference between boosting and an ad?

Yeah. So if you want to go along and actually find people to take the action, like in this case, we're going to be going through hiring ads. If you want somebody to actually see your post and go to your website and view your ad or your job description, you actually want to get hyper-specific and target them. So you use ads, whereas the boost is going to push it out to so many people—who knows what action they're going to take. They might like it, they might comment, but they're not actually going to do anything and take the action that you want them to take. So you definitely want to be getting into Ads Manager.

And we're going to dive in deep today and tell everybody exactly how they're going to do it. Love it. So it sounds like boost is kind of like throwing spaghetti against the wall and seeing what happens. I wouldn't even say it’s going to stick. Awesome. Okay, so I know first step is something about campaign setup. What the heck is a campaign? Can you break this down for me?

Okay guys. So for your campaign setup, it's the initial part—what you're going to do when you go into Ads Manager. So you're going to create your campaign. In this instance, the umbrella will be our hiring campaign. So that is where we start and we get set up. In here is where you're going to make, if anybody has done ads in the past and has gone in here, you might just say, “Okay, I'm going to call this Ad 1.” But there's one difference when it comes to hiring, especially when you're in the United States and Canada. You actually need to declare to Facebook that this is a hiring ad.

If you don't declare to Facebook that it's a hiring ad, you run the risk of getting your account shut down. Your ad will be rejected and it's going to ruin the quality of your ad account. You’ll then have to make amendments because if you set up the ad without declaring it's a hiring ad, you've actually set up your targeting and stuff with information that you will not have access to for your hiring ads because you may have discriminated against people. The limitations for the ad setup are very, very different. Normally, you can say, “I want to target people who shop at PetSmart or Petco.” All of that is totally removed when it comes to hiring because you cannot discriminate. So on the campaign setup, you need to make sure you tell Facebook this is a hiring ad.

Incredible. Okay, so can you give me an example of like a mistake that happens? Like unknowingly, I discriminated and automatically we get cut out?...

I am the founder of remoteworkadvocate.com, the go-to place for both companies embracing flexible work and individuals willing to thrive in the remote world. Within the past few years, having worked with various international clients, I created a Remote-Ready Audit as a tool to guide companies through the remote work implementation process. Through the years, I’ve had the pleasure of hiring hundreds of candidates for various remote and hybrid companies and created long-lasting business relationships around the world.

Biggest Takeaways You Don’t Want To Miss:

What has changed in our attitude towards working within the past year?

Nadia describes the major shift she has witnessed in companies culture and work environments in regard to remote and flexible work. She explains how this change stems from mindset and attitude in order to make everything work. 

How can companies benefit from implementing flexible work models?

We all know there are benefits to remote work and Nadia breaks each of these benefits down showing how changing from a traditional workplace to remote and flexible work can help companies achieve the growth they want and the lifestyles people desire.

Where should companies start if they're willing to embrace a scalable and transparent remote work model?

Our most valuable resource is time and Nadia provides the steps needed to take in order to start saving your time. From automation, cloud storage, to onboarding, and more you'll be surprised to learn all that can be embraced from a remote work model.

Why have you decided to advocate for remote work in the first place? What's your mission?

Nadia is someone who likes to challenge things.  She always questions "why is that so?" Working remotely for the majority of her career Nadia questioned why the workplace didn't offer more remote work opportunities. You'll want to hear what she discovered in her search of why we work the way we do and why she is so passionate about companies developing a remote and flexible working style.

Show Highlights:

We're always resistant to change as human beings [3:12]

The pandemic left no choice but to adapt [3:20]

The pandemic has torn us out of our comfort zones [4:16]

You don't have to be located in a skyscraper in order to have a great career [8:11]

This particular industry can definitely benefit from automation [9:13]

We can go digital with anything we basically want [9:28]

70% of onboarding is repetition... [10:03]

How did Nadia become Nadia? [11:40]

Why is the workplace the way we see it these days? [12:42]

Who gets to determine what the workweek is? [14:14]

There are a ton of means that can help us become more human [16:32]

Link:

www.jumpconsulting.net/mastermind

Downloadable Offer:

Feel free to visit www.remoteworkadvocate.com

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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 236 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've got a really special guest for you. You guys, she was such an amazing person in the mastermind. She came in and she did this amazing presentation that I just kind of had to share her with all of you guys as well. Now we can't give away all the secrets that she did in the mastermind because that's reserved for the members. And if you're not a member yet, why not? But she is so fantastic that we're going to actually blow the lid off of another topic today.

Today we're going to be talking about the new era of work and how that looks like as a business owner and trying to hire people and just all the different things that you probably aren't thinking about because you're trying to get your business back. Our guest today is Nadia and she is all the way over in the UK right now. She is the founder of Remote Work Advocate and the go-to place for both companies embracing flexible work and individuals willing to thrive in the remote world. Within the past few years and working with various international clients, she has created a remote ready audit as a tool to guide companies through a remote work implementation process.

Throughout the years, she's had the pleasure of hiring hundreds of candidates to work with various remote and hybrid companies, creating long-lasting business relationships around the world. You guys, this is important for you as pet sitters and dog walkers in local areas because the more that our society changes, the more that business changes. We are incorporating more and more virtual ways. This could be virtual hiring, virtual training and onboarding, or ongoing virtual trainings for your company and not actually having to get together in a physical place. So I want you to just open up your ears and your heart today and think about what Nadia is about to tell us and see if you can apply any of it to your business.

So without further ado, Nadia, welcome to the show. I'm really happy to be here and thanks for all your kind words in the very beginning. I'm truly flattered. And well, you know, I can just say that that's a topic I can talk about endlessly because I'm just so passionate about it. So I have hope and I deeply trust that I'm going to add value today. I trust that you are. I only bring on people I know that will add value. So buckle up, you guys.

Nadia, I kind of alluded to the fact that things have been changing. So can you elaborate on that? Like what has changed in our attitude towards working within the past year or so?

The short term, we've learned things I believe we should have opened up to before, but we're always resistant to change as human beings. So here we had an external factor, which was the pandemic, and it left no choice but to adapt. Suddenly, everything that we believed in—that that's the way it is, it can't be changed—and I know what I'm talking about because before the pandemic, I was working with remote-first and hybrid companies, but not only. Sometimes there were companies that reached out to me because they were interested in what I was doing. And then they listened and said, you're really a cool person, but no, that's not for us.

Now I see these companies months later adapting flexible working and starting to think about changing the working habits that they have in their environment. So all the things that they said were not possible are suddenly, like magic, becoming possible. So how can that be? One of the major takeaways is that we need to change our mindset and our attitude in order to make everything work. That's the hardest part. But I believe that the pandemic has torn us out of our comfort zones and that has partially happened.

So I think that we should really get ready and move on and start an amazing journey of creating change ourselves these days. Wow, how inspirational is that, you guys? Are you inspired? Because I'm inspired. As you're talking, Nadia, I'm thinking back to 12 months ago in the mastermind where I brought in Marcus Sheridan, who's an incredible salesperson. He blew the lid off and gave our mastermind members a step-by-step process of how to do a virtual consultation with a new client.

When you talk about changing your mindset and saying, “No, I can't do that,” pet sitters and dog walkers were terrified because they were like, “I need to meet the dog. There's absolutely no way that can happen, Bella.” Fast forward a year later, and a lot of the companies that are killing it right now and got back faster are the ones that offered that solution. Because at one point, pet sitters and dog walkers coming into people's homes were a threat. It was like, “What are you coming in with? What germs?”

People didn’t want to see you. So it ended up saving a lot of the bottom line. What Nadia is saying is absolutely true to our industry. So I want to continue on and say, how can companies benefit from these flexible work models?

There are tons of benefits, but tons of risks as well. One may say I'm full of bias because I am a remote work advocate, but that doesn't mean I'm unaware of all the risks lurking out there. We should do it wisely and remember that too much of anything is unhealthy. Always try to keep the right balance.

Talking about all the great things we can benefit from if we start implementing either remote work or flexible work—number one, time. Time is the most precious thing these days. Imagine if you lose a lot of time because you have to commute somewhere without reason. If you have a meaningless meeting and nothing comes out of it, at least now you did it at home—you didn’t have to commute for an hour or two. So number one, it’s time. Number two, it’s obviously cost-efficient as well.

Now, in the beginning, if you're talking about interviews with people, things like that—but for the long run, it's the cost efficiency for companies that sometimes consider hiring experts who are not going to be pet sitters, but people to support their businesses. There's a lot to do behind the scenes. You don't have to rely on the local talent pool anymore. You can hire great experts from distant places. So sometimes companies say they want to expand and need cool people to do that with.

That’s where flexible or remote work comes in, because you can get people from the place where you want to be. That’s amazing....

Did you know that social media isn’t just for getting new clients? What if we showed you how to use social media to attract new staff for your business without you even having to go out and look for them. Listen in as Bella shares different ways you can use your social media to bring in those new ideal employees because if you're only using it to get new clients and then you're missing out.

Biggest Takeaways

They will check you out - what story are you telling?

Always look for people who are good at social or telling stories…

Have you thought about posting on Nextdoor?

You have to have a strategy...

The only thing they know about you is what you put online.

You want them to stalk you…

Show Highlights

There are a lot of different things that your social media and marketing help [3:37]

Imagine a world where you didn't even have to post and people would slide into your DM asking, “Are you hiring?” [4:30]

Why would you only leave it up to just posting for jobs on Indeed? It’s reactionary. [6:24]

How do you make a job look appealing online? [6:56]

If its not on Facebook or if it’s not on Instagram, it’s not happening [9:00]

Social Media is where you will fall or soar [9:28]

Growth happens when you are uncomfortable. [11:33]

The only thing that anyone knows about you is what you put online. [14:52]

Hiring is 50% of all the problems you will have in your business [18:39]

What is your social saying about attracting staff to work for you? [20:38]

We’re already facing a stereotype of things like “It’s just dog walking”. [21:40]

What are you going to do to level up? [22:59]

Offer:

That’s where we come in. In Better Marketing With Bella, we don't only create social media content targeted to getting new clients, but only social media content to attract staff.

It’s not too late!  Grab your spot now!

Link:

/waitlist

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Click this link –Bella In Your Business

Click on the ‘Subscribe’ button below the artwork

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Transcript:

This is episode 235 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 is going to be a solo episode. You guys, how have you been liking this since the beginning of the year? Kind of because of my poor planning, kind of because of my energy and want and need to be speaking again. I actually have been doing a lot of solo episodes as you've seen. The numbers show that apparently you guys really like the solo episodes as opposed to the interview ones. It's not to say you don't like the interviews, right? But it seems to be more popular when it's just me.

I mean, again, guys, I do this for you. Some of you have been replying back to me, which, my gosh, feels beautiful. Like I'm not in an echo chamber. Shoot me an email at [email protected] and tell me how you like the podcast. How do you like it coming to you?

Another thing that I kind of want to do a shout-out for before I get into today's topic, which is using social media to get new staff—yeah, you can stay tuned for that—but first I want to give a wicked big shout-out. That's the Boston in me—wicked big shout-out to the 90% of Better Marketing with Bella people who were in the first semester and just signed up for the second semester.

Because of that, we did not have a lot of seats to offer to new people because we are only so big. We can only help so many people. However, I did get back with the team, and after we added a couple of people from the waitlist, we agreed to open five more spots—five more spots, which will make this the most popular Better Marketing with Bella ever, but also arguably one of the most important ones.

You guys, Better Marketing with Bella gives you all of your social media and marketing needs through graphics, videos, cover videos, copy, content calendars, group coaching calls, individual coaching calls, emails, and blog and Facebook outlines. We basically help you on your coaching call create an entire strategy. And the other amazing thing is you’ve got to remember social media is not a decaying thing. Social media is something you can reuse over and over again.

Just because a semester is over doesn’t mean you can’t reuse it. A lot of people in our program understand that, which is why they stay in semester after semester after semester. We have some people that have been in there for five semesters—that’s two and a half years, you guys. Their entire social media feed is all Better Marketing with Bella stuff, just poppin’. And because of that, we don’t even give you the same holidays or anything. I mean, obviously Christmas and Thanksgiving we do, but we’re not going to do the same “Love Your Cat Day” every year because we did that last year. Every year we switch it up so that you really get a variety of content.

Guys, if this is you or if you think this is exciting and want to learn more about it, please again shoot me an email or DM me wherever you can. Email is [email protected].

Now, to do a nice little segue into here—that is your social media. And a lot of people think that Better Marketing with Bella is only to get clients. Oh gosh, you are sadly mistaken. Let me tell you, there are actually a lot of different things that your social media and marketing help with. It is the difference between people wanting to collaborate with you and give you free stuff. It is the difference between other businesses taking you seriously. And it is the difference between someone applying for your company and cyber-stalking you—deciding whether or not they’ll show up for an interview or even apply at all, and whether they think they can take your business seriously based on what you put out on social media.

If you or someone you know was about to apply for your business and you went to your Facebook or Instagram feed, would you get excited? What would make you excited about working there—anything?

This is something that sadly a lot of people mistake. Imagine a world where you didn’t even have to post. You actually had people coming to your DMs saying, “Hey, are you hiring?” And you had such a process—an interview process—that you could literally just put them straight into a funnel and, with maybe a click of five buttons, know whether or not you’re going to hire them. You’d have an onboarding process about a week long, and then they’d be in the field. Can you do that?

Guys, it’s coming. The bubble’s coming. Things are opening up all around the country right now. Travel is going up. Tickets to places are expensive—but it’s because everyone’s starting to travel again. You guys, it’s happening. Whether you like it or not, you’ve got to be ready for it. And if you can’t hire fast enough, that means saying no.

I love telling the story about how I had reached, I think it was $120,000 when I had my business at one point. I had five people working for me, and I was not in the field at all. I looked at that and thought, “Wow, $120,000 and I’ve got five people working for me all the time now.” That basically means that each person is worth $24,000 in revenue to me.

So on the contrast, if you had to say no to a client, how many clients would you have to say no to because you didn’t hire enough people? What if your only lifeline to hiring people was to post on JazzHR, which posts to 15 job boards? I don’t know why you wouldn’t use it and only post on Indeed—it’s like having one dart instead of 15 darts for a bullseye. But that’s a whole other story.

Why would you leave it up to just posting for jobs? It’s very reactionary, right? Imagine if your social media could actually attract the right people to you. They are definitely going to check you out. They’re going to figure out what story you’re telling and if they can see themselves in that story.

They’re going to see if it’s the same person burnt out all the time. They’re going to see if it’s just about the owner, or if it’s about a community of people in your business. They’re going to see if it looks fun to work there or if it looks like chaos. They’re going to see if you’re consistent or if you post once every two months. They’re going to see if your page is full of random graphics or memes, or if it really tells a story of who you are as a business.

Your social media is your digital storefront. You wouldn’t want your physical storefront to have burned-out lights, chipped paint, and an outdated sign, right? Then why would you want your digital presence to look like that?

If you want to attract the right people—not just clients but also staff—you’ve got to start showing that your business is a great place to work. Post your team. Post your wins. Post behind-the-scenes moments. Post things that make people go, “Oh, that looks like a cool team. I could see myself there.”

It’s not about faking anything. It’s about showing what’s real, showing your values, and showing how you care. Because people these days don’t just want a job—they want to be part of something meaningful.

If you show up authentically and consistently, and if you have systems in place for hiring and onboarding, then social media becomes a magnet—not a megaphone. It’s not about shouting, “We’re hiring!” every week. It’s about making people want to work for you before you ever ask.

I’ve had so many clients who didn’t even post a hiring ad, and people DM’d them asking if they were looking for hel