Bella In Your Business: Pet Sitting and Dog Walking Podcast

Pet Business Covid Crisis Survive and Thrive Mastermnd

The Pet Business Covid Crisis isn't going away anytime soon. Things aren't going back to normal. They will never be the same again. Consumer spending online is through the roof. Pivots are being made. Businesses are closing while others are soaring. If you want a fighting chance, then this episode is for you. If you have decided you will "wait it out" or keep your business at the low numbers and hunker down, then this episode isn't

My Jumpers are do'ers. When the world says they can't, Jumpers say I CAN. I have watched too many of you fight through this Pet Business Covid Crisis to come back stronger than ever and from that you have inspired this episode. Listen in to learn:

How times are changing

How society will never be the same

How COVID will revolutionize the way you do business.

Examples of companies who have failed during times of change.

The effects of the revolution.

How to revolutionize the way you do business.

Examples of others doing a great job.

5  areas you need to focus on to survive.

The future is actually very bright!

If you are ready to Jump and work through things, consider joining me Monday through Friday in the Mastermind. It is where you can have access to me, the group, and all the resources that come along with it. It is the winner's circle of the pet industry and a lot of fun!

Transcript:

This is episode 216 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 shake things up. It's going to be a solo episode, but I really want to get inside your head and make you think today because I don't think there's a lot of thinking going on in our industry. And I say that with love and kindness. I'm sure it's none of my jumpers or amazing loyal listeners, but there is so much stinking thinking out there that I want to make sure that you, my listener, do not get influenced by the stuff that I’ve been reading online.

My goodness. The earth is not falling. Your life is not ending. 2020 can actually be the biggest blessing for you, and I’m going to explain what I mean by the end of this show. However, before we get there, we have to go through it. So sit back, relax, and go through this with me. My question to you is—what side of the pet service industry revolution are you going to be on? And I’m asking you because it really is your decision. If you haven’t noticed, 2020 has shaken things up. It’s splitting our industry into two segments, and whether you realize it or not, you are on one of those sides.

Some pet businesses experienced a temporary dip in business and are now back up. But others experienced the same dip and still haven’t come back up—or are coming back very slowly, kind of like maybe an 80-year-old woman trying to stand up from sitting on the floor. The segments are now more divided than ever, both in society and in our industry. Some are going to survive, and some will not. In fact, I’ve already heard from a lot of my jumper clients that they’re getting new customers saying their old pet sitters are no longer in business.

So who’s going to survive and who will not? The startling part is—I fully believe that you are in charge of what side you’re on. If you’re aware of what’s happening both in and around you, you can adapt. I say “in you” because mindset and vision have a lot to do with this. I say “around you” because you really need to understand how society is shifting drastically right now. Negating these two things will most likely put you on the side that’s gone for good. Times are changing. People are forming pods and getting closer. They’re working from home, learning from home, afraid to travel—or they’re traveling but being shamed for it.

We’re in an election year. The division in the United States is stronger than ever. Human rights and racism are forefront topics, and our social media feeds reinforce all our self-fulfilling views of the world with algorithms that know us better than our own mothers. Have you seen The Social Dilemma on Netflix? If not, take the hour and a half to watch it—it’ll either blow your mind, reaffirm what you already know, or make you want to run Facebook ads. But newsflash: it doesn’t matter how you feel about it. You can have your opinions—that’s fine—but today we’re talking about facts and statistics. There’s no room for feelings when it comes to saving your business.

If you let your emotions lead your business decisions right now, your business will not be on the winning side of this revolution. It isn’t a time for feelings; it’s a time for survival. You can process later, but right now, if you want to survive, you have to do what you need to do to protect your livelihood. But some of you aren’t. Some are doubling down on the same things that haven’t been helping. I hope this is your wake-up call.

Society is never going to be the same, you guys. At the beginning of the year, people were fighting online learning. I read things like, “I don’t want to learn first aid or CPR online,” or “Homeschool is for overprotective families.” The idea of virtual consultations or meet and greets used to be met with an eye roll. The first time someone didn’t reply to a video request in an interview, the CEO would say, “That doesn’t work.” But fun fact—it does.

One of my mastermind members actually started doing 100% virtual consultations before COVID—and at the time of this recording, they’re up to 96% of their customer volume. We had a training with one of the world’s leading sales trainers who broke down exactly how to make it work. The businesses that implemented it are winning clients. Others only talk about why it won’t work without trying it. Society has changed. People are more comfortable connecting and meeting online than ever before. Some even prefer it. We’re not going back to “normal.”

COVID has sped up online learning—not just in schools. Conferences have been canceled for up to a year. Almost everyone—from CEOs to preschoolers—now learns online. It’s not enough to have a website anymore; you need an entire online user and customer experience that delivers connection even after the transaction.

Businesses that haven’t shifted are still solving pre-2020 problems. Many still think the only reason for a dog walk is that the owner’s away at work. They’re not acknowledging new problems like dogs barking at constant delivery drivers, or stressed owners juggling work-from-home and kids. Consumer behavior has shifted—online spending in the first quarter of 2020 surpassed ten years of total e-commerce growth.

People buy everything online now, wait in parking lots for store pickups, sanitize groceries, and avoid letting strangers into their homes. They’re scared, and pet business owners need to address that fear in their marketing. Not doing so will deepen the dip in business—possibly to the point of no return.

This revolution is happening whether you like it or not. History shows what happens to businesses that refuse to innovate—Blockbuster, Kodak, Toys R Us, Nokia, Borders, Sony. They didn’t adapt. Meanwhile, startups like WhatsApp, Venmo, Instagram, Uber, and Pinterest were born out of the 2008 recession. This is your time for innovation. When your competition is still solving old problems, solve the new ones.

The year 2020 is forcing growth and change. Those who refuse will fail. COVID isn’t killing your business—your mindset is. COVID is just revealing who will rise and who will crumble. Some are already gone because they couldn’t handle the pressure. According to a study from the National Academy of Sciences, most small firms had enough cash to last only two months or less.

I witnessed this firsthand—business owners crying on the phone, unsure how they’d make payroll. That’s why I spent the past six months creating 17 free resources to help you: from how to use the CARES Act, to surviving crisis, to virtual meet and greets, to guerrilla marketing. Those in Better Marketing with Bella and the Mastermind used these tools—they did it scared, but they did it.

The pet industry revolution is here. Some are better off because of their foundation; others were already struggling. Many wasted the “gift of time” during lockdown, paralyzed by fear. But those who took action are emerging stronger. Pet ownership is up, adoptions are booming, and clients still have disposable income. Have you revolutionized how you talk to them? Working from home isn’t as easy as people thought. One of my clients made $12,000 from a single post asking, “Be honest, have you walked your dog as much as you intended while working from home?”

People want connection, empathy, and leadership. Businesses that adapt will survive. If you want to be on the survival side, here are five things: mindset, location, messaging, customer experience, and leadership.

Mindset: Replace “Why is this happening to me?” with “What is this trying to teach me?” Surround yourself with a supportive community. Feed your brain, seek help when needed, and fight the negative voices in your head.

Location: Some markets are hit harder than others, but remember—shelters are empty, pets are being adopted. Find new problems to solve. Network locally, set measurable goals, and rebuild your client base strategically.

Messaging: Your website and social media must reflect the times. Show PPE, promote virtual services, display your safety measures. Be emotional and empathetic. Stop sharing random viral content—speak directly to your clients’ fears an

Financial Literacy

Getting In Control of the Financial Numbers In Your Business with Jamie Trull

Jamie Trull is a Financial Literacy Coach and Profit Strategist. She's fired up about helping small business owners overcome the overwhelm and anxiety of business finances.

After leaving the corporate world in favor of a more balanced life. Jamie founded her Virtual CFO company, Balance CFO LLC. and quickly realized that there was an educational void for smaller business owners and self-employed individuals when it came to financial literacy training.

She pivoted her business to teaching Financial Literacy to help fill that void. Jamie helps entrepreneurs maximize their profit and feel more confident about the numbers side of their businesses. She lives just outside of Nashville in Franklin, TN, and has a 6-year-old son and a 3-year-old daughter who keeps her quite busy in her spare time!

Biggest Takeaway You Don't Want To Miss:

Financial literacy can be exciting and fun. It’s not just about taxes or bookkeeping, it’s about making strategic decisions to put your business in a trajectory to really succeed. This way, you can pay yourself more money which is the main goal of a business.

How do you keep your business up and running so that you don’t have to go out of business because of Covid? The ones that pivoted blew their businesses upwards, there is still money to be made in this situation. You just need to be comfortable in the uncomfortable, you just need to figure out how to bring in revenue in maybe a different way than what you did before.

You should have a smart business strategy. Having said this, we all need to be focusing on strategy and then finding those supplemental ways that we can help ourselves through these difficult times but knowing we got to get back on our feet.

Financial Literacy Show Highlights:

Use this FREE worksheet to estimate your current all-in pay rate and determine if you need to change your pricing! http://jamietrull.com/byhour

1:47 – Why we’re in business

2:15 – Who is Jamie Trull

4:48 – How we actually are in business to make money

7:23 – Covid’s effect on businesses especially to small businesses

38 – What should we do or focus on now in this time of the pandemic

40 – Example on how to pivot your dog walking business during this time of the pandemic

23 – Smart strategy

22 – Are you charging enough?

Links:

https://jamietrull.com/

http://jamietrull.com/byhour

https://jamietrull.com/group

Did you enjoy the show?

We would love it if you subscribed today and left us a 5-star review!

Click this link –Bella In Your Business

Click on the ‘Subscribe’ button below the artwork

Go to the ‘Ratings and Reviews’ section

Click on ‘Write a Review’

Are You New Here?

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

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

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

Transcript:

This is episode 215 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 Bella in Your Business. My name is Bella Vasta, and today I want to talk about one of my favorite topics—finances. You guys have probably heard me say, “What do the numbers say?” when you come to me with big decisions, right? But I know that’s not an easy thing to figure out. The numbers should make all the decisions in your business, and my guest today is going to help explode your mind on this. We’re also going to talk about what’s happening now in 2020.

My guest, Jamie Trull, is with us today, and she is a financial literacy coach and profit strategist. You might already be in her group, because if you’ve been in my group and had questions about PPP or EIDL, I’ve sent you over to Jamie, and loads of pet sitters and dog walkers are already in there. She’s fired up about helping small business owners overcome the overwhelm and anxiety of business finances. She used to be in the corporate world but left in favor of living a more balanced life.

She founded her virtual CFO company, Valet CFO, and quickly realized that there was an educational void for small business owners. Can I get an amen, you guys? I know this is a topic you’re going to love hearing about today. So without further ado, welcome to the show, Jamie.

Jamie thanks Bella for having her and says she’s excited to be there, though she jokes that Bella might be the only person who says finances are one of their favorite topics, since most people are on the other end of the spectrum. Bella agrees and says that while most decisions are emotional or instinctive, at the end of the day, the numbers tell the truth. Jamie agrees and adds that business owners need to remember why they’re in business—not just to serve others but to make money and build financial stability for their families.

She points out that most of us never learned financial literacy growing up—not even basic things like balancing a checkbook, understanding credit scores, or making informed financial decisions for our lives, let alone our businesses. That’s why she started creating educational content that makes finance more relatable and approachable. She explains that many accountants and financial advisors talk in a way that makes people glaze over or “smile and nod.” She wanted to be a different kind of voice—one that shows how finances can actually be interesting, empowering, and fun when you understand how they shape your success.

Bella says she loves Jamie’s perspective, especially the reminder that the purpose of business is to make money. Too many people say, “I don’t do this for the money,” or “I just want to help people.” Jamie agrees, saying that while helping others is wonderful, you can’t sustain that mission without profitability. A business that doesn’t generate consistent profit will eventually burn out its owner. You can’t make an impact if you can’t afford to stay in business.

She stresses that many service providers undervalue their time. When you calculate your hours and expenses, you might realize you’re making less than minimum wage—and that’s unacceptable for someone taking on the risks of entrepreneurship. She encourages business owners to charge appropriately for their value and to stop glorifying the idea of running a business that never shows a profit just to avoid paying taxes. “If your deductions aren’t helping you grow your business, they’re hurting you,” she explains. “You can’t pay your mortgage or buy groceries with write-offs.”

Bella brings up the emotional side of money—the frustration of working all the time and having nothing to show for it. She recalls how COVID in March 2020 revealed just how many small businesses were running paycheck to paycheck. She asks Jamie what that period was like for her.

Jamie says it was heartbreaking. Before the pandemic, she focused on teaching profit strategy—helping owners plan, save for taxes, and build emergency funds. But when COVID hit, she realized her community needed something different. Businesses were shutting down overnight, and people were desperate for clarity. She pivoted her content immediately to interpret the CARES Act and explain PPP, EIDL, and unemployment. Nobody understood the 800-page bill—not the banks, not even government officials. Jamie decided to become the “translator” and help people navigate it in plain language.

She says the pandemic exposed what had been brewing beneath the surface—how many businesses were barely surviving month to month. Even those with a couple of months’ reserves were quickly in trouble. Industries reliant on travel or events were devastated. For many, it was a wake-up call: you must prepare for emergencies, even personal ones, because business income can disappear overnight.

Bella deeply relates, sharing her own experience running two businesses while her daughter—a micro preemie—fought for her life in the NICU. That crisis taught her the importance of building systems that can function without you. She praises Jamie for delivering financial education in a “non-dry, non-boring” way—bite-sized, practical, and emotional all at once.

Jamie says her Facebook group, Financial Literacy for Women Business Owners, became a lifeline for many. People were scared, confused, and searching for guidance. She personally showed up in the group to answer questions and provide support. She encourages listeners to join at jamietrull.com/group, noting that it’s a safe and active space where she regularly engages with members.

Bella then asks, “What should business owners be doing right now?” Jamie replies that while the world feels chaotic—between the election, the economy, and ongoing uncertainty—the key is preparation without panic. We don’t need to expect the worst, but we must plan for it. Early in the pandemic, too many people froze, waiting for things to blow over. The ones who pivoted quickly and served new needs are the ones thriving now.

Jamie explains that pivoting doesn’t always mean a complete overhaul. Sometimes it’s just about addressing a new version of your customer’s problem. Bella gives an example: before COVID,...

Looking for a unique way to build self-confidence in your team? Today's podcast is all about confidence.

Chris Trew is a touring comedian, sportswriter, and creative coach. He uses his background in improv comedy to help people find their funny whether they are using it for performance or self-improvement. His work has been featured at events like SXSW and San Diego Social Media Day and festivals of all kinds all over the country.

His foundation of Improv Comedy provides the framework for everything he does. Whether he's teaching a workshop to 100 professionals in a conference setting, a group of 6 for a small business happy hour, or a Zoom for literally anyone, the material is the same. If you want to learn how to boost creativity in the work environment, he's your guy.

Biggest Takeaway You Don't Want To Miss:

One Improv class could change how you communicate, listen to people, and the way you share your own stories. Having said this, you can be a better communicator, leader, listener, or storyteller which you can incorporate to your business or personal life to make it more engaging and fun.

Improv is extremely portable and very flexible. Chris can teach the same workshop to different groups of people regardless of number. He can even highlight a specific goal that you want for your employees or team.

With Improv Comedy, you will develop the " Yes, And " mentality and it's a must learn! - listen to Chris and me in the podcast to know what I mean.

Confidence Building Show Highlights:

What is Improv comedy, 2.11

How can Improv help business owners, 4.42

Who takes Improv classes, 11.03

How Chris comes to work with your team, 13.27

Chris wrote a weird book about sitting close to basketball players at NBA games, 20.20

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’

Links:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/christrew/

https://www.instagram.com/christrew/

Are You New Here?

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

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

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

Transcript:

This is episode 214 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 Bella in Your Business. My name is Bella Vasta and today I have my friend Chris True with me. I met him because during this whole COVID stuff, one of my speaking engagements at Social Media Day San Diego was canceled—or rather, moved virtually—and the amazing organizer, Tyler Anderson, who you've also heard on this podcast talk about user-generated content, decided to bring Chris in. He had actually taken his entire team out to see Chris and do some really awesome exercises with him, and it was phenomenal. It did not feel like a virtual conference because of my guest today.

As we were doing these exercises and talking about improv and what he does, I was thinking, wow, this would really help my business owners be better leaders, better communicators, and have some fun during some employee meetings. So you guys listen up because in the 200-plus episodes that Bella in Your Business has been around, we ain’t seen nothing like this yet. Chris, welcome to the show.

Chris thanks Bella, saying what an intro and how happy he is that the event still happened, mostly because he got to meet people like her. Bella tells him he’s magnetic, and she thinks it’s because he’s such a great communicator. She says many listeners will improve their communication skills just by hearing him. Chris is a touring comedian, sports writer, creative coach, and uses his background in improv to help people find their funny—whether for performance or self-development.

Bella mentions that he’s been seen in things like South by Southwest, Social Media Day San Diego, and festivals everywhere, including Sturgis. She asks him to take it back to basics: what’s the big deal with improv comedy, and why should business owners care?

Chris explains that improv comedy is a game changer for everyone. He believes every single human should take at least one improv class—it changes the way you communicate, listen, and share your story. Worst-case scenario, it’s a ton of fun, but everyone always learns something. While most use improv for comedy shows and festivals, others like him have branched out to teach classes for businesses that need team-building or just want to treat employees to something fun.

He says the same things that make an improv scene funny—collaboration, communication, and flexibility—are the same things that make you a better communicator, listener, and leader. CNN even said every boss should take an improv class, and Forbes recently featured business professionals moonlighting as improv comedians. He adds that when work becomes fun and communication becomes magnetic, people connect better. People don’t leave jobs; they leave people. So if leaders can make their teams fall in love with the workplace through better communication, everyone wins.

Bella loves that, then asks how improv specifically helps business owners. Chris says the number one thing you learn in any improv class is the concept of “Yes, and.” The “yes” means accepting your scene partner’s idea; the “and” means building on it. You’re never just “yes-ing” someone without adding anything, and you’re never saying “no, but.” You’re always accepting and adding. That’s what makes improv successful—and what makes any human interaction work.

He says if you think that sounds obvious, you’re probably thinking of your best friends—the people with whom communication flows naturally. But imagine using “yes, and” with the people you butt heads with. That’s when it becomes transformative.

Bella asks how he’s managing this during COVID when in-person workshops are limited. Chris says it was a huge surprise to discover that Zoom improv workshops actually work even better in some ways. People open up faster on Zoom because they’re not physically on stage; they just unmute their microphones and participate. Those who would normally be shy in person are more willing to engage.

Bella relates as a woman, saying she can see how Zoom removes self-consciousness—no worrying about body language or appearance; you’re just visible from the chest up. She jokes about pajama pants and says she can totally see how that makes people more confident.

Chris agrees and says he’s thrilled to see people surprising themselves in these virtual sessions. Participants often say they can’t believe how much fun they had or how confident they felt. He’s excited for the day when they can translate that confidence into in-person classes again. He admits he wishes he could teach improv every day.

Bella says he can be her friend and jokes that the only thing holding him back is himself. She shares that after meeting him, she immediately started searching for local improv classes because she saw how it could help her podcasting, coaching, and public speaking. She says it also boosts confidence and asks what kind of people usually take improv classes, since her listeners often say, “Yeah, Bella, but I’m not you.”

Chris says about 25% of improv students come because they’re interested in comedy. Another 25% just want a fun hobby—like pottery or yoga. But the rest are there to improve their communication, leadership, and listening skills. Maybe they read an article saying improv can make them better salespeople or speakers.

He says what’s beautiful about improv is that it benefits everyone equally—the same exercises and feedback help both aspiring comedians and professionals who just want to communicate better. Improv is like a “superfood” for personal and professional growth. He insists everyone should take at least one improv class.

Bella recalls how Tyler took his entire marketing team to work with Chris and had so much fun that he later flew Chris to Boston as a surprise for them. She asks how Chris structures team sessions for companies—whether it works for just a few people or large groups.

Chris says it’s extremely flexible. He can teach workshops for three people or thirty. With thirty, everyone still gets to participate, just in shorter bursts. The structure usually includes a warm-up to get everyone out of their shell, then a group exercise, and finally, a focused activity based on the company’s goals—like improving listening or brainstorming.

Even if he doesn’t know a client’s industry, he loves helping them apply improv concepts to their world in real time. He gives the example of pet-sitting business owners who could use “yes, and” skills to help employees confidently handle consultations or client meetings.

Bella agrees and says when she first tried improv, she noticed how it built teamwork and connection among participants—it’s not all comedy. It’s about trust and collaboration. That’s why she wanted him on the show: it’s powerful team-building.

She then asks about his new focus on creative coaching....

How User Generated Content or UGC Can Create a Buzz About Your Dog Walking Business and Bring You New Clients

HAve you considered User Generated Content to create buzz for your dog walking business?

Let me introduce you to Tyler. Tyler J. Anderson is an investor, entrepreneur, podcaster, and speaker. Day-to-day you’ll find him leading the team at Casual Fridays.

Since 2009, Tyler and his team have played significant roles in digital and social media marketing campaigns for hundreds of hotels and resorts, including Marriott International. They have worked with notable brands such as Visit San Diego, SeaWorld, KAABOO, Jersey Mike's Subs, Penske Automotive, Deloitte, The Los Angeles Chargers, Feeding San Diego, Susan G., and Koman San Diego. They also worked with The United Way Atlanta, and many more.

Biggest Takeaway You Don't Want To Miss:

UGC is a very viable way to have your Dog Walking Business promoted and marketed and is generally more trustworthy and authentic.

With UGC, you are promoting your business and it's not coming from you. In other words, it's actually the other person who's doing it and you both get the benefit of it.

When you get your customers or potential customers a shared content of your business, you will get higher reach, and higher frequency in the news feeds. In conclusion, if you can get your customers from your dog walking business to become your content-creating army for you, it's a game-changer.

Freebie

Free 4-Step UGC Strategy Workbook.  This workbook walks you and your team through the steps to develop a UGC strategy for your brand or business.

https://hello.casualfridays.com/ugc-strategy-workbook/

You can also TEXT CODE: UCGWORKBOOK to 44222

User Generated Content Show Highlights:

What is UGC, 2.04

How to leverage awesome contents, 10.10

UGC stats analysis, 19.05

Tyler's 4-Step UGC Workbook, 23.26

Links:

https://www.tylerjanderson.com/

https://hello.casualfridays.com/

Did you enjoy the show?

We would love it if you subscribed today and left us a 5-star review!

Click this link –Bella In Your Business

Click on the ‘Subscribe’ button below the artwork

Go to the ‘Ratings and Reviews’ section

Click on ‘Write a Review’

Are You New Here?

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

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

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

Transcript:

This is episode 213 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 Bella in Your Business. My name is Bella Vasta and today we're going to talk about something you've probably never heard of, but actually do know a lot about. It's called UGC, and I've got Tyler Anderson, one of the biggest experts on this. I've heard him talk about it many times, and he's going to give you a lot of ideas on how to market during these interesting times.

Tyler is an investor, entrepreneur, podcaster, and speaker, and day to day you'll find him leading his team at his company, Casual Fridays. He’s also the organizer of Social Media Day San Diego, and an all-around awesome guy. Tyler, welcome to the show.

Tyler says he’s super excited to be there and talk to the audience about UGC. Bella says he’s worked with big names like Marriott, Visit San Diego, SeaWorld, Caboo, Jersey Mike’s Subs, Penske Automotive, the Los Angeles Chargers, Feeding San Diego, and Susan G. Komen. She says Tyler really knows what he’s talking about and always has great examples.

Bella asks what the heck UGC is. Tyler explains that UGC stands for user-generated content—content created by people other than the business, usually customers. It could be social media posts, reviews, vlogs, blogs—basically anything created by the user, not the company. He says it’s especially important during times when marketing budgets are tight, like during COVID, because it’s free, trustworthy, and authentic.

Bella asks if that means the business owner or the actual client of the business. Tyler explains it could be anyone outside the company—clients, employees, or advocates—and gives an example of a happy pet sitting client posting about how great the service was. That post, he says, will be far more trustworthy and believable than a business ad calling itself “the number one pet sitter.” Testimonials and authentic user posts always outperform brand-driven messages.

He says this kind of content includes not only reviews but also social posts, Instagram stories, and even TikTok videos. Bella points out that many small businesses are asking for reviews to boost visibility. She asks how to leverage those reviews instead of letting them sit on Yelp or Google.

Tyler says to first identify which platform is most important for your business—probably Google or Yelp—and follow each platform’s terms of service. Once you have reviews, ask reviewers for permission to use them as testimonials or short video clips. Even if you’re on a budget, you can turn those into engaging video montages using tools like Animoto.

He says video testimonials perform great as organic or paid media because people trust people. He gives an example using Amazon—most buyers trust the product with thousands of four-star reviews over one with a handful of five-star reviews. People trust other people’s experiences more than brand claims.

Bella agrees, and Tyler adds that even a few negative reviews aren’t bad—what matters is the balance and volume of positive ones. He tells a story about a moving company that bribed customers for five-star Yelp reviews, showing that fake reviews can damage credibility.

Bella explains that in the pet sitting and dog walking world, clients often send thank-you messages or videos after receiving pet updates. She asks how to turn that into marketing content. Tyler says businesses need a UGC strategy rather than relying on luck. He recommends setting up a process to encourage clients to share their experiences.

He shares an example from an artificial turf company that built a UGC strategy even though customers weren’t naturally posting about turf. Businesses of any kind can do it by being intentional with their calls to action. Instead of just saying “Like us on Facebook,” say something like, “We’ll be posting photos of your dog on Instagram—make sure to follow us.” That kind of approach gets clients invested and encourages sharing.

Bella loves that idea and says businesses could build an SOP around it. Tyler agrees and adds that companies should make sharing easy: text photos to clients and include a line like, “If you post this on Instagram, be sure to tag us @YourBusinessName.” Don’t rely on hashtags—ask for tags so you can see and reshare posts easily.

He gives an example of Fresh Clean Tees, a t-shirt subscription company that includes a postcard in every package encouraging customers to share photos using a specific tag for a chance to win free t-shirts. Bella says that’s brilliant, and Tyler adds that pet businesses could do the same—encourage clients to post pet photos for a chance to win a gift card or free service.

He emphasizes the importance of asking directly. People won’t automatically think to post unless you ask. Bella brings up one of her favorite examples from Tyler—Soapy Joe’s car wash.

Tyler explains Soapy Joe’s “Car Wash Karaoke” campaign. Customers record themselves singing in their cars while going through the wash and share it on social media for a chance to win $1,000 and a free annual membership. It’s a simple but creative way to encourage UGC, and it works because of the strong incentive.

Bella says that’s amazing, but some listeners may feel hesitant to ask for content because it feels like bragging. Tyler says it’s not bragging because the praise isn’t coming from you—it’s coming from your customers. That’s the beauty of UGC. He says marketers are under pressure: 63% of them feel they must constantly create more content, but UGC reduces that pressure.

He explains that only about 15–20% of people trust what brands say, while 92% trust recommendations from friends and family, and 88% trust strangers’ recommendations. UGC gives your brand access to that authenticity.

He adds that 90% of consumers say authenticity influences their buying decisions, but only 51% think brand-created content is authentic. Meanwhile, 79% of consumers say UGC influences their purchase decisions—a number that’s up 19% since 2017. That’s why UGC matters.

Bella says it makes sense because people are skeptical of ads but believe real experiences. She likes to post screenshots of client feedback and notes that people stop scrolling to read them because they look like private messages. Tyler agrees and says that voyeuristic effect is part of why it works so well.

Bella then mentions Tyler’s free UGC Strategy Workbook. Tyler explains that it’s a hands-on guide that helps businesses develop a custom UGC plan. It walks you through brainstorming exercises and shows how to form a UGC “team” to share ideas. He says small business owners can even team up with others in different locations to mastermind together.

...

How To Start A Podcast

If you have ever wanted to know how to start a podcast, today is your lucky day.

Chris Laning is a Voice Over Artist, Podcast and Dailicast Producer and Host, Audio Editor, Audiobook Narrator, and a Creative Writer.

He is a former Web Developer (primarily ColdFusion, Javascript, MSSQL) who is as comfortable behind a mic as a voice-over artist (everything from commercials to character voices and explainer videos) and as a podcast host. He has also been editing spoken word audio for over 20 years and has helped several professionals launch their podcasts. In fact, he's editing and producing several podcasts on a daily basis.

Biggest Takeaway You Don't Want To Miss:

Keep the episodes short, effective, and memorable. You can batch your interviews or solo episodes and be ready for the next 4 months or so.

Who should do the podcast - you or add some people within your particular organization and find out what you’re interested in. Then, figure out what your audience is going to want.

Sound quality is very important to get your target audience engaged so hiring a producer and editor really helps. And because of this,  your podcast will be more professional.

How to Start A Podcast Show Highlights:

Who is Chris Laning? 0.17

What does Chris Laning do? 1.54

How to have a series of podcasts? 3.56

Bella's secret about her Solo episodes 6.20

Key points people should keep in mind when having a podcast 7.40

Does everybody need a podcast producer? 10.10

Ripping audio from Facebook live 14.36

Links:

http://neighborhoodstage.com/

Did you enjoy the show?

We would love it if you subscribed today and left us a 5-star review!

Click this link –Bella In Your Business

Click on the ‘Subscribe’ button below the artwork

Go to the ‘Ratings and Reviews’ section

Click on ‘Write a Review’

Are You New Here?

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

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

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

Transcript:

This is episode 212 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 Bella in Your Business. My name is Bella Vasta, and today I've got a very special guest. This is someone who helps make sure this entire podcast actually happens on time, sounds amazing, and that I don't sound silly. I want you guys to welcome Chris Lanning. Chris Lanning’s been producing podcasts since he first fell in love with the medium on Christmas Day, 2005.

He's produced his own since 2006 and for clients since 2012. His company, Neighborhood Stage Productions, produces podcasts and other audio projects for clients. They always strive to make their clients' productions sound as professional as they know that we are, right? Chris also does voiceovers too. He has his own podcast, which I'm sure we'll talk about. I really wanted to have him come on because I know that some of you have been tinkering around with this idea. I want to break it down for you because the barrier to entry is not as complicated as you might think, and we just kind of want to blow the lid off that for you today.

Chris thanks Bella for having him on and says he likes being out from behind the curtain. He congratulates Bella again on reaching 200 episodes, calling it a huge achievement for a weekly podcast. Bella thanks him and says it’s thanks to him too since he’s one of the longest contractors she’s ever worked with. She appreciates how easy and seamless it’s been knowing she can send him the files and trust he’ll handle it—even when life was crazy, and she got the files to him only 48 hours in advance.

She asks him to tell her more about what he does and the clients he works with. Chris explains that most of his clients are professionals—coaches, financial advisors, or trainers—who typically host interview podcasts similar to hers. Some mix in solo episodes, which he recommends doing at least once every ten episodes, if not more often. Some clients alternate between solo and interview formats. He helps clients find their sound, get the right tech and microphones, and set up their Zoom calls properly for quality audio. Clients then record their interviews, send him the files, and he cleans them up—removing “ums,” “ahs,” stutters, and background noises—so they sound as professional as they really are.

Bella then speaks directly to pet sitters and dog walkers who might be looking for a creative way to market their businesses. She asks how they could create short bursts or series instead of committing to a long-term podcast. Chris says there are a couple of ways to approach it. You could do a weekly podcast, but that doesn’t mean you need to record weekly. You could batch-record interviews and solo episodes in one day and schedule them out over several weeks. In one productive day, you could create nearly two months’ worth of content.

He emphasizes keeping episodes short—ideally under 20 minutes, which used to align with average commute times. Even though fewer people commute now, 20 minutes still fits perfectly for walks or workouts. He even suggests going shorter—around 10 minutes—but publishing more often. For example, the Alexa flash briefing format is just two to three minutes a day, which can be recorded in an hour for two weeks’ worth of content. The key is consistency and becoming part of your listeners’ daily lives.

Bella agrees, noting that podcast consumption continues to increase and rarely drops. She compares podcasts to binge-worthy series—listeners love catching up on back episodes. She also mentions that having guests helps take pressure off the host since they drive much of the conversation. For her solo episodes, she shares a secret: she rarely speaks completely off the cuff. Instead, she repurposes existing content like blogs or Facebook Lives.

Chris agrees but warns against simply reading a blog word-for-word. He explains that listeners can tell when someone’s reading. He used to script his episodes like voiceovers but found that speaking naturally flows much better. Bella agrees, saying you can outline key points or bullets to guide your delivery instead.

Chris outlines the “who, what, when, where, why, and how” of podcasting. The “who” can be you or people in your company—maybe co-hosting with team members so your audience gets to know them too. You could even collaborate with another business owner in your field. The “what” should be a topic your audience finds valuable but also one that you are passionate about. If you’re not genuinely interested, it will show. Bella agrees, saying that her own curiosity and desire to learn about social media helped drive her interviews and connect her with big-name guests like Mari Smith.

She points out that having a podcast can be a great networking tool—it gives you a reason to connect with industry leaders. She encourages listeners to think about inviting people like Victoria Stilwell or Cesar Millan to share their expertise.

Next, Bella asks about the role of a podcast producer. Chris explains that he strongly recommends hiring an editor—even if it’s not him—because polished sound quality matters. While some people say they want to keep things “raw and authentic,” he compares that to showing up at work without brushing your teeth or changing clothes. You don’t need to sound robotic, but you should still sound clean and professional. Editors remove background noise, balance volume levels, and make sure you sound your best.

Bella laughs and says having a producer takes the pressure off. Mistakes happen—even for seasoned hosts—and it’s reassuring to know someone can fix them. Chris agrees, saying that audio quality is more important than visuals for emotional connection. Bella admits she rarely listens back to her own podcasts because most people don’t like the sound of their voice. Chris jokes that he doesn’t mind since he’s a voiceover artist.

Bella then asks Chris to share about his own podcasts and projects. He says he’s done a few over the years, including a Disney-themed one, but lately he’s been helping a “client” who lives at the North Pole—producing daily updates around Christmas. Bella laughs, asking if he can bring that guest on the show, but Chris jokes that he’s too busy celebrating Christmas in July.

Bella asks about repurposing Facebook Live videos into podcasts. Chris says it’s definitely doable but needs editing. During lives, hosts often talk to the chat or reference visuals, which don’t translate well in audio. An editor trims those parts while keeping essential context. He says the main rule is to respect your listeners’ time—deliver value efficiently. Bella agrees and says that when she knows she’ll repurpose a Live for audio, she consciously avoids interacting too much with comments.

Finally, Chris teases an upcoming project he’s developing with a friend and business coach: a tool for creating short, effective marketing videos using structured outlines. He says early tests look great and he’ll share more once it’s released. Bella says she’ll include the details in the show notes when it’s ready.

...

Marketing Tips From A Pro Through Tough Times

Byron Ingraham is a Facebook Advertising Expert, Best Selling Author, Business Strategist, and a Speaker. He is an Air Force Veteran turned entrepreneur. The reason he decided to become an entrepreneur is to give himself the freedom to help individuals achieve their dreams in business.

He also helps local businesses systematically leverage Facebook ads to generate leads online. In addition, he assists entrepreneurs and business owners in achieving their peak potential in their business while attracting their ideal clients and customers through marketing strategy.

Byron wants you to always remember that the difference between dreams and goals are deadlines!

How can your business pivot?

Biggest Takeaway You Don't Want To Miss:

For some businesses, it's not just a 1 or 2-degree shift, sometimes it has to be a 90-degree shift in what you're doing. Or maybe, you just need to be creative.

Think outside of the little box of how do you do that one thing which is solving the core problem. But first, you need to figure out what's the problem. Business owners tend to stay on a surface without asking enough questions.

It's all about where you put your energy and focus. Also, marketing to your audience in a unique and more engaging way - listen to Byron!

Freebie

Free 15 min strategy session for your business:

https://www.byroningraham.com/strat

Links:

www.byroningraham.com/strat/

www.facebook.com/thebyroningraham/

Did you enjoy the show?

We would love it if you subscribed today and left us a 5-star review!

Click this link –Bella In Your Business

Click on the ‘Subscribe’ button below the artwork

Go to the ‘Ratings and Reviews’ section

Click on ‘Write a Review’

Are You New Here?

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

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

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

Transcript:

This is episode 211 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 Bella in Your Business. My name is Bella Vasta and today I've got a longtime friend with me, Byron Ingram. He is a great marketer who's been doing this for 20 years out of Dallas. I saw Byron post something that really piqued my interest and I knew that I had to have him on here to help pique your interest as well. Byron is a marketing strategist that helps small businesses get through tough times, especially during COVID. So Byron, thank you for being here today to help talk to all the dog walkers and pet sitters.

We are in wild, crazy times right now where a lot of listeners are just like, “Is this over yet?” We went through a period where COVID struck—we were shocked, then grieving, then angry, then helpless, then determined. And we’re all doing this in different stages, right? Every business is affected differently. Just when we think we’re coming back, boom, some of us are shut down again. It’s a crazy roller coaster. As a marketer, Byron is that light on the horizon saying, “There’s hope. Walk this way.”

So what are some things business owners can do to grow through this ever-changing environment? Byron says the most important thing is to remind yourself what problem you actually solve. For dog walkers, that means giving peace of mind to owners—knowing their furry family members are taken care of. Sometimes that means adjusting how you deliver that peace of mind.

Bella agrees, saying the old paradigm was walking dogs because owners were at the office. Now that people are home, you have to find new ways to provide peace of mind. Byron explains that even though owners are home, their dogs still want attention and playtime while the owners are busy working. You have to help owners feel less guilty and keep their pets happy. Bella adds that she’s been telling her mastermind group that if you’re still solving the same problems you were before COVID, you’re probably struggling.

Dog walkers used to say, “I’ll take care of your dog while you’re gone all day,” but now midday walks have shifted to mornings because people need their dogs tired before they start work. Byron agrees—it’s not about changing the problem, it’s about changing how you solve it. Businesses often struggle because they don’t dig deep enough to identify the core problem they solve. If you can do that, you’ll always have business.

Bella mentions that many listeners run pet-sitting companies, which usually means caring for pets while owners travel. Since travel was limited, pet sitters needed to get creative—promoting staycations, short trips, or local getaways where people might still need pet care. Byron suggests positioning pet sitting as a way to give people freedom for important Zoom meetings or date nights. You can even partner with local businesses like wineries or cabins to offer bundled “getaway” packages.

People are craving experiences again, even small ones. Byron says businesses need to pivot, sometimes drastically. He gives the example of high-end restaurants that depended on dine-in experiences—they’ve had to rethink their offerings because no one wants to spend $60 on takeout. For pet businesses, pivoting might mean expanding into new services—like contactless dog walks, food delivery, or pet taxi options. He says to think bigger: “If you’re only operating in a small box, get a bigger box—or kick the box to the curb.”

Bella shares examples of two Mastermind members who have pivoted successfully. Mallory Cooper of Charleston Dog Walkers has been doing contactless walks and showing the process on video. Nikki from Dog Jogs in Canada started offering virtual consultations, even for older clients, and it’s working. Byron adds that creative partnerships—like with orthopedic surgeons whose clients can’t walk their dogs post-surgery—can be amazing referral sources.

Bella tells listeners who feel unmotivated or uninspired to ask their clients directly what new problems they’re dealing with. Social media is a great place to start conversations. She points out that back-to-school season brings new challenges—parents teaching kids at home, managing work, and dealing with barking dogs in the background. Byron suggests pet businesses could create back-to-school specials—like limited-time daycare slots for when parents are teaching.

Bella says daycare and boarding businesses could offer pickup and drop-off services that align with e-learning schedules. Byron agrees and reminds business owners to focus on the opportunities, not the negativity. “There are still people making money,” he says. “Focus your energy there.” Wealthier clients still have disposable income and want convenience—those are your target customers.

Bella and Byron brainstorm ideas: offering extended boarding for frontline workers, promoting to clients whose expenses have decreased during lockdown, and finding people who’ve actually benefited financially from COVID changes. Bella challenges listeners to identify those people in their own service areas and start brainstorming solutions tailored to them.

Then Bella shifts to marketing: once you’ve pivoted or refined your services, how do you get the word out? Byron advises starting with local Facebook groups—mom groups, school groups, garage sale groups—where people are already talking about their problems. Listen to what they’re saying. When someone complains about being overwhelmed by their kids and dog, that’s your cue to offer value, not just a sales pitch.

Bella loves that idea and breaks it down: people complain online, and you can respond with education and empathy—not “hire me,” but helpful tips. Byron says exactly—share value and include a soft call-to-action like, “Here’s how a professional pet sitter can help.” You’re teaching, not selling. When people see that you understand their struggles, they’ll want to hire you.

Bella reminds everyone to start empathizing with people’s problems instead of just pushing their services. She says, “If you hate Facebook because it’s full of complaints, use that! Join the conversation and show people a light at the end of the tunnel.” She suggests posting questions like, “Does your dog bark every time the Amazon man comes?” It’s relatable and engaging.

Byron adds that using Instagram and Facebook Stories is another great way to build curiosity—share funny or heartwarming moments from your walks so people feel connected. People buy based on emotion, so make them feel good. He emphasizes making it easy for people to say yes—simplify the buying process. Set up Messenger automation so prospects can book quickly.

Bella agrees and says pet sitters often overcomplicate things. Their sales process has too many steps—forms, calls, and consultations that slow down bookings. Byron says simplicity sells. He also suggests using curiosity-driven videos as Facebook ads—short clips showing happy pets and client testimonials.

Bella adds that one of her favorite ideas is showing “before and after” shots—a dog jumping excitedly when you arrive, and then happily tired after the walk. Add a caption like, “Need your dog calm for your next Zoom call? We can help.” Byron agrees,...

 

Use This Dog Walking Recruiter Next Time You Have To Hire

 

Joe Latona is a Dog Walking Recruiter that is a motivated and dedicated HR professional, dog walking since 2008, and hiring staff since 2009. He has built award-winning dog walking teams in Chicago and has hired pet care professionals across the United States.

Joe has a deep understanding of the pet care industry. For Joe, the only thing better than walking a dog is improving and growing dog walking teams. His greatest career accomplishment occurred in 2018 when the team he built in Chicago performed over 60,000 individual dog walks.

WalkerScout was inspired by Joe’s time with RPO in the airline industry, as well as his success and passion for working as a Dog Walking Recruiter/hiring manager at Windy City Dog Walkers in Chicago.  Joe saw the opportunity to better serve the pet care industry by creating the first national dog walking RPO. In 2019, Joe began hiring for growing businesses in Illinois, California, Washington, and New York.

 

How To Have Awesome Employees For Your Dog Walking Business

 

Biggest Takeaway You Don’t Want To Miss:

* Concise, Short, and Positive Multiple Advertisements to identify which one is yielding results and stick to one that works. Referrals from current employees are also a good way to know, assess, and recruit employees.

* If you want to do your dog walking employee recruitment internally, you need to have a standard application system, do not rely solely on intuition, or you could hire Joe to make your life easier.

* If your competition in the dog walking business is pushing hard to make their positions appealing to the job seekers, it would be very hard to attract the quality applicants – Joe will tell us what to do in this episode.

 

Dog Walking Recruiter Show Highlights:

* Who is Joe Latona, 2.06

* How can we find more and better candidates, 4.42

* What makes a company unique and special- 8.49

* Recruitment tips, 11.10

* What kind of employees you want to work with, 14.03

* Things to consider when hiring, 16.38

* What to do if your competition is pushing hard, 19.15

* What’s it like to work with WalkerScout, 21.17

 

Links:

www.walkerscout.com

www.petcareteamtraining.com

 

Did you enjoy the show?

We would love it if you subscribed today and left us a 5-star review!

* Click this link –Bella In Your Business

* Click on the ‘Subscribe’ button below the artwork

* Go to the ‘Ratings and Reviews’ section

* Click on ‘Write a Review’

Are You New Here?

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

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

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

Why Your Pet Care Business Needs Video Training for New Staff in 2020

Liz Illg is a Business, Content, and Systems Consultant. Liz and her team take an all-inclusive approach to finally bring your vision to life.

They specialize in building the systems and operating foundation that will help you truly take off and scale your business, or writing the one-of-a-kind marketing materials that will get you NOTICED. All you have to do is tell her the idea, approve the final product, and put it to work for you!

Since 2013, Liz has…

Opened five brick-and-mortar grooming shops.

Launched her dream business, Liz Illg Consulting.

Developed organic business relationships across countries and industries.

Is VIDEO the way of the present and the future?

Biggest Takeaway You Don't Want To Miss:

Videos keep the viewers engaged and excited by throwing the right graphics and instructions during the training to keep you and your employees entertained while learning.

Customize your training through our paw print to keep your "Secret Sauce" and have a way to show to your people this is how you do it. It's specific, streamlined, and simple.

Build the foundation of your training from the video aspect and documentation, and YOU as the business owner get to decide the added things that you want to incorporate in your business.

Bonuses if you purchase during the launch period:

Support inspired email templates that you can send to your employees every month.

Branded Graphics

Blueprint of the exact outline for you to use during face to face or video meetings with your staff.

Two Certifications

Video Training for New Staff Show Highlights:

How Pet Care Training was born 1.03

What should I do in employee training and what should I talk about? 9:41

Why video training enhance messaging and support, and what kind of effects does it have on their staff? 14.25

How should I onboard my new staff? 19.52

Professional Pet Care Team Training Portal 22.25

Links:

www.petcareteamtraining.com

Did you enjoy the show?

We would love it if you subscribed today and left us a 5-star review!

Click this link –Bella In Your Business

Click on the ‘Subscribe’ button below the artwork

Go to the ‘Ratings and Reviews’ section

Click on ‘Write a Review’

Are You New Here?

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

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

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

Transcript:

This is episode 209 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 continuing on our video series, I have something that's going to be really amazing for your pet care business. If you're a dog walker or a dog trainer, you're going to want to listen up because video is the way of the future. It is the way of our present right now. We cannot connect with anybody these days without video, and that includes training your staff. Today, I have my incredible business partner with me, Liz Illig. We have just launched recently Pet Care Team Training. Today we're here to talk to you all about it, show you a little bit of it, but also talk about how online learning is really blasting through the roof, how different people learn differently, and why this can help other people take your business seriously and really help expedite your onboarding and continuing training process because we have a lot of bonuses built in there for you.

So without further ado, Liz, welcome to the show. I'm so excited to be talking about Pet Care Team Training today with you. Yes, I am so excited and pumped. It's a great product. So you guys, let's tell you the backstory of this. Liz and I started having monthly meetings way back in October of 2019, where we created all of our most incredible topics that people ask her to help with SOPs and people ask me in our groups. We also both have had pet sitting businesses, so we know exactly what we needed. We started doing all the outlines and meeting weekly and flushing them out. It was really a match made in heaven because what Liz is good at, I'm not. And what I'm good at, well, Liz is actually good at that too. But together, it was a really great match. Liz, why don't you tell them a little bit more about what you bring to the table and how you're able to make this product with your team just really sparkle.

The amazing part about this product and the relationship that you and I built around it is that you've always been this video person. You have groups, communities, and so forth. My expertise is documentation, content, and deliverables. I build online courses for my clients, so in this case, we went on this journey together where we took a lot of things that you're really good at with video—you’re the expert in this field and you know what people need—and my strength was behind the scenes working on the content and all the other things that you get with this training that's not video. That was my expertise: looking at this and saying, yes, we have an amazing video that's super engaging, but what else can we build in the back office to support your team training when you onboard somebody?

Also, I have to say this is ongoing training. It doesn’t just stop with, “Hey, get in front of the computer, learn these things for an hour.” You and I have mastered and looked at this and identified what pet sitters and dog walkers need in the industry. We literally filled in every single gap, and I don’t even know what we could add onto this because it's just an amazing product with so many features. When we were filming this, the beauty is everybody has different policies and procedures based on their business, and that was really important to us. We asked, how do we make this for everybody—something that provides the framework of how to train but also supports them with actual tools they can use in their standard operating procedures?

When you send me your clients and I build SOPs, the actual add-on is training, and so this is now that add-on that someone doesn’t need to purchase separately because it’s literally this zone of genius we’ve mapped out. I’m so pumped about it because it’s all there for everyone when they click and purchase a license.

Let's break that down a little more because you said a lot of good things there. We started with the videos—Liz and I looked at what was out there on the market, and there was really only one other thing out there. The problem we saw was that it was overwhelming, with 90-plus videos not necessarily all pertaining to dog walking or pet sitting. It was great because it was a library with endless information, but who wants an avalanche of information when you’re onboarding an employee—let alone paying for all those hours for them to sit through it? We wanted something specific, streamlined, and simple.

It was also important to us that we invested in quality. We invested over $12,000 in creating this because we brought in a professional film crew. We also brought in a veterinarian, a trainer, and a cat behaviorist because we didn’t want it to be the Liz and Bella show. We wanted to surround ourselves with amazing experts. On top of that, we hired an editor in Austria, Julia, who actually does all the videos for Social Media Examiner’s YouTube channel. I loved what she did because her instructions from us were: every five seconds, something needs to happen on the screen. It’s not just us talking—we wanted the viewer engaged, and that was really important.

As we were filming, we found ourselves saying a lot, “Check with your management.” It was Liz’s fantastic idea—something that never would’ve crossed my mind—to create “paw prints.” Every single video has a fill-in-the-blank section that lets you customize your training. Your secret sauce stays your secret sauce. There’s a little paw icon that pops up, and you get to fill it in Mad Lib style to show your people how you do things. Every module comes with 135 pieces of content across 13 modules. It’s not just a passive video—it engages your employees and gets them excited to work for you.

Those worksheets build the foundation of your training. As the business owner, you get to decide what additional things to incorporate in your business, but this provides the foundational training structure. You can test your team members too, because there’s an assessment component built in. We filled in every gap to make sure the process is simple and fully supportive of your business.

Another thing I’m excited about—one of the bonuses to this program during our launch—is that every month, we’ll send you an email you can copy and paste to your staff. It’s a supportive message with tips and reminders, not reactionary. You’ll also get branded graphics that show you take training seriously and that your staff is certified. Another bonus is a quarterly blueprint that gives you a ready-made outline for meetings so you’re never left wondering what to cover.

We also provide transcripts because we know everyone learns differently. There’s video, text, checklists,...

Bella knows that you probably feel like making video content for your business is a tough task. to get creative, especially during 2020 is a tough thing to do. We are in survival mode and growth mode just trying to get back to the new normal. That is why Bella is suggesting you repurpose content into videos.

Today, Bella is going to teach you why you don't actually need to be creative to make videos and how you can take what you've already got and reuse that.

It is important to realize that not everyone sees all your content. Only a small portion of them do and many won't remember it months down the road. We can leverage this to create amazing things in our business without having to get creative.

Easy Ways To Repurpose Content into Videos Show Highlights

Facebook & Google analytics settings show what is getting the most traction -- use it! [3:40]

How to utilize your previous topic headers to create videos [6:35]

What are the steps to success? [8:13]

Be seen in the same shirt more than once [10:49]

Video in your marketing [14:09]

Mentioned in the show:

Invideo 50% off with the Bella hookup!

Easily market for new hires with JazzHR

Get all of your marketing done for you with BMWB.

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Transcript:

This is episode 208 of Bella in Your Business. Hi there, I'm Bella Vasta from Jump Consulting. You might know me from CBS, NBC, Fox, Huffington Post, Entrepreneur, or maybe you've seen me speak on stage or read my book, The Four Dogs That Every Business Owner Needs. In any case, get ready because you're about to get your hashtag Bella Butt Kickin' in this next episode of Bella in Your Business.

So what do you say? Let's get ready and jump. Welcome everybody to another episode of Bella in Your Business. My name is Bella Vasta, and I am excited to be here with you again. We are kind of rounding out this video series. This is the fourth podcast in a row talking all about how you basically can use video to leverage your business on your website, online, and even in email if you don't realize it. Today, we're actually going to round out this part of the series by talking about repurposed content and how that can become your best friend forever or your BFF. And then, I'm totally going to tease this, but in the next episode, we're going to come back with my partner, Liz Illig, to talk all about how you can use video in your training. You guys, in case you haven't realized it, we are—2020 is definitely the video year. It's been a long time coming. It's been at least five, six, seven years. You know, we started squawking about it. I've been doing it since before it was cool and talking to you guys about it for at least 10 years. But, you know, video really is something that you need to incorporate in your business in every single facet, and we're going to get more into that next episode.

But so far, we've talked about how you can easily leverage it using our friends over at InVideo. We've got you a 50% offer from them, making it only $5 a month. They’ve got over a million royalty-free videos that you can use—stock videos in addition to uploading some of your own if you want. They've even created templates that you can borrow. They've created templates for me that I've approved for top of the funnel, middle of the funnel, and bottom of the funnel. That's something that we talked about a couple episodes ago. And then, in the last episode, we talked about creating snackable content and what that means. A lot of you guys have actually been emailing me and showing me the videos that you've been making, and I've been giving you some tips and ideas on how to make them a little more snappy or jazzy because it does take a little bit of creativity. So, you start off with a template or your own idea and then make it into more of a snackable video, which we talked about last episode. So if you haven’t heard that, you might want to go back and do that. And before that, we talked about top, middle, and bottom of the funnel and how those videos actually change.

A common theme we’ve also been talking about is that it’s not about creating new stuff; it’s really about recreating what you’ve already got. And so today, I’m going to talk about that. It might be a shorter episode, but that’s all right. I really want to deliver you as much value as possible. And when I’m done, I’m going to drop the mic. So let’s get into it. The modern-day dilemma right now is basically that once you start creating all this awesome stuff, your followers want to keep seeing it, and it’s really important that you keep producing it. But again, it’s not about creating new stuff—it’s really about repurposing. That’s what we’re going to talk about today.

I’ve written a lot of blogs and done some podcasts before about this, but it’s really important to keep giving you ideas and expanding it. I also realize that you guys can’t possibly consume every cotton-pickin’ thing that I produce out there, because let’s face it, it’s a lot. It takes a whole team to produce all of this stuff for you, but it’s free—it’s my gift from me to you. So repurposing is definitely going to be the answer. I want to show you a really easy way to do this. I want you to go to your Facebook Analytics and find out what really popped—what people really paid attention to. Find out what got the most traction; that’s a good indicator of what you can repurpose and make videos of. Another way to do this is if you have Google Analytics set up—please have your Google Analytics set up—then go check what pages get the top traction.

Believe it or not, when I had my pet sitting company, Bella’s House and Pet Sitting, that I sold in 2016, the most popular blog I had on that website out of 500 blogs was “Is Tuna Safe for My Dog?” Sounds silly, right? How does that help your business? Honestly, it didn’t help my business, but I got that question a lot. I was in a stage in my business where it was “they ask, you answer.” Anything anyone asked, I would write about. And the reason why it was the number one performing blog is because I got global traction for it. Globally, it was ranking high because who else is going to write a blog that says, “Is Tuna Safe for My Dog?” That’s a whole other story about how to do blogs that perform well. In retrospect, it really doesn’t matter because it didn’t help my business. There are a lot better things to rank for. But what I’m saying is—go to your Google Analytics, find out what’s ranking, and make a video off of it.

Now, most of the time, it’s going to have something to do with cost or price, and that’s something you can easily repurpose. So let’s pretend that you did Marcus Sheridan’s “They Ask, You Answer.” You have to search the podcast and listen to that episode—Marcus Sheridan is amazing, one of my mentors. Let’s say you wrote one of those blogs—if you’re in the Mastermind or Better Marketing with Bella, I know you have because I’ve beaten you over the head about it until you’ve done it. You’ve written something like “How Much Does Pet Sitting or Dog Walking Cost in Scottsdale, Arizona?” You’ve probably cited your competition in it. Follow that same formula here. It’s not about creating new content; it’s about reusing what you’ve already got.

Go ahead and use InVideo or whatever software you like and create a video on exactly that topic. A great way to storyboard the slides is to take every single header from your blog. Maybe your outline looks like this: “It Depends Why,” “High Price Pros and Cons,” “Low Price Pros and Cons,” “Five Pet Sitters and Their Range.” That’s your whole bullet-point outline, and that’s exactly what your video can be. Again, it doesn’t have to be more than 15 or 20 seconds. We’re making snackable videos that are interesting. Think about how far and wide you can spread these videos—Nextdoor, Facebook, Instagram, Stories, email—you can even insert the video into the blog you already made. If you don’t want to use a service like InVideo, you can absolutely do a Facebook Live and then download that video to add to your blog.

Step one is to figure out what have been your highest traction pieces of content. Step two—you can make a video out of it. It doesn’t even have to be a blog. It could be a Facebook post that went viral, like when you asked, “Where do you like to walk your dog?” or “How did you choose your pet’s name?” You can make a quick video summarizing the responses. Each slide could show answers like “From the shelter,” “From my grandmother,” “Found on the street,” “From a breeder.” It’s simple and interesting because it flashes fast. Repurposing is something you have to become BFFs with.

For example, you all know that Liz and I just launched Pet Care Team Training—a 13-video series to train your staff. It’s very professionally produced, we have our own Facebook page for it, and we’re running some awesome specials. I’m in charge of the marketing side, so I sat down last week for an hour and a half and created a month’s worth of posts. When I scheduled those in Agorapulse, my scheduling tool,...

Learn what snackable videos are and how easy it is to create and reuse in your pet sitting or dog walking business.