Bella In Your Business: Pet Sitting and Dog Walking Podcast

6 Ways To Create ALL The Graphics You Need For The Next 90 Days

If you're feeling overwhelmed with content creation for your pet business, just know that you're not alone! By planning your content ahead, you can actually save yourself tons of time, which means more time to spend on our beloved two-legged and four-legged clients!

Today, we're going to discuss how you can be a content creation rockstar by planning your content three months ahead (yes, you read that right!), also known as batching. Batching is essentially taking time – with little to no distractions – to concentrate on completing “batches” of work in one sitting.

It sounds scary, but you'll have to trust that this technique really works. We'll talk about all this in more in this week's episode of Bella In Your Business.

Biggest Take Away You Don't Want To Miss

Content creation for your pet business is all about planning and relevancy. While planning your content ahead is critical, we want to make sure that we are not planning content that isn't going to help grow our business. It's easy to get into the mindset of creating content akin to "Hire us for pet sitting" and "Hire us for dog walking," but these types of images are not going to create the effect that you want. It's important to get creative, be relevant to your audience, and share stories to really build that connection.

 

Show Highlights

How to create content based off looking at your calendar [2:30]

Creating content to do with promotions/launches [3:00]

How to decide which social media platform to focus on [4:00]

What is a brand guide and how do you create one? [5:00]

What types of graphics should you consider creating? [6:00]

Sick of doing your own graphics? Want us to do them for you? Space is limited.

Links

Easil: https://about.easil.com/#jump

Wave.Video: /wave-video

AgoraPulse: https://www.agorapulse.com/bella2free?fp_ref=bella77

Better Marketing With Bella: https://jumpconsulting.com/waitlist

Pet Social: https://petsocial.graphics/

Get $30 off content creation for your pet business with code BV30

Let's Connect!

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

Click this link – Bella In Your Business

Click on the ‘Subscribe’ button below the artwork

Go to the ‘Ratings and Reviews’ section

Click on ‘Write a Review’'

Are You New Here?

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

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

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

Transcript:

This is episode 186 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. Hey there, Bella Vasta here, and today we're going to talk about six ways to plan and create your graphics for the next three months. How great would it be to just get all of your graphics done so that you don't ever have to sit there and try to figure that out? Now, I'm not necessarily talking about the engagement part or writing the copy for it or scheduling it. I'm just talking about creating the actual graphics. Because at the end of the day, we need to create graphics, right? We want to be seen on Facebook.

If you're feeling overwhelmed with content creation and want to spend more time with clients and their beloved four-legged friends, planning and creating your graphics ahead of time can help. While jumping in and creating three months' worth of content may sound harrowing, it'll save you plenty of time in the end. Trust me. This practice is becoming increasingly more common in marketing and is known as batching. Batching is essentially taking time with little to no distractions to concentrate on completing batches of work in one sitting. You can actually do this with a whole lot of stuff. Of course, you could take breaks, but the key here is to complete a bunch of work ahead of time so that you don't have to consistently worry about it. You'll be able to focus more of your attention on bigger ideas.

When it comes to planning and creating graphics for your pet business, a big problem for many is that it becomes a daily bug. To keep your business relevant, you want to be present across various social platforms. However, if you save this work until the last minute, like waking up and realizing you have to post something on social media, it becomes easy to simply reshare other people's content. While that's not a bad thing, you don't want to become so stressed that you're just copying work from others or become this content curator posting other people’s work all the time. For fresh and original content, it takes time to plan and to plan ahead.

So let's talk about six different ways that you can do this. First, look at your calendar. When preparing graphics for the next three months, take time to look at all the upcoming dates on the calendar. Make note of the common holidays and lesser-known fun holidays—from National Walk Your Dog Month, like in January, to Pet Obesity Day on October 10th. There are plenty of days to create content around any holidays or upcoming events that have to do with dog walking or pet sitting. Consider whether people may be traveling a lot and will be looking for your services in greater demand.

Number two, make note of your launches or promotions. Take a look at your upcoming launches and marketing promotions for the year. Consider creating special content around different points in the year. Perhaps it's back-to-school time and people will be looking for dog walkers and pet sitters while their children are at school—in other words, the playmate for the pets has gone away. Maybe it's summer and you know dog walking might drop, but pet sitting will spike. Create graphics that highlight these points to grab people's attention.

By planning graphics ahead of time, you'll always be a step ahead of the game. Now, I want to make a note here and say this doesn't mean hire us to be your pet sitter or dog walker. What this means is talking about the benefits or maybe telling some stories of people that you've helped while they’ve been away and what that’s looked like. Paint the picture for that potential client looking through your social media because they found you via your website and are thinking about hiring you.

Number three, decide on the platform. The market's saturated with various marketing design tools and websites. It's easy to get swept up designing random graphics on different platforms. One of my favorite tools is also one of my partners, Easel. It's an easy-to-use platform that allows content creators to make all sorts of fun marketing materials. Plus, you can easily store your favorite or your brand’s colors and fonts, making designing a breeze. If you enjoy making videos, I'd recommend using wave.video as well.

The thing about using something like Easel is they have so many different awesome features. I know there are a couple other popular ones out there, but Easel seems to be very innovative. You can turn off things so that you can either do a lot with it or keep it really simple. There's even a service that's led by a major graphic designer and software founder that provides pet businesses with new graphics each month. Technically, you could go in there every three months and download 40 graphics for your business—not just download, but also add your logo, change your color to your colors, and then your fonts. It's pretty nifty.

It's called PetSocial, and I'm hooking you up with $30 off a month if you use the code BV (like Bella Vasta) and the number 30—all one word. To find out more about this or see the types of graphics, just go to PetSocial.Graphics.

The fourth one is create a brand guide. Having a brand guide or a brand Bible is essential for any business. This guide should include the lingo that your brand uses, the brand colors (like the numbers of the colors), your brand fonts, the templates of graphics, the emojis that you use, and more. A brand guide ensures that anyone who works in your company will have a great understanding of how your brand should look and sound.

So maybe you're going to hire someone to help you with these graphics, but they need to have a guide to go by. They should be able to look at this guide and understand what types of graphics and copy are expected for your brand. Having cohesive messaging and style is key when marketing your unique services. It's the difference between knowing it’s Apple or Mercedes or Disney and not knowing what the brand is because the design is not consistent.

Number five, the types of graphics. When planning ahead, you'll want to consider the types of graphics you're going to create. Different things you could consider: are you going to keep the graphics clean, crisp, and simplistic? Is your messaging going to be funny? Will it be educational? Do you want your graphics to convey unique tips for clients and/or users? Will you use GIFs or videos? There's so much to consider, especially with the plethora of tools available today. Do yourself a huge favor and figure out the type of graphics and how many you'll need to create of each in advance.

Number six, schedule it....

Skyrocket Your Business With Your Health

Let's be honest - sometimes being a business owner sucks. It can be lonely, isolating, and so easy to get inside our own heads. That's why it's critical to take care of yourself first. We have to take care of ourselves so we can set ourselves up for success in our businesses. Today, I brought on Nate Palmer to the podcast to talk about all things fitness, health, and mindset.

Nate Palmer is highly passionate about helping humans perform at a higher level. He also happens to be a dad, husband, and the #1 bestselling author of Passport Fitness. Nate coaches entrepreneurs to become unstoppable by weaponizing their nutrition and training. Nate is a coach, speaker, and writer, whose work has been popularized in media outlets such as The Huffington Post, Testosterone Nation, Ask Men, Breaking Muscle, STACK Media, and Thrive Global.

Biggest Take Away You Don't Want To Miss

Are you starting off your day ahead with wins, or are you starting in a deficit?  By having clearly defined morning and evening routines, we can set ourselves up for success by completing "quick wins" to get us in a positive, can-do mindset. As business owners, we make so many decisions throughout the day. By having simple routines, we can eliminate the number of simple decisions we make every day (leading to burnout) and save our brainpower for those tough decisions.

Show Highlights

Why is having a morning routine so important? [5:00]

What can you do as part of your PM routine to set yourself up for success? [8:00]

How do you have a strong sense of prioritization? [11:00]

How is being healthy different than being skinny? [17:30]

What is visceral fat and why do we need to target that first? [21:00]

Links

Facebook Profile: https://facebook.com/n8palmer

Facebook Community: https://n8trainingsystems.com/group

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/n8palmer

Twitter: https://twitter.com/n8training

Instagram:https://instagram.com/n8training

Million Dollar Body Podcast: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/anchor-podcasts/the-million-dollar-body-podcast

Free Copy Of The Million Dollar Mealplan: https://n8training.clickfunnels.com/optin30537241

52 Healthy Grab-N'-Go Recipes For Pet Sitters: /healthy/

Let's Connect!

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

Click this link – Bella In Your Business

Click on the ‘Subscribe’ button below the artwork

Go to the ‘Ratings and Reviews’ section

Click on ‘Write a Review’'

Transcript:

This is episode 185 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 Nate Palmer with me. You guys are going to want to listen up because we have not ever had anyone really talk the way or about how Nate does. Nate and I first met—actually, we haven't even met in person yet. It's been completely virtual. Even though we live in the same city, we need to rectify that, Nate. I heard him on my friend Nick Trevillian's podcast, who also still needs to be on this podcast. I was so excited by it, and then I was even more excited when Nick said that Nate lives here in Phoenix. So I reached out to him and had to get him in the mastermind.

We did a really big deep dive on what your morning routine should be and how to start it. If you've been following my IG, you've seen some of the awesome quotes that Nate just throws out—value bombs the whole entire show. Things like, “We all start at suck,” which was awesome. I actually still have it on a sticky note on my computer. If you're watching the video version of this, Nate is just an awesome guy. So get ready because this is going to be exciting. If you’re listening to the podcast right now on 1.5x speed—which I know some of you do, I do it too—you might want to slow it down to 1.0 because Nate and I are going to be talking fast today.

He is highly passionate about helping humans perform at a higher level. He also happens to be a dad, a husband, and the number one bestselling author of Passport Fitness. Nate coaches entrepreneurs to become unstoppable in weaponizing their nutrition and training. You can find out how to unleash your energy at his website, n8trainingsystems.com. He’s also a coach, speaker, and writer, and he’s been featured in outlets such as Huffington Post, Testosterone Nation, AskMen, Breaking Muscle, Stack Media, and Thrive Global, to name a few.

Nate said he started off as a really skinny, super not-confident kid in high school, which is what attracted him to weightlifting and training. After diving in and getting deeper into it, he discovered all sorts of amazing things about fitness and nutrition. He got into corrective exercise, helping people fix nagging injuries, and later into nutrition—helping with imbalances, insulin resistance, and visceral belly fat. He’s passionate about helping people perform at a higher level.

He said he can always tell who the “9-to-5 just living for the weekend” crowd is because they zone out, but the ones who listen and engage are the empire builders—the movers and shakers who need energy to make more sales, create a bigger impact, and do better for their family and business. He’s highly passionate—and highly caffeinated—and joked that listeners should probably turn their speed down to 0.75.

We talked about how being an entrepreneur is lonely and hard. You have to fight every single day, and your mindset matters. Nate talked about how breakfast is truly the most important meal of the day and how “calories aren’t just calories—they’re communication.” He explained that he loves morning routines because he doesn’t like to make a lot of decisions early on. As business owners, we’re faced with so many choices daily, and willpower is like a muscle that gets tired. That’s why he scripts his mornings: wake up, drink water, brush teeth, meditate, journal, exercise. No decisions are made. You start your day with wins, checking off small victories that set a positive trajectory.

He asked a powerful question: “Are you starting your day ahead or in a deficit?” Many people start with negative thoughts like, “Ugh, another day,” or “I need more coffee.” He said stop doing that. That scarcity mindset starts before your day even begins. For those who wake up in the middle of the night thinking, “I can’t sleep,” he explained that this too programs your brain. The solution starts with a solid PM routine—dump your thoughts onto paper so your mind can rest. Set three to five goals for tomorrow so you wake up knowing what a “win” looks like. Turn off screens and blue lights, detox your brain, and take supplements if needed—melatonin to fall asleep or zinc and magnesium to stay asleep.

If you wake up in the night, tell yourself, “I’m resting. I feel good. I’ll fall asleep soon.” Your body believes what you tell it. He emphasized strong-mindedness and the power of manifestation. I shared that I recently started working with a trainer, and while I struggled at first, I kept saying, “I love carrying my muscles. I’m getting stronger.” Nate agreed—it’s the same amount of truth to say “I can’t do this” as it is to say “I’m getting stronger.” Which one serves you better?

He shared that health is the foundation of everything. “The man with health has a thousand dreams. The man without it has only one.” Fitness is a force multiplier—the more fit you get, the more abilities you have in every area. You think clearer, move faster, and gain confidence. He pointed out that fitness isn’t just about looking good; it enables you to say “yes” to opportunities, to perform better at work, and to enjoy life more.

We then talked about pet sitters and dog walkers. They walk miles daily but still struggle with fatigue and nutrition. Nate explained that walking is great but doesn’t burn as many calories as people think. The key is aligning food intake with energy output. For low-impact activities like walking, reading, or filming, eat higher protein and fat meals. These stabilize energy and prevent the crash that comes from carbs. Protein keeps you full longer, while fats improve brain function and nutrient transport.

I shared that I created a 52-week recipe download to help people prep easy, healthy meals and snacks on the go. Nate said that’s awesome and loved the idea. He then explained how training should make you better, not just skinnier. Many people treat workouts as punishment—“I ate a muffin, now I owe 50 burpees.” He encouraged reframing it to gratitude: “I get to move. I get to use my body.”

He noted that women often focus on loss—losing weight, dropping sizes, minimizing themselves—which is harmful. Instead, focus on becoming more—stronger, capable, confident. He said when you lift weights, your brain signals to drop non-functional fat and increase functional muscle, thinking you’re escaping danger. This is how you burn fat and build strength naturally.

We discussed visceral fat—the fat around organs, which causes inflammation and diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s. Unlike subcutaneous fat under the skin, visceral fat slows your brain and body down. Cardio alone won’t fix it—you need to regulate insulin levels through diet, focusing on protein and fats and minimizing carbs. He mentioned that listeners can download his Million Dollar Meal Plan free through the link in the show notes.

We wrapped up talking about how health and business are connected. I invited Nate to come to Jump into Paradise this summer to teach a hands-on breakfast prep sess

Quality Over Quantity Of Your Social Media Content

It's no shock that being on Social Media is a must for Pet Sitting and Dog Walking businesses. But, what platforms are best for us? How should we be using them? And what kind of content should we be creating?

To share his 15 years plus years of digital marketing experience, I've brought on Dan Willis.

Dan Willis brings insights into the power of relationship marketing, video content and the emerging millennial/gen. Z marketplace leading your brand to learn how to not only succeed today but how to build success for the future. 

Biggest Take Away You Don't Want To Miss

Don't spread yourself thin trying to be active on all social media platforms when the biggest platforms for dog walkers and pet sitters are Facebook and Instagram. Create content that best expresses your brand, use video, and don't get discouraged if you don't get a bunch of interaction on any given post. As Dan said, if you can create content that inspires one person to appreciate what you’re doing, that content was of value. 

Don't just produce a large quantity of content but make sure you're placing quality over quantity for your social media content.

Show Highlights

What networks are the most beneficial for dog walkers and pet sitters? [3:01]

The importance of video content [5:28]

Social media listening [10:38]

Creating quality content [19:16]

Links

Follow Dan Willis on Facebook 

Find Dan on Twitter @MLLNNLmotivator

For more social media tips check out Bella In Your Business Episode 141

Let's Connect!

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

Click this link – Bella In Your Business

Click on the ‘Subscribe’ button below the artwork

Go to the ‘Ratings and Reviews’ section

Click on ‘Write a Review’'

Are You New Here?

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

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

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

Transcript:

This is episode 184 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 a special guest for you. I first met Dan Willis on Twitter and then I met him in real life in Lima, Ohio at the Now Marketing Social Media Week Lima in June. I can honestly say he's a pretty impressive person, which is why I wanted to bring him to you. I'm not even going to ask you how many pets you have, Dan. I want to start out with how many kids you have. Tell our listeners.

“Yeah, we’ve got eight now. Eight kids kicking around the joint.” And tell everyone how old you are right now. “Thirty-four.” My goodness. That is such a blessing and accomplishment in life, period, without being the millennial motivator. Dan is located up in Ontario, Canada, and he has fifteen years of digital marketing experience on three continents in multiple languages. The advice that he shares comes from practical experience consulting major brands like Fox TV, Toyota, and H&M. With insights into the power of relationship marketing, video content, and the emerging millennial Gen Z marketplace, your brand will learn how to not only succeed today but also how to build success for the future.

So this whole millennial thing is a big buzz these days. What does that actually mean? Dan said, “For me, I just take it as anybody that's not a boomer. So if you’re in the industry, if you’re in the workplace and you’re not playing on TikTok and you’re not looking at retirement, congratulations, you fall into my category.” That’s an awesome way to describe it. So if our listeners right now are saying, “What the heck is TikTok?” Don’t you worry, we’re not going to tell you a new platform you need to be on.

So let’s start out with how many pets you have because I know that’s also an interest. “Yeah, I mean, we’re starting to dwindle down here. We do pet rescue for the most part, and the ones that we love, we keep. So we did have three dogs, we’re down to two, and we were able to rehome one, which is fantastic. Unfortunately, our two cats got claimed by farm equipment, so we’re catless.” Okay, I’m not even going to ask anything more about that one. “Yeah, outdoor cats in the country. Sometimes it happens.”

So what should we know as marketers and as digiteers online? A lot of my audience are pet sitters and dog walkers. We wear multiple hats. People are so confused by social media because every single week it really is changing. From your perspective for social media, what networks are the most beneficial to our businesses? “Especially for dog walkers and people that are taking care of dogs locally, Facebook is so important for you guys. Instagram is so important for you guys. I'd love to say something like Twitter, but to be honest, Twitter is one of those big global things. Even YouTube to some extent can be done if you're using it well and you're using that content properly. You could use YouTube, but that’s like if you’re very ambitious. Consider maybe YouTube.

Facebook and Instagram are great for local business. They do a good job of showcasing you in your environment. And then, of course, make sure that your Google profile is completely filled out. Now Google Plus isn’t a thing anymore, but Google websites are still a thing. So make sure you’ve got one of those for your business. It’s not exactly social media, but it’s pretty darn close.” Yeah, it’s definitely something that people are checking out to see if they can trust you.

What aspects of Facebook and Instagram make it so perfect for dog walking and pet sitting companies? “The locality of it is a big one for a lot of people that are doing searches inside Facebook. Go into your Facebook and search ‘dog sitter.’ What you’re going to see is people in your area first popping up. They prefer to do it that way because they know that’s what you’re looking for. Nobody’s looking to have a dog sitter from the other side of the country. So really, it’s to your benefit as far as that goes. Especially around holiday times, they know that people are searching for that kind of stuff. And if your business is on there and you’re actively putting content out, you’re much better positioned for that.

Instagram, you can actually tag what you’re doing, where you’re doing it within a certain region. And when you do that, anybody else that’s in the area gets to see those posts on the fly. So if you’re out walking a dog and you take a photo of you walking fifteen dogs in front of you and somebody’s like, ‘That could be one of my dogs!’ If they’re closer to you, it’s going to be to your benefit to have that up there and have that go.”

Got it. So what kind of style of content should we create? One of our problems is that we feel like it takes so much time or it needs to be perfect. What kind of content can we be creating as either busy solopreneurs out there doing it or boss mamas in the office while our staff are out there? “Do what you can with what you’ve got, where you are. Keep it simple. Everybody’s got a smartphone now—it’s a walking media studio. When you’re out and about, if you don’t want to go live on Instagram while you’re walking, just take some videos showing people how you treat the animals and your love for them. When dogs arrive in the morning, show them how you treat them. Give people tours of your facility using video content. It’s not difficult to do. You usually have someone else around—husband, child, maybe even a dog. Just use what you’ve got to your advantage and showcase your passion for animals.”

That’s what I really love about your industry. There are lots of industries where people do the job just for the sake of doing the job. But I find a lot of people that work in the pet industry have a genuine passion for animals. The more you can share that through video content, photos, or even podcasts, the more potential clients will see that you genuinely have a passion for animals. That’s going to serve you long term in a big way.

I have a lot of people in our community that either get the video thing and they’re really excited about it, or they do it frequently even though they do it scared, which is awesome. But there’s a lot of people that are afraid of video. Can you explain the power of video for a brand and why it’s so amazing right now? “If you were to call a company and get a robot on the other side, you’re frustrated because you want a real person. That’s exactly why we do video. It gives you the opportunity to show people you’re a real person. You’re not just some company posting random pet videos from the internet. It’s you—people can relate to you. Video is the biggest and easiest tool to create relationships digitally.

The downside to video is that people say, ‘I didn’t do my hair,’ or ‘I don’t like how I look on camera.’ So start small—use your dogs. You’ve got stars of the show right there. The dog won’t know whether it’s on camera or not. If you’re just the voice from behind the camera and you’re showcasing your pets, that’s great. Then slowly bring yourself in front of the camera and share who you are a li

Are you struggling to find the time and resources to train your employees effectively in your pet-sitting business? Don't let the stress of planning a training session hold you back from ensuring your staff is well-equipped to succeed. Video training is the solution you've been looking for - whether you have new hires or are just looking for a refresher for current staff. Don't waste any more time and effort on overwhelming and time-consuming training methods, give your employees the support they need through video training!

Biggest Takeaways

Video improves learning results [3:32]

The importance of having a staff training foundation [4:45]

Video training tips [6:18]

Online training when your employees alert [7:24]

Video training is more likely to be consumed [8:58]

It doesn't have to be boring! [10:26]

Incorporating video into your onboarding process [11:10]

Links

Free video training download!

How Your Pet Business Systems Save Your Profit

Let's Connect!

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

Click this link – Bella In Your Business

Click on the ‘Subscribe’ button below the artwork

Go to the ‘Ratings and Reviews’ section

Click on ‘Write a Review’'

Are You New Here?

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

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

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

Transcript:

This is episode 183 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 we are actually going to continue on the same theme that we came off of last week with Danielle Glickman. This week we're actually going to talk a lot about video again, except why you should do video training in your pet sitting company. However, before we start, I want to encourage you all—if you have not yet—to subscribe to this podcast. This podcast is exploding right now, and I just get so excited every Sunday when I get the stats. Do you know that we're over 83,000 downloads on this podcast? I am blown away and so grateful for your support. So if you have not already subscribed, that would be wonderful. You can do it on just about any device that you listen to podcasts on. And if you really like it, go ahead and share it with your friends or into any other groups.

I'd also like to give a shout-out to a review that we got on January 13th. I love them. I read them all the time. It was from Make Millions. They said, “I love listening to Bella's podcast and learn new things each episode, even after having a pet care company for over 21 years. Thanks for all the great information, tips, and guests, Bella. Keep jumping.” You guys, I love that so much.

All right, so let's get started today. We are going to talk about how you can do video training in your pet company. Now I know that we have been talking about video for years because video is very effective. In fact, it's not just effective in marketing and stopping the scroll on Instagram or Facebook or wherever you might be, but YouTube is absolutely exploding right now. So is the way that we consume information. Even my senior father, when he wants to learn things now, no longer goes to the old house book that he used to have in his library or looks it up on Google. He literally goes directly to YouTube to learn. And that's what's happening.

My five-year-old goes to YouTube and watches videos. If she sees whales, she goes to YouTube and presses the button for the microphone and says “whale videos,” and a whole bunch of whale videos come up. You guys, everyone from five-year-olds to 65-year-olds are on YouTube. They are watching videos. They are learning via videos. So it only makes sense that we start—I want to plant the seed in your head—that your company can and will have video training at some point. Now I know that the barriers to entry are pretty big. To do it right, you need to make an investment. It could be you just being a talking head, or you could actually have a film crew. There are lots of ways to do it, but I want to get you to start thinking about it because it is very, very important.

Whether you have new hires or you want to give current staff refreshers on your business, planning a training session can be time-consuming and overwhelming. Oftentimes people don't even show up to training meetings, even if you try to make it mandatory. You want your employees to be able to jump right into things. But what's the best way to support your staff learning within your pet business? Video training is really the answer, you guys.

Research has shown that video improves learning results. In a digital world where we learn online and where people's attention spans are becoming even shorter and shorter, video provides a snappy solution for training staff members. Forrester Research actually estimates that one minute of online video equates to approximately 1.8 million written words. Isn't that crazy? That’s like saying a photo is worth a thousand words—well, there you go. Video is 1.8 million written words in one minute. Additionally, 90% of information transmitted to the brain is visual, and visuals are processed 60,000 times faster in the brain than text.

Video can help grow your business because it is automatically more absorbable—yes, that’s my new word today—for your staff. So really start thinking about this with me, you guys. If you want your staff to retain as much information as possible about your business, then setting up video training should be your next step.

Let’s digress for a minute and talk about the foundation of what we need to train our staff. A long time ago, we could just get by with an employee handbook. Then it became an employee handbook, which is all the legal jargon, and then a separate entity—a training manual—that teaches you how to use different leashes and litter boxes and how to clean the pet bowl and all these different idiosyncrasies that we need in our company. Once you have that, you’re not done. You need to go back a few episodes to where I had Liz Illig on, or maybe you've seen our videos on Facebook recently, where we talk about taking that handbook and manual and making it into standard operating procedures—SOPs.

Those are the how-to-do-things, step-by-step. Then workflows are even more minuscule and minute—they’re down to the nitty-gritty details. But one of the biggest caveats I see many companies making the mistake of is that they take all of this information, end up with a hundred-page document, and then get frustrated that people cannot retain or recall it. They’re calling them in the middle of the day with questions that they know are answered in the handbook or the SOPs or the workflow. But guess what, guys—they can’t access it because we haven’t given it to them in a consumable way. That’s where videos also come in.

When we’re doing these videos, we want to keep them short and sweet. If you're going to do video trainings, don't create super long content. If you have several topics you want to discuss, break it into smaller videos. Break up videos with images—while “talking heads” (the whole screen of a person talking) are great to drive home points, nobody wants to stare at a person talking for three minutes. Jazz up your training videos with fun images, infographics, and other visuals to keep your staff members engaged.

Make videos interactive. Once you've got your staff's attention with videos, keep them engaged with tests, polls, and other interactive features. You can include buttons within videos that say “Click here to learn more” or other call-to-action phrases.

Now, the thing about video training is that you can access it whenever you are the most interested in learning. If I called you into a meeting between three and five, maybe it's the middle of the day, maybe it's nap time, or maybe it’s when your blood sugar crashes and you just get really tired. Maybe first thing in the morning you’re really jazzed up and your brain is firing and you’re ready to absorb new information. It’s great for staff members because with videos, they can watch them when they feel good and are ready to consume your information. You can designate a time at work for them to do trainings or allow people to complete them at home. It’s a huge benefit if the videos are both mobile and web-friendly.

According to Forrester Research, employees are 75% more likely to watch a video than to read documents, emails, or web articles. It’s funny that everything we've been saying about video for marketing—that it captures attention and gets people to listen more—applies equally to training.

If you haven’t gotten on this video wave and you’re looking to scale your business, it’s time to pull up those big girl panties because the time is now. Another great thing about video training is that your staff members can always refer back to them. It can be difficult and time-consuming to sort through physical or online documents to find a resource or bit of information needed for work. With video,...

Using Video To Increase Sales In Your Pet Business

The use of video is becoming exceedingly necessary in order to get your pet business known. To teach how to use video to increase sales in your pet business, I brought on my good friend Daniel Glickman.

Daniel Glickman is an internationally recognized marketing leader, speaker, and author. As chief marketing officer of Wave.video, an innovative video solution for creators and small businesses, he leads and manages digital marketing, advertising, and PR activities. His blog, newsletter, and international Meetups—all under the title CMOConfessions—offer a frank, creative, and humorous take on the underbelly and undercurrents of today’s most pressing, exciting, and confounding marketing issues.

Biggest Take Away You Don't Want To Miss

Making videos doesn't have to be scary.

There are three different types of videos you can utilize to increase sales in your pet business. You can do a right here, right now video. These videos require the least amount of production and are perfect for showing your followers what you're doing at that moment. The second video, promotional videos, will be more produced than the first and have content that it is on brand and message. Finally, there's the most produced video in which you produce a series of shows that repeat weekly and stay on a topic each week.

In order to excel, pick the type of video you're best at and start filming!

Show Highlights

Why are small businesses using video? [3:27]

Resizing video, the importance and what it means [4:46]

Why video seems scary [7:51]

When do people stop watching a video? [12:03]

As a dog walker/ pet sitter, what could be an interesting video? [13:26]

How do we know when it gets boring? [15:13]

Viral videos [18:52]

Wave.Video community [22:47]

Links

Get started with Wave.Video

Get 50% off any Wave.Video annual plan with coupon code: WXA_BV50

Join the Wave.Video Community Facebook group

Join Video Funnels by Wave.Video Facebook group

Let's Connect!

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

Click this link – Bella In Your Business

Click on the ‘Subscribe’ button below the artwork

Go to the ‘Ratings and Reviews’ section

Click on ‘Write a Review’'

Are You New Here?

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

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

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

Transcript:

This is episode 182 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 one of my friends with me. You guys, that's kind of what happens when you're out networking and going to conferences—you just get to know people. And I know that Daniel Glickman is my friend because he gave me this cute little bobblehead in Lima, Ohio, because he said it reminded him of me, which was really cute. Daniel is a super awesome person to know—very, very talented. You're going to hear an accent that he’s going to tell us where it’s from because he’s kind of from everywhere. He works for Wave.video, which is the video service that we use for Better Marketing with Bella to give you all of the horizontal videos, square videos, and cover videos. He and his team have helped us tremendously with Better Marketing with Bella semester one, 2020.

So Daniel, welcome to the show. Daniel said he was super excited to finally be on, as they had to reschedule a few times but persistence prevailed. He shared that he was born and raised in Israel to an American mom who grew up in Canada and an Israeli dad. After completing his master’s degree, he moved to Canada and started a PhD but eventually quit to start a small business. That’s when he really connected with the challenges of small businesses—handling marketing, customer experience, and sales. Later, he transitioned into the tech world and now works with Wave.video, which he loves for its culture, people, and product.

I mentioned how much I appreciate Daniel’s relational and approachable style. Many software companies feel cold or complicated, but Wave.video feels different. It’s easy to work with, friendly, and Daniel’s personality reflects that culture.

We dove into the topic: why should small businesses use video, and specifically, Wave.video? Daniel explained that the reason is simple—because it works better than images. When social media first began, text was the norm. Then images took over because they required a little more effort. Now, since everyone is using images, video is the next step up—it grabs attention because it requires more creativity and effort. Eventually, even video might evolve into something new, but right now, it’s what works.

We talked about resizing videos—square, vertical, horizontal—and why it matters. Daniel explained that Wave.video started with this concept early on. Different formats perform better in different places. Vertical videos work best in Stories, but research shows they also perform well in feeds. Square videos are still very effective too. However, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution because what performs best changes as people become desensitized to certain formats. The key is to keep experimenting, especially with ads, because the effectiveness shifts over time.

I shared how in Better Marketing with Bella, we shifted from only providing square videos to offering both square for Instagram and vertical for Facebook, based on updated research from Wave.video and Mari Smith. It’s all about staying on the cutting edge.

Next, we addressed one of the biggest obstacles—fear of video. Many business owners avoid it because it feels intimidating. Daniel broke down three types of videos to help simplify it. First are “in-the-now” videos—quick, real-time videos like Stories or short updates. They don’t need to be polished; authenticity matters more than production. Second are promotional videos—more intentional, on-brand, and message-driven. These might include your logo and require more planning. Third are serials or shows—ongoing content like weekly or monthly episodes that build a loyal audience. These take the most effort.

Daniel explained that people often fear video because they confuse these types. They think every video has to be a full production with studios and actors. But in reality, starting small and choosing one type of video is key. For example, pulling out your phone to record a candid moment is often more effective than overproduced content.

We then discussed how video can be reused and repurposed. I mentioned how after recording my podcasts, I upload the video version to YouTube as a library. Later, I can take short clips to tease episodes or embed snippets into blogs. Videos can be reshaped into multiple pieces of content, unlike text or graphics that are limited once posted.

We then talked about video length. Daniel’s advice: stop when it gets boring. A video should last only as long as it provides value. “As long as it needs to be,” he said. If you only have one minute of something valuable to say, don’t stretch it to three minutes. For pet sitters and dog walkers, everyday activities—like greeting dogs, preparing for walks, or feeding—can be fascinating to viewers because it shows authenticity and trustworthiness. Customers want to know how their pets will be treated and who’s caring for them.

I shared the idea of filming short clips when walking into clients’ homes—five houses in one day could make a fun 30-second video montage showing how excited each dog is to see you, with a playful caption like, “Is your boss this happy to see you? Come work for us!”

When I asked how to know if a video is boring, Daniel said to engage your audience directly. Ask viewers what they want to see, pay attention to which videos get the most reactions, and talk to people who aren’t watching—ask them what would make your content more interesting. He said making engaging videos is part art and part science.

I added that pet business owners could send a short email to their clients saying, “I’m starting a series and want to know what questions you have about pet care, my business, or your dog. Reply and let me know.” That kind of engagement helps generate relevant video ideas.

We then tackled the question: how do I make a video go viral? Daniel’s response was clear—“You can’t.” Viral videos are unpredictable and usually backed by big budgets, testing, and retargeting campaigns. Instead of chasing virality, focus on small consistent growth—getting slightly more engagement each time. Think snowball, not rocket. Each video should aim for connection and interaction, not mass reach.

Daniel suggested asking engaging questions in videos to spark responses, like “If you were me in this situation, what would you do?” Questions drive comments, and comments drive visibility. It’s all about encouraging conversation rather than chasing views.

We discussed how this ties into business impact—viral fame rarely converts into sales, but consistent, relatable engagement builds trust and community.

...

Remote Managing Your Pet Business

I know there's plenty of you wanting to have the luxury of traveling or maybe even relocating away from your pet business but you're afraid of trying to manage your pet business remotely.

That's why I brought on one of my personal friends and client, Tiffany Lewis, who manages her business remotely from across the country.

Tiffany Lewis founded Pet and Home Care in Potomac, Maryland in 1999 as a one-person pet sitting business. She has since expanded PHC to offer a full team of dog walkers, pet sitters, pet care experts, and home care service employees.

Biggest Take Away You Don't Want To Miss

The biggest factor in remote managing your pet business is having a support team that you can trust and wrapping your mindset to support your goals. From there, the rest is in the technology, systems and processes and your ability to stay engaged with your business. With the right set of tools, you'll be able to remotely manage your pet business in no time!

Show Highlights

When did you start remote managing? [3:14]

How did you make the transition? [5:00]

What was it about changing technology that helped you? [7:05]

How do you handle hiring and firing? [8:47]

How do you stay active in the community? [12:22]

Do you spend more or less time in your business? [15:56]

Links

Check out Tiffany's website

Learn more about business systems and processes!

Let's Connect!

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

Click this link – Bella In Your Business

Click on the ‘Subscribe’ button below the artwork

Go to the ‘Ratings and Reviews’ section

Click on ‘Write a Review’'

Are You New Here?

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

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

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

Transcript:

This is episode 181 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 Tiffany Lewis, who founded Pet and Home Care in Potomac, Maryland in 1999 as a one-person pet sitting business. Today, she’s expanded her business to offer a whole team of dog walkers, pet sitters, pet care experts, and home care services with over 30 employees. Tiffany started her business as a teenager to make some extra money. She picked up more and more customers, and soon she was staying really busy pet sitting. Having always loved animals, she originally wanted to be a vet but realized she couldn’t handle putting pets down. Pet care was more fun—the dogs were happy to see her—and the business kept growing. She began hiring friends and family, and it just exploded.

It wasn’t always easy, though. Tiffany faced staffing problems and financial struggles before getting organized and using better software. She reached burnout, walking up to 25 dogs a day, but she kept her head up and kept improving. Coming from a family of entrepreneurs, she had a lot of advice and support and knew this was her passion. There was nothing else she’d rather do, so she pushed through and made it work.

Eventually, she decided to manage her business remotely. Ten years ago, it began as short vacations—two days at Dewey Beach, Delaware—which turned into full summers there, then winters in Florida, and finally, a full move to California six years ago. Now, she manages her business from across the country. It’s tricky with time zones, but it actually works to her advantage. Her Maryland managers cover the early hours, while she handles late-night communications from California. It took time and patience to get there, but now it runs smoothly.

The transition wasn’t easy. Tiffany had to create new infrastructure and face challenges along the way. Early on, there was little to no technology to support remote management, and it was messy. But switching to cloud-based software in 2014 was the turning point—it made life easier and helped the business boom. The new software allowed clients and pet sitters to have portals, enabled one-click credit card payments, and eliminated the need for a full-time billing person. With email and cell phones, she could manage everything remotely. Most clients don’t even realize she’s no longer in Maryland.

Hiring and firing are handled through a clear process. Tiffany still does the initial steps—writing ads, screening, background checks, and phone interviews. Once a candidate passes her review, she hands them over to her manager, who completes in-person interviews, training, and setup. This system ensures Tiffany knows the person is qualified before her team takes over. For internal management, she has a strong hierarchy: Kira, her general manager, oversees most operations and training. Kevin manages the pet resort and transportation logistics. Teresa assists with customer communications, and Maya, her executive assistant, helps with business development and admin details.

Staying visible in the community is also key. Her team attends pet functions, fundraisers, and community events, setting up booths, handing out swag, and collecting email contacts. They also donate to school and charity auctions, display branded vehicles, wear logoed uniforms, and maintain visibility through PPC ads. They even use guerrilla marketing—dropping off flyers and cards at local vets.

Tiffany’s company runs on clear systems. Every event or outreach effort follows a checklist—banners, tablecloths, treats, and custom flyers. Her managers know exactly what to do without needing direction every time. This operational structure allows her to work remotely while her team handles local execution.

After having her baby in April last year, Tiffany delegated even more responsibilities to her managers and executive assistant. She now works fewer hours, focusing on oversight—reviewing emails, monitoring books, assisting with scheduling, and handling late-night customer messages. She still visits Maryland a few times a year to meet with her team, host company parties, and maintain connection. Despite working less, her business has grown substantially.

She credits this success to systems and trust. When you have the right people, processes, and technology, you can step back and let the business run smoothly. Parenthood sharpened her focus—she became more efficient, handling key tasks during short windows of time.

In closing, Tiffany encouraged listeners to take the leap. If you want to travel or relocate, do it—but make sure you have the right team and software in place. Stay in touch with your employees and don’t isolate yourself. Working remotely can be lonely, so find a community where you are. If you can, start a branch in your new city. With the right systems, you can grow your business from anywhere.

Bella closed the episode by reminding listeners to subscribe to the podcast and share their biggest takeaways. Reviews mean the world to her team. When life gets you down, always keep jumping.

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

How the 90/10 Rule Can Get Your Dog Walking Business Back On Track

Do you feel like content marketing is taking over your business? Like you have to consistently be posting on every social media platform possible and creating all the content you can in order to properly market and grow your business?

Don't stress!

Today, I brought on Andrew and Pete to tell you how the 90/10 rule can get your dog walking business back on track!

Andrew and Pete, international keynote speakers, authors and YouTubers, are the multi award winning fun business duo who help small business owners scale their business so they can stop swapping time for money.

Biggest Take Away You Don't Want To Miss

If you try to post on all aspects of content marketing then you are doing none of them remarkably well. Instead, pick one aspect of marketing and do that one thing remarkably well. In doing so, you will be known for that aspect and will no longer be wasting your time on the other platforms that aren't performing well for you. Follow your data, find out what works best for you and your business and spend 90% of your time there and 10% experimenting elsewhere.

In following the 90/10 rule, you are guaranteed to get your dog walking business back on track.

Show Highlights

About Atomic [4:23]

What is the 90/10 rule? [7:20]

How do you figure out the one thing for you business? [10:40]

Conclusion [18:22]

Links

For a limited time, join a trial of ATOMIC for only $9.19!

Check out more business tips from Andrew and Pete 

Follow Andrew and Pete on Youtube

Let's Connect!

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

Click this link – Bella In Your Business

Click on the ‘Subscribe’ button below the artwork

Go to the ‘Ratings and Reviews’ section

Click on ‘Write a Review’'

Are You New Here?

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

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

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

Transcript:

This is episode 180 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. Today, I've got two guests with me, Andrew and Pete, who are already dancing around if you're watching the video. Andrew and Pete are based in the UK, and I’m grateful they’re wrapping up their long workday to chat with me—it’s 8 a.m. here but already late afternoon over there. If you don’t know Andrew and Pete yet, you’ll want to check them out. They’re not only international keynote speakers, authors, and YouTubers who keep things funny and engaging, but also a multi-award-winning business duo helping small business owners scale so they can stop swapping time for money.

I first heard Andrew and Pete in person when they keynoted at Social Media Marketing World, and it was one of the most entertaining and insightful sessions I attended. Their energy, humor, and simple yet powerful delivery stood out, and I can’t wait for you to hear them today.

Andrew and Pete shared that they met at university, where they were randomly placed in the same halls of residence and became friends. After graduation, while their peers took corporate jobs, the two decided to pursue their passion for entrepreneurship. They ran their university’s Entrepreneur Society and were deeply interested in business, marketing, and startups. They realized that before getting tied down with mortgages or families, it was the perfect time to start a business. Andrew moved to Newcastle, invited Pete to join him, and at 21, they started their company together. Nine years later, their partnership is thriving.

They created Atomic, a membership platform designed to help small business owners scale and grow. Many entrepreneurs jump straight into marketing tactics—like building funnels, creating content, or learning sales strategies—but fail to act because they lack time, focus, or confidence. Atomic addresses those underlying challenges. It helps people make data-driven decisions, reclaim their time, and focus on what will create the biggest impact. Their goal: to help members double their business in less than six months, guaranteed—or they refund your money.

I’ve personally seen how effective their work is, like with Kelly Noble Mirabella, the “Chatbot Queen,” who doubled down on one thing with their help and saw major results. These two bring both value and fun to the table, and I love learning from them.

We then dove into the 90–10 Rule, a concept Andrew and Pete developed out of frustration. They explained that content marketing is one of the best ways to grow a business—but it’s a crowded space. To stand out, your content needs to be remarkable, something so valuable that people can’t help but share it. However, most people don’t invest enough time or effort to make content remarkable. The data shows that putting in even 10% more effort can result in exponentially better results.

The 90–10 Rule suggests that instead of trying to do everything—blogs, podcasts, YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok—focus on doing one thing remarkably well. Spend 90% of your effort mastering one platform or content type, and only 10% experimenting with others. This focus allows you to gain real traction, because doing too many things spreads you too thin to be excellent at any of them.

If you’re unsure where to focus, they suggest looking at your data first. Identify which platforms or types of content are actually bringing in customers. When they analyzed where most of their members came from, Andrew and Pete found that YouTube, podcast interviews, referrals, and speaking engagements were their top sources. So they doubled down on those and stopped wasting time creating videos for Facebook, which didn’t generate results.

If you don’t yet have enough data, experiment on different platforms and look for reaction spikes. Which posts, videos, or blogs get strong engagement or meaningful responses? Those are your clues. Too often, business owners post mediocre content for months or years and excuse the lack of results by saying, “Content marketing is a long-term strategy.” While that’s true to an extent, you should still get some reactions early on—if no one comments, clicks, or reaches out, something needs to change.

When you find something that gets attention, do more of that. And stop doing what doesn’t work. Another important part of the 90–10 Rule is to find the fun. If you hate writing blogs but love being on video, switch to video. If you enjoy storytelling on Instagram but dread long-form content, focus on Stories. When you enjoy creating content, that energy translates to your audience.

They also clarified that focusing on one platform doesn’t mean you can’t exist elsewhere. You can still maintain basic profiles with links directing people to your main content hub. For example, if YouTube is your core, you can tell followers on Twitter or Instagram, “For my best content, head to my YouTube channel.” Even celebrities like Ed Sheeran do this—he shut down his Twitter and directed fans to Instagram.

Ultimately, the rule is about focus. Spend your time where your efforts pay off most. As Andrew and Pete put it: do fewer things, but do them better.

Before wrapping up, they encouraged listeners to apply the 90–10 Rule not just to content, but to business and life in general. The more things you try to juggle, the less successful you’ll be at any of them. Instead, focus on doing one thing remarkably well until it succeeds or runs itself—then move on to the next.

Pete added a personal story about recently hiring a dog walker. Despite looking at several options, he didn’t feel confident about any of them until meeting one in person—because trust is everything. But he pointed out that dog walkers can use content to build that trust before meeting clients. Showing your face, personality, and care in your content makes clients feel like they already know you. That’s how you sell yourself, not just your service.

I wrapped up by noting how many business owners sell “the industry” instead of selling themselves. The 90–10 Rule is a great framework to help pet professionals double down on who they are—imperfections and all. Authenticity builds connection and loyalty.

Andrew and Pete closed by inviting listeners to connect with them at andrewandpete.com, where you’ll find links to Atomic and their YouTube channel. Just search “Andrew and Pete” anywhere, and you’ll find them—they’re the only duo by that name.

This has been another episode of Bella in Your Business. If you enjoyed it, tag me and Andrew and Pete online, or leave a review on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, or wherever you listen. And remember—when life gets you down, always keep jumping.

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

As a coach in the Pet Industry, I have the opportunity to work with pet businesses from all over the world at all different stages of their business. Due to this, I'm able to see trends that spread from the starter businesses to the six-figure businesses and identify what trends are being used to help their business growth and what's simply not working. Thus, every year I write my yearly predictions leading me to the 2020 predictions in your pet business.

Biggest Take Away You Don't Want To Miss

In order to excel in your business, you need to know the 2020 predictions for your pet business. With businesses such as Rover and Wag not going anywhere, the sooner you're able to adapt, the better. Adapting can mean making educated business investments, getting smarter with technology, utilizing dark social or simply fixing your mindset.

Show Highlights

More Educated Business Investments [2:05]

Using Rover to Your Advantage [3:20]

Get Smarter Using Technology [5:43]

Dark Social [7:48]

Mindset [9:43]

Links

Learn more about the Pet Industry Coalition 

Get started with AgoraPulse 

Join my FREE E-Myth Mastery Book Club

Check out the Jump Consulting Mastermind

Let's Connect!

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

Click this link – Bella In Your Business

Click on the ‘Subscribe’ button below the artwork

Go to the ‘Ratings and Reviews’ section

Click on ‘Write a Review’'

Are You New Here?

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

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

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

Transcript:

This is episode 179 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 give you some of my 2020 predictions for your pet business. My nose has been to the ground and my tail’s been up because I’ve been paying close attention to trends. I get a unique look into our industry as I work with business owners all over the world at every stage. I hear what keeps you awake at night, see where people are moving forward fast, and where others get stuck. Each year, I release an epic post on what’s changing in the pet industry and how to plan for the year ahead.

Last year, I wrote The State of the Pet Industry in 2019 and shared key trends like the shift from baby boomer to millennial consumers, the rise in pet sitting and dog walking businesses for sale, Rover and Wag’s growing presence, increasing regulations, rapid industry growth, and the ongoing dominance of software tools. If you revisit those predictions, you’ll see they’re still relevant. Those who embraced them have grown significantly—some skyrocketing from zero to six figures in months—while others are still struggling after years. It’s all about the person driving the ship.

Let’s talk about more educated business investments. I recently advised a couple against buying a $500,000 pet business because all workers were non-compliant independent contractors. After explaining the risks, they agreed. They didn’t want to gamble their investment. Around 90% of businesses using ICs are out of compliance. If you’re growing and scaling, please make sure you’re compliant—meaning, you have employees. A great resource is the Pet Industry Coalition, a group of pet business owners helping others meet employment laws that are increasingly being enforced.

Next, let’s discuss using Rover to your advantage. Last year, I said they’re here to stay, and they are. They keep raising money and aren’t slowing down. Stop complaining that they’re stealing your staff or clients—if that’s happening, you’re doing something wrong. Rover succeeds because of their user experience, not necessarily because of superior service. As customer service expert Dan Gingiss shared in our mastermind, people choose Rover because it’s easy to use. So ask yourself—how easy is your website to navigate? Does it make signing up effortless? Is it about you or your client? Redoing your website can be hard, so consider hiring a copywriter who understands psychology and storytelling. Your site should make visitors feel something, clearly guide them, and showcase the customer as the hero.

Rover’s strength lies in simplicity—a busy mom can book at 1 a.m. half-asleep. That’s your competition: technology. Which brings me to my next point—get smarter about using tech. I predict that in 2020, pet business owners will use technology more effectively in three ways. First, they’ll maximize the tools they already pay for instead of using only 20% of a platform’s features. Second, they’ll evaluate whether their current tech setup—with its “workarounds” and manual fixes—is truly helping or hurting them. Third, they’ll encourage full adoption of tools among staff and clients to streamline systems and reduce costs.

Take a technological audit. This might mean investing in social media management tools like Agorapulse, which helps track, report, and engage (and yes, I can get you two free months). Or it could mean learning to manage notifications—turning off unnecessary alerts, scheduling Do Not Disturb hours, or customizing ringtones for key contacts. Use apps like Audible or Brain.fm to learn and focus. Charge credit cards weekly to cut down on bookkeeping time.

Now let’s talk about dark social—a concept my friend Jessica Phillips from Now Marketing Group often discusses. Dark social includes private-feeling channels where selling happens—DMs, chatbots, Facebook groups, and Stories. While these spaces feel private, they’re powerful for business growth. I see pet sitters using them effectively to text clients, run community-focused Facebook groups, and build relationships. The best groups aren’t about promoting a company—they’re about building a community.

I travel worldwide teaching people how to create online communities. If you want to learn more, follow me on Instagram at @BellaVasta or my public Facebook page. Also, consider attending Social Media Week Lima in Ohio this June 16–17, hosted by Jessica Phillips. I’ll be speaking there again alongside many top marketers. Every year, our pet sitter table grows—join us!

Next prediction: mindset will make or break businesses in 2020. It’s time to step up or step aside. The gap between strong and weak business owners will widen. Many will sell their businesses, and some will realize their business isn’t worth as much as they thought. The key is shifting your mindset—your business is not you; it’s a separate entity. Build it to be valuable and self-sustaining.

The best thing I ever did was read The E-Myth Mastery. It taught me to build a business worth buying, and I later sold mine for six figures in two weeks. I’m even running a book club on it now—join at jumpconsulting.net/emyth. It’s a great resource if you want to understand why small businesses fail and how to build one that thrives.

As a business owner, you need to work on your mindset daily. You’re the visionary—the leader. If you’re buried in stress or indecision, you can’t lead effectively. Not making decisions creates anxiety; lack of growth leads to depression. If you’re not showing leadership to your community, clients, or staff, they’ll drift toward others who do. In 2020, I predict business owners will rise up—seeking accountability, investing in development, creating visions, and achieving them. Will you be one of them?

If your only motivation is your love of pets, but you’re still stuck with the same challenges year after year, maybe it’s time to sell. That’s not giving up—it’s choosing joy and control over your life. Some people simply aren’t meant to run a business, and that’s okay. The successful ones think differently—they see problems as challenges, failures as lessons, and the future as opportunity. They move fast, stay positive, and make decisions with confidence.

So what are your predictions? Do you see something I missed? I’d love to hear from you—email me at [email protected] or message me wherever you found this episode. What struggles do you see? What’s changing in the next year or decade? It’s a brand new decade—exciting, right? I’ve got two major launches coming soon—one in marketing and one in training—to help the best of the best grow stronger.

Stick with me, friends. A new episode drops every Thursday. If you liked this one, please leave a review on iTunes or wherever you listen, and share it in your groups or on your Stories. Tag me @BellaVasta—I love seeing your posts.

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.

We talk a lot about social media presence and making your business known on the media. However, we don't often get the chance to talk about how to get your pet business in the media such as newspapers, magazines or even on TV.

To teach us how to get in the media I've brought on Rachel Spencer, a journalist, and blogger for the Pet Industry who helps pet businesses create content and promote their work in the media. 

Biggest Take Away You Don't Want To Miss

When pet businesses are everywhere and companies like Rover and Wag are soaring with popularity, getting your business out there and validated as credible, has never been more important. If someone is searching for a dog walker or pet sitter, you want to be the business that comes up on google. A good way to guarantee you show up first is by having media coverage. Thus, providing you with credibility and building trust in your business.

Show Highlights

How can media coverage help a pet business? [4:29]

What kind of stories do journalists like to get from pet businesses? [6:10]

What story I should be telling about my business? [8:35]

How do I figure out what publications to approach? [11:21]

How do I prepare to talk to a journalist? [14:28]

Is all of this advice applicable for visual media too? Such as TV [17:35]

How do I make the most of the media coverage? [20:07]

Links

Follow Rachel's blog: The Paw Post

Get Rachel's Free Template!

Let's Connect!

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

Click this link – Bella In Your Business

Click on the ‘Subscribe’ button below the artwork

Go to the ‘Ratings and Reviews’ section

Click on ‘Write a Review’'

Are You New Here?

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

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

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

Transcript:

This is episode 178 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 went over the pond to get an expert for you guys. You're in for a delight because this is something that we talked about maybe once, two years ago, but never again since then and never again with someone in the industry. How amazing would it be to actually have your local news or your newspapers or bloggers talking about your business for free? Like, you didn't hire them to do it—they just start reaching out to you because you're so interesting. Well, today's guest, Rachel Spencer, is here to teach you how to do that. She's a journalist and a blogger who writes about the pet industry and helps pet businesses create content and promote their work in the media.

Rachel shared that she’s been a freelance journalist for over 20 years, working for national newspapers and women’s magazines in England. About ten years ago, she got her dog Daisy, which changed everything. She used to cover general topics and news, but Daisy led her to start writing more about the pet industry. Over time, 90% of her work became pet-related. She launched her blog, The Paw Post (thepawpost.co.uk), where she shares stories about inspiring animals, trends, and products like dog parkour and dog reiki. Pet brands and professionals began reaching out to her for help getting media coverage, so she wrote Publicity Tips for Pet Businesses and now offers consultancy and writing training for pet brands.

When asked how media coverage can help a pet business, Rachel explained that it builds credibility and trust. When potential clients see your business featured in a reputable publication, it positions you as an expert and sets you apart from competitors. For example, if someone searches for dog walkers in a town and your name appears in the local newspaper, that makes a strong impression. She said that journalists are always looking for stories, and getting coverage is often easier than people think—it’s about understanding what journalists want, where to find them, and what kind of stories to share.

Rachel gave great examples of what journalists love: heartwarming or unique stories. One dog groomer she featured offered free grooms to dogs in a shelter, helping them look their best for adoption photos. That simple act led to great media coverage and helped animals find homes. Another was a dog trainer who did a “Tour de Rescue,” cycling 200 miles to raise awareness for shelters. Stories like these catch journalists’ attention because they’re meaningful, visual, and emotional.

For pet business owners wondering how to find their own story, Rachel suggested reflecting on their “why”—their origin story or what inspired them to start their business. Many pet professionals have interesting career transitions, like a lawyer or fashion designer who became a dog trainer. What might seem ordinary to you can be fascinating to others. She also suggested paying attention to what friends or clients often say “wow” about—those details usually hold story potential.

When it comes to finding the right publications, Rachel advised looking around locally. Check your city’s daily papers, free lifestyle magazines in cafés, or community websites. Look at the types of stories they publish and note the journalists’ names. You can then find them on Twitter or LinkedIn and build connections before pitching your story. Bella added that business owners could pitch to magazines to create a “pet column” or short advice section, since editors are always looking for engaging, relatable content—especially about pets, kids, and health.

Rachel then shared how to prepare for interviews with journalists. First, don’t panic—they want to tell great stories, especially about animals. Be ready to explain your key message in simple terms, without jargon. If you’re a dog trainer, have a few clear examples or short takeaways ready, and always have quality photos available. A professional photo shoot is worth it—it helps journalists feature you even if they can’t send a photographer.

The same advice applies to TV interviews, Rachel said. Think about visuals—demonstrations, before-and-after photos, or bringing your dog on camera. The more engaging and prepared you are, the better. She reminded listeners that journalists aren’t out to make you look bad—they just want good content.

Once you’ve been featured, she emphasized the importance of gratitude and follow-up. Always thank the journalist—an email, card, or small gesture like sending a branded product can go a long way. It helps you stand out and increases your chances of being contacted again. Repurpose the feature by sharing it on social media, your website, email list, and even adding “As Seen In” badges to your site or bio. It’s okay to talk about it multiple times—it’s an achievement worth celebrating.

Bella pointed out how valuable it is to maintain that relationship. Once a journalist knows and trusts you, they may reach out to include your insights in future stories, even if they’re not directly about your business. Rachel agreed and encouraged pet professionals to become the “go-to” expert in their area by staying visible and helpful.

Before wrapping up, Rachel shared that she offers a free press release template on her website, complete with a step-by-step guide and follow-up emails to help pet businesses craft their own media pitches without hiring a PR agency. She also gave one final tip: follow “Help a Reporter Out” (HARO) or “#journorequest” on Twitter. Journalists constantly post requests for sources, and you could easily land features by responding to the right opportunities.

Bella closed the episode by thanking Rachel and encouraging listeners to take action—find their story, pitch it, and share it confidently. If you get featured, tag both Rachel and Bella to share your success. And if you loved this episode, don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and remember: when life gets you down, always keep jumping.

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

Today I want to share with you the best-kept resource in staying compliant with staff in your pet business. The Pet Industry Coalition is an organization dedicated to educating and advocating for the regulation and compliance of the Pet Industry. To tell you all about it, I've brought on two of the four co-founders, Lauren Cora and Katie Pape.

Lauren is the owner of Dogs Deserve It, a dog walking company based out of Chicago, IL. Dogs Deserve It recently celebrated 10 years of service and has over 55 employees.

Similarly, Katie's business Windy City Paws, is located in Chicago and has been in business for 10 years now. Katie has over 75 employees.

Biggest Take Away You Don't Want To Miss

With the pet industry being a rather unregulated business, staying compliant with staff in your pet business can be difficult. Thus, the Pet Industry Coalition was developed. Through the coalition they work to ensure businesses are aware of the differences between independent contractors and employees, as well as, the consequences of misclassifying staff.

Show Highlights

The start of the Pet Industry Coalition [5:02]

Mission of the coalition and who it's for [8:18]

The difference between an employee and an independent contractor [9:20]

What to expect as a member of the Pet Industry Coalition [17:02]

The consequences of misclassifying staff [25:40]

Links

Join the Coalition

Audit Case Study 

Let's Connect!

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

Click this link – Bella In Your Business

Click on the ‘Subscribe’ button below the artwork

Go to the ‘Ratings and Reviews’ section

Click on ‘Write a Review’'

Are You New Here?

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

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

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

Transcript:

This is episode 177 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 with Jump Consulting, and today I've got the most dynamic team that you probably have never heard of. I didn’t, and I had to have them on the show because they do something that is near and dear to my heart. They co-founded the Pet Industry Coalition—Katie Pape and Lauren Coppa—who are here today to explain to us what the Pet Industry Coalition actually is and how it can help you. If you have staff, listen up because this is going to be an episode for you.

Katie introduced herself as the owner of Windy City Paws, a local dog walking and pet sitting company in Chicago, Illinois. They’ve been in business for 10 years and have about 75 staff members—all employees. Lauren followed, sharing that she owns Dogs Deserve It, also in Chicago, celebrating their 10-year anniversary with 55 dog walkers employed throughout the Chicagoland area. Combined, their teams represent over 100 employees, making their shared experience powerful and relevant.

The two met at a seminar Lauren hosted, aimed at educating other dog walking companies about the difference between having 1099 contractors versus employees. Katie attended and was impressed by Lauren’s professionalism. They began working together in a mastermind group with other local pet care professionals and eventually developed the idea for the Pet Industry Coalition. They now collaborate with two other Chicago-based owners, David Blakeman of Field Day’s Dog Walking and Dana DeBrovny of Chicago Pet Sitters.

Katie explained that, at first, she was hesitant to collaborate with competitors, but she learned that there’s enough business for everyone and that collaboration leads to growth. By connecting with others, she found the support she didn’t realize she needed as a business owner. Lauren agreed, emphasizing that cooperation rather than competition has been key to their success.

The Pet Industry Coalition began as a response to widespread confusion and misclassification of workers in the pet care industry. They wanted to educate and advocate for compliance with employment laws, particularly regarding independent contractors (ICs) versus employees. In Chicago—and increasingly across the country—laws like the ABC test make it clear that most pet care providers should be classified as employees. They formed the coalition to provide guidance, resources, and education on compliance.

The coalition’s mission is simple: to show that doing things lawfully doesn’t mean being put out of business. Through education and advocacy, they help businesses that want to operate correctly and support those already compliant. Membership is currently free and available to pet care business owners at all stages—from startups to established operations.

Lauren broke down the difference between an employee and an independent contractor using the ABC test. The first part of the test focuses on control—if the business dictates how, when, or where work is done, the worker is an employee. The second part examines whether the work performed is part of the company’s usual business. For example, if a dog walking company’s workers are walking dogs, that’s central to the business—making them employees. The third part deals with financial control, such as setting rates, providing uniforms, or controlling pay. These all indicate employee status.

Lauren pointed out that many pet care companies, including gig platforms like Wag and Rover, misclassify workers to cut costs, but that doesn’t make it legal. Each state has its own tests, and some—like California and Massachusetts—have stricter laws. States increasingly share audit information with federal agencies, which can lead to double penalties for noncompliance.

Bella shared stories of audited pet care businesses that faced costly penalties for small technicalities, such as providing a dog bowl or routing payments incorrectly. She emphasized how important it is for owners to understand the risk they take by misclassifying workers.

As coalition members, business owners gain access to free consultations with the founding team, compliance guidance, and referrals to trusted professionals like labor lawyers and accountants. Members also receive access to a private online portal with step-by-step guides for becoming compliant, articles that simplify legal concepts, monthly expert webinars, and newsletters with legal updates. The coalition connects members with resources tailored to their state and helps them take proactive steps toward compliance.

Lauren explained that their goal is to elevate the entire industry by ensuring workers are treated fairly and business owners are protected from risk. They’re not lawyers—they’re advocates who make the legal aspects understandable and connect members with legal professionals when needed. Their national expansion reflects their desire to unify the pet care industry and share resources across states.

Katie shared a real-life example of the consequences of misclassification. One of their co-founders faced an audit when a former dog walker, who left on good terms, filed for unemployment. The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) determined the walkers were employees, not contractors. The owner owed about $10,000 in back taxes and had just 30 days to reclassify all workers, obtain workers’ compensation, and file new paperwork. Failure to comply could have resulted in fines of up to $500 per day, with a minimum of $10,000, and even personal liability for business owners.

The coalition’s website even includes a calculator that lets business owners estimate potential fines and back taxes if audited. It’s a sobering tool but one designed to encourage responsible action.

Bella praised the coalition as one of the most valuable podcast guests she’s ever hosted, calling their work essential for the entire industry. She urged listeners to share the episode widely, join the coalition, and help spread awareness.

The coalition’s website is www.petindustrycoalition.com.

Bella wrapped up by reminding listeners: when life gets you down, always keep jumping.

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