Building and growing a pet business is not only challenging but also lonely. Your friends and family members don’t really understand what you’re going through, and it can feel like you’re all alone, struggling to succeed. Well, it turns out you’re not alone—there’s actually a whole community of people doing exactly what you’re doing. These are people who can help you overcome challenges, avoid mistakes, and provide some much-needed support along the way.Today, we’ll talk about how networking ...

When you do anything for your business, the words you use are super important to help you convey the proper message, attract the right people and to convert them into paying customers who want to use your services again and again. The copy on your website, in your emails and in all of your advertising and promotional materials can greatly impact the overall success of your pet business. In this episode, Fern shares some impactful copywriting tips and best practices that will improve your...

It’s so important to have a plan for your marketing. Before you work on any kind of creatives or develop any campaigns, you first need to understand the different segments of the audience and then tailor your content for each. The same marketing will not work for all types of people and if you don’t take this into account in the beginning, your efforts will fall flat. Today we’ll go over the 5 level of public awareness and what kind of marketing you need to do in order to reach each one....

Being a pet business owner certainly has its ups and downs. The key to having a successful business long term is to recognize and amplify the good parts, while learning how to minimize and improve the challenges. In this episode we’ll explore some of the top pros and cons of working in a pet business and how you can take those and then make the good even better and the bad much less stressful.

They say people don't do business with businesses, they do business with people. Nowhere is that more important then in the pet industry - you're taking care of their furry family members. That's why it's critical to create a personal connection between you and your customers. In this episode we'll explore a number of ways you can inject some of your personality into your business, as well as finding ways to learn more about your customers so you can build a strong emotional bond.

In April of 2024 we held the first annual Overdog Business Retreat designed to help dog daycare and boarding business owners learn some important business strategies, improve their mindset, make some new friends and relax a bit. And it was AWESOME!In this episode Fern sits down with Allison Jacobs and Kristen Perrus (from Scouts Honor) at the end of the event to reflect on some of the big take-aways and aha moments that we experienced during the retreat.

If you have dreams of building your pet business into something amazing - maybe growing it to multiple locations and/or expanding your service offerings- you need to set the stage for all that to happen. If you do, your success is inevitable. If you don’t, you end up spinning your wheels and going no where. Today Fern gives you 7 things you can do today to prepare you business for the future. These will help better understand where you want to go and exactly how you can get there.&...

Training continues to be a great service and revenue stream for dog daycare businesses but many struggle with how to structure the training programs to be both valuable to customers and good revenue sources for the business.  Fern brings on Max Belenitsky of LECA Academy to share how they created their training program, which has a learning curriculum that sets the dogs up for success, while also keeping the humans very engaged. 

There is a bunch of recurring topics in the pet industry that there's always a lot of debate on. Some of these are long standing myths that keep circulating with a lot of confusion on that actual facts of the issues.  In this episode, Fern tackles seven of the most common myths about the dog daycare and boarding industry and gives you his take on them so you can better understand how to best address them in your own business. 

Starting a pet business from nothing and growing into multi-locations isn’t easy. However if you have the vision, are willing to do what it takes and stay open opportunities it can happen.  In this episode, learn how Amy Hillis started Social Pet Hotel in North Carolina and has grown it into a thriving 3 location business that is setting high standards for pet care. Learn how she got over the early struggles, innovated with customer care and is helping to educate and advance the industry. 

Did you know there is a way to make more money without bringing in more customers? Well, there is, and not only that, with the help of technology much of it can be done behind the scenes with only a little bit of effort.  Today you're going to learn the magic of revenue management from Chris Tilson, from the Kennel at Arbor Lane and Goose software. He shows us how to maximize the value of your services while taking the best care of your customers. 

Adding training to your list of services just makes sense. Dog training is always a customers need, enabling you to better server people, it helps the dogs improve their behavior and brings in some extra revenue. As the dog daycare industry continues to evolve, it's important to pivot accordingly and training looks to be an important component for the future of this industry.  In this episode, Fern chats with Mandy Eakin of Manners Matter on how to find a trainer and what to look for when...

Let's be honest here, you've been putting off a bunch of things in your business because you just don't like doing them. Maybe it's because they are boring or perhaps it's because you're not really good at them or don't know how to get them done. Whatever the reason, they might be very important to the success of your business and you need to get moving on them.  In this episode, Fern will list some of those top tasks that you've been procrastinating and give you the kick in the butt to get...

Your Google Business Profile is one of the resources online that can get your business seen by more people by helping your business show up in search results. To make sure that happens and to rank higher than your competitors, you need to set it up and optimized correctly. In this episode, you'll learn some simple ways you can improve your Google business visibility and greatly increase your odds of people finding your business online. 

It doesn't matter how many people you get to discover, inquire and come in to your business if you're not taking the proper steps to turn them into paying customers that stick around. To do that, you need to learn how to take control of the sales process, give each person the attention they require and make it easy for them to do business with you.  In this episode we'll talk about how you should be nurturing new leads, as well as converted customers so that everyone feels taken care of and...

Starting and growing your very own pet business can be very rewarding and profitable. However, many owners find themselves overwhelmed with the gazillion things you need to do on a daily basis, much of which are not very enjoyable to you. This causes many people to become so frustrated and exhausted that they wonder if it's worth the trouble.  If you've ever felt that way and dream about finding someone with amazing resources that could help out with all that back end stuff so you could...

Marketing is essential for success in every pet business. You'll constantly need to bring in new leads, educate your audience and build your brand in order to see long term, sustained growth. Often, success or failure of your marketing efforts hinges on the timing of your campaigns.  In this episode we'll discuss how to determine when marketing is necessary and how to deploy campaigns throughout your sales process to improve your results, bringing you a greater return on your marketing...

In the episode of the Overdog podcast, Fern interviews Kelli from Perfect Pooch, a comprehensive pet care service. They discuss the successful strategies implemented at Perfect Pooch, focusing on personalized client services and staff incentives. Kelli highlights the importance of action and implementation in seeing results, sharing how proactive measures in training, customer engagement, and staff motivation have positively impacted her business. The discussion also covers innovative...

The pet industry is constantly changing and evolving. As our human lifestyles are altered by events like COVID and the work from home movement, things that worked previously for your business are no longer effective. If you want to stay relevant and be able to compete with all the new businesses in your area, you need to understand the current trends in the industry and take the actions that will keep your business needed.  In this episode we'll discuss some of the biggest aspects of the dog...

As an entrepreneur there's so many things you need to do on a daily basis that it can be hard to keep track of what's really important. To make sure you're heading in the right direction, you need to focus on the metrics that will have the biggest impact on your business success. By knowing where you're at and where you want to go, you can craft the proper plan to get there.  In this episode we'll go over some of the KPI's (key performance indicators) you should know, monitor and continually...

Learn the strategies and insights that can transform your dog daycare business into a recognized authority in the field. From creating a nurturing environment for furry friends to implementing innovative services, we explore the key elements that set successful dog daycares apart. Get valuable tips on building credibility, establishing a strong online presence, and fostering positive relationships with both clients and their beloved pets.  Whether you're a seasoned professional or just...

Thanks to technology you have some amazing things available to you that can help you build your business in many ways. These tools are readily available to everyone and very user friendly so even the most un-tech savvy personal can utilize them.  In this episode, Fern goes over is favorite online tools and how you can use them in your business. 

Every year the dog daycare and boarding industry gets more crowded with new businesses vying for the same customers. It's never been more important to separate yourself from your competitors so that you can attract right kinds of people to your business and show everyone why you are the right choice.  In this episode we'll go over exactly how you can determine what your competitive advantages are and how to showcase them in everything you do, helping your business become the best option for...

How you look at the world around you is so much more important than you realize. Your personal mindset is greatly affecting everything that happens to you and if you're not careful, it can limit and often totally derail your success in all areas of your life.  Fern shares his personal story on how he was able to transform his life from one of negativity and become the positive, outgoing person he is today. With some simple (but not easy) actions you can improve everything in your life and...

Over the last couple of years the pet industry has been a bit of a roller coaster. We've had ups and downs but through it all, the industry as a whole has grown. But what's to come for the new year? Some things are going to change in 2024 and this business is going to continue to evolve. If you can keep up with it all, your business should flourish, but those that can't will find themselves left behind.  In this episode Fern discusses what he believes will be important in the new year and...