I am frequently asked to share my insight of how long it took me to get to the point of hiring employees, using professional software to manage my pet sitting calendar, and getting administrative help…
Sometimes it’s frustrating to not get the growth results you have in mind, getting nervous during client interviews, or wondering if there is a light at the end of the tunnel after having 7-days a week non-stop schedule. There is a learning curve to owning and operating a pet sitting business, and I have a feeling that identification of a learning curve is sometimes what is needed for encouragement and support…
But before I lean over to you and say “I’ve been there, too”, I’d like to just spill it and let you be the judge.…
In the first year of my pet sitting and dog walking business…..
- I have messed up on my schedule
- I overbooked my Christmas
- I got an angry client
- I got a non-paying client
- I got an aggressive pet
- I got a sick pet
- I lost a key
- I got locked out
- I triggered alarm
These are just some things that went wrong…. If we sat down for a drink, I could share a heck of a lot more… But these were the moments that taught me so much how to make things right, how to embrace the nature of my business and my own flaws… These moments taught me what I needed to change and how to make my business better…
That’s when I knew what features I needed in my pet sitting business management software, what employees to hire and how to train them. Through my own mistakes I have learned how to manage clients and how to respond to emergencies.
When you open a pet sitting and dog walking business, there isn’t a learning curve, there are learning CURVES. For each new frustration that you will spend time figuring out, you’ll have a brand new set of frustrations coming up as you are growing. And this will continue as long as you keep pushing yourself. Yes, your business will keep you on your toes as long as you are growing personally and professionally. Just keep following your dreams! If you aren’t frustrated, you might not be living up to your fullest potential.