Episode 122: Disaster Preparedness In Your Pet Sitting Company

Nicole Brown Packin is the CEO of Miami Pet Concierge based out of Miami, Florida. Since MPC’s opening in 2007, Nicole has continued to grow and learn as much as she can about animal welfare. She earned her Small Animal Massage Practitioner (SAMP) Certificate in Maintenance, Performance, and Rehabilitation Massage from Northwest School of Animal Massage. Nicole specializes in Myofascial Release Therapy (MFRT), Trigger Point Therapy (TPT) and Stress Point Therapy (SPT). Nicole is the only SAMP in South Florida with these unique set of massage credentials. Biggest Takeaway You Don't Want To Miss Be a leader in your community. Get a notice OUT of what you expect from your clients and what they can expect from you. Update them every single day. Do not be a superhero. Let your staff know that you are leading by example and guide them. Be sure to stock up with all the necessary supplies and make a resource list for places of refuge. Your staff are going to want to be heroes, and you want to make sure that you appreciate their offer, but their family and pets come first. Show Highlights What are the first steps you need to take during a natural disaster to protect your clients, staff, and community? [3:00] What's an example of a sample letter to send to your clients during a natural disaster? [5:00] How else can we "take it up a notch" to help destress our clients? [6:45] Can you describe some of the things we need to prepare for in the event of a disaster? [10:00] Summarize the key takeaways of what we should know about disaster preparedness? [17:00] Links Jump & Scale: jumpconsulting.net/scale Nicole's Website: miamipetconcierge.com Hurricane Preparedness For Your Pet Top 5 Ways You And Your Pet Can Prepare For A Natural Disaster Share The Show Did you enjoy the show? We would love it if you subscribed today and left us a 5-star review! Click this link – Bella In Your Business Click on the ‘Subscribe’ button below the artwork Go to the ‘Ratings and Reviews’ section Click on ‘Write a Review’ Transcript: This is episode 122 of Bella in Your Business. Are you ready to scale your business with employees and make all the dreams you ever imagined come true? This episode is sponsored by my free three-part webinar series called Jump and Scale. It’s free and designed for those who really want to take their business to the next level. If you feel like you’ve plateaued, this course will get you to that next level. All you have to do is sign up at jumpconsulting.net/scale. Welcome to Bella in Your Business, where Bella discusses anything and everything about your pet sitting business to help you land on target. So get ready—Bella’s got your chute. Let’s jump. Welcome, everybody, to Bella in Your Business. I am here today with Nicole Brown-Packin of Miami Pet Concierge, and we’ve got a serious issue to talk about—disaster preparedness. It’s September 9th, 2018, at the time of this recording. Nicole is an awesome member of Better Marketing with Bella and the Mastermind, and I just got to hug her at the Paradise Retreat here in Arizona. So Nicole and I are very close, to say the least. Another one of our PAC members, Maureen Dunn McCarthy, had a question today that she doesn’t normally have to post that much. There’s a hurricane in the Bahamas that has just turned from a tropical storm to a hurricane, and she’s wondering what to do because, admittedly, they don’t deal with this often. But Nicole, who’s based in Miami, does. Last year, I was praying with her through Hurricane Irma, keeping tabs as it plummeted Florida. I thought it’d be great to have Nicole on with us. She also has an incredibly thorough blog we’ll share in the show notes. Nicole, thanks for joining us last minute on a Sunday morning to help your fellow jumpers. Thanks for having me. I’m really glad to be here. And Maureen is joining us, too. What’s up, Maureen and Terri? I have tons of ideas, but I’m in Arizona—the worst we have are fires. I want to hear it directly from someone who’s been through it. It’s Sunday, and this thing is about to make landfall. They predict it’ll hit Thursday, but that can always change. Nicole, walk us through what you’d do right now if you were in South or North Carolina—how you’d prepare yourself, your family, your business, your staff, and your community. I think the most important thing, Bella, is to take a deep breath and not panic because the media can make us a little nutty. First, take care of yourself, your home, and your pets, and then move on to your staff and clientele. I was talking to Maureen this morning and suggested creating an email that outlines everything you need from your clients because they’ll come to you for guidance—you are their person. If you can guide them step by step on what you want, you’ll remove stress, cut down questions, calls, and texts, and everyone can breathe. Also remember, hurricane predictions can change. For example, Irma was expected on Thursday and then Friday, but it hit at one o’clock Sunday morning. So prepare, but always expect that things will change. Expect the unexpected. That’s great advice. Heed the warning but don’t freak out. As leaders, we need to stay calm, stay factual, and see the big picture. I’m going to read Maureen’s note to her clients—Nicole, I think you helped her with this. Good afternoon. I’m writing to let you know that on Thursday, September 13th, the Carolinas are expected to be hit with a major hurricane. If this happens and the Charlotte area is affected due to a federal state of emergency, Loving Kisses Petsitting will be shut down temporarily during the height of the storm to maintain the safety of the petsitters. We will resume normal activities as soon as safety concerns are lifted and travel is permissible. I advise all clients to have a backup plan—a neighbor or family member—to attend to your pets if we cannot get to your home during the storm. We’ll try our best to maintain communication, but due to power outages, phone and computer use may be limited. Thank you for understanding and stay safe. For local clients not traveling, let us know ASAP to cancel visits. We may have limited service as power lines may be down. Do not assume we are getting your messages—you’ll receive a confirmation once we do. I love it. It’s calm, assuring, and builds confidence in Maureen’s business. She sees what’s happening, has a plan, and gives clients time to prepare. That’s leadership at its finest. Nicole: I think she did an awesome job. As a client reading that, I’d think, “She’s got my back.” She’s ahead of the game and not stressed. What I’d add now for Maureen and others is to send daily follow-ups. Include a list of preparedness items to suggest to clients. For instance, every June 1st, I email my clients and tell them to keep at least a gallon of water per pet per day for two weeks. They laugh, but if you lose power for two weeks, you need it. Keep food for five days and water for five days. The most common issues we see in disaster areas are pets without identification, medication, or photos. For example, if your door opens during the storm and your pet flees, shelters will be flooded with animals. Without proper ID, microchip info, or a photo, it’s hard to get your pet back. So create a preparedness list—just as you’d keep an inhaler for yourself, your diabetic cat needs its medication, too. Send the list to clients, ask them to prepare, and update them daily. During Irma, I emailed daily updates on what we were doing because clients looked to us for guidance. Some clients were out of the country and couldn’t return. One dog stayed in our care the entire time. We made it clear that if we had to evacuate, we’d take him if possible. When my street was evacuated, police were patrolling. I had four pets of my own, but shelters only take three. Go to your county or government websites, find out which shelters accept pets, and share that info with clients. Include requirements, weight limits, breeds, and medications. It’ll keep clients confident and prevent your phone from ringing off the hook. In Miami, you have to apply for pet shelter spots at the start of hurricane season, and some fill up. Also, include pet-friendly hotels 30 to 100 miles away. After Irma, we had no power or water for two weeks, so I went to Orlando to work because that’s where the nearest Wi-Fi and supplies were. I have goosebumps listening to this, Nicole. You’re clearly an expert, and this info is invaluable. This is not something you can scramble to figure out mid-crisis. One point I want to highlight: never in this conversation are we saying staff should risk themselves. As a leader, you must stay safe first—this is not the time to be a superhero. Follow state-of-emergency guidelines and stay off the road. This applies to any natural disaster—hurricanes, snowstorms, wildfires. Heed official warnings. From a marketing standpoint, you can also contact local news to communicate closures or reopenings. Everyone listening should review Nicole’s blog and Maureen’s letter—it’s incredibly thorough. Not everyone will see your first email, so send updates. Even if the storm changes course, this strengthens your reputation as a professional. Nicole: Exactly. Prepare your clients and staff in advance. Follow government closure schedules—when government buildings close, you close. Schools close early, but government guidelines work well. During Irma, I had one client who wouldn’t compromise, and I nearly sacrificed my family’s safety evacuating at the last minute. Don’t do that. If you’re not affected right now, use this time to set policies and expectations for your company. Clients will always ask, “What about my home or pets?” Set expectations early. Every June 1st, I ask clients who will care for their home and pets if a hurricane hits, and they know to expect it. Prepare them,