Episode 176: Planning for Your Dog Walking Business in 2020

I know with being six days away from Christmas that planning for your dog walking business in 2020 is probably the last thing on your mind. However, I strategically posted this before Christmas so that you have time to get your thoughts flowing. I want to help you come up with a plan to grow and exceed your expectations for business planning in 2020. Biggest Take Away You Don't Want To Miss There's a major difference between planning for your dog walking business and goal setting. Where making plans can include a to do list that never stops growing, setting goals are concrete, quantifiable and specific. When you set a goal you need to give yourself an end date and start breaking down the processes necessary to get there. Most importantly, you need to hold yourself accountable or get an accountability partner that can. Show Highlights 90 Day Goals [4:20] 30 Day Goals [5:50] Accountability [8:00] What's so different about 2020? [9:10] Where to begin [10:38] Can you hire out? [13:35] Links Sign up for a 20 minute complimentary call with me Join the Jump Mastermind Get started with JazzHR  Check out my Employee Handbook and Training Manual Email me at: [email protected] 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 176 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. I know that with six days away from the actual Christmas holiday, business planning for your dog walking or pet sitting company in 2020 is probably the last thing on your mind. But I have strategically placed this episode right before Christmas because I know the next round of marketing that’s going to be hitting your eyeballs is all about New Year’s resolutions and planning for 2020. So what do you say that I get your thoughts flowing on a couple of topics here and let you know how I do things, how I suggest you could do things, and some other different ways that you might not have heard about. There are so many different things that you have to think about with your business and planning because, let’s face it, if you don’t actually plan for your business, what happens is you start becoming very reactionary. You just start reacting to things that happen—crises, interruptions, and questions from your team—and you end up responding to everything instead of intentionally leading. We have marketing and sales, staff and clients, advertising, growing lists, keeping staff and clients happy, learning about social media changes, networking locally, managing invoices, cancellations, schedules, balancing your books, and tracking your business’s financial health. There are so many things we have to juggle. And at the end of the day, most of us want to grow. I haven’t met a single pet sitter or dog walker who’s said they want to downsize. But how do we grow, and what does that really mean? It makes me sad to see so many business owners whose companies are running them over. They’re flattened by the workload and barely keeping up. With 2020 coming, we have a clean slate—a chance to reset. But if you’re bringing the same mindset you had in 2019 and haven’t achieved your goals, this episode is for you. Let’s talk about different ways to plan and the difference between planning and goal setting. When you plan, you’re focused on to-do lists—tasks to check off today, this week, or this month. But those tasks often multiply and don’t always connect to the bigger picture. They don’t help you build the life you wanted when you started your business. That’s why goal setting is so important. I’m a huge fan of 90-day goals. Research shows that our brains can better comprehend and stay motivated by shorter timeframes—like 90 days—rather than abstract one-year or five-year plans. So start thinking in quarterly increments: first, second, third, and fourth quarters. Goals should be measurable—you’ve either achieved them or not by a specific date. For example, instead of vaguely saying, “I want to hire employees,” say, “By March 1st, I’ll have three employees doing 100% of the pet visits so I have nothing left on my schedule.” That’s concrete. Then break those 90-day goals down into 30-day milestones. Maybe month one is setting up your employee handbook and training program. Month two could be interviews and onboarding. Month three could be training and full handoff. The key is to have a plan—not just wishful thinking. Stop saying, “I wish I wasn’t in the field,” and start acting toward the life you want—driving your kids to school, having Sunday dinners, taking that class you’ve been putting off. You can’t have those things unless you take control of your business. The secret to making your goals actually happen? Accountability. You can make excuses to yourself all day, but when someone else is holding you accountable—a mastermind group, a friend, or a coach—it changes everything. You need someone to ask, “Hey, you said you’d hire three new employees this quarter. How’s that going?” Accountability is where the magic happens. Now, what’s so different about 2020? You’ll see lots of puns like “Hindsight is 20/20,” but I don’t believe you need a new year to become a new you. You can make that change any day. Still, this is a great time to reflect. Write down what you want to change—business, personal, health, relationships—everything. Do it with a pen and paper, not a phone or laptop. There’s something powerful about writing by hand; it unlocks creativity and flow. After listing what you want to change, write why you want to change it and what it would mean for your life. Be honest and vulnerable. Then write what you want—not just what you don’t want. Many people never define what they truly want, which keeps them running in circles. Also write what you can’t control and learn to accept it. Acceptance is the first step toward transformation. Next, consider what you can hire out. Start small. If you’re writing your own employee handbook but it’s taking forever and you’re not confident in your writing, outsource it. Buying a ready-made handbook could save you hundreds of hours. Think about what drains you—scheduling, emails, social media—and delegate it. You can’t do everything yourself. You can’t be walking dogs, managing clients, handling invoices, and posting on social media all at once. You cannot build or scale your company alone. Be realistic about that when setting your quarterly goals. Think about your fiscal goals, your time-off goals, and your health goals. Put the “big rocks” in first—plan the most important things like vacations, family time, and rest before filling in the rest of your calendar. You deserve time off. You can have it, but only if you set intentional goals and boundaries. Think about your financial goals too—both business and personal. Are you saving money every month? Are you operating from abundance or just scraping by? If you’re struggling, let’s fix that. Saving money creates options, stability, and freedom. You shouldn’t be earning less than a manager at McDonald’s when you own your own business. Finally, think about your health. Do you need to move more, take a class, or just breathe again? Dream again. Write down what needs to change, what you want, what you can’t control, and what you’ll do to move forward. Last month, one of my bucket list goals came true—I got to speak in London, something I’ve always dreamed of. That moment reminded me that you can truly achieve anything with the right mindset and perseverance. The “how” is easy once your mindset is right. I hope this episode inspires you to dream again, plan intentionally, and take control of 2020. Don’t let it just be hindsight—make it your best year yet. We’ll take a short break for the holidays and be back in January. I hope you had an amazing 2019, and just remember—you can do it. I believe in you. 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.