Jiovany Alcaide, CPDT-KA, and Taylor Barconey, CPDT-KA, own and operate a dog training business, Smart Bitch Modern Dog Training, in New Orleans, LA, but have become recognized across the country due to their stand-out branding and online visibility. In this episode, we dive into their choices behind that, what their clients think of it, and how to go about choosing your own branding to build your dog training business. Visit their website: https://www.smartbitchdogtraining.com/ Follow them on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smartbitchdogtraining/
Laura Gendron, CPDT-KA, founder and behavior consultant at Miss Behavior Training, joins us on the podcast today to talk about how she’s adapted to virtual training and juggling the responsibilities of business ownership and parenthood. Laura offers a variety of online courses, virtual lessons, and even a membership program to support her clients and she shares some great ideas about what you can do too. Visit her website: https://missbehaviortraining.com/index.html
Let’s all take a deep breath and let out a well-deserved, long-suffering sigh. It feels like a thousand years have passed, but we made it through the first year of our recycled (and appropriately named) Roaring ‘20s decade.
A lot led us to the events that culminated in 2020 and there’s plenty more to come. For the sake of safety, a number of dog training conferences that the community regularly looked forward to got cancelled in 202. But the initial shock of it all has worn off and — as humans and dogs alike do — we’ve adapted! And that means that we as a community have some cherished events returning in cleverly redesigned ways.
NOTE: Only conferences that provide updated information online at the time of writing this article are included.
Top Dog Training Conferences of 2021
This year’s list of events may be different than past years’ (2020, 2019, 2018, 2017), but some fan favorites have come up with incredible virtual events. There are even potential in-person dog training conferences, depending on how things change over the coming months.
The Karen Pryor Academy (KPA)’s annual ClickerExpo event has taken an innovative digital approach for 2021 in the form of ClickerExpo LIVE!
The popular conference offers over 70 courses available for you to explore freely during the three-day event. Attendees get access to all conference videos for a full year. This year’s topics include “This One, Not That One: Discrimination Tasks,” “Building Behavior: Shape the Future,” and many more!
CEUs available from the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT), International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC), KPA, and the American Association of Veterinary State Boards’ RACE program.
Previously held in the UK, 2021 will be the Dog Behavior Conference’s second online event. In 2020 they made the quick switch to a global virtual conference with the appearance of COVID-19 and decided to keep it online this upcoming year.
This science and research-focused conference by the Victoria Stilwell Academy (VSA) will feature presentations such as “Home Alone, Separation Without Anxiety,” and “Science Talk — Puppy Edition.” Registering for the conference also grants you access to downloadables, special promotions, and recordings of the presentations.
CEUs available from the CCPDT, IAABC, the Pet Professional Accreditation Board (PPAB), and VSA.
The Lemonade Conference is a collaboration brought to you by Fenzi Dog Sports Academy (FDSA) and the IAABC, both of which cancelled their annual dog training conferences in 2020. They created a digital conference with a little sprinkle of the hope and confidence that dog trainers need right now.
“When COVID-19 shut down […] in-person training conferences, we took those lemons, squeezed them, added some water, sugar, and a splash of attitude and we made … lemonade!”
The Lemonade Conference will be an international “online educational extravaganza” featuring classrooms open for 18 hours a day, 40-plus presenters, and access to the recording library after the event.
CEUs are pending, and more details about this event — including speakers and schedules — will be dropping on Jan. 15. Scholarships for this conference will be available for financial hardship, 4H leaders and volunteers, and junior handlers.
According to a recent and succinct tweet from the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT), you should mark the end of September on your calendars for the 2021 APDT Conference!
More details are presumably to come, but the illustration shared by APDT on Twitter listed Riverside, CA as a possible location.
The Loose Leash Academy’s second annual Aggression in Dogs Conference is planned for the tail-end (pun intended) of October. They’re currently aiming for both virtual and in-person events in Chicago, IL if COVID-19 allows for it.
The 2021 program details aren’t out yet, but speakers include Denise Fenzi of FDSA and Grisha Stewart, developer of the Behavior Adjustment Training (BAT) technique. Tickets are going on pre-sale on Mar. 1 for those that get on the waitlist now, and on Mar. 15 for the general public.
CEUs are pending for this event. If the in-person event is cancelled, all those who registered for it are switched to the digital event automatically.
Do you know of other upcoming conferences we didn’t touch on here? Drop the info in the comments!
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What are you assuming is different about these mysterious 6-figure dog training business owners? Here are some observations I’ve made and experienced myself as I’ve grown my business!
They Don’t Do It All Themselves
Whether professional or personal, they quickly learn to delegate work that someone else can do. For me, this looks like delegating the laundry, cooking, and groceries to my husband. I also have my mom helping with personal assistant work such as creating, ordering, and sending Holiday cards. I want to be the person that sends those out – but it doesn’t mean I need to do it myself when I have a 1.5 yr old I’d rather be spending time with.
I also have a pooper-scooper service (2x/week) and a house cleaner (2x/month). I want to have dogs, obviously, but I don’t have to be the one that picks up after them all the time. A pooper-scooper service is by far my favorite investment
Professionally, I have a team that supports me in different ways. I have a virtual assistant that manages emails and maximizes my social media strategy. My 6-figure dog training clients have administrative help, too. Their energy, skills, and expertise is best spent training pups or being the CEO of their business.
They Have BIG Dreams & A Vision
Their dream guides every decision they make. When you have a clear dream and vision, you can see where you’re headed and each big business decision you can ask yourself “Which choice will get me closer to my dream?” This makes decision making easy and keeps you focused on the projects that will make the most sense for your dream.
They Persist
Its not that they don’t face the same obstacles you do. They do. And probably some that you don’t even realize. But they persist anyways. They take calculated risks – again with that vision in mind. They persist despite set backs. They persist despite plans falling through. They keep going no matter what. You may perceive it as an overnight success, but they have been at it for years putting in the work and learning every step of the way. They have been investing in their dream for a long time.
They Figure It Out
They trust in their ability to figure it out. Nothing is too difficult to figure out. They have a growth mindset.
They know they can find the right person, tool, article, or book to teach them what they need to know, when they need to know it. But they take action. They don’t spend years researching before moving forward. They step forward and then figure it out.
One way to accelerate the “figuring is out” phase is to learn directly from trainers who have already built 6-figure businesses.The Modern Dog Trainer Academycoaches are all successful business owners and dog trainers. Learn online and get personal one-on-one coaching to get to 6-figures fast.
They Are Not Fear-Free
You might be able to train in a fear-free manner, but you can’t build a 6-figure dog training business fear-free. If it didn’t cause fears to come up, more people would have a 6-figure business. You cannot experience growth without some discomfort. By definition, you are changing. You are becoming a different (hopefully better) version of yourself. Its someone / somewhere you’ve never been – its going to be uncomfortable.
They may not be fear-free, but they are fear-less. They may have fewer fears than you. This may be because they have a deeper understanding of the consequences of NOT taking action. In fact, they may fear those consequences MORE than the consequences of taking imperfect actions. They have different fears. They have stronger motivations that mean NOT taking action would be scarier than taking action.
What are you willing to lose as a result of not stepping up? Are you willing to lose income, a beautiful home, world-wide travel, and hundreds of amazing adventures with your pup as a result of NOT taking action and building your dream business? Journal on it! What are the consequences of NOT taking action?
They Are Crystal Clear On Who They Can & Cannot Help
They’re seeing this level of success because they’ve gotten really clear on who they have help a LOT and who they can’t serve well / with joy. This allows them to work with people they enjoy while showcasing their best skills. When ideal clients hear or see them, they know that’s the trainer they want / need to work with. No one else comes close.
They go deep. They don’t do a surface level info session on a bunch of different topics, they dive deep into the challenges their ideal clients experience. They become the go-to expert for people and pups struggling with [insert challenge].
They Know Their Worth
And they charge accordingly. They’ve taken the time to understand their impact in people’s lives so they can communicate what comes from an investment into a dog training program. Beyond – sit /stay – they know how it impacts family dynamics, relationships, finances, and quality of life. And then they can turn around and communicate that impact to sell their services effectively.
They Are Comfortable With Delayed Gratification
They do the work, consistently, expecting the pay off later. They don’t resort to a quick fix to see the growth they are seeking. They are strategic. They don’t revamp their website or run ads in an effort to generate interest fast. They have a legitimate strategy to attract clients consistently.
They Have Processes & Systems
They aren’t constantly reinventing the wheel. They have a process for things like new client onboarding or how they expect clients to communicate. They track their finances. Their systems can be communicated to team members so that they can replicate the work consistently.
The Modern Dog Trainer Academy includes proven processes, systems, scripts and strategies to get you making more money and working fewer hours. Start the conversation HERE.
Most Importantly – They Are Just Like You
They are humans! They have challenges. They aren’t perfect. They have fears. They have imposter syndrome.
They’ve simply taken action despite their fears. Despite their challenges. And they keep investing in their growth.
It is possible to earn 6 figures wherever you are right now. Achieving this milestone is not just a matter of what you do, but more so on how you do it. Check out the assumptions I encountered and how you can shift from them in order to become a successful dog trainer.
Assumption: You need a facility before you can earn 6 figures
People think they need to be something or somewhere specific to hit that 6-figure mark. They wait until they can have a facility, then they think that’s when they can gain 6 figures. It is a common misconception that you can’t hit 6 figures without having a facility to hold classes, do boarding training, and all that fun stuff. In reality, there are many trainers out there that don’t have a facility with all of that overhead. They are making 6 figures mainly because of how they structured their services or identified who their ideal clients are.
You have to give yourself permission to believe that you can do what you want right where you are now, through the skills that you have now. You can absolutely make it happen.
Assumption: You have to work a ton in order to make 6 figures as a dog trainer
I think a lot of trainers believe that they have to work as much as 60 hours a week between handling clients and doing all the administrative work. You feel like you need a 60-hour weekly workload in order to make a really great income, and that is absolutely not true. This train of thought is common in this industry and there are ways out of it.
It goes without saying that a greater income will allow you to hire out some of the tasks you have and bring people in to work for you so you can have more time in your day. But you don’t have to work with a ton of people. You don’t have to burn so many hours to hit 6 figures. This kind of thinking will overwhelm you, and make you think that having 6 figures is a very long shot because you will need a ton of clients; or work a ton of hours either walking dogs, day training, private lessons, or running classes. Yes, you enjoy what you do but you will soon feel exhausted.
Assumption: You need to have a huge referral network to become a 6-figure dog trainer
It is super convenient to have referrals. But you don’t have to wait until all the vets refer to you, or all your clients refer to you. You can achieve this milestone without waiting on these referrals, because your bills won’t wait with you. Sure, it’s awesome to build a referral system as you go but do not make it your sole source of business. You do not need a huge referral network in order to be a 6-figure dog trainer, so be careful if this is something you have been hanging on to.
Personally, I don’t like waiting around. I like to be in control of my business, making sure that things happen and move forward. Outside of referrals, there are other things you can be doing to grow your business such as social media marketing, organic strategies that don’t rely on ads, or don’t rely on referrals will be really, really important so that you can grow your business how you want and when you want, right? You don’t have to wait 6 months to see those numbers.
Assumption: You have to work during weekends or evenings
A lot of people are coming to my programs saying “My clients only ever take classes on Saturday” or “They are only available in the evenings for lessons”. You assume that’s the only way it’s going to be, or that is the way it has to be. In reality, there’s a lot of things or services you can offer during the day that will reduce your hours in the evenings and weekends.
Just think about your doctor or your attorney. People will take time off to accommodate these professionals’ schedules. Take yourself as seriously as you would an attorney or a doctor. Make your hours what you want them to be instead of what you think they have to be.
Assumption: You have to offer boarding and training to become a 6-figure dog trainer
There’s no doubt that boarding and training make a lot of money. It’s one of the ways that allow people to hit 6 figures, but it is not necessary to hit 6 figures. I personally have done a few board and trains over the years and it’s a lot of work unless you have a separate facility already. If you have them in your home it is a ton of work. It’s basically like training for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 14 or 21 days in a row because there’s a new dog in the house and your own family has to accommodate them, too.
The dogs may also be displaying other types of behaviors that you did not expect to work on. It is a lot of work and commitment. So if you don’t like it, don’t offer it. You can absolutely hit 6 figures in other ways, it’s just completely up to you and your business. I don’t ever want you to work you don’t enjoy doing because that is going to burn you out. If you don’t like classes, don’t offer classes. If you don’t like board and trains, then don’t offer board and trains. If you don’t like day training, don’t offer day training. I’m all about making sure that you are building a business that you enjoy being in and operating because that matters.
The longer you are happy in your business, the longer you’ll be able to do it. Then, the more people and dogs you are able to help because of it. Be careful of the assumptions that you are making about how your training business is supposed to be done or run based off of what other people are doing with theirs. Think about what you can do to hit those financial goals, those income goals by doing what you like doing.
After speaking to several hundred clients over these last few years – a few trends have emerged and today, I’m going to share my observations with you.
Which dog trainers become super successful? How can you adopt their characteristics to see similar growth? Here are some things I’ve learned as I’ve worked with a variety of dog trainers.
https://youtu.be/2GxFTR_xqKg
1) They take action despite fear.
Its not that it isn’t scary to grow a business – of course it is! But they don’t let their fears stand in their way of pursuing their dream. Everyone has some level of fear. It is normal – but it should not paralyze you!
Learn to do the work despite the fear. Learn to set yourself up for success with tools or a schedule that will enable you to be your best self every day so you can continue to grow. Get comfortable being uncomfortable. Being a self-employed dog trainer also means being an entrepreneur.
2) They research like crazy.
They google. They ask questions in Facebook groups. They read a ton. They believe in their ability to figure it out. Even if they don’t know, they do what it takes, speak to people, google, to learn and make it happen. They never throw their hands up and give up if they’re facing a new obstacle.
3) They treat their dog training business like a business.
I ask every potential client that wants to work with me – what is your current revenue? Most trainers are unable to answer this question. Its makes them face the hard fact that they are not treating their services like a business. But it is critical to treat your dog training business like a business if you want to take it fulltime or
4) They give themselves permission to make a living.
Even if they aren’t making a huge amount of money – they still see bringing an income seriously. They don’t see themselves as volunteers or as someone that is just doing good in the community. Of course they are doing GREAT things for their community – but they are also earning an income to make it all worth it.
5) They aren’t scared to pay someone else to do some work.
Don’t like the technology side of things? Charge enough to pay someone else to set you up for success. There’s no need for you to start from scratch and learn every tool out there from the ground up. You should absolutely be charging enough – not just to invest in continuing education – but also to hire contractors to help you improve your systems.
6) Most importantly – they have BIG audacious goals.
They have a vision. They want to have a successful facility – or three. They want to be recognized around the WORLD for their expertise. They want to be a leader in the industry. They want to be SEEN. The services they offer are only a subset of their mission and vision for their business.
Your goals will either keep you at the status quo or propel your to take massive and consistent action towards your growth. You’re either aiming to “make ends meet” which isn’t that inspiring when you’re facing scary, put-yourself-out-there type work. OR you are going to make a BANG in this industry or in your community and build yourself a wonderful life along the way too.
Which one are you choosing?
Why you are stuck at your current income level in your dog training business…
Right now, you’re working with 3 or more clients a month, maybe even more.
But you’re starting to notice, it’s going to take a ton more work in order to get a decent income.
You might be thinking:
Will there be enough clients next month?
Will I ever get out of this feast or famine cycle?
How do I get more consistent income without completely burning out?
You started out as a dog trainer to save lives. To help people see the best in their dogs.
You looked around to see what others were pricing themselves at.
You saw that they were selling lessons, packages, and classes – so you started doing that too. It must be the norm.
It must be the expectation that clients will have.
You also used this approach to set your pricing – and maybe even your availability.
Ultimately, you set your whole dog training business to mimic what others were already doing.
I’m here to tell you I did TOO. And it’s OK if that’s how you start out.
Just know that it’s not the best strategy FOREVER and you can change it.
Deep down, you’re scared your business won’t last. You might be burning out. You might be feeling pressure to find a real job.
This just isn’t how you imagined it would be! These things might be happening…
You are not taking yourself seriously. You’re not seeing yourself as a CEO of a potentially super successful business.
You’re not seeing and explaining your own value to clients. You’re getting resistance to your prices as they already are because you’re not articulating how you’ll actually impact their lives. (Hint – Your value isn’t about how many hours of time they’ll get to spend with you…)
Your clients might be not-ideal because you want to help everyone that comes your way.
The 30 Days to 3K is exactly for the dog trainer that want to go from working with 3+ clients a month earning $200-$350 per client to working with 3+ clients a month earning $1000 or more per client. You’ll accomplish this by
1) Understanding what a premium dog training program looks like and includes.
2) Using a proven organic marketing strategy to generate new clients every day (no ads or referrals needed)
3) Discover the value and impact of your own services so you are confident while marketing and selling your services.
It is jam packed with the information, tools, systems, and templates to give you a mega jumpstart to earning $3,000 or more in your dog training business. When you put on your own oxygen mask and get your own head above water – you will be infinitely better off and able to help those in need (for free) if you want to. But you have to have take care of yourself first.
I used to also be nervous about it. I felt like I was trying to convince people to sign up and give me their money.
When you’re worried about having a sales call, you tend to procrastinate or avoid the work that matters most to generate new clients. If you’re not comfortable with sales, you’re not going to be motivated to put yourself in a situation to do sales.
It wasn’t until I changed my perspective that I became really comfortable with the sales process.
Sometimes asking questions is one of the best ways to do that.
Why is this sale important? (Other than money)
How will you impact someone’s life when they sign up with you? What do they stand to experience? In what ways are you going to improve their quality of life?
What will happen if they sign up?
How will you impact the dog’s quality of life? How will you show up for your client and go above and beyond for them in a way others won’t or can’t?
What will happen if they don’t sign up?
What might happen to the dog(s) that don’t get your help? Will they be put down? Given up? What will happen to the people? Will they be forced to DIY ineffectively? Will they have to turn to another type of trainer? There are, unfortunately, very real consequences for your potential clients if you don’t show up fully for them through your marketing and sales process.
What can I do to attract clients that are ready to commit? What can I do to attract clients that are already convinced that they want to work with me rather than just anyone off of Google?
What kind of content can you put out there that will differentiate yourself? That will resonate with your ideal clients? What can you do to find your ideal clients so that they become aware that you exist and can consider working with you?
Shift Your Perspective
One of the things that really changed my approach to sales with thinking of it more as a conversation than an time to convince someone to work with me. I’m not there to convince you – by the time we get on the phone, you should already know whether or not you trust what I have to say and recommend because you’ve read my marketing materials or watched my videos. (This is why marketing is so important!)
That sales call is about a conversation. About whether or not YOU are a right fit for MY program. I know I can help you – the question is – are you ready for the help I want to give you? Are you guiding your clients in the same way? Are your sales calls about explaining yourself or about understanding your potential clients?
If you’re not already there, join my FREE Facebook group! Each week I share loads of free tips and resources for your dog training business.
Its no question that there is a LOT to be concerned about these days. However, as a business owner, you have to stay focused.
You have to stay focused on your business’ growth and revenue. You don’t have the luxury of getting caught up in online arguments or polarizing new articles.
The following recommendations should help you refocus and reduce your overwhelm as we transition into a new world in 2021.
Intentional Social Media Use
Be very careful when you use social media and how much you use it. It is extremely easy to get caught up in news and posts – these platforms are designed to get you addicted.
Pro-Tip: Let yourself use social media but only after you’ve knocked out 3 important tasks for the day or only after 1pm in the afternoon.
Get Your Thoughts Out
Whether you want to journal regularly or go out on a solo walk to talk things through outloud with yourself – get your thoughts out. Journaling is a great way to couch yourself through the questions you have and might as others. See what your intuition has to say first!
You can journal about:
Your concerns
Your frustrations
Your regrets
Your fears
Your emotions
Engage Your Senses
Experiencing tunnel vision? Step out of your own thoughts by lighting a candle, playing your favorite playlist, or tapping a gong. Whatever you can do to stimulate a different sense can be a great way to refresh!
Workout
Find a way you enjoy to get your blood pumping! We all know at this point that working out released endorphins that make you feel good. Give yourself permission to take this time for yourself so that you can tackle the rest of the day with ease and a pep in your step. Dance, jog, do pushups – whatever helps you generate energy for the day.
Be Aware of Your Circle of Friends/ Family
You are the sum of the people you surround yourself with. Be careful who you are around in person or online as they will unconsciously influence your mood and your thoughts. Times change and people change, is it time to find someone else to being into your circle to give yourself the best chance for a great mood and less stress?
Express Your Gratitude
Make time to intentionally identify the things you’re grateful for every day. Nothing can put you in a great mood as fast as identifying 10 things you usually take for granted but that you are super grateful for. Can you count 10? Here are a few:
Electricity
A safe and warm house
Beautiful autumn leaves
The internet
Running water
Friends and family
Fun house plants
Halloween candy
Find Yourself a Pattern Interrupter
Create a slogan or motto you can repeat to yourself when you are feeling overwhelmed. something that can snap you our of the downward spiral of emotions. Use a phrase like “I’m okay” or “I’m safe right now” so remind your brain that you ARE okay right now and take a deep breath. Repeat this phrase to yourself when things feel exhausting or overwhelming.
After seeing these common trends in my clients, I thought it would be a good time to share these dos and don’ts so you don’t find yourself wasting time or energy in these ways.
DON’T Rely on Referrals for Business
You always want to have a lead (new client) generation strategy that is fully within your control. Many of my clients see success with referrals, but fail to have a back up plan in case referrals stop.
DO Have a Referral Program
You definitely should have an incentive to encourage clients to talk about you and promote you. You should also consistently network with other local service providers that serve the same clients so that you can have a powerful network and become a well-known local expert.
DON’T Rely on Getting New Clients All The Time
New clients are important, but don’t think that that is the only way to generate more revenue for your dog training business.
DO Stay in Touch With Existing Clients
Don’t underestimate the impact of staying in touch with your existing clients. They may need more help or simply keep you in mind next time a friend says they need help with their dog. Make sure you have a system to stay in touch with clients – trust me – they want to hear from you!
DON’T Waste Time on Social Media
Time and again, I see my clients constantly commenting on psts on socia media that are not moving their business forward. It’s easy to get sucked in! It gets me, too. Social media is important, but make sure you’re intentional about it.
DO Use Social Media to Your Advantage
Have a strategy in place to use social media to generate new clients for your dog training business. I have clients that generate new client inquiries EVERY DAY using the social media strategy I teach in my Clicks to Clients course. Stop scrolling and start creating to get more clients using this strategy:
DON’T Waste Time on Your Website
Trust me… It will NEVER be perfect. Hit publish and let it be. Focus on money generating tasks instead. Your website is your virtual storefront, it shows you exist, but make sure it doesn’t’ become an archive of long-winded explanations for everything you do. Keep it brief – and tell people to contact you. Use it to generate LEADS.
DO Build It and Let It Be (Or Hire It Out)
Your website could literally be one page and be enough for now. Tweaking it gives you the illusion of productivity – it keeps you from doing those scary, money-making activities you know you need to do.
You get into dog training to help pups. If you’re like me, you grew up always wanting to be around them.
I’d walk and petsit my neighbors dogs.
I spent most of my teenage years volunteering at my local no-kill shelter and helping local rescue groups evaluate, transport, and promote their dogs.
Becoming a dog trainer was always on my path as I’m sure you’ve experienced as well.
When I was first starting out on my own as a dog trainer, my love of dogs got in the way of making a living.
I wanted to help EVERYONE that came my way.
I even remember when I gave advice to a guy that called me trying to sell me an ad in the local magazine.
You know how they go, right? “Hey, you know, I have a dog that…. What do you think I should do?”
I was constantly giving away my expertise to people that didn’t know how long it took me to acquire it and didn’t even bother to implement it.
If you’re doing this too, ITS OKAY. But also… I want more for you!
Want dog training to be your main source of income? Want to open up a facility?
Well, its time to get serious and look at the money side of the equation.
Its scary. Maybe it even brings up feelings of shame when you talk about money.
Almost EVERY potential client I talk to on the phone shares their hesitation and even embarrassment when it comes to their money and revenue.
I’m not here to judge. I could care less! I’ve been there!
I just want you to know you can make more (MUCH more) and work with people that love you and do the work you ask of them.
But first, you have to decide you want that for yourself.
So let’s take a look at how you can generate more money with your dog training business…
Increase Your Prices
Do you know when it is time to increase your prices? Here are few red flags that your prices are too low…
You haven’t raise prices in 12 months. Its time. Every year you don’t raise prices, you’re LOSING money purely based on inflation. The value of a dollar is reduced each year – Remember how people could fill up their gas tank for less than $5? At the very LEAST you should be raising your prices to account for inflation. But I think you should raise your prices due to the increased experience you’ve gained, software you’ve upgraded to, continuing education you’ve invested in, etc… Your clients are getting a hell of a deal!
You’re booked solid but income has stagnated. Over the years I’ve spoken to hundreds of dog trainers (and even cat and horse trainers!) about the frustration and struggles of being booked out for WEEKS. They feel like they are letting their clients down by making them wait. I agree, you are letting them down – but you’re also letting yourself down. If you could work with FEWER clients and make MORE money, how would that impact your life? What would you do for fun? How would you be able to give back? Even create free resources for people that can’t afford you yet? Burning yourself out because your prices are too low is not helping anyone out in the long run.
Your clients are not compliant with your training protocol. Simply stated – they just don’t have enough skin in the game to care! When you make training TOO affordable, it becomes too easy to blow off the homework. There’s not much to lose. Your clients might quickly find that there are other things they’d rather be doing that training their pup.
You’re getting no-shows or cancellations. Again, people haven’t made a big enough investment to CARE about getting anything out of it or following through to the very end.
Be More Proactive About Handling Your Money
Did you know there are strategies available to help you know how to manage and budget your business’ revenue? I didn’t either which is why I’m sharing this resource with you.
As the business owner, you are taking the most risk and doing the most work (at least at first) so it makes sense that you should be PAYING yourself well for it!
So many trainers I speak to habitually reinvest the money from their dog training business into continuing education, tools for their dogs or facility, or find some other way to spend it instead of giving themselves a paycheck. This HAS to stop.
It is partly due to a lack of awareness of how money mindset can sabotage your success. And it is partly due to not having a proactive strategy when it comes to managing your business’ revenue.
Bundle Services Together for More Revenue Per Client
Can I just say it is HARD to find someone that will care for my dog as well as I could. Think about what a relief it would be if you did find someone that you could trust with your dog…
Well, your clients might just be willing and THRILLED about trusting you with the care of their pups so why not expand what you’re offering so that they have the opportunity to pay you and get your help even more?
Bundle Multiple Types of Services Together – Lateral Expansion
One of the ways you can do this is by expanding beyond training. Maybe you used to be a groomer? Maybe you used to walk dogs? Well, why not create a premium program that allows you to fully serve their pup? You can easily increase revenue by serving your existing clients even better.
Bundle Dog Training Services Together – Vertical Expansion
Another way to increase revenue per client is to develop a premium program that focuses on proving a specific transformation. This allows you to stop charging hourly and start charging based on the actual value you’re giving them by working with their dog. Get specific about where your client’s will end up after working with you and combine a variety of services to get them there fast and effectively. Convenience is SO valuable to busy people that want and need your help!
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