Revenue stream potential

Based on a recent study, the average horse owner spends between $200-300 dollars PER MONTH on veterinary care.

This is a huge cashflow for any animal business owner to tap into.

Tax rebate follow-up

The IRS is mailing out 'reminder letters' to 130 million Americans next week to promote the tax rebate program.

It's not too early to start marketing your business to harness this windfall for your animal business.

Spring planting for summer business

Last week, the local flower and garden show rolled through town. Sadly, I missed this annual ritual of oohhing and aaahhhing over all things flora while I rushed to do some tree planting of my own.

Regardless of the weather conditions in your particular area, it's time for every animal-business owner to start doing some spring planting of their own. And you should start NOW! Here's how:

With the fears of economic recession hitting our economy, the federal government created an economic stimulus package to kick-start consumer spending. The legislation includes "rebate checks" to be distributed to taxpayers later this year. Proponents of the plan believe this program will provide a much-needed boost to the economy. Critics fear the program will be too little, too late.

Regardless, starting in May, consumers are going to be receiving $600 checks. This will be found money, like a larger version of finding a twenty while doing the laundry. Rather than letting them tuck that check into their wallets and deposit into their bank accounts, a savvy business owner will create products or services specifically tailored to lever this windfall.

You should immediately begin packaging and marketing your business to capture these checks. And you should target the entire $600. In some cases, this will be easier than others. An animal massage school, for example, will have little difficulty finding ways to create a $600 package of classes, products, etc. A dog groomer, however, will have a greater challenge.

Using the animal massage school as an example of a high-ticket item to be packaged, you should keep in mind that you are targeting the full $600 and that you are rewarding the client for electing to spend the windfall with your business. Make sure the customer is getting something tangible for the $600, rather than just applying it to a much larger tuition. Give the customer something special for the $600. Consider running a "Tax Rebate Tuition Special" and give a free item if they spend $600 with you. Tailor your deposit/tuition structure so that people can get started for $600.

A dog groomer faces a challenge to capture the full rebate amount, since their services are much less than the overall check amount. Consider creating packages of services. Sell pre-paid packages or punch cards. Also, consider creating a package of grooming services for client and owner, where the dog might get the premium pampering package, and the owner gets a free massage at a local spa. Or perhaps you create a pamper weekend, where the dog gets a weekend of grooming and pampering at a local facility, and the owner gets a weekend at a local getaway. Try working with other businesses to create some interesting packages. Be creative.

Once the rebate checks start hitting the mailboxes, the media will start talking about all the ways people are spending the money. This can be a wonderful marketing/PR opportunity for you. Create a press release about your innovative tax rebate deal and get loads of free publicity. (Need help with a press release? Contact me.)

Lastly, make sure you start planting these ideas with your customers now. For the most part, people have not yet thought about these checks, and you can be first in line with your message. Plant the seeds now, and enjoy a bountiful harvest this summer, in the form of new customers and a basket full of $600 sales.

I know what I'm NOT having for dinner

Everyone hates spam. You do. I do. The media does. Politicians do. Everyone hates spam.

But, the reason spam is....everywhere.... is because it is effective and really really cheap for the producer. But if we choose to take a lesson from (but not sink to the depths of) all things-spammy, then we will quickly realize that there are innovative ways to leverage the cost-effectiveness of electronic marketing without making your customers cringe.

According to MarketingSherpa, here are the top viral marketing techniques used by the businesses today, with the percentage of those companies implementing that method.

• encouraging e-mail forwarding (91%)
• "tell-a-friend" boxes on websites (80%)
• online games, quizzes or polls (69%)
• cool microsites (54%)
• offering e-cards (47%)
• videocasts (46%)
• audiocasts (29%)

The number of videocasts will surely only increase over time, as more and more consumers adopt high-speed internet. Look for videocasts to reach 75% in the next 12 months, with audiocasts on the decline accordingly.

(Source: Entrepreneur magazine)

H2SAB: Loyal Companion Animal Care

We here at the cozy and snow-covered offices of Animalcareerist.com are pleased to announce an new feature here called H2SAB (or How to Start an Animal Business). This series will include interviews with actual business owners who are in the process of launching a new animal venture. Books can provide a wealth of information, but the stories from people actually in the process of opening a business are invaluable to others who are considering an animal business.


Today, we start the feature with Dr Craig Miller of Loyal Companion Animal Care of Redmond WA. Dr. Miller was kind enough to take time out of his holidays and last-minute preparations (his clinic opened on Jan 7) to share some of his thoughts about starting a new business.

Animalcareerist: Dr Miller, why did you decide to open your own practice?

Dr. Miller: I have wanted to own my own veterinary practice for almost 5 years now. Owning my own practice allows me to combine my love for medicine with my interest in business. Now originally I planned to buy an established practice. However, I found after 2 years of searching that there were few practices for sale that met my criteria. I realized after a while that if I wanted the practice I was envisioning, I was going to have to build it.

AC: How did you choose the location?

Dr. Miller: I chose Redmond Ridge Washington for several reasons. Personally, I like the area - its an attractive area with its own community. Business aspects also made sense. It's a newly developed area with great growth potential without a veterinarian, so the demand is there. I was looking for a highly educated community which it has as well. And it's near my home, so I have a short commute which was important to me.

AC: What is the focus of the practice, in regard to species, types of clients, services, etc?

Dr. Miller: We will be a full service small animal (dogs and cats) hospital. Our services will be general medicine and surgery, what I like to consider as a family practice. This includes pediatrics, geriatrics, wellness, parasite control, dentistry, and access to a full service reference laboratory. I have contacts with emergency hospitals and specialty practices (dermatology, ophthalmology, specialist surgeons, internal medicine specialists) in addition to regular case discussions with other veterinarians. Our focus on clients will be our surrounding community, providing care as if each patient were our own pet, and in educating owners. (Click "Read more!" for the full interview.)

AC: Over time, as your practice develops, what other projects or plans do you have for the practice?

Dr. Miller: I have built some flexibility into the floor plan of the hospital as I hope to expand it to a 3-doctor practice eventually.

AC: What are some of the hot trends that you are embracing in your practice?

Dr. Miller: Medicine is a continuously evolving field as new knowledge and new technologies emerge. The biggest trend in veterinary medicine is that people consider their pets a part of their family, and demand high quality veterinary care. We will always strive to provide our owners with options for the best care. For example, I have a variety of equipment to provide safe anesthesia, from fluid pumps, monitors of blood pressure, heart rate, and oxygenation of the blood, to warm air blankets. In addition, we have digital medical records, which hold numerous advantages to paper records. Over time I think more clinics will convert to computerized records, but that transition for an established practice can be quite a hurdle.

AC: What are some of the trends that don't really fit into your vision of the practice?

Dr. Miller: Veterinary medicine has several corporations that own chains of veterinary clinics/hospitals. These corporations are buying more and more private veterinary hospitals. I will not be a corporate clinic, and will strive to set myself apart from them with more personal touch.

AC: You are building a new facility within a shopping center. On the plus side, you have a clean slate to work with, but someone also has to do the design. Who designed your facility and how long did it take?

Dr. Miller: It IS a plus to have a clean slate, but it is also a lot more work. My facility was designed by a veterinary-specific architect based in Louisiana who knows the unique demands of a veterinary practice in terms of odor control, cleanliness, equipment, and that there are certain things that dogs will do! Because the shell of the building was already built, we had a tight time line to try and get everything built. Since my architect was in Louisiana, I also had to hire a local architect to oversee that the project met state and county requirements. Our third input was from a veterinary specific general contractor, which was key, as they understand what works and doesn't work in a veterinary facility. All in all, the design phase took about 3 months, but the entire negotiation of lease to completion of construction took about 8 and 1/2 months, which is very quick compared to industry average.

AC: Were there any unexpected issues that have come up during the construction process?

Dr. Miller: There are always issues that come up during construction, and that is why it was key to have a veterinary-specific construction firm. Right off the bat, our first subcontractor who bid on the plumbing dropped out, so that delayed the start of construction by two weeks. Another issue that developed was a large piece of equipment I was purchasing, a lifting wet table for dentistries, was taller that the cabinets. Luckily, the construction supervisor caught this issue early in the construction process, and so we were able to redesign our cabinets around the table.

AC: Any problems with permitting or zoning since this is an animal business?

Dr. Miller: We were very nervous about the permitting process because I had heard it could take a very long time. We had even written an addendum to our lease that if we got held up by the county for more than 6 months, or if they would not permit a veterinary hospital, then we could get out of our lease. Luckily, the permit process went smoothly.

AC: What is your initial staffing plan for the practice?

Dr. Miller: I will be the only doctor to start with, and I have hired a licensed veterinary technician, a full and part-time veterinary assistant, and a receptionist.

AC: Have you started hiring?

Dr. Miller: They are all hired and eager to start.

AC: Working with animals requires a special breed of person (pun intended). Describe the perfect candidate for your office.

Dr. Miller: The perfect candidate has an eagerness to learn, a love of animals with a stomach for blood and diarrhea, respect for clients, the ability to multi-task and work in a team environment, and a great sense of humor.

AC: How does someone get your attention to get put on top of the very large pile of resumes?

Dr. Miller: Experience is huge, and a well-written cover letter that addresses any potential holes in their resume. I look specifically for why someone wants to come work at my hospital, versus someone who is looking for "a job".

AC: Have you started marketing?

Dr. Miller: Yes, we have multiple forms of marketing. I have been writing educational articles for the Redmond Ridge newsletter, our website, we have a flyer in Valpak and in front of our hospital, we hung a banner in front of our space from the beginning, we are listed in the yellow pages, and we held an open house.

AC: What plans do you have for marketing in the future?

Dr. Miller: Word of mouth is huge in the veterinary industry, so I hope as time goes by, we will become a well-known service in the community. We will also track how clients find us so we are able to quantitatively measure what are the most effective methods of marketing.

AC: How important will the internet be in your marketing efforts?

Dr. Miller: Because we are located close to Microsoft, and many in our community work there, the internet will be important. It is difficult to quantify it at the moment, but I think it will be third in importance, behind location and word of mouth. I also plan to continue to update my website with educational information and links. So it will be important not only for marketing, but also for education.

AC: Opening a new practice is very time-consuming, capital-intensive and a great deal of hard work. Yet, once the doors open, and your lobby is full of smiling customers, wagging tails and purring kitties, it'll all be worth it. That said, what have been the biggest thrills so far in building your new practice?

Dr. Miller: This has been a dream of mine for almost 5 years now, to own my own practice, so finding the location and deciding that now was the time and place to do it was very exciting. Also watching the building transform from a shell, to studs, to painted walls, has been very exciting. Recently, getting my first appointment request through my website was a compliment.

AC: What has been the biggest disappointment so far?

Dr. Miller: Having the heating not shut off and run the clinic up to 95 degrees 4 days after the final walk through was disappointing. But the problem has been identified and fixed. Luckily no one (but me) had to work in those conditions. I did not move to Florida to open a veterinary hospital for a reason!

AC: What has been the biggest surprise you've encountered?

Dr. Miller: When I contacted a technician whom I had worked with before to ask her if she knew any techs who might be interested working for me, and she replied "Yes, me!"

AC: Lastly, do you have any advice for entrepreneurs interested in opening their own animal business?

Dr. Miller: Do your due diligence. You will need it for the bank to loan you money, and also so you can sleep at night when you have time. Consider how to set yourself apart. It is a lot of hard work, and many things you will have to learn about that you probably never knew (nor cared to) before.

AC: Thank you for your time and good luck with your new practice, Dr Miller.

Dr Craig Miller recently opened Loyal Companion Animal Care in the Redmond Ridge area of Redmond WA. He is currently taking new patients, by appointment. Contact Dr Miller at (425)868-7000 or via his website at http://loyalcompanionanimalcare.com. The clinic is located at 22330 NE Market Place Drive, Suite 115, Redmond WA 98053.

Bookstore is now open!

In the past decade, I've compiled a short list of books that I think are invaluable to anyone seeking to start a business in the animal world. These books cover a wide range of topics, and each covers a specific area of importance. None of them are heavy on jargon or buzzwords, but instead use plain language to get across their important points.

Which is the best? I'm not sure I could pick just one. "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" changed my life, so it has a special place in my heart. But "Not Just a Living" helps bridge the divide between working for someone else and creating your own business. "The Art of the Start" will give you the kick-in-the-pants to start that business within the first 20 pages. "How to Close Every Sale" was the book that actually made me feel good about sales. "Selling the Invisible" addresses the special issues related to selling services. "The E-myth" series tell you how to make a business sustainable. "What Clients Love" helps give your business the sizzle it needs in a rapidly maturing and competitive marketplace.

I've chosen all of them because they are timeless, easy-to-read, and affordable. Start with one (or two) and build your own library. You'll be glad you did.

New site feature!

Introducing Snap Shots from Snap.com

I just installed a nice little tool on this site called Snap Shots that enhances links with visual previews of the destination site, interactive excerpts of Wikipedia articles, MySpace profiles, IMDb profiles and Amazon products, display inline videos, RSS, MP3s, photos, stock charts and more.

Sometimes Snap Shots bring you the information you need, without your having to leave the site, while other times it lets you "look ahead," before deciding if you want to follow a link or not.

Should you decide this is not for you, just click the Options icon in the upper right corner of the Snap Shot and opt-out.

Ho Ho Have a flyer

I had business in downtown Seattle yesterday, and I came away with a full dose of holiday spirit. Nevermind the rain, the 4 cops getting yelled at by the homeless guy, the car that ran the redlight and nearly ran me over. Nope. Nothing could deter my holidaygleeishness.

I had some time before my appointment, and wandered over to Pike Place Market for lunch. (Actually, I had lunch at the pasta bar in the "Sanitary Market" across the street, which is less touristy and you don't have to watch for flying fish.)

The entire downtown is in full holiday mode, and spending 10 mins in the market can really get you revved up for the holidays. It's just a darned happy place and the decorations and gifts and smells really make for a nice way to kill a half-hour.

After my meeting, I just missed my bus (see: car running red light above), so while sipping an eggnog latte and waiting for the next bus, I wandered through Westlake Park, which is the epicenter of all things Noel.

I noticed a banner above the stage erected at the center of the park. "Pet Day Dec 1. Have your photo taken with Santa". What a great opportunity for meeting new clients. People will have their pets (and their wallets), be in a festive mood, and will be a captive audience (ie they will be standing in line).

Here are some tips on how to "work" and event like this:

1) Create a short pitch. "Hi! What a cute pup/cat/bird you have there. I'm Jenny and I have a dog walking service. Here's my card. If you ever need a dog walker, give me a ring." Short and simple and give them a way to contact you.

2) Make sure your cards or flyers inlcude your name, phone, email and website. (Need any of these? Contact us at Chew Toy Media for a free consult.)

3) Sell products? Have samples to show or a backpack full of inventory to sell. Have ample change to enable you to make a quick easy sale. Round off prices. Check with the event organizer about prohibitions on vending on site.

4) Sell services? Pass out flyers detailing your skills. Sell gift certificates. (They are instant cash, and between 6-19% don't get used.) Do demonstrations, but keep them short and ask onlookers to take a card or flyer if you can't hand one to them yourself.

5) Have fun. Smile and create a buzz. People want to be associated with happy people. Wear something festive.

6) Ask people to sign up for your mailing list. Make follow-up calls.

7) Take notes afterward on ways to better work this event next year.

You'll be amazed at how quickly time will fly, and you'll walk away from the event with new energy and your own dose of holiday spirit.

Spot the Trend!

Our local paper, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, has a feature article about the growth of do-it-yourself dog washes in our area. This time of year, business really picks up at these establishments, since our pets are now inside most of the time due to inclement weather. Also, a stinky dog can really put a damper on a family gathering during the holidays. So these businesses are doing really well.

"Like most self-service facilities, The Wash Dog offers several private rooms, each equipped with a standing-height stainless steel sink, a board that older or smaller dogs can use to enter and exit the sink and steps that younger dog washers can stand on. Aprons are available for those doing the washing." Rates start at $15 for 30 mins, and most shops offer all sorts of extras like nail clipping, and anal gland expression.

It's a good business model. Provide a service in a fast, efficient way. Set the price point where most people won't hesitate to make the purchase, then offer extras which will push up the total order amount.

However, one point jumped out at me and in the context of starting a NEW animal business. They are turning away business.

The article tells us "an informal count reveals 11 such facilities in the Puget Sound region, and "there are definitely new ones opening up," said Mike Ruffo, 33, co-owner of GroomingSPA Greenlake. "We send others our business if there's too much. There's enough to go around.""

So they get so busy they are turning customers away. And the demand is growing. So in the future, they'll be turning away even MORE customers.

How to fix this? Raise prices. Music to every accountant's ears, but most owners are really reluctant to implement a price increase, for fear of alienating their customers. But if they are turning away customers, aren't they alienating them then too? (Sorry. You have to load your dirty dog back in the car and drive to the ABC dog wash. We are too busy for you. But come back soon, ok?)

But there are ways to raise prices without alienating your customer. How? Add value.

I remember reading over the weekend that a 15-minute shower uses 60 gals of water. I thought that seemed high, so I found this water consumption calculator online. It's true. The average shower head has a rated flow of nearly 4 gallons per minute. So add in a customer using the toilet while at the shop (5 gals), and another 5 gals for washing the towels, and that 15-min dog wash session used a whopping 70 gals of water. At only 8 customers a day, a dog wash uses over 200,000 gallons of water annually.

Anyone who has driven around the Whole Foods parking lot looking for an available space knows that anything green or organic is HOT. So why not merge green and dog washes and create a green dog wash? Install a gray-water recycling system, use green shampoos and cleaning products, install low-flow showerheads, install compact flourescent light bulbs, and whatever else will save water and energy.

Then equally important: TELL EVERYONE! Every media outlet is clamoring for any type of story that has a "green twist". Send out a letter/email to every media outlet. Send emails to your customers. Post signs in your shop (and maybe even add some photos of the rainforest, polar bears, etc to your shop). Add "green" words to your ads.

Here are the messages you want to get across: 1) we are the area's first and only green dog wash, 2) we use XX% less water than our competitors, 3) a green dog is a healthy dog.

So now that you have differentiated your business from all the others AND created a perception of added value over those competitors, you can raise your prices accordingly. How much? Considering the significant barriers to your customers to make the modifications necessary just to meet your business model, I would suggest charging at least 15-20% more than the competition in your area. Call it the Green Premium.

(Photo credit: Meryl Schenker / P-I)

It's a business

This might seem obvious. In fact, many of you will furrow your brow at what you are about to read. But I think it bears saying, all the same.

It's a BUSINESS!!!

If you are either involved in an animal career or thinking about starting one, you need to remember that although working with animals is a great way to spend the day, at end of the day, at least some of your success is based on the number of clients you saw and the amount of money in your wallet.

It's not all about money, and it's not all about having loads of clients. But in order to keep your business going, you need to mind the business side of your practice.

Some tips:

• Surround yourself with good advisors. At a minimum, you'll need an attorney, an accountant, and a web designer.
• Create a structured schedule. Set aside specific times when you work on sales, marketing, finances, business development.
• Pick one day a week where you do nothing but the business development activities mentioned above.
• Ask for feedback. Your customers can tell you a lot about your business if you just ask.

If you aren't willing to do at least these few steps, then you are likely interested in an animal hobby, not an animal business.

Get started!

Making a sale isn't easy. Otherwise, everyone would be doing it.



Entrepreneur's Barry Farber offers 3 suggestions to getting your animal business started:



1) Activity increases confidence. Feeling unsure of your abilities? Consider volunteering in order to gain confidence (and contacts!). Being active in your field of interest will help you feel more confident about your ability.



2) Success breeds success. After making a sale, go out and try to make 5 more. New customers will see your enthusiasm and excitement and will be more likely to want to work with you.



3) Push your comfort zone. Have you been avoiding that "tough customer" who has a grumpy reputation? Shake things up and set up an appointment. What's the worst that can happen?

Googling your business

Search engine marketing can and should play a large role in your marketing/advertising budget.

All of the major search engines have ad programs which allow small businesses to create ads and buy ad space on search results pages. Since the majority of searches are done on Google, I'll focus on them, but most search engine ad programs are similar.



Here are some tips for effective use of Google's ad program:



1) The ad: The ads themselves are very small, so you want to make sure you use that space wisely. Use action words to get customers to click on your ad to learn more about you. Be specific enough so that people who are clicking on you are actually potential customers.



2) The "keywords": Keywords are words or phrases which a person enters into a search engine. You select keywords for your ad campaign, in hopes that your customer will enter the same keywords in order to find you. If you are a pet sitter in Omaha, you might select "pet", "petsitting" and "Omaha" as some of your keywords. Be careful in selecting your keywords. Choose the wrong keyword and you'll reach people who aren't potential customers (and pay for them to see your ads!)



3) PPC bids: Keywords are bid on using a pay-per-click (PPC) basis, meaning each time a user clicks on your ad, you pay Google for that click. Some keywords can be bid on for 5 cents per click. Others may cost much more. You should select a daily or monthly budget in order to limit the clicks and cost.



4) Tracking: Using conversion tracking and analytics programs provided with the Google program, you can tell how many visitors or customers have come to you from your ads and calculate a Return on Investment analysis for each of your ads.

Anyone can create a search engine ad campaign. Don't want to spend the time or want a more effective campaign strategy? Contact us at Chew Toy Media for a free consultation.

Trendspotting

In the years I have been involved in the animal business, I've noticed that trends have a certain, predictable flow to them. Historically, many innovations began in the horse industry, then migrated to the pet industry, starting first with dogs, then cats, exotics, etc.

Why the horse industry? Well, before pets became BIG business, there was a disparate amount of money spent in the horse world, including at the race track, in the competition ring and even earlier, in the military. Horses have been big business for centuries. Since businesses are always looking for an edge, innovation became a big part of the industry.

In the last decade, a pet's place in a family has evolved from secondary cast member (think Tiger from The Brady Bunch) to become ingrained as part of our family unit--true family members. So I think this "trend flow" is also shifting. While the equine industry will be a source of new innovations and careers in the animal world, I believe the new trend pattern is from human family members to their pets.

"Any trend you see in human foods, about 6 months later, it pops up on the pet food side of the ledger," says American Pet Product Manufacturers Association President Bob Vetere. "It's finally dawned on marketers that the same person who's buying food for the family is buying food for the pet."

Looking for a new career? What's hot in the human world? As the buzz begins to fade in the two-legged economy, a new opportunity may be ripe for the picking in serving our four-legged friends.

All signs say ???

I spent the afternoon at Microsoft doing some user-interface testing in exchange for free software. I love the whole process of new product development, and it's a great way to see how the 800-lb gorillas start a business. Plus free pop. What a deal.

I live about 4 miles from the testing facility which is on the outskirts of Redmond. The drive home consists of 2-lane roads and the traffic is backed up in the afternoon when school lets out.

As I was putting along at 5mph, I noticed all of the horse farms in the area known as Gunshy Ridge. There were five farms in a 2-mile stretch. All had various forms of signage-- some signs were a little weather worn, while others were looked brand-new.

But not a single one had a web address on their sign. Not one.

More surprisingly, when I returned home, I checked to see if any of these farms even had websites. Four of the five farms did, in fact, have websites. But no one driving by would know it. There are likely 5000 cars a day traveling by these farms. 5000 customers. Every day. Going right on past.

The takeaway?

Whether you are at ground-zero of the tech world, or somewhere else altogether, if you have a website, tell people about it! Spend $100 at your local sign shop and reach those customers!

The Snicker factor

No. Not the candy bar.

I'm talking about the reaction some of us have gotten when we've told our friends/families/co-workers that we were planning to embark on an career path which included animals. Or when you approach a potential customer and they look at you like you are from another planet.

We have all faced the skeptics, at some point, haven't we?

Of course, in the last 5 years especially, the animal boom has been widely documented and legitimized in the mainstream press. Nonetheless, when you mention over lunch to your sister that you are planning to leave that perfectly fine 9-to-5 job to start a doggie day care, you may very well hear some skepticism in her voice. Likewise your parents, your boss, your bank, and most importantly, new customers.

I faced the same reactions. I was a former corporate ladder-type and I was now making a living selling animal massage classes around the world. When we attended a trade show, the reactions were mixed. Some people had heard of us, others were curious, and still others literally laughed out loud and elbowed their companion in the ribs saying "Hey, look! Animal massage! That's the craziest thing I've ever heard."

It used to get me down. Then I read a book called "How to Close Every Sale" by Joe Girard. In the book, Girard (a car salesman) tells the reader that the skeptics are actually more likely to become a customer than you might think. "Objections are an expression of interest," he writes. "I've always believed that when somebody tells me why he doesn't want to buy my product, he's expressing a willingness to listen to why he SHOULD buy."

At the next tradeshow, I tried this strategy. Everytime someone would visibly object, I would say "Yeah, goofy huh. Animal massage...." And then they would always stop. And then I would give them The Pitch. (People are spending lots of money on their pets. Pets are living longer. Animal massage is recognized as a having a wide range of benefits. Animal massage is a great career for someone who wants to work with pets.) Some of these people would become our most loyal customers.

The next time you are greeted with a chuckle or a laugh when you tell someone about your animal career, use it to your advantage. Be prepared and respond with facts and data about your field. Tell them about your training. Tell them about your experience. Tell them in a short, sweet way, how you can help them.

You'll be surprised how well they'll listen and help you turn those snickers into..

To vet or not to vet

As I mentioned in a previous post, there are varying opinions on how closely a person involved in an animal career might want to partner with a veterinarian. But first, why is this even an issue? Let's look at some reasons:

• Regulation: Depending on where you live, your animal business may be regulated by the state or local veterinary laws. In some states, you may even be prohibited from providing certain services or using certain terms in relation to your business. In other jurisdictions, you might be required to operate under the guidance of a veterinarian. An example of this would be animal massage, which, is regulated to varying levels in different states.
• Liability: Operating your business in partnership with a veterinarian may create a shared liability should a negative event occur.
• Customer base: As mentioned earlier, an established veterinary practice has an established customer base which you can tap into.

These are all pros or cons depending on your viewpoint. Some people want to work alone, and would rather create their business independently. Others are more focused on rapidly building their business into a sustainable entity as quickly as possible, without regard to how their create their success. Either way, when starting your animal business, you should at least consider what role a veterinarian might play, especially early on in the process.

Fishing for customers

It's fall and in these parts of the country, that means the salmon are running. All this buzz about fish has me thinking about the way in which business owners find customers.

This summer, my friend Michele and I loaded up the kayaks and went to a local lake. I took my fishing pole, eager to catch a trout for breakfast. The lake was only about a half mile long, and quite narrow. As we put in, I noticed a group of about 10 small boats in one corner of the lake. I decided to head off in another direction, paddling to the other end of the lake.

My friend tagged along, eager to see me catch a fish. After 30 mins, I hadn't gotten a single bite. Michele paddled off to explore, while I intently continued my casting. About an hour later, Michele returned and asked how I was doing. I told her I hadn't had a bite yet. So she said helpfully "Hey, I went over to where all those people are, and they are catching lots of fish. Why don't you go over there?"

Stubbornly, I refused. I sat in the same spot for another two hours and never had a single bite. Fishless, dissappointed and hungry, we stopped for muffins and coffee on the way home and the fishing pole went on the wall in the garage for a few months.

My own stubbornness on that lake reminded me of some conversations I had with students while teaching business development at the Northwest School of Animal Massage. Within the first 5 minutes of the class, invariably, someone would ask the question "How do I find clients for my new animal massage practice?" And I would reply "Well, the simplest way is to find a veterinarian to partner with who will provide you referrals. They have dozens of clients a day and at least one could benefit from a massage."

The reaction to my advice was predictable. A few people would ask more questions about the process of approaching a vet, compensation sharing, etc. Others would quietly take notes.

But there was always at least one person in each class who, upon hearing my advice, would vehemently disagree. Usually this person would speak up. "There is NO WAY I am EVER working with a veterinarian!" was the usual reaction. Then this same person would close their notebook, fold their arms and look out the window for the rest of the session.

Just as I had stubbornly refused to go to the fish, these new business owners were refusing to go to the customers. As an animal business owner, where are YOUR customers? A vet office? A dog park? A horse farm? A street fair?

You can't expect the customers to come to you. You need to go to them. Otherwise, you'll go hungry.

Introducing Sophie

I'm pleased to introduce Sophie Paladichuk as member of the animalcareerist family.

Sophie has extensive experience in sales, marketing and design. Look for posts from Sophie focused on helping our readers kickstart their animal businesses with a dash of flair.

Panda Marketing

From time to time, we all get emails from friends containing jokes, videos, and links to other sites. On many occasions, these emails are forwarded from other people.

The other day, I received an email containing a link to a video of a sneezing baby panda. It's hilarious, adorable and I had to watch it 3-4 times in order to actually understand what was happening.

Then I forwarded it on to more friends.

About a day later, I went looking for the email to watch the video a fifth time. But I stopped to look at the actual email itself. It had been forwarded 7 times before it got to me. (And who knows how many times prior to that...) The first person forwarded it to 17 people, who forwarded it on to 9 friends, and so on. I could see where 74 people had received this email, and that's not even counting how many others it was forwarded to upstream from me.

This is viral marketing at it's purest form. Consider an item forwarded to 5 friends. If each of them forward it on to 5 friends, and so on, after only 5 handoffs, incredibly 3125 people have received it!

So next time you get one of those funny videos or emails, consider adding your business information (name, website, business description, etc) before forwarding. By the end of the day, you may have your name in front of 3000 new customers!

Oh, and here's that video:

3-2-1 Liftoff!

Welcome to Animalcareerist.com! Join us on a journey into the business side of the animal industry. We'll be covering all aspects of the animal business world: planning your new business, sales and marketing, industry news, products, services, success stories. We'll also incorporate interviews, book reviews and funny stories along the way.

Obviously, every species of animal is different. However, we believe there are common threads to every successful animal business, regardless of the animal or breed specialty. In fact, you can learn a great deal about your area of specialty or interest just by looking at how other markets are being served. (More on this subject later.) So just because a topic is related to a different area of interest, don't click away. Instead, consider how that idea might be incorporated into YOUR own business.

In the meantime, we welcome any comments, tips, and stories you would like to share.