The Poodle to Pitbull Pet Business Podcast

Are you winging your accounts and hoping everything is in the right box? Do you know whether you should be a sole trader, limited company, or something else entirely? And could one bad finance decision quietly cost your pet business thousands? In this episode, I'm joined by Vicky Clark, founder of The Pet Accountant and Pet Pro Expo. Vicky works exclusively with pet businesses across the UK, helping groomers, walkers, trainers, boarders, daycare owners, and other pet professionals get their finances, bookkeeping, tax, and business structure properly sorted. We talk about the biggest accounting mistakes pet business owners make, why DIY finances can quickly go wrong, and why copying advice from random Facebook comments is usually a terrible idea. Vicky also shares how The Pet Accountant started almost by accident, why choosing the right business structure matters, and how one client nearly overpaid HMRC by more than £13,000 because her tax return had been completed incorrectly. We also dig into Pet Pro Expo, why Vicky created the event, and why UK pet business owners need more proper business education if they want to stand out, charge more, and build something sustainable. In this episode, you'll discover: • Why DIY Accounting Can Cost You – How getting figures wrong can lead to huge tax mistakes and missed savings. • The Sole Trader vs Limited Company Question – Why choosing the wrong structure can create expensive problems later. • Why Facebook Isn't Your Accountant – How bad advice from random groups can leave pet business owners exposed. • The Value of Proper Business Support – Why working with people who understand the pet industry makes a real difference. • Inside Pet Pro Expo – How Vicky's business conference is helping UK pet business owners improve pricing, mindset, marketing, finance, and growth. If you want to find out more about The Pet Accountant, head to: petaccountant.co.uk And if you want to grab one of the remaining tickets for Pet Pro Expo, go to: petproexpo.co.uk Thanks to our amazing show sponsor Pawpal. Find out how Pawpal can make your life easier by going to www.pawpal.uk If you want to join Dom's Dog Daycare Success Academy got to www.petbusinessmarketing.com click here now

Is your daycare safe, professional, certified… yet completely forgettable? Are you losing attention because your business looks and sounds like every other pet resort in town? And what would change if you stopped playing it safe and started making your business more interesting? In this episode, I'm asking a blunt but important question: is your dog daycare too boring? After recent Dog Daycare Success Academy trainings around goal setting, vision, and building more fun into your business, I'm digging into why fun, personality, entertainment, and experience matter more than most pet business owners realise. I share the story behind BMFI — Be More F@cking Interesting — a lesson I originally taught dog owners in my first book, How to Be Your Dog Superhero. Back then, the message was simple: if you want your dog's attention, stop being dull. Today, I'm turning that same mirror onto your business. Because most daycares are beige, predictable, and clinical, and "safe supervised play" is no longer enough to stand out. We also explore why affluent dog owners crave experiences, why boring businesses become vulnerable, and how premium pricing gives you the breathing room to create a daycare people actually talk about. In this episode, you'll discover: Why Safe Isn't Enough – How "we love dogs" and "supervised play" became the bare minimum, not a USP. The BMFI Business Lesson – Why being more interesting applies just as much to your daycare as it does to dog training. What Affluent Owners Really Want – Why premium clients are looking for stories, experiences, emotion, and validation. The Danger of Being Forgettable – How indifference quietly kills client loyalty and opens the door for competitors. Why Premium Pricing Funds Creativity – How better margins allow you to create themed experiences, better marketing, stronger staff, and real wow moments. If you want to get my world famous weekly emails then go here to sign up now And if you want to join the Dog Daycare Success Academy wait list, head to: petbusinessmarketing.com/successacademy Another huge thank you to our sponsors PawPal, who's amazing services you can find out more about here.

Do you know your business needs to change… but keep putting off the big moves? What happens when you put ambitious dog daycare owners in a room and force them to think bigger? And could the right accountability finally push you to raise prices, set proper goals, and get serious about growth? In this episode, I'm sharing more behind-the-scenes audio from the first Dog Daycare Success Academy immersion event in Boston. You'll hear directly from DDSA members as they talk about their biggest takeaways from the room — from dreaming bigger and setting clearer 90-day goals, to targeting more affluent clients, adding premium tiers, and finally taking proper action on pricing. I also explain why the DDSA doors are closing again, what new members go through during onboarding, and why the programme is designed to help serious dog daycare and pet resort owners stop drifting and start building a more profitable, valuable, and focused business. If you've been sitting on the fence, wondering whether this is the right room for you, this episode gives you a real feel for the people, the energy, and the results inside the academy. In this episode, you'll discover: Why Big Goals Matter – How clearer one-year, three-year, and five-year thinking changes the way you run your business. The Power of Pricing Confidence – Why raising prices is often the first serious step toward better clients and better profits. What Happens in the Room – How peer feedback, hot seats, and 90-day accountability create faster action. Why Premium Positioning Works – How targeting affluent clients changes your marketing, service, and revenue. Who DDSA Is Really For – Why this programme is built for owners who want to do more, make more, and actually implement. Want to know more about how the Dog Daycare Success Academy can help you dramatically grow your dog daycare or pet resort? Then you need to enroll before the deadline on June 7th. Click here to enroll now! Thanks to our amazing show sponsor Pawpal. Click here to find out more about how their amazing booking app can help save you time and money. Find out more here

Are you giving your best clients the kind of experience that makes them stay, spend, and refer? What can Disney, Club 33, and world-class direct marketers teach you about premium pet care? And how do you build a daycare that doesn't just supervise dogs — but removes worry from their owners' lives? In this episode, I'm talking about two big lessons I picked up from Brian Kurtz and Barry Jacobson at a recent mastermind in Florida. Brian is one of the true legends of direct response marketing and the author of Overdeliver, while Barry spent decades helping Disney create VIP, luxury, and members-only experiences for some of their most valuable guests. I unpack how Brian's RFM principle can help you identify your best clients, reward them properly, and create higher-priced services around what they already want. Then I dive into Barry's Disney-style lesson that luxury isn't really about piling on more stuff — it's about removing worry, creating certainty, and making people feel genuinely looked after. If you want to build a more premium, experience-led pet business, this episode will help you rethink what "overdelivering" really means. In this episode, you'll discover: The Power of RFM – How recency, frequency, and monetary value help you identify your best clients. Why Best Clients Deserve More – How rewarding loyal clients creates more referrals, retention, and revenue. What Luxury Really Means – Why premium service is less about fancy extras and more about removing worry. Building a Fortress of Trust – How great daycare experiences give dog owners peace of mind all day long. Where the Industry Is Heading – Why smart operators are moving away from warehouse-style daycare and toward personalised, experience-led service. If you want work with Dom and join the Dog Daycare Success Academy wait list, head to: petbusinessmarketing.com/successacademy Thanks to our amazing show sponsor Pawpal. Find out how their amazing booking platform can save you time and money with your own company branded app! Click here to find out more

Are you trying to fix your profit problem by adding more dogs through the door? What if the money you need is already sitting inside your existing client base? And how could a few simple offers create a quick cashflow surge without adding more chaos to your facility? In this episode, I'm sharing a practical training on how to find the hidden money in your dog daycare. After the first Dog Daycare Success Academy immersion event in Boston, where we focused heavily on profit, pricing, labour costs, and 90-day goals, I wanted to give you three simple ways to increase revenue without chasing more new clients. I explain why most daycare owners default to the "more dogs" solution, why that often leads to more stress rather than more profit, and how existing clients are usually the fastest and easiest route to extra cash. From sending direct offers to your current list, to increasing attendance, to creating a proper value ladder, these are simple moves that can unlock money already sitting inside your business. If you're busy, full, and still struggling to make payroll, this episode will help you stop looking only at volume and start pulling the profit levers that actually matter. In this episode, you'll discover: What Hidden Money Really Means – Why your existing client base is often your fastest route to extra profit. The Three Ways to Grow – How price, frequency, and client value drive revenue without adding more chaos. The $1,000 Email – Why one simple direct offer can create a fast cashflow bo Getting Clients to Come More Often – How increasing attendance from existing clients creates easy money. Building a Value Ladder – Why good, better, best services help affluent clients spend more with you. If you want to add your name to the waiting list for the Dog Daycare Success Academy, head to: petbusinessmarketing.com/successacademy Thanks to PawPal our amazing show sponsor! Check them out here

Are you busy, fully booked… and still not making the money you expected? Have you built a business that looks successful on the outside but feels exhausting on the inside? And what if the real problem isn't your marketing… but the client model you've built your business on? In this episode, I'm unpacking what I believe is one of the biggest lies in the dog daycare industry — that being busy equals being successful. Fresh back from a couple of days away in Spain, I found myself reflecting on why so many daycare owners struggle to take time off, and it led me down a rabbit hole of conversations, comments, and patterns I've seen repeated over the last decade. We dive into the ongoing debate around pricing, premium positioning, and marketing to affluent dog owners — including some pushback I've had online — and I break down why sticking with a low-price, high-volume model is one of the fastest ways to stay stuck, stressed, and underpaid. I also share lessons from my own journey building a premium pet business, why the market is shifting whether you like it or not, and what you need to do if you want to future-proof your business and actually enjoy the lifestyle you set out to create. In this episode, you'll discover: The "Busy = Successful" Myth – Why being fully booked doesn't automatically mean you're building a profitable business. The Real Cost of Low Pricing – How attracting price-driven clients leads to more stress, less loyalty, and weaker margins. Why the Market Is Changing – How competition, rising costs, and smarter operators are forcing a shift in the industry. The Premium Positioning Advantage – Why targeting affluent dog owners leads to better clients, higher profits, and a more stable business. What Needs to Change First – Why this isn't a marketing problem… it's a business model problem. If you're ready to rethink your pricing, positioning, and overall business model, you can learn more about the Dog Daycare Success Academy, and add your name to the waitlist by clicking here now Thanks to our amazing show sponsor Pawpal. To find out more about their amazing app go to Pawpal

Who are the unsung heroes in your business… and are you doing enough to recognise them? Could the real growth in your company be coming from people, systems, or decisions you've started to take for granted? And what happens when you build a business where everyone wins — not just the owner? In this episode, I'm joined by Alison Jacobs, one of the new success coaches inside the Dog Daycare Success Academy, and we talk about what made IMPACT 2026 so powerful, what makes the new academy different, and why in-person learning still delivers breakthroughs you simply can't get any other way. But before that, I open up a wider conversation about the "unsung heroes" in business — the people behind the scenes, the systems quietly doing the heavy lifting, and the premium pricing strategies that often make the biggest difference without getting the credit. I share some reflections from my own business too, including the huge role Beth has played behind the scenes over the years, the systems that help keep things moving, and why recognising your key people matters if you want to build a stronger, more motivated team. In this episode, you'll discover: Who the Unsung Heroes Really Are – Why your biggest business assets may be the people and systems working quietly in the background. Why Recognition Matters – How shining a light on key team members boosts morale, trust, and long-term performance. The In-Person Learning Advantage – Why live events and immersive coaching create faster breakthroughs than passive learning. Systems That Deserve More Credit – How CRM, onboarding, and premium pricing quietly drive growth and stability. Why Client Success Fuels Everything – How helping your clients win creates a ripple effect that strengthens your whole business. If you want to learn more about the newly launched Dog Daycare Success Academy, click here now Huge thanks once again to our sponsors PawPal, who's amazing services you can find more about here: https://pawpal.uk

Do you know your business could be better… but keep telling yourself you're too busy to fix it? Are you still relying on word of mouth and hoping things somehow improve on their own? And what's the real cost of staying stuck in the same indecisive place for another year? In this episode, I'm sharing part two of my Q&A with Tim Jackson all about the new Dog Daycare Success Academy. We dig deeper into who this programme is really for, who it definitely isn't for, and the kind of transformation owners can expect if they actually implement the systems, assets, and training inside it. We talk about the missing marketing systems most dog daycare owners still don't have, why being "too busy" is often just focusing on the wrong things, and how the academy is designed to help owners stop drifting, start building real business assets, and finally create the kind of profitable, well-run facility they've always wanted. If you've been circling this programme, wondering whether now is the time to jump in, this episode will help you make that decision. In this episode, you'll discover: Who The Academy Is Really For – Why this programme is built for ambitious daycare and pet resort owners ready to act. The Cost of Staying Stuck – What wasted time, missed opportunities, and outdated systems are really costing you. Why "Too Busy" Isn't the Problem – How better focus and the right priorities unlock progress fast. The Missing Marketing Engine – Why most facilities still lack lead generation, onboarding, follow-up, and testimonial systems. What Transformation Looks Like – How stronger assets, better pricing, and clearer systems lead to more profit, more freedom, and more fun. If you want to learn more about the newly launched Dog Daycare Success Academy, click here now Huge thanks once again to our sponsors PawPal, who's amazing services you can find more about here: https://pawpal.uk

Do you have the drive and ambition to take your business to the next level but struggle with consistency and accountability? Have you been to the bigger industry conferences but feel like you've outgrown the content being preached? And what if being a business owner didn't make you feel more like a business loner? In this episode, I'm walking you through my brand new coaching programme, The Dog Daycare Success Academy, an evolution of my Elite level mastermind which will now combine the magic of a tight-knit mastermind group with the content-heavy, implementation-focused coaching of my annual IMPACT events. This really is the best of both worlds and is suited to dog facility owners who are prepared to take action on the concepts being taught and take their business to the next level in the company of like-minded individuals. The DDSA is a complete, plug-in coaching program designed to give you the modern marketing assets, sales training, and promotional systems required to turn your facility into a premium destination. DDSA also gives you the accountability, focus, and structure you need to keep you on track and 'winning'. The programme also includes a complete, step-by-step Asset-Building System that moves you away from the 'pile-em-high' volume mindset, and installs a marketing engine that attracts, onboards, and retains affluent clients on autopilot. In this episode, you'll discover: Why Drive Without Structure Fails – How accountability and focus turn ambition into measurable growth. The Mastermind Advantage – Why being in the right room accelerates action and sharpens decision-making. From Volume to Premium – How to escape the "more dogs, more problems" trap and increase profit properly. The Asset-Building System – What it takes to build a business that's scalable, saleable, and less dependent on you. Modern Marketing That Converts – The promotional engines that attract, onboard, and retain affluent clients consistently. If you want to learn more about the newly launched Dog Daycare Success Academy, click here now Huge thanks once again to our sponsors PawPal, who's amazing services you can find more about here: https://pawpal.uk

What really happens when you get 60+ ambitious pet business owners in a room together and get to work? Can two days away from work genuinely change the direction of your business? And why do so many owners leave events like IMPACT 2026 with clarity – and the action plan – they've been chasing for years? In this episode, I'm recording LIVE from Orlando after an incredible week that included a mastermind meeting, theme parks of both the Disney and Universal varieties, and — most importantly — IMPACT 2026: How to Disnify Your Dog Daycare. After months of preparation, ticket pushing, and speaker sorting-out, the event delivered in every possible way. You'll hear directly from attendees as they share their biggest takeaways such as launching induction programmes that are guaranteed to boost retention, finally understanding the keynote speaker's EBITDA framework to prepare their businesses for sale, and the importance of stepping out of "worker bee" mode and into true CEO leadership. The room was packed with engaged, growth-focused owners who truly committed to taking action on what they learned. I also share details about the launch of the Dog Daycare Success Academy, the next evolution of my coaching programme, and why this new structure is designed to help serious daycare owners build stronger, more scalable, systemised businesses. In this episode, you'll discover: The Induction Programme Breakthrough – How better onboarding increases retention and revenue. From Operator to Owner – Why stepping into the CEO role unlocks growth and freedom. EBITDA and Exit Strategy Thinking – How building for sale makes your business stronger today. Systems for Everything – Why documenting what's in your head is critical for scalability. The Power of the Live Event Room – What happens when ambitious pet pros challenge and inspire each other. If you want to learn more about the newly launched Dog Daycare Success Academy, click here now If you want to be the first to find out when tickets are released for IMPACT 2027 then click here now To grab a copy of my latest book Mission Enrich, click here now Huge thanks to our sponsors PawPal, who's amazing services you can find more about here:

What can a theme park teach you about building a more profitable, memorable, and sellable pet business? Why do some companies create loyal fans while others struggle to hold attention? And how can small experience-driven details dramatically increase client loyalty and lifetime value? In this episode, I'm deep in preparation mode for IMPACT 2026 and heading back to Orlando, which means Disney is front and centre in my thinking right now. So, I'm sharing some of the biggest marketing and business lessons I've picked up from my visits to Walt Disney World — and how these same ideas can transform the way you attract, wow, and retain clients in your pet business. I dive into the concept of building anticipation before clients experience your service, why successful businesses are designed to last long after the owner steps back, and how creating special moments for your most loyal clients builds deeper emotional connections and stronger word-of-mouth marketing. In this episode, you'll discover: The "Beyond the Berm" Effect – How building anticipation before clients enter your world increases perceived value and excitement. Built to Last Systems – Why sustainable marketing, staffing, and operational systems create long-term profitability and business stability. Designing for the Future – How building assets and infrastructure now increases your business value and saleability later. Creating Superfans – Why rewarding and recognising your most loyal clients builds deeper relationships and stronger referrals. Experience Layers that Drive Loyalty – How small, thoughtful touches create unforgettable client experiences. Tickets for IMPACT 2026: How to Disnify Your Dog Daycare Business are almost gone, with sales closing soon. Tickets are still available for IMPACT 2026: How to Disnify Your Dog Daycare Business, happening February 16th–17th in Florida. This event is designed to give you the real-world Fast Pass for your business To grab your ticket go www.petbusinessmarketing.com/impact2026 Seriously, if you're tired of being busy, burned out, and underpaid… and you're ready to transform your daycare into a premium, experience-heavy, profit-driven powerhouse… then IMPACT 2026 is the event you've been waiting for. And if you want one of the first 50 tickets — and the $500 savings that comes with them — go to www.petbusinessmarketing.com/impact2026 To grab a copy of my latest book Mission Enrich, click here now Huge thanks to our sponsors PawPal, who's amazing services you can find more about here:

Do you feel like you're doing everything "right" — yet still progress in your pet business is slow and frustrating? What if business growth didn't have to be a long, slow climb, but a sprint to the top of the pile? And what would change if you could skip the line and position your pet business at the front of the pack? In this episode, I'm back at my desk after a busy few weeks of travel, meetings, and event planning to share a simple but powerful idea: the Fast Pass. Borrowed from theme parks like Disney and Universal, a Fast Pass lets you bypass the queue and get where you want faster. I explain how the same principle applies to business, why time is the most valuable resource you have, and why the traditional "do your time and wait your turn" approach to success is outdated. I dive into what really accelerates progress: strategic partnerships, expert positioning, premium pricing, marketing assets that build authority, and creating an experience that makes affluent clients choose you — even when competitors are cheaper or closer. I also share my own journey of leapfrogging crowded markets by niching early, writing books, speaking on stages, and building a recognisable brand — and how these same principles apply to any dog daycare, trainer, walker, or groomer. In this episode, you'll discover: The Fast Pass Principle – Why speed of progress matters more than years of experience. Marketing Over Mechanics – Where real business growth happens once your service is "good enough". Positioning at the Front – How premium brands avoid price-driven competition. Authority Assets – Why books, media, events, and storytelling accelerate trust. Strategic Partnerships – How White-Hot Centre relationships pour fuel on your growth. Early bird tickets are still available for IMPACT 2026: How to Disneyfy Your Dog Daycare Business, happening February 16th–17th in Florida. This event is designed to give you the real-world Fast Pass for your business To grab your ticket go www.petbusinessmarketing.com/impact2026 Seriously, if you're tired of being busy, burned out, and underpaid… and you're ready to transform your daycare into a premium, experience-heavy, profit-driven powerhouse… then IMPACT 2026 is the event you've been waiting for. And if you want one of the first 50 tickets — and the $500 savings that comes with them — go to www.petbusinessmarketing.com/impact2026 To grab a copy of my latest book Mission Enrich, click here now Huge thanks to our sponsors PawPal, who's amazing services you can find more about here: