Your pet business content your way – Details, episodes & analysis

Are you looking for a coach to support you in growing your pet business?

Working for yourself can be hard, and having a coach means that you have someone in your corner to support and guide you.

Like dog training, the coaching industry is unregulated, and there are lots of different kinds of coaches you can turn to.

In this podcast episode and blog, I'm exploring three different approaches to coaching you can choose from, so you can figure out which best suits you.

Key topics and timings in this episode:

0.02 - Episode introduction.

0.30 - Why I decided to cover this topic.

1.09 - Regulation in the coaching space.

1.52 - The difference between coaching and mentoring.

4.05 - Type one - the My Way coach or mentor.

5.24 - Type two - the My System coach or mentor.

7.40 - Type three - The Coach coach or mentor.

10.26 - What I've learned while investing in all three types of coaching and mentoring.

12.26 - Why it's key to choose the right style for what you need, and how there is no right or wrong style.

14.20 - How you can work with me either one to one as a coach or in my Pets Get Visible membership where I have a coaching approach.

Links mentioned in this episode:

If you're fed up with being told what to do and are looking for the approach in option 3, this is how I work. Book a free call with me, and let's see if we're a good fit.

Why I trained as an accredited coach and what that means for your pet business

Is my Pets Get Visible membership right for you?

Navigating the rollercoaster of running a pet business

Do qualifications matter as a pet professional?

Embracing your strengths with Sasha Louise Smith

Are you looking to grow your pet business by using Instagram?

Charlotte Perrott is a social media manager and coach for pet businesses, and she stays on top of the latest Instagram features and trends.

It’s a platform that can sometimes feel overwhelming, and mastering how to use it can put you in front of pet parents who need what you have to offer.

Charlotte, who runs Canine Marketing Support and Pet Business Support, loves Instagram, and in this podcast episode, she explains how you can too, with simple ways to grow your engagement and followers.

We also talk about the dark side of social media, and how Charlotte recently turned an unpleasant experience into an opportunity to showcase her expertise.

If you’d like to get more from your Instagram account, this is a must-listen, and many of the strategies Charlotte shares can be used on other platforms too.

0.20 - Episode overview.

1.10 - Charlotte and the different services she offers.

1.47 - How Charlotte found herself in the pet industry after COVID and leaving the travel industry.

5.05 - The challenges business owners face on social media, especially starting out and why it’s normal to feel overwhelmed at times.

7.47 - Charlotte’s advice for businesses who might feel nervous about being visible and small first steps to take to feel more comfortable.

9.46 - How Charlotte overcame an unpleasant experience of being trolled on social media. 

12.25 - Advice on navigating nasty people online.

16.14 - Dealing with the ever-changing demands of Instagram without losing your mind!

19.47 - Charlotte’s thoughts on why Instagram can benefit your pet business.

20.24 - Why you’re building a library of content as a pet business without even noticing.

22.22 - Charlotte’s five Instagram features.

22.48 - Feature 1 - Go live without going live, and how you can practice.

25.27 - Feature 2 - Engage with your community if you want engagement.

30.10 - Feature 3 - Remove the TikTok watermark and use Instagram to create your content.

35.17 - Feature 4 - Repurpose your content and look at changing the format of it, for example, carousel to reel.

37.38 - Feature 5 - Use stories, try out the different tools and have fun with it.

40.54 - Using the links on Instagram stories.

42.12 - How Charlotte would love to see pet businesses using Instagram.

43.55 - Where to find out more about Charlotte.

Find out more about Charlotte on her website: https://petbusinesssupport.co.uk/

Follow her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/petbusinesssupport/

Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/petbusinesssupportuk

Listen to Charlotte’s podcast: 

https://petbusinessownerpodcast.podbean.com/

See how Charlotte responded to her troll: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/UzqUpkHhfwun6sGs/

Further listening:

Building a community for your pet business on Instagram with Helen Perry

Using LinkedIn for your pet business with Helen Pritchard

In this bonus episode, I'm sharing key takeaways from the Business of Pets event organised by the Pet Industry Federation.

This covers range of topics including the importance of having a mentor, the value of a strong support network, the need for a business plan, and the significance of knowing your numbers.

Plus the power of storytelling, the impact of customer confidence on the pet industry, and the role of influencers in promoting pet brands.

You'll also learn about the innovative products and brands showcased at the event.

Key topics in this episode:

• Having a mentor is crucial for business success and personal growth.
• Building a strong support network is essential for overcoming challenges and avoiding loneliness.
• Creating a business plan and knowing your numbers are key to growth and profitability.
• Storytelling is a powerful tool for connecting with customers and building a brand.
• Customer confidence is growing in the pet industry, but affordability is still important.
• Influencers play a significant role in promoting pet brands and driving sales.
• Attending industry events and investing in them can lead to valuable insights and connections.
• Innovative pet products showcased at the event include bone broth, CBD-infused treats, and grooming tools.
• Investing in professional photography can enhance brand image and attract media coverage.
• The pet industry is constantly evolving, and staying informed and adaptable is crucial for success.

Links mentioned in this episode:

Be first to know of any future Pet Industry Federation events

I can't stress how valuable it is to attend events like this and meet like-minded people, if nothing else to realise that you're not on your own in experiencing challenges.

Going out and seeing other entrepreneurs will leave you feeling inspired, and you learn loads of things you can implement in your pet business.

To find out more, visit: https://petfederation.co.uk/

Finally, mentoring and coaching came up so many times and if you're reading this and you're looking to work with a qualified and accredited coach or mentor, hi, I'm here to help.

I have the ILM Level 5 Accreditation in Coaching and Mentoring and am currently studying for ILM Level 7 certification in coaching executive and senior leaders.

You can work with me one-to-one and I also run a VERY affordable membership, Pets Get Visible, where you can join two, one-hour, group coaching calls each month.

This is just £30 a month and you can get 50% off your first month.

Further reading

Why I trained as an accredited coach and what this means for your pet business

Is my Pets Get Visible pet business membership right for you?

How to choose the right pet business membership

The NatWest Accelerator and how it can help your pet business

Would you love to be more bold when it comes to promoting your pet business?

Perhaps you’ve felt frustrated because people less experienced or qualified than you, or who use outdated and questionable methods are everywhere?

Or if you’ve a product, you might feel invisible while competitors are sharing endless posts about how they’re ‘smashing it.’

If you can relate, I imagine it’s not that these people or products are in any way superior.

More likely the people behind them are more bold, and it’s the voices that shout the loudest who get heard.

In this podcast episode I’m talking about five things that can stand in the way of your being bold in your pet business.

Key topics and timings in this episode:

0.20 - Why I’m being bold by talking about being bold.

1.15 - Working with pet businesses on telling their stories in my first online course in 2019, Create Content With Confidence.

2.20 - The Be Bold Bootcamp and how you can get support on putting yourself out there, what to expect and how to get involved.

3.15 - The dreaded words ‘Put yourself out there.’

05.58 - Why being bold isn’t just for the BS-ers.

Five things that can stand in the way of your being bold.

6.34 - 1. Feeling like you’re not able to put yourself out there.

10.35 - 2. Feeling unsure where to start.

13.20 - 3. What will people think?

19.21 - 4. What if people criticise me?

24.07 - 5. Thinking we need to be polished and perfect.

29.29 - Why even taking a leap of faith and setting up on your own is far more bold than you give yourself credit for.

Links mentioned in this episode:

If something big you’ve been wanting to do and you’d like some support, a bit of a nudge to do it and some accountability?

If so, the Be Bold Bootcamp is for you and it's starting April 25th.

Register for the Be Bold Bootcamp here

Read Why every pet business should have a win folder

Read How to deal with criticism from people in your industry.

If you enjoyed this post, you might like to read Osmaan Sharif on how to get out your way and put your pet business out there or How to overcome comparisonitis with Kate Hoyle

Are you looking to make more of an impact with your pet business?

Would you love to elevate yourself as THE expert in your field or shine the spotlight on your pet products?

Then you’re going to love my podcast with pet business marketing coach Dom Hodgson.

We talk about how to make an impact with your pet business and Dom shares some really simple steps to follow to make this happen.

Discover the different ways to get your service or products to stand out and what will make a difference when it comes to moving your pet business forward.

Key topics and timings in this episode:

2.02 - About Dom and what he does with pet business marketing  

3.54 - Dom explains how he ended up in the pet industry

7.44 - How learning to do stuff for your own pet business is vital 

13.20 - Dom explains what to do if you have a fear of selling

17.24 - Dom shares about his upcoming Impact pet business event

19.56 - Dom tells me what activities can make an impact for pet businesses

30.15 - Dom explains how pet businesses can keep the momentum 

36.48 - How you won’t push away people by regularly keeping in contact over email 

39.00 - The importance of keeping your own contacts and mailing lists 

40.31 - Dom tells me what’s going on at Impact and what people can expect

47.01 - How to find Dom and more about the Impact event 

Links mentioned in this episode:

Impact is taking place in Sunderland Friday 6th - Sunday 8th May.

Grab your ticket at www.petbusinessmarketing.com/impact

Looking for ways to get publicity for your pet business as we go into Spring?

Spring is in the air which means lighter mornings and evenings, no need to wrap up and some much needed sunshine.

And we can spend more time outdoors enjoying life with our pets. 

After a dreary winter, it’s time to lift our spirits, and think of ways to connect with our customers and potential clients through our content.

Whether it’s for your website, social media or a press campaign, there’s plenty of hooks and angles you can use.

In this podcast episode are ideas to keep your product or service front of mind. 

Key topics and timings in this episode:

0.19 - Tips on how to plan your spring content

0.38 - World events and why we need to carry on marketing our pet businesses.

3.41 - How Kerry Whitney from Frankys Boutique, Hayley Bonwick from Handmade by Hayley and Sarah Mills from Albie’s Boutique are raising money for pets in Ukraine.

5.43 - The Underdog International appeal and how to donate.  

6.16 - What spring means for your pet business content.

7.15 - Putting value Into your content.

8.54 - Content ideas based around the seasons.

11.25 - Planning around the Bank Holidays and the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in June.

12.10 - Easter publicity ideas.

14.43 - Key awareness days for April, May and June.

27.51 - Why you should be bold and pitch to the press! 

28.10 - My press release and awareness day bundles.

Work with me

If you’d like further support, perhaps you’re thinking of creating a campaign or would like to put together a press release, do get in touch.

I’ve two new packages - a Press Release Bundle and an Awareness Day Bundle. 

With the Press Release Bundle, I help you write a press release, we find places to send it to, we find ways to repurpose it so you get maximum value.

With the Awareness Day Bundle, I’ll show you how to put together an awareness day campaign, so we create a press release, and plan your social media, e mail marketing, website content and everything you need for your day.

I've helped dozens of businesses create their Awareness Days and content to go with them, plus written hundreds of stories as a journalist about Awareness Days.

Both packages are £497 and you can book yours here.

Links mentioned in this episode:

At the start of the episode I talked about three ladies who are supporting charities helping people and their pets in Ukraine following the Russian invasion in February 2022.

They are Kerry, Hayley and Sarah and you can find out more on their websites.

Visit Kerry Whitney’s Franky’s Bowtique here: https://www.frankysbowtique.com/

Visit Hayley Bonwick’s Handmade By Hayley here:  https://www.handmadebyhayleyb.co.uk/

Visit Sarah Mills' Albie’s Boutique on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/albiesboutique/

Donate to the Underdog International appeal here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/rachelspencerpfpb

Have you seen news stories about awareness days and wondered how they come about?

There are hundreds of awareness days taking place every week and you CAN use them as a way to get press coverage.

As long as the awareness day relates to you and what you do, and you're able to create something relevant, you can use them to generate story ideas.

In this podcast learn how to use key dates to pitch to the press and everything you need to make your campaign take off.

It DOESN'T have to be your own awareness day.

You can be your own PR and plan your own campaign and get tonnes of press. Learn how in this episode.

Key topics and timings in this episode:

0.19 - How to keep in touch in the free Facebook group.

1.32 - Introduction to the episode and what awareness days are.

3.33 - Examples of the variety of awareness days.

5.23 - Having your own awareness day and examples Dogs In Yellow day on March 20th and National Terrier Day on March 27th.

6.11 - How Sarah secured 11 pieces of press in three days around her awareness day.

7.17 - Why you don’t have to have your own day.

9.20 - What makes a good awareness day campaign.

11.47 - Things to consider around creating an awareness day campaign.

13.22 - How to find dates to use.

14.20 - Examples of how existing awareness days can be used. 

16.56 - Why it’s essential to plan ahead.

20.56 - How to maximise the impact of your day and carry on the conversation.

24.26 - Going the extra mile to make an impact.

25.02 - Repurposing your awareness day content to make it work hard for you.

26.07 - What to do to get journalists attention on the actual day.

27.09 - Measuring the success of your day.

30.30 - How to get support for your awareness day. (E. Mail me Rachel@publicityforpetbusinesses.co.uk)

Links mentioned in this episode:

Click to read: How Kerry Jordan's National Dog Photography Day went viral

Learn more about Michelle Burgess from Scruffy Little Terrier's National Terrier Day

Learn more about Sarah Jones' Dogs In Yellow Day

Check out planners online like https://www.awarenessdays.com/ and on www.animalscharities.co.uk/

This list from Sarah Jane White from Ruffle Snuffle is great and I also use Janet Murray’s Courageous Content planner.

Find out more about Caroline the Slim Pet Vet here: https://www.facebook.com/DrCaroline.Vet

Hire a copywriter if you’re feeling overwhelmed like Rikki Sullivan at The Canine Copywriter.

Alison Price can help with graphic design at

Do you have an anxious dog and get frustrated when other dogs approach them, jump on them and stress them out?

When owners say, 'It's ok, they're friendly,' or, 'They just want to play,' or 'They need telling off.'

If so, Sarah Jones' story is one you will want to hear. When her Cocker Spaniel Bella became anxious and reactive, Sarah went on a mission not just to help her own dog but thousands of others and their owners.

She set up My Anxious Dog, creating products ranging from stickers to go on wheeliebins to hoodies, harnesses and leads.

Emblazoned with the words Anxious and Keep Away, Sarah's products spell it out loud and clear that anxious dogs need space.

This weekend, Sunday March 20th 2022, she's launching the first National Dogs In Yellow day to spread the message far and wide.

Her mission is for people to have consideration for others and take the stress away for anxious dogs and their pet parents.

In this episode, you can learn all about Sarah and her work with My Anxious Dog.

Key topics and timings in this episode:

2.00 - Introduction to Sarah and how she found herself running a pet business.

2.40 - How did Sarah come to settle on My Anxious Dog. 

4.05 - How Sarah discovered Bella was anxious. 

7.25 - Where Sarah heard about dogs wearing yellow and discovered it was a way to tell people Bella was anxious.

9.10 - How her business first started with her putting stickers on bins.

11.05 - She shares how her business grew from this to creating products and much more. 

15.22 - What’s been the ripple effect for other anxious dogs and their owners.  

20.51 - Why Sarah created her yellow army and community of other anxious dog owners. 

26.15 - What has worked for Sarah best when it comes to reaching people far and wide?

27.05 - How working on raising her profile in the press has helped Sarah with her mission on getting dogs in yellow out there. 

34:00 - Sarah shares the press coverage that she’s had for My Anxious Dog.

41.03 - Sarah’s advice to newcomers in the pet industry. 

37.55 - She shares the comparisons from her previous role in electronics to working in the pet industry.

43.50 - Sarah’s National Dogs In Yellow Day and her goals for March 20th.

46.15 - Where to find out more about Sarah and My Anxious Dog.

Links mentioned in this episode:

Visit Sarah's website: www.myanxiousdog.co.uk

Follow My Anxious Dog on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/myanxiousdog

Join the Yellow Army Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/215979409295118

Looking to raise the profile of your pet business by entering Theo Paphitis’ Small Business Sunday?

It’s a community award where you get the paws up from the multi-millionaire entrepreneur and star of BBC’s Dragon’s Den.

It is amazing for your pet business profile, a brilliant and super easy way to get press coverage, and you become part of Theo’s supportive community too.

Last month, February 2022, was the Small Business Sunday Winner’s Event in Birmingham where Theo celebrated the people who toil away.

And on February 14th 2022, after 12 attempts, I was picked as a SBS winner! So this podcast is all about the impact it has.

As well as hints and tips, you’ll hear from SBS superstar Kim O’Donnell about how it’s helped her pet accessory business, Leo, Charley and Me.

Key topics and timings in this episode:

1.21 - Introduction to what SBS is and how can it help your pet business. 

21.54 - How Twitter helped Kim win SBS and the first results she started to see 

25.06 - The press coverage that Kim received from SBS

27.34 - How Kim won a place at Theo’s Autumn fair

33.36 - What the show did for Kim’s business - how she made a quarter of her annual profit in just two days 

36.01 - How Kim got over her imposter syndrome at the wholesale fair 

37.15 - What it was like for Kim to meet Theo

42.15 - Advice from Kim on taking part in SBS

Links mentioned in this episode:

Find out more about taking part, https://www.theopaphitissbs.com/

Learn more about Kim on her website, https://leocharleyandme.co.uk/

Have you ever thought about approaching large retailers like John Lewis or Pets at Home to work with you?

In this podcast episode I'm speaking to Chris Costello from Product Guru about how you can do this through their pet huddles.

The Pet Huddle takes place in Birmingham on March 31st and there are a few spaces remaining.

It's a recording from an interview in my Facebook group, and you can watch the live here.

Key topics and timings in this episode:

0.19 - What Product Guru is and what to expect from this episode.

1.59 - Chris explains who he is and what Product Guru is.

3.13 - The various ways you can use Product Guru from a free listing to pitching live at their events.

4.26 - What to expect from the Pet Huddle event on March 31st.

6.54. - The three different ways products can pitch to retailers at the event.

8.42 - How the round table process works.

10.17 - How the virtual pitch works.

11.29 - How the sampling box works.

12.36 - The range of brands taking part.

14.43 - How the huddles have worked for other types of brands including how one small business landed a spot in Harrods and Selfridges.

19.24 - Pricing for the three options.

21.48 - Question and Answer session.

Links mentioned in this episode:

Learn more about the Pet Huddles here: https://www.productguru.co.uk/huddles-events/pet