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12/11/2021 09:10
Gretta is an ABTC Registered Clinical Animal Behaviourist and dog trainer who is passionate about helping ethical animal professionals to have a business that stands out and pays out, without leaving them burned out.
Here's what she has to say about the dog industry...
I’ve never really been one to ‘rock the boat’! I was only (mildly) told off three times in my entire school life and, even now, I go out of my way to avoid conflict - keeping my head down, rather than getting involved in controversial discussions amongst dog trainers online…. of which there are many!
But you know what? It’s time to stand up. It’s time for me to call out some of the nonsense that goes on in our industry. And I don’t mean the never-ending ‘positive’ vs ‘pack leader’ debate (there’s enough of that and my position is quite clear).
No, I mean business! The business of running an animal training/ behaviour business, to be precise!
You see, over the years I’ve realised that, as an industry, we’re selling ourselves short: investing everything we have (our emotional wellbeing, our time and our money) into running businesses that, in many cases, simply aren’t sustainable. Ones that lead to so many brilliant professionals becoming exhausted, overwhelmed and burned out.
Of course, you could argue that supporting people and animals in the way that we do is bound to take its toll, emotionally, and I would agree. But we don’t exactly make like easier for ourselves do we? We create identi-kit clones of business, based on industry norms and those who have gone before us (who we assume are ‘successful’ – whatever that means) and, surprise surprise… we end up with the same problems.
I don’t know anyone in this line of work who started out wanting to be an entrepreneur – we do it because we want to help people and their companion animals have happy lives, not because we see it as a route to financial fortune. Personally, I wouldn’t want it any other way – our hearts and souls are in our work and I truly think that matters. But that doesn’t mean that we can’t have a bit of business savvy. It doesn’t mean that we can’t stand out and offer something unique. It doesn’t mean that we can’t charge appropriately for our skills, expertise and impact on our clients’ lives.
Wouldn’t it be nice to carve out your special place in the market in a way which makes it the perfect fit for your ideal clients? Wouldn’t it be lovely to have some time off without feeling guilty or worrying about how you’ll pay your bills?
It can be done. In fact, we NEED to do it. Not just for ourselves but for our clients too.
But, in most cases, to make meaningful (and sustainable) changes, you’ll need to buck the trend with your branding. You’ll need to be brave with your service offerings. You’ll need to question ‘the way it’s done’ with your pricing (and sod those who disapprove).
What you don’t need to do, though, is lose sight of your ethics and integrity.
The truth is that, while there are some exceptions, many of us in this industry (or the ethical side of it, at least) are held back by a fairly depressing combination of a lack of business know-how, collective insecurities and industry norms that do us no favours. I’ve been there. The only difference is that, through learning more, I’ve seen it for what it is and I’ve been willing to challenge it. I invite you to do the same!
Here's where you can find out how to work with Gretta:
Website: www.setuptosucceed.co.uk
Work with Gretta on her incredible course AND get something very special...https://www.setuptosucceed.co.uk/dog-mum-mindset
Over to you…
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