My Top 20 Tips For New Entrepreneurs

In 2013 I started Eric Curry’s Pets out of my tiny apartment in West Los Angeles. 6 1/2 years and 1,000 unique pets later, I learned a thing or two about starting a business! These are my top 20 tips, based on my own experiences and interviews I’ve had with over 100 pet care professionals. Although they are targeted towards those in the pet care industry, this information is useful for ANYONE who is beginning their entrepreneurial journey!

1. Year one will be your worst year. Give it time and whatever you do, do NOT give up!!

Did you know that the majority of small businesses fail in the first five years? Crazy right?

Your first year you may feel like the world is working against you. You’re still learning and will make a lot of mistakes. I don’t say these things to scare you; I bring them up to give you a realistic expectation for the future. It’s perfectly fine if things aren’t going the way you’d like at first. One of my mentors says do something for your business every day, and at the end of the year, you’ll have done 365 things for your business. So don’t get discouraged! The obstacles were put in place to keep out the people who don’t really want it. With that being said…

2. Fail to plan, plan to fail.

A lot of new business owners get really excited when they first start their businesses. They want to hit the ground running and figure things out as they go along. For the most part that’s an awesome attitude to have! Keep it up! The problem is that sooner or later you’re going to come across a stumbling block. A difficult client. Cancellations. A health emergency. Life happens! You need to prepare AHEAD of time for these bumps in the road. Having a solid plan in place will help you get through the rough patches in your business.

This is what happened to me. My entire first year I was running on the momentum. I did a lot of marketing in the beginning, found a solid group of regulars, word of mouth spread, and I thought that was all I had to do. I did not plan past the first year (and actually not much past those first few months). But around month eight, business started slowing down. Rather than assess the situation and tackle the problem, I told myself that it was just a slow month and things would pick up again on their own. And my business flat-lined. This was totally unnecessary and could have been avoided if I had taken the time to come up with a solid business and marketing plan before I ever watched a single dog (I recommend you plan for one, three, and five years at least). It’s also worth it to take the extra time to come up with a social media plan too.

3. Don’t offer discounted rates.

It can be very tempting to lower your prices when you first get started. You may feel as though you don’t have enough experience to charge a certain price point, and you’ll definitely have enough clients try to haggle with you. This is something I’ve found to be especially prevalent in the pet services industry. I wouldn’t dream of asking the plumber, mechanic, or barber for a discount, and yet even after being in business for several years, I still get asked for a discount. And it can be very tempting (especially at first) to say yes. But what you have to realize is that you’re doing your business a huge dis-service by sending the message that you don’t value your time.

In our industry, people are mostly paying for peace of mind. Capitalize on that! Paint the picture for your clients- your services allow their dog to get much needed exercise and potty breaks. Not only that, but hiring you to stop by for an hour can translate into your client being able to work an extra TWO or THREE hours! Who doesn’t love more money?

Your prices are set where they are for a reason. An individual’s ability to pay is irrelevant to the value of your services. By the same token, make sure you are raising your prices yearly! I recommend $1-$5 a year. This was something I wish I had learned A LOT sooner in my own business.

4. Don’t do this because you love animals or EVEN WORSE because you hate dealing with people

If these are your primary reasons for starting your business, you have a long, hard road ahead of you my friend. (As a matter of fact, right now I want you to write down 5 reasons why you are starting your business). Sure, the majority of the time you’ll be interacting with the pets, but guess what? Pets don’t have wallets! Pets can’t write you a good (or bad!) review. And pets can’t refer you to any of their friends. Start your business because you want to take control of your life; because you want to leave a legacy. Do this because you want to spend more time with your family, and secure their financial future. And with that being said…

5. Other people’s opinions of you are NONE of your business.

When I first started my business I was SUPER excited (like I mentioned previously). I could not believe that I was getting paid to do what I love most! I enthusiastically told everyone what I did, and expected them to be just as excited as I was. I quickly found that not everyone shared my enthusiasm; most people rolled their eyes and didn’t take me seriously. (Spoiler alert: your friends and family will oftentimes be the LAST ones to support you). As a matter of fact, when I filed my taxes that year, my accountant laughed at me and told me to get a real job!

For some reason we live in a day and time when people congratulate you about getting a job, but will mock you for starting a business. Part of this is because in school we are taught to look for jobs, not opportunities. We’re taught to be good employees; work for forty hours a week, don’t ask any questions, rinse and repeat. People will show up for their jobs before they show up for themselves. So not only do I want to applaud you for starting your own business, I want to reassure you that people’s opinions of you (and your business) not only don’t matter, they’re absolutely none of your business. And remember this: it doesn’t matter where you come from as long as you know where you’re going.

6. Get your Website/Email Service/Social Media set up ASAP…

I’m sure you’ve heard it before: you’re not in business if you’re not on social media. Make pages that are dedicated to your business-separate from your personal social media pages. Don’t spend too much time working on your social media, but make sure that your customers are able to find you. You also need to have a website set up (I recommend Squarespace to create professional looking websites quickly and cheaply). List your hours, bio, contact information, services offered and a couple testimonials on your site but DO NOT put your prices on your site. Link your social media pages to your site so that your prospective clients have one place to find everything about your business.

A huge mistake that I made when I started my business was not getting my customer’s email addresses. Even if you don’t invest in an email service (I’d recommend waiting until you have at least 50–100 emails) you should DEFINITELY be collecting your customer’s email addresses. Keep them in an Excel spreadsheet. Not everyone’s on social media! Email marketing is a great way to promote new service offerings and to keep in touch with your clients so they’ll use you again! And recommend you to their friends who will hopefully do the same!

7. …then look into getting Insurance/LLC/Business License(s).

It’s never been easier to start your own business. But you want to make sure you’re playing by the rules. Take a second to look up the laws in your city for running a home-based business. You may eventually want to look into setting up your business as a limited liability corporation (LLC). And you’ll DEFINITELY want to get insurance (that came in really handy just two months into my business!). You can usually get these set up for less than $500 but it’ll vary according to where you live. If you don’t have a lot of money to spend upfront (this is the case for a lot of people when they first start their businesses, so if this is you, don’t worry) then consider going through a platform market until you’ve saved up enough funds to go independent.

8. Use Customer Relationship Manager (CRM)/ Point of Sale (POS)/Scheduling software from the get-go.

This was another one I wish I had learned much earlier. There are some really awesome technologies out there that can make your life as an entrepreneur much easier. Excel can only get you so far! CRM software is awesome for keeping track of cool things like birthdays, and important things like who brings you the most business. People LOVE scheduling online. And not everyone carries cash anymore, so having a good POS system will prove invaluable. My advice is to give people many different options to pay you. Cash, check, plastic- if a client wants to pay you, take their money!

It is also worth mentioning that you might not need ALL of these at first, or at all. The point I’m trying to make is that if you find yourself struggling to process payments, then by all means, invest in a POS system. But if your business only serves a small number of clients each month, maybe hold off on buying the fancy scheduling software until you really need it. Which leads me to my next point…

9. Be careful with your spending- especially when you’re first getting started.

I had a little bit of money saved up when I started my business- enough to cover my rent for a month and a few other expenses. Instead of being smart and stretching my dollars, I took out credit cards and used them to buy unnecessary items- a brand new computer desk, a printer, a grooming table, a safe. I justified my spending by telling myself that they were all important business expenses; besides, I could write everything off on my taxes. This was incredibly stupid and unnecessary. I probably used the grooming table twice, and I definitely did not need a brand new desk. I should’ve been saving my money for more important things like my car note (it’s okay to pay it off sooner than you have to!) or my student loans.

So get the basic business cards to start out with. Maximize all the free trials you can. Don’t start taking out Facebook and other types of paid ads until you’ve reached out to your warm market. There are TONS of ways to promote your business for free.

DO NOT I repeat DO NOT waste money renting a facility if you’re a groomer or sitter. Rent a space in a grooming shop until you’ve built up your clientele, and board dogs in your home until you’ve reached a point where you need to do it elsewhere. You don’t need a physical location to walk dogs or to watch people’s pets in their homes when they go on vacation.

10. Get support from the people who have been there before ASAP.

Since you’re reading this list, you’re on the right track already! Hire a business coach. Take advantage of any and all offerings at your local public library. Get involved with different communities, both online and offline. Join all the Facebook groups for pet care providers, and reach out to fellow petpreneurs on LinkedIn! Some good places to network with other entrepreneurs are your local BNI (Business International Network), and Chamber of Commerce. Building a solid network of people who you can rely on for support will prove invaluable in your business. Don’t wait until you need the help to start forming these vital relationships!

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11. Your energy/attention span/sanity is NOT a renewable resource; it is a SCARCE resource.

You cannot please everyone. Always do your best but don’t beat yourself up because someone can’t be pleased. When I first started my business, I had a really difficult daycare client. She was very stressed out from starting a new job, and found it convenient to dump out her frustrations on me when she dropped off and picked up her dog. Nothing I did seemed to please her. Interacting with her negativity first thing in the morning did not start my day off in the right way. And because I had just started my business, I was not confident enough to speak up for myself. Eventually I had to ask her to find someone else to watch her dog. And I wish I had done it a lot sooner. I’ve learned that one or two challenging clients are simply not worth your sanity. There’s a reason why we are in business for ourselves!

12. Take vacations. Plan them in advance. They are just as important as the hours you spend working your business.

Guys, you can’t pour from an empty cup. Period. Sometimes we are busiest during the weekends, holidays, and summers (in other words, when everyone else goes on vacation) so it is important to set aside other days to recharge. Make sure that you designate days when you won’t work. Your clients and staff deserve the best version of you. Take a few minutes out of your day to meditate. Don’t like to meditate? Fine! Lay down and just vegetate! The point is to make sure you’re taking the time to clear your mind and focus on you, even if it’s just for ten minutes each day. You cannot be in a line of work that provides care if you are not taking care of yourself!

13. Prioritize the activities that bring the money in.

You’re not always going to have a full calendar (especially at first). It can be very tempting to occupy your time with busy work: tasks that take up a lot of time, but don’t really accomplish much for your business. Updating your website, creating fancy business cards, and posting on social media are NOT income-producing activities (IPA)!! These are activities that should be done in the “in-between” times- like the evenings when you’re watching tv, or in the thirty minutes you have before your next Meet and Greet.

Collecting contact information, scheduling meet and greets, and following up with potential clients ARE income producing activities!! So on those days when you’re not so busy, head over to your local dog park and schedule some Meet and Greets!

14. Your vision and goals will change over time. What’s important is to never lose sight of where you’re going.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Let’s pretend money is no object and the sky’s the limit. Take some time to think about where you’d like to be living. What would you be spending the majority of your time doing? (As a matter of fact, take some time to write down your 5 year vision right now). How much money would you like to make? How many people do you want to hire? What do you want your prices to be? I have a vision board that’s the first thing I see every morning and I also write down my goals constantly. Every day I remind myself how amazing I am, how many people I want to help, how many lives I want to change, and the legacy I want to leave. I say my affirmations OUT LOUD several times a day. When I’m working toward something big and specific, I write it down on Post-Its and put them EVERYWHERE. Be firm about your goals, but flexible about the timing. Never forget why you chose the path you’re on. Your vision will help you get through the rough patches.

15. Capitalize on your unique experiences.

What is your competitive advantage? What sets you apart? I am a tall, skinny guy who speaks Spanish. Many of my clients work with me because their pet is used to males, or being spoken to in Spanish. But by the same token, some people have felt more comfortable leaving their pet with a female, or felt their pet would be more comfortable with someone shorter (I’ve heard it ALL). And that’s totally fine! I’ve met people from all different walks of life who have built thriving pet care businesses. There is NO perfect mold for this industry! Bottom line is that you bring a unique set of experiences to the table, and people (and their pets!) will choose to work with YOU because you’re YOU.

16. Walk before you run.

When I first started my business, I wanted to be a one stop shop for everything pet-related. I wanted to be a groomer, walker, boarder, trainer, and sitter. (Plus I still had plans to go to veterinary school!) I wasted a lot of time on activities that were not helping my bottom line. I thought that by offering many different services, I was maximizing my potential revenue. What I didn’t realize is that I was actually shooting myself in the foot. By trying to do everything at once, I was giving off the impression that I wasn’t focused. I also found that oftentimes my clients already had a designated person they went to for their other pet services. If I wanted to expand into other service offerings, not only would it take time to build that trust with my clients, I had to show them that I had already mastered the service they had come to me to begin with.

So pick ONE service to offer. Focus on that service, perfect it, and then once you have established yourself, expand into other service offerings. You will find in this industry that people stay VERY loyal to their pet care providers. And you may find that you love your area of specialization! That’s perfectly fine too. There will ALWAYS be a demand for quality pet care providers.

17. Get in the habit of paying yourself FIRST.

This is HUGE. Oftentimes when money comes in, the first thought we have is to start paying bills, and THEN we pay ourselves from whatever is left over. STOP THIS IMMEDIATELY. Even if you don’t have the money to do it when you first get started, get in the habit of setting aside money for yourself before anything else. Write yourself the check and then cash it when you can. Do this from the get go, and you will train yourself not to live paycheck to paycheck; to create a business that you can actually THRIVE off of, not just survive off of.

18. Don’t do everything- know what you are good at, and hand over control of what you’re not so good at to someone else.

This might sound similar to what I touched on this earlier- the importance of starting with one service, perfecting it, and then expanding into other offerings if you choose. But here I want to touch on the everyday tasks of running your business: bookkeeping, answering emails, updating your social media accounts, advertising, answering the phone, cleaning, setting appointments, etc. It can be very tempting to do everything yourself. You might think to yourself but I can’t afford to! Actually, you can’t afford NOT to. Outsourcing allows you to focus on the more important parts of running your business.

Entrepreneurs are sorting experts- they sort their time, their abilities, their weaknesses, etc. But we also tend to have trust issues- we want to do everything ourselves, because we don’t trust others to do as good a job as we do. If someone can do it better, let them do it. Be in contact with other pet professionals outside of your niche that you can refer your clients to. Not all clients are for you, and your network will refer work to you as well!

19. Perfection paralyzes.

This was something I definitely struggled with. In school we are punished for making mistakes. Have you ever written a paper for a class? You can literally spend an entire evening editing your paper over and over and over again until it’s perfect (is it ever really perfect though?). I truly believe that had it not been for my very sudden need to make an income (and my stubbornness to not work for someone else) I would have never started my business. Many of the business owners I interviewed said that they also wish they had not waited so long to get started. It’ll take some getting used to (especially for us perfectionists) but in business, done is better than perfect.

There is no such thing as the right time to start your business. Waiting around for the right time is like waiting until all the lights are green before you start your road trip. There will ALWAYS be a distraction. Yes, you will make mistakes. Things won’t always be pretty. But you’ll find that you will learn more from your mistakes than your successes. So get out there and make some mistakes! Fail your way to the top! Remember, the only REAL way to fail is to give up.

20. Have fun!!

There is no equivalent for a burning passion to provide your clients and their pets with consistent, quality care. So make sure you’re having FUN!! With your customers, your staff, your manufacturers…. They are all important to your success. If you’re ever having a bad day, talk it out with one of the dogs you’re taking care of. Try to see the world through his or her eyes. I guarantee you will start feeling better before you know it. And remember that at the end of the day it’s not rocket science… its pet care :)