All dog trainers know how difficult it is to turn down a job, especially when that person desperately needs our help, or, alternatively, you desperately need the money.

There are times when we’re asked to take on cases that are far outside our comfort zones. If we’re wise, we decline them…knowing that the person seeking our help would be better served by another.

On the other hand, there are times when it’s beneficial to step a wee bit outside of our comfort zones.

From time to time, we must challenge ourselves. That’s the only way to expand our skills, abilities, and knowledge. We need to reach a little bit and attempt new endeavors, so that we can do our best work for our clients and their pets.

And there’s no better way to learn than by doing.

The first few years of my dog training career were incredibly challenging…a constant struggle to create a sustainable business within a highly competitive environment.

Figuring out the best way to...

As pet service professionals, we’re often presented with the difficult choice of whether or not to accept a new client.

After all, there’s so much to consider! And even if you really want to take the client, you may still have a lot of questions that need to be answered before you commit to the job.

For many years, whenever someone wanted to hire me to help them with their dog’s behavior, board their dog, walk their dog, or pet sit for them, I was besieged with any number of random thoughts and questions, which inevitably led to a mild sense of anxiety and feeling of overwhelm.

• Can I successfully complete the job?
• Am I comfortable with this case?
• Is this dog dangerous?
• Does the client live nearby?
• Do I have good rapport with this client?
• Would I enjoy this job?
• Could this turn into a long-term job?
• Do I have room in my schedule?
• Does the client have realistic expectations?
• Is the client likely to do the homework?

And on and on…

After taking on waaay too...

Should you give yourself a raise? While it’s very tempting to do so, this isn’t as easy a question to answer as it is to ask.

Sure! You bet! We’d all love to give ourselves an instant raise, but there are several factors to carefully consider before making the decision to do so.

In most cases, as pet service providers, your income depends on your hourly rate. Of course, you’d love to make a better hourly wage. But how do you justify that increase? And how do you know what rate is reasonable?

Here are some tips on when you should (and shouldn’t!) raise your rate.

When You Should Raise Your Rates

1. Your skills or service have improved. If you can provide more value, raising your rates to reflect that is reasonable.
   
2. Supply and demand have changed for your service. If you’re booking yourself solid and turning away new clients, then you’re in an excellent position to charge more. Simply raise your rate until you’re getting the number of...

“Follow Your Bliss, and the Universe Will Open Doors Where There Were Only Walls.”

– Joseph Campbell

 After graduating with an MBA and spending nearly a year in search of the perfect job, I landed the job that was going to take my career to a whole new level.

The pay was good. The benefits were amazing. What more could I ask for?

And yet, after 18 months, I was so miserable that I’d cry the entire 50-minute drive to work.

Every. Single. Day.

I was in a deep, dark hole of despair.

A few years prior, I’d spent piles of money and nearly two years to complete my M.B.A. I’d finally landed the ideal job. My career was flourishing.

My family, my husband, and all my friends had all given me “two big thumbs up” and lots of congratulatory pats on the back.

But after a year of corporate relocations, 3 different bosses, drastic staff reductions, and a complete overhaul of my original job description and function, I was not only miserable, I...