Are you trying to decide whether or not to buy a dog walking business? Are you a long time business owner who is getting burned out and needs a pep talk with actionable items to move your business into a more positive direction? Then this podcast interview with Britt Alwerud and David Levin is for you!

David Levin is the owner and CEO of Citizen Hound - a world class dog walking company located in San Francisco. David started his business in 2011 after working in the fast paced world of copy writing and advertising. Looking for more work/life balance, he decided to start a dog walking business. With his background in marketing and advertising, combined with his love of dogs, people and the great outdoors, David built his business based on creating long term committed relationships with his clients, their pups and his staff. His hard work and dedication has earned Citizen Hound countless awards including - Best Dog Walkers in San Francisco 2017 and 2015 in Bay Woof Magazine. Best Dog Walkers in the Bay Area 2017 in The Bay Area A-List. #2 in the A List 2016 and 2015. #4 in 2014 and 2013. And Best Dog Walker in San Francisco by the SF Examiner 2017. David also cofounded a Dog Walker Certification Course in response to San Francisco requiring a dog walker permit to walk dogs commercially. David is the type of entrepreneur who faces challenges straight on, and fights to find the solutions and answers to overcome his biggest obstacles.

In this episode you’ll learn:

How to get your business off the ground and accelerate growth.
How important relationships are in a service based business.
The pros and cons of buying a client list vs spending the same amount on advertising and sales.
Whether or not you should take out a loan in the beginning of your business.
Should you buy more client lists in order to expand your service business?
The difference between buying a client list and buying a true business.
The difference between selling a business and selling a client list.
Why systems are key to your business.
What if you were in a coma for a month? What if you break your leg? Can your business run itself?
How word-of-mouth is a snowball effect and how to get your brand out there
Why your website is key to your business’ success. It’s your store front as a mobile service business.
Why SEO is key to your pet care business being #1 on Google and why this must be a priority for your mobile service business
Pro tip: Look at the businesses that are on top of Google search pages and how does your website compare?
How to develop your leadership skills as you build your team.
Why personal development and managing your stress levels are key to being a solid leader.
Ways to keep your service very personal even as you scale.
How to define your business model. Every pet care business is so different. Some businesses like David’s only offer five day a week dog hikes, others are fill in pet sitters for other pet sitters, some might just do one-on-one pet sit visits. There’s so many ways to model a business and the most important things is to create a business that fits your demographic, goals and vision for your future.

To learn more about Citizen Hound, visit citizenhoundsf.com.

Courtney DeDi founded DiOGi Pet Services in 2010 to provide exemplary, professional dog walking and pet sitting services to the in-town Atlanta neighborhoods specializing in caring for pets with behavioral issues and special needs. What began as a 2 person company, DiOGi quickly gained the confidence and love of Atlanta's people and pets. Today, with more than 23 employees, DiOGi has become Atlanta's number one resource for professional pet sitting, dog walking and dog training.

Courtney has always had a love of pets and has been working in the pet industry for more than 14 years. She is a PetTECH Pet First Aid and CPR instructor, a member of the ASPCA, has volunteered for many different Humane Societies, organized fundraisers for EARS – (Emergency Animal Rescue Services) during the Hurricane Katrina Rescue Effort, worked as a dog handler and Assistant Manager for Central Bark Doggy Day Care in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, and is now the Executive Director of a nonprofit called DiOGi CARES in addition to volunteering with other pet rescue groups. She is a graduate of the National Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Program and continues to participate in small business programs to continue shaping DiOGi Pet Services into the best dog walking and pet sitting company possible. This summer, Courtney is opening Club DiOGi, a boutique, high-end daycare and grooming salon. She and her staff are committed to providing the best care for all of Atlanta’s pets when their humans are at work and play.

In this episode Britt and Courtney talk about how she hustled extremely hard to get her business off the ground and had several jobs while she got it going. They discuss why it’s important to have a side income while you get your business going, when to bring on your first team member and how to put systems in place to be able to support 23 employees. Courtney shares how she networks like a boss and gives back to her community. Courtney is an inspiring leader who is dedicated to creating a company culture that stands behind her values and mission.

Britt and Courtney also discuss how she has implemented team building strategies within her company to tackle her biggest pain points in a positive way. Most recently, Courtney and her partner Katie came up with a genius “squad” concept to identify leaders in their company and created fun monthly competitions to inspire more teamwork and communication amongst their staff. By creating more leaders within their organization it gives their staff more upward mobility within the company and allows the company to ensure quality and consistency, which in turn leads to more success for everyone involved.

In this episode you’ll learn:

How to start a pet care business with zero upfront capital
Whether or not you should go cold turkey and start your business, or have a side gig while you get it started
How to network like a boss and be a leader in your community
How to open a boutique dog daycare to complement your dog walking business
How to know when you should bring on your first team member
How to create leadership roles within your company and create fun goals to achieve a positive culture
How Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business program inspired Courtney to scale her business and achieve her dream of opening up her boutique dog daycare
Why finding a niche is key to creating a successful business
How Handlr has helped DiOGi continue to scale by offering a local and professional option for ondemand scheduling for their clients
Why it’s important to offer your clients an ondemand app so that they don’t look for the convenience that apps like Wag and Rover offer
How using Handlr keeps your client list private and protects your business’ assets by providing a three-way chat to give your clients, management and staff a way to streamline communication
Why it’s better to find a software that works well for your business instead of building it from scratch
How to create a company culture when you own a mobile service business
Why Club DiOGi is a whole new type of doggy daycare that is committed to protecting your dog’s mental and physical well being. Club DiOGi provides a calm, safe and fun space for little dogs. By providing small, personalized groups, training games, Zen nap rooms, and even doggy puzzles, Club DiOGi aims to treat their canine members like royalty.
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