small business

How to build a business that gives you the freedom to travel with Kathryn Cockrell

In this week's episode of the Handling Business Podcast, the fearless Kathryn Cockrell of Happy Hound sits down to tell us that it is possible to own a business, but still hit the road and travel. Kathryn launched her business as a 15 year old after deciding that she wanted to work for herself. At 21 years old, after working 24/7 for many years, Kathryn decided to take the leap and hire a manager so that she could take off on a six week backpacking trip through Europe. She's also volunteered in South America at a foster program and she has grand plans of more travels. Kathryn's new big plan is renovating a vintage Airstream trailer to be her mobile office/ home so that she can travel all throughout the U.S. Kathryn guides us through the process of creating a company that can both help others and provide her with income while she travels the world.

In this episode you’ll learn why a healthy business is one that can thrive on its own as well as tips for moving your business towards self sustainability. What’s the key to creating a brand that can survive on its own? Hiring the right management. Kathryn dives into how she avoids mistakes when selecting people to run her business while she travels and why those hires should not always be the kind of people you might think.

Kathryn outlines how she plans to maintain her level of involvement with Happy Hound while traveling the country in a customized Airstream. Her confidence in her business will inspire you to get out there and grow your company while this episode of Handling Business will help get you there!


SHOW NOTES:

Happy Hound Pet Sitting Co - http://happy-hound-pet-sitting-co.com/

Kathryn Cockrell - https://kathryncockrell.com/


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3 Tips to Overcome Public Speaking Nerves

Snakes, sharks, piranhas, spiders, being buried alive – these are just some of the things people consistently say they fear less than speaking in public. On almost every list or countdown of our greatest fears, public speaking is almost always at the top. The potential for massive embarrassment makes us shutter with fear. Unfortunately for some, public speaking is a vital skill in business. Frequently you will be required to speak in front of meetings, boardrooms, and gatherings. You will not only have to communicate adequately, but eloquently as well. A good public speech could be the key to motivating your employees, frightening your competition, or convincing new customers. To be a successful entrepreneur, you simply need to overcome your fear of public speaking. Hopefully, these tips will help.

1. Find Your Biggest Critic and Get Lots of Feedback

If you are afraid of public speaking, this tip may seem absolutely terrifying. Having someone critique your speaking failures may be as appealing as rubbing salt on an open wound. However, constructive criticism is perhaps your greatest tool for improvement. Critics can point out what isn’t working and can offer you a different perspective. They can call you out on things you would have never noticed. The initial criticism may sting a little, but it will make you stronger. Knowing that you have already faced your biggest critics and survived unscathed will undoubtedly fill you with confidence when it is time to make your next speech.

Don't write down your speech

This tip appears extremely counterintuitive. While preparation is absolutely vital to a good speech, writing it out word for word may not be the best idea. The best speakers are able to effectively utilize the language that people actually speak. Too often, prewritten speeches come off as overly formal and boring. The audience can tell when you are just reciting something prewritten and they quickly lose interest. You rarely use phrases like "In addition," or "In contrast," while having a normal conversation. The language of prewritten speeches can just be awkward when read out loud. In addition, one small slip up in your recital will destroy your flow and, especially if you are already timid, shatter your confidence.  

Don't let your nerves get the best of you

 Everyone gets nervous and no one wants to see you stumble and fail. A small slip up is usually all it takes for a nervous public speaker to totally lose confidence. Relax. Know that you will make mistakes, and that is okay. You do not have to be perfect. If you are really passionate about what you are saying, the words will flow naturally. It may take some getting used to, but public speaking is a vital skill you can learn.

The Missing Piece of your Marketing Strategy: In-Person Marketing

A simple face to face connection is perhaps the best way to gain a new customer.

Every year, companies spend enormous amounts of time and money developing innovative marketing techniques. From electronic billboards, to sponsored web articles, to even creative skywriting -- businesses are constantly trying out new methods to drive growth. This desire to experiment with marketing is valuable, but often these efforts are poor uses of resources. Just because it is new doesn’t necessarily mean it’s good. Too often, businesses forget to focus on the simplest and perhaps most effective strategy: in-person marketing. Personal relationships with customers are critical to driving revenue and business growth. A simple face to face connection is perhaps the best way to gain a new customer.

Personal connections are especially important in the early stages of your business when you are still perfecting your model. Customer feedback is a key way to find out what elements of your business aren’t working. You can check in with your customers frequently and gain valuable information about pricing, quality, or anything else you want to know. A strong personal connection will ensure the feedback they give is honest and reliable. These connections are also great for market research. Learning more about your customers – who they are, where they are, and what they want – is critically important. You want to constantly tweak and improve your business to keep it relevant in the market place. Even for larger, more developed companies, maintaining and creating new personal connections is vital. It’s a big mistake to just see customers as dollar signs. Businesses who fail to understand what their customers actually want will not last long.  

Making meaningful connections with people can also be a great way to expand your business. Of all the types of advertising, one of the most valued is “word of mouth.” Your business profits when satisfied customers share their experiences and recommendations to friends and family. One Tweet or Facebook post could lead to many new customers. Again, this is why in person connections are so important. One solid interaction with someone will allow you to put a “face to the business.” Customers are of course more likely to share their opinions if that personal connection has been established.  One connection could lead to a whole web of potential new business leads. A small investment of time can lead to huge amounts of rewards. Your growing business could be one connection away from exponential growth.

In-person marketing is perhaps the best way to market your business, and best of all, it just requires a little bit of time. It’s as easy a quick call to a good customer. 

Step Back to Move Forward

No one said starting a business would be simple. As Shakespeare once said, "Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown."  In today’s environment, owners have to do it all. They need to be accountants, customer services representatives, digital marketing experts, and more. Too often, owners are overwhelmed by the details. Organizing invoices, tracking employees, and chasing payments all distract from the real goals of the business. Instead, you should be ensuring the quality of your service, engaging with customers, and driving new growth. There simply aren’t enough hours in the day to do it all.

There is an expanding school of thought that entrepreneurs shouldn’t be judged by how many hours they work, but rather by how effective those hours are. “I work 60 hours a week” shouldn’t be a badge a pride, but rather a sign you may be going wrong. Diligent, consistent work is the key to growing a business, but if it is focused in the wrong area, your efforts may be in vain. The solution is delegation. For many new business owners, it is very difficult to relinquish control. You need to be sure that the job still gets done right. You need to guarantee the payments are on time, your employees are where they need to be, and the budget remains balanced. But there really are tools out there that can help. Handlr has the resources to assist you more effectively in delegating and managing tasks. Our system makes handling finances and logistics a breeze. Applications like Handlr are so appreciated by business owners because not only does it do their tasks efficiently and correctly, they free up a lot of time for you to do what is really important – running your business.

To see Handlr in action, book a demo here.

NAPPS Conference 2016 Recap

This past weekend, the Handlr Team flew to beautiful Orlando, Florida to experience the magic of NAPPS Conference of 2016. To say the least, we were blown away by the amount of professionalism, creativity, and entrepreneurialism displayed by every single one of the business owners we had the pleasure of meeting. We learned everything it takes to run a pet care service business. From dog training techniques, software solutions, marketing best practices, to eco-friendly poop bags! The pet care industry is vast and growing at an exponential rate, and NAPPS plays a pivotal role to providing great resources to their members. It’s a place that allows professionals in the industry to connect, exchange ideas, promote growth, and learn. This weekend encompassed all of those aspects, and more. We thank you for giving Handlr the opportunity to be there and we thank all of the guest speakers for their leadership in the industry and sharing their knowledge with us.

Below are recommended links for pet-related business owners in need of resources.

  • Catch Academy - Canine training academy

  • FetchFind - Education and resources for professionals, by professionals.

  • Big Dog Marketing - provides pet industry marketing services.

  • Dognostic - provides online academic pet industry career programs.

  • Hireology - A hiring software that simplifies the hiring process.

For NAPPS attendees who didn't get a chance to see our demo, no worries! Request a demo to see Handlr in action by clicking the button below. See everyone at NAPPS 2017!

For non-NAPPS members, NAPPS is a national, non-profit organization dedicated to providing resources for the pet sitting industry and championing the welfare of animals. They provide resources, webinars, insurance, and skills for success (and more) in the pet care providing industry. For more information, visit: www.petsitters.org.

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