How can I serve you?

If you're just starting perhaps you've spoken to an architect. Maybe you've met with someone that designs state-of-the-art kennels and can build you the facility of your dreams. Now that doggie daycare has been around for a while, you'll find lots of amazing experts that can help you. What I offer is a bit different. I offer realtime answers, solutions, and feedback to the problems that you face on a day-to-day basis. What made my first few years the most difficult was not having someone that I could count on, someone that could give me clear guidance as to what to do in particular situations. My sister was supportive. She always answered her phone when I called. My parents were amazing too, but they didn't really "get it." My family lived far away and besides that, unless you've been in this industry you just can't understand how difficult it can be. We get to play with dogs all day, right? How stressful can that be? Let me answer that...a lot! Pet owners have high standards. They want their dog to play and have a ball all day but they never want their dog to get a scratch. They want live webcams, little or no breaks for their dog, an immaculate facility, convenient hours, holiday pick-ups (but with no fees), and, of course, they want all of this to be accompanied by outstanding customer service. Dog daycare owners constantly have to find the balance between always making the customer happy and making sure the dogs are truly experiencing an enriching and safe environment. Dog daycare is a business like no other. I'm here to be the mentor to you that I wish I had when I began.

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Staffing is another challenge. Traditional kennels can hire one set of people who interact with the clients and then another set of people who do the care of the pets and the cleaning of the facility. Different skill sets, different personalities, different positions. Daycares have to find all of these qualities in just one person. The daycare attendant must shine at customer service, being able to communicate about a pet's day to a worried owner. They have to be friendly and upbeat, have a knowledge of dog behavior and group play behavior, AND be willing to clean up poop and dog hair from the bottom of the outside fences. That's a tough combination to find. Once you do find that special employee, now you have to keep them around, pay them fairly, actively manage them and most importantly, make sure they have the training they need to be successful playgroup supervisors. With a staff of over 50 employees, I get lots of practice with managing team members. 

Examples of ways I can help

Dreaming of starting a dog daycare? I can help you with the following:

• Give you a realistic picture into what it's like to own a dog daycare (even letting you spend time at our facility to see behind-the-scenes)
• Help give you an idea of the kind of income you can expect to earn in this industry
• Give you direction on calculating your start-up costs
• Serve as your "expert" if needed when approaching banks for start-up loans
• Help you decide whether you should start by renting or buying your facility
• Look at (online) and talk to you about potential rental or purchase properties
• ​Much more...

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Is your dog daycare in the works? I can help you with the following:

• Look at your blueprints or rental space and help you with design and layout
• Give advice on products and companies I've worked what I would recommend
• Tell you the things that are must-have's and what project items can either wait, or would be a waste of money
• Walk you through my facilities showing you layout, products used, and which areas produce the most income
• Evaluate, or help formulate, your logo, "brand", website and all marketing material
• Provide paperwork such as enrollment forms, dog evaluation forms, etc.
• Provide a training plan for new staff
• Much more...
  

Already own a dog daycare? I can help you with the following:

• Evaluate all promotional materials; logos, your "brand", website, social media, etc.
• Evaluate your training material and suggest changes or provide use of our training materials
• Allow you and your employees to have in-facility training at one of our locations focusing on anything from playgroup management to customer service
• Be a "secrect shopper" and help evaluate where you might need additional customer service training
• Be on-call for daily questions and chats as needed (sample calls below)​​​
• Much more...

Example questions and phone calls from owners already in business:

• "One of my superstar employees doesn't think she should trim pet toenails without being paid more? Should I agree?"
• "I had a dog get injured on a playroom gate, should I pay for the vet expenses to have it looked at?"
• "Should I allow pitbulls in my playgroups?"
• "How can I better prepare my staff for tough client conversations?"
• "At what point do you dismiss a daycare dog?"
• "Help, Department of Agriculture is headed our way for an inspection and I'm nervous."
• "How would you suggest testing a dog for playgroups?" 
• "I don't normally allow unneutered males but this one is a show dog and I really like the client, should I bend the rules?"
• "I found a really great groomer, how much should I pay her?" 
• "I really think it's time to raise my prices but don't want to make my clients mad. Should I just wait?"

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Consulting Packages

Let's Chat

$100.00

Want to ask me a question? Are you trying to decide which consulting package to buy or whether you'll need one at all? "Let's Chat" offers you a chance to get to know me via phone and ask a few pressing questions that are on your mind. This is also good if you are at the very beginning stages of your business venture and just want someone to run your ideas by but aren't quite ready to dive head first into your project.
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Already own a business and have a specific issue you would like to talk through with someone? Call me. Either I've already dealt with the issue myself or I can talk you through finding a workable solution.

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All Access Pass

$10,250.00 - $11,250.00

The most comprehensive plan, the All Access Pass package has all the bells and whistles of the Mentor Upgrade Package with the added benefit of in-our-facility training and a visit to your location.

Training in Pawtropolis

• Full Animal Caretaker Training Program for 1 person so they can be confident to train new animal care staff at your facility. This includes nearly 100 hours of animal husbandry, playgroup management, and customer service training. We will take someone through our full 13 day training program, with the ability to narrow the focus to areas of interest. Training will be held at an active 17,000sqft facility, that averages 120 dogs for daycare each day. 
• Option for an additional 3 people to shadow for 2 full shifts each, included.
• Manager and/or staff assessment. If you have someone you are considering for a position, especially a leadership position, but wonder how they will do once the business is up and running, we can have them come in for a "working interview". We'll be able to give you an initial assessment of how they handle large groups of dogs, see if they have the experience they claim to have, are they outgoing with clients and staff, and if we see any red flags that might affect how they would do at your facility, etc. This can also help highlight areas in which that person needs additional training.

Your Facility Visit

• One of our consultants will come to your facility (within the contiguous United States) for one 8-hour day. This can be scheduled before or after opening depending on your preference. Our visit goals will be solely dependent on what you need. Examples of what could be covered: staff training, walking the facility and making suggestions regarding set-up and assessing any safety concerns, time spent for open questions by owner, managers, and staff, playgroup training with staff, coming up with a daily routine based on the layout of the facility, etc. 
• Additional days can be added to trip for $350/day.
• Additional trips can be added at $350/day if you cover costs of travel and lodging.

Product Discounts

• Coupon code provided to save $10 off any 3-pack purchase of documents. Valid up to 12 months after package purchase.​

*All Packages are good for 12 months from date of purchase.

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Mentor Upgrade

$4,500.00 - $5,500.00

This package includes all the bells and whistles of our Mentor Package with the addition of the following:

Help with facility design and layout

• Includes Behind-the-Scenes Tours at 2 Pawtropolis locations ($450 value)
• If purchasing/renting an existing building, we can help come up with the best layout for your desired services
• If building from the ground up, we can help with a design (pencil drawing on graph paper) incorporating all the space needed for your desired services

Training materials in digital Word format

• Training timelines for customer service & animal care staff
• Animal Caretaker Training Manual ($600 value)
• Employee Handbook ($400 value)
• Job descriptions for customer service & animal care staff

Small client pet notices in digital Word format

• Happy Note
• Health Note
• Watch Card
• Tooth Fairy Card
• Activities Card

Miscellaneous Documents

• Manager follow-up form in digital Word format
• A copy of our current Prices and Polices in pdf format

Product Discounts

• Coupon code provided to save $10 off any 3-pack purchase of documents. Valid up to 12 months after package purchase.

*All packages are good for 12 months from the date of purchase.

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Behind-the-Scenes Tour with Q&A

$450.00

Pawtropolis currently has two locations located within 15 miles of each other in Athens, GA. Pawtropolis "Westside" is 12,000sqft and averages around 75 dogs each day (approximately 125 at max capacity). "Eastside" is 17,000sqft averaging around 115 dogs daily (approximately 175 pets at max capacity). The ability to view an actively working daycare is invaluable. You'll be able to see all the nooks and crannies, helping you gain ideas for your own building layout and potential products to use.

We'll begin the tour at our smaller Westside location then head 17 minutes away to the larger Eastside facility. We'll point out upgrades and changes that were made when we built our second location. After touring both locations, Amanda Crook or Sara Beth Pinson will sit down with you for a question and answer session. You can pick their brain on everything you saw in the facilities as well as run some of your ideas by them for feedback.

Included: A list containing many of the products and materials seen throughout the facility.

-We offer these facility tours at the discounted rate of $350 when added onto a Mentor Package.

-We ask that you not take pictures within the facility.

-Though length of time is flexible for the Q & A, we ask that time for that section be limited to no more than 1-hour.

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Mentor

$1,200.00

The most basic package includes unlimited phone calls and emails for one year. Once we learn more about your project you'll be matched with either Amanda Crook or Sara Beth Pinson as your year long mentor.

For New Start-ups, topics include:

• Brainstorming company name and/or tagline and developing a detailed vision of what you want your company to be
• Helping you decide whether to rent, buy or build a facility
• Helping with expense and income projections when preparing a business loan plan
• Looking, and helping with, marketing materials such has logo design, website, social media, etc.
• Deciding what services to offer and developing your pricing plan
• Creating a work-life balance
• Much more...
   

For Established Companies, topics include:

• Reviewing staff training and helping to make modifications
• Assessing services offered and evaluating current prices
• Tackling customer service issues or bad publicity
• Helping decide the next steps for the company
• Learning to delegate to staff and transition from a full-time employee to an owner with a flexible schedule
• Much more...
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*Expires 12 months after date of purchase.

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