{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"DogCo Secrets","title":"How to Make Your Pet Business More Profitable by End of 2026 | Ep. 155","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":923,"description":"With roughly eight working weeks left in the year, there's still time to make meaningful improvements to your pet care business's profitability. But rather than trying to overhaul everything at once, Michelle Kline shares three practical areas to focus on before the end of 2026: holiday pricing, reengaging former clients, and improving operational efficiency.\n\nIn this episode, Michelle explains how to evaluate your profit margins against industry benchmarks, why retaining existing clients can be more profitable than acquiring new ones, and how seemingly insignificant amounts of wasted employee time can add up to substantial costs. Whether you're running a small dog walking company or scaling a larger pet sitting operation, these strategies can help you make better use of the time, team, and client relationships you already have.\n\n🧠 Key Takeaways\n- Understand your profit benchmarks: Michelle recommends a 20% to 30% profit range for team-based pet care companies where the owner is out of the field, with higher margins potentially achievable depending on the business model.\n- Review your holiday fee structure: Consider applying smaller surcharges to services surrounding major holidays and higher fees on the holidays themselves.\n- Protect your existing bookings: Honor fees already agreed upon with clients while evaluating pricing for new Thanksgiving and Christmas bookings.\n- Reengage former clients: Reach out personally to clients you haven't served this year. Some may simply need a friendly reminder that you're available.\n- Prioritize retention over acquisition: Reconnecting with existing clients can reduce the marketing and onboarding costs associated with bringing in new customers.\n- Keep outreach personal and low-pressure: Focus first on restarting the relationship rather than immediately pushing clients toward recurring services.\n- Manage employee time carefully: If you pay your team hourly, monitor routing, visit durations, and the time spent on activities...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/giIAwXklX3Me6Y3AGv5KE7D-acdstcRIblascS9YzYQ/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9lZWI1/MjA3MDZhZGFiMzJj/YTEyZTUxMDc3Yjlk/ZWU1Yi5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}