The Business Animal

Episodes

Giving Tuesday is here and we want to encourage you to support your favorite non-profit organization. In today’s episode, Kim and Cara sit down with Suzanne Hagmaier of Hope Held by a Horse to discuss their amazing mission. Hope Held by a Horse provides a safe, positive environment, in the company of horses, to support...
Working through the holiday season as animal, equine and pet-based business owners is an exhilarating and EXHAUSTING time. While riding the roller coaster of entrepreneurial ups and downs, it can be easy to forget all the things we have to be grateful for as entrepreneurs when we are just trying to get through the day...
The first contact a customer has with your animal, equine or pet-based business often sets the tone for their entire experience. Today, Kim and Cara have some great ideas about how to create a wow factor right from day one AND how you can feel more confident handling the initial inquiry from potential clients.  ...
Blogs are dead, right? Who reads blogs anymore? They are a lot of work and maybe you have allowed yours to grow cobwebs and get all dusty! Well get out the broom because blogging is not only still a thing — it’s an important part of your animal, equine or agri-based business marketing plan. In this...
If you are a business owner, and a woman, it’s pretty much a sure thing that you’ve heard the term imposter syndrome. At some point you may have even felt like a bit of an imposter in your quest to become the best animal, equine or agricultural based business owner you can. What is happening...
Let’s start thinking about ways to make money while you sleep! Like most small businesses, there’s one of you and you’ve got a lot of responsibilities in your animal, equine or agricultural based business. The day to day running of your business can be all consuming and it feels like there is little time to...
Is it time to hire a copywriter? On this episode Cara and Kim chat with Jennifer Dugas Bitting of The Equine Copywriter to discuss how hiring a copywriter can help animal, equine, and agri-based business owners create the best copy for websites, blog posts, social media and so much more. Jennifer talks through the three...
Are you an animal, pet or equine-based business out there supporting other local businesses? Showing support to businesses in your local community is great for so many reasons. For starters, it keeps the local business economy booming which is also really good for YOUR animal business. On this feel good episode, Kim and Cara cover...
Mental health in equine, pet and/or agri-business matters. On this episode of The Business Animal, Kim and Cara chat with Jason Medows of the popular podcast, Ag State of Mind, about breaking the stigma of mental health in agriculture. Jason shares some of his favorite resources and strategies to better manage mental health in rural...
Quick note: Before listening to this episode, please consider your own personal safety. If you are experiencing an unsafe relationship, please choose a time and location that is safe for you to listen and consider marking the episode as “unplayed” and deleting your browser history when you finish. October is Domestic Violence Awareness month and...
Do you have an idea that you believe will transform your animal, equine or pet-based industry? On this week’s episode, Cara and Kim speak with Artemis Horse Match founder, Nick Bourdon, about his experience bringing a new product to the equine and equestrian marketplace. Nick shares his experience in getting to better know his ideal...
You want to know the number one way to be more efficient in your animal, pet or equine-based business? Batching. Sounds incredibly boring right? BUT, you’re already doing it successfully in so many other areas of your life… Why not your business too? In this episode, Kim and Cara provide an easy to follow recipe...
Successful marketing is not about you, it’s about your customers. So that begs the question: how much do you know about your ideal customer? It’s time to take a deep dive into their life and lifestyle — and identify how you can relate to them in a way that feels natural and comfortable (but makes...
Your WHY is your ‘go juice.’ It’s your mantra, it’s the reason you get up in the morning, it’s the engine that powers your ambition and courage. It’s the thing that makes you go forward when life gets ‘hella hard’ and weighs you down. When you connect your WHY with your mission and your life,...
Hashtags are absolutely necessary on Instagram. But they are so confusing! Which ones do you use? How many? Do you repeat them? Where should you use them? Animal, equine and pet-based businesses SHOULD have a hashtag strategy that includes different types of hashtags. On this episode Kim and Cara talk about the nine different types...
Testimonials are a huge marketing boon for your business. For many new customers, they are the deciding factor in choosing you over your competition. They are so valuable, we believe it’s time for you to take your customer Testimonials to the next level! In this episode, we give you detailed tips on how to get...
Creativity is vital in almost every industry, but especially for animal, pet and equine-based businesses. In our world of constant change, uncertainty, and increased need for innovation, creativity in the workplace has never been more important. Fostering a creative mindset and being able to put your “creative muscle” to work to solve problems and bring...
What is your distinctive, super-special secret sauce, that has your existing clients coming back for more time and again AND encourages consumers to choose your animal-based business over a similar business right down the dirt road? Maybe you already have an idea of what your unique marketing genius is BUT this episode will help you...
The number one way for animal, pet, or equine-based businesses to increase their sales is to get comfortable with follow-up. If you get anxious when it comes to following up with potential new clients and need to create a better follow-up system that you can rely on, then this episode is for you!  It’s time...
This week’s episode is all about creating strategies to reach your animal, pet, or equine-based business goals. Ever feel like you are just treading water or putting out fires instead of moving your business forward? We hear you! Are you in the process of starting a business or thinking of growing your side hustle into...
Have you ever been asked to work for free? Maybe someone even said they will pay you in “exposure.” How do you separate what may be a great opportunity that leads to more work from non-opportunities where you bust your butt and get nothing in return? In this episode, Kim and Cara break down their...
As an entrepreneur you have to know all the moving parts of your business, but that doesn’t mean you have to do all of those moving parts, yourself, forever! Is it time for you to add an automation system that will handle things for you or an employee that will take on some of the...
Websites are your business’ digital storefront. Many times they are the first impression a potential customer has of your business. They are the place where you can create the brand look and feel that sets you apart from your competition. They are also incredibly important to being found on search engines (the modern day Yellow...
How do you stand out from your competition and foster a healthy competitive advantage in your animal, equine or pet-based industry when it feels like new businesses are popping up all around you? Kim and Cara chat with Emily Ascolillo, owner of Quite Fetching, a pet bakery and boutique located in Grafton, MA, about just...
Love your animal-based business, but hate the cringe-worthy feeling of closing a sale with your clients? This episode is for you! This week, Kim and Cara tackle the topic of sales conversations. Get ready to flip your sales conversation management skills from awkward to confident and become the problem solving expert your business needs you...
Do you have a good handle on how customers move into and through your business? Are you leaving money on the table (or barn floor) because your process doesn’t support good relationship building techniques? Today, Lindsey Ardmore of The Automated Vet joins Kim and Cara for a deep discussion on how to better embrace customer...
Content marketing is using what you know (your content) to persuade (market to) the right people to take you up on what you offer (sale!). In this episode, Kim and Cara take you through three key factors in making your content marketing program successful. Go beyond using your content just a social media fodder and...
Kim and Cara sit down with Freelance Rockstar Julie Cortes to discuss how to set boundaries as a small business owner. From customers who expect after hours service to family members who don’t respect your office door, we all have encountered having our boundaries violated. Setting clear boundaries — for yourself, your clients, and your...
Kim and Cara chat about how easy it is for small business owners to get caught up solving problems that really aren’t an issue for their business. They identify signs that small business owners can scrutinize to determine if they are currently working through a problem that their business just isn’t ready to tackle yet...
Consumers are making purchasing decisions, everyday, based on so much more than just price. They are looking for animal, pet and/or equine based businesses that have shared values, are engaging and inspire an emotional connection. Customer loyalty programs are an incredible way to provide more value to your customers and keep your customers engaged beyond...
Are you wowing your clients at every step of their experience with your animal, pet or equine based business?  Customers who feel appreciated, respected, valued and recognized are loyal because they have an emotional connection to your company. In this episode, Cara and Kim discuss the importance of creating a customer experience that wows your...
Do you struggle with entrepreneurial overwhelm? Do you not know where to apply your focus or feel like your to-do list runs your life? Could you benefit from a better relationship with money? This week Kim and Cara sit down with guru of all things entrepreneurial mindset, Melisa Pearce of Touched by a Horse. This...
Part one of a two part series on creating customer loyalty programs. Today Kim and Cara visit with Terri Cage of Terri Cage Photography. Terri shares her program that turns existing customers into a branded sales team to grow her business and expand her social reach and referral network while mindfully targeting her ideal clients. ...
Establishing joint ventures with like-minded business owners is one of the fastest ways to scale your animal-based business! Joint venture collaborations can allow YOUR business entrance to new markets AND new potential customers, access to specialized staff and equipment, and create an opportunity for problem solving that transcends what you may have ever thought possible. ...
Why should you be repurposing content? It just makes good business sense! The truth is only a small fraction of your audience will see your content, let alone the new potential audience you hope to reach, so repurposing the meaty content you’ve spent time and energy perfecting means that there’s a better chance you will...
Are You Setting on Your But? Entrepreneurship is about so much more than just business skills — it’s also about having the right mindset. We’re talking about buts… not BUTTS! Setting on that but is the number one root cause for small business failures.  Cara and Kim talking about the three big buts that animal,...
Kim and Cara chat candidly with Carien Schippers, owner of Imagequine and founder of the Equine Photographers Network, about her career as an equine photographer and what motivated her to start a community of horse photographers that is today known as the Equine Photographers Network. Carien shares why she made a conscious decision to have...
So admit it — you’ve taken more than one quiz online, right? We all love taking these quick — sometimes serious, sometimes not-so-much — quizzes that reveal things we may not have considered. People love learning new things about themselves AND seeing how they compare to their friends and colleagues.  The subject of this episode...
Social proof is one of your most important marketing assets. Your POTENTIAL clients are more likely to trust someone else… who was once like them… looking for the service or product that you offer. Social proof is so important because it directly influences your potential customer’s actions. On this episode, Cara and Kim talk in...
Email marketing, like all digital marketing, has evolved in the past decade. Gone are the days where you could just send out a weekly newsletter and call your email marketing program a winner. Today, you need to target your emails to meet consumers and customers right where they are on their customer journey — and...