Wednesday Programs

It's Not Just Playing with Puppies! The Employee Retention Solution

Rich Schlatter

The employee retention landscape in the pet boarding and daycare industry has changed radically over the past 10-20 years, and continues to change. The criteria we have used in employee selection, such as prior pet experience, work history, and education, are not always the most important factors anymore. In this seminar, Rich will share with you what your candidate pool is looking for in an employer, and how to emulate that definition as a manager/owner by citing specific examples and methods he has used to be successful. Learn how to make your team happy to work with and for you so that they won't want to work anywhere else!

How to Successfully Navigate a Contagious Disease Outbreak at Your Facility

Dana Kreutzer

Every pet business owner's nightmare; a contagious disease outbreak wreaks havoc on your business, leading to a barrage of negative online attacks, hefty lawyer fees, and weeks of forced closure. You don't have to wait for this nightmare to become a reality before taking action. Dana, drawing from her own firsthand experience, provides a comprehensive step-by-step playbook to help you prepare and navigate such a crisis. Learn from her expertise and be ready to overcome the challenges and revive your pet business should the worst occur. Don't wait for disaster to strike—prepare your business now!

Are You Bringing in Enough Revenue?

Laura Laaman

As you know, delivering quality pet care has never been more expensive. With wild inflation, skyrocketing costs, and competition at an all-time high, many pet care businesses aren’t realizing the revenue they deserve and need. More than likely, you should be bringing in more—even in this economy. Join Laura to discover the five revenue-building secrets top facilities use to thrive year after year.

Take Your Pet Care Business from Average to Epic

Fernando Camacho

Having an average business sucks. An average business is just getting by. An average business doesn’t excite people. An average business is easily forgettable. In this seminar, join Fern to learn how to get your pet care business out of Averagetown and into a category that is talked about all throughout your area—and that no one can compete with! Just by shifting your thinking, changing some simple things in your services, and evolving your customer service, you’ll create an unstoppable, epic pet care business.

Pet 911: Responding to Pet Medical Emergencies in Your Facility

Madison Warner

Dealing with a pet medical emergency is a stressful event. Even the most prepared individuals can struggle with panic and become overwhelmed when something happens. In this seminar, you’ll learn some safe and effective ways to assign responsibilities, provide the best first aid care, and communicate with owners about a pet health condition.

Revenue Tails: How to Optimize Price without Harming Customer Relationships

Chris Tilson

In this valuable session, Chris Tilson will discuss how to leverage hospitality industry best practices around revenue and yield management. Drawing from a decade of experience, Chris will review proactive and reactive strategies that cover revenue optimization rules, minimum booking values, and offer blackouts. More importantly, he will show you how you can apply these practices without harming customer relationships; addressing the objections you might face and how to handle them effectively. This session isn’t theory—it’s a hands-on guide, showing you how to implement these strategies with real results.

Dynamic Leadership: Managing Poor and Under-Performers

Phillip Paris

In this session, Phillip will navigate the always present issue of how to manage employees who aren’t performing up to the highest standards or seemingly lack motivation. Sometimes this issue can be the employee, and other times it may be an indicator of failed leadership and culture in the workplace. This concise, impactful presentation is designed for leaders and managers of pet care businesses who face the challenge of addressing under-performance in their teams. Phillip will dive into the root causes of poor performance, offering practical strategies for effective communication, motivation, and performance improvement. Attendees will learn how to identify early signs of under-performance, develop improvement plans, and navigate difficult conversations with class and clarity.

Personalized Enrichment: The Future of Dog Daycare

Allison Jacobs & Kristen Perrus

The pet care industry is expected to grow from $246 billion in 2023 to $368 billion by 2030. This renaissance is driven by two factors: the growth in average number of pets per household and the increased focus on animal well-being from pet parents. In this session, you’ll learn how to enrich the lives of animals in your care through activities satisfying breed-specific instincts and personal preferences across various business models, and walk away with the BEST organic marketing campaign templates for communicating each dog’s journey through report cards. A top 2024 marketing trend is the return of customer service through personalized experiences, and your clients will become raving fans after they see the value of your program reflected in their dog’s behavior.

Adding on to Your Fur-nancials: Exploring Revenue Streams Beyond Boarding and Daycare

Eve Molzhon

Join Eve is this session for an in-depth exploration of financial strategies to elevate your business. She will help dig into the financials of your dog daycare and boarding business, and discuss how to increase income through additional revenue streams like selling retail pet products and treats, introducing new services and programs, and forming strategic partnerships with others in your community—and within our industry. Gain valuable insights into understanding the costs of your business, ensuring a successful and profitable model. You’ll walk away with practical approaches to grow while setting your business apart from the competition. Don't miss out on this opportunity to unleash the untapped potential of your business!