From Wags To Riches: Recent Episodes
DogBusiness.co.uk
From Wags to Riches is a 'dogcast' that aims to inform and entertain dog lovers, professionals or doggy groupies everywhere.
It's specifically for ambitious dog related business owners, solopreneuers and those perhaps aspiring to start such a business - helping to Plan, Learn, Launch and Grow great dog businesses.
I'll talk to dog business professionals, dog lovers and subject matter experts - to get them to share their stories, challenges, experiences, tips, tricks and insights to help you make your dreams a reality.
00:00-00:31 Under attack
00:37-02:02 Introduction to Bewdley and Wyre Forest District Council
02:02-02:18 A blanket ban on walking more than 3 dogs!
02:27-03:24 Introducing Linda McKenzie, the 'Dog Charmer', dog trainer and dog groupie
04:21 300 'odd' bods impose their wishes on 102,000 residents.
08:20 What consultation process?
10:00 How a dog trainer got involved in making sense of this Wyre Forest District Council poppycock
14:00 The contradictions of the Animal Welfare Regulations 2018 versus some randomly plucked local authority number
16:30 The proposed PSPO has resulted in dog walkers quitting
18:43 Mounting a legal challenge isn't easy. "We can, so we did"
19:30 Home Office guidance for PSPOs doesn't apply to us, it's only a guideline. Who cares about evidence or proportionality?
21:12 Councillors "I'm not a dog owner" or "I'm not a dog lover." I don't care about their welfare.
22:50 The dogs and their owners have never caused a problem, there's no evidence to support it.
26:00 It's not even a living wage what they're imposing
26:30 Court or No Court?
28:12 Is there still hope?
33:08 What the Home Office say
34:03 Escalating to the local authority ombudsman
35:10 "Do the right thing!"
38:10 Fighting the local fight
43:10 "My fight today, could be your battle won tomorrow"
Linda McKenzie - https://www.facebook.com/thedogcharmer.co.uk/
We continue the conversation with Dog Care Professional UK's licensing consultant, Paul Thornton on how best to turn local authorities and their inaction over Unlicensed dog businesses into action - get a licence, stick to the regulations or get prosecuted!
What’s it all about? How do you get into it? How much can my pet make? Do you have a Llama that can tight rope walk or a cute cocker that loads the dishwasher?
In this episode I get the low down on the pet stars of today as I chat with UrbanPawsUK, one of the country’s leading pet acting and pet talent management companies.
UrbanPawsUK.com
We continue our mini series talking about the local authority licensing of dog care businesses with Dog Care Professionals UK’s licensing consultant, Paul Thornton.
In this episode we begin to tackle the controversial topic of unlicensed dog care businesses and the lack of enforcement of the regulations by local authorities on these law abusers, and the anger and frustration that this is causing with law abiding licensed dog care businesses.
In 2018, the average dog care licence was estimated by the Government to be £172. In 2020, in the midst of a global pandemic, many businesses have been shut for 2-3 months. Summer holidays seem a distant pipe-dream and dog care bookings have sunk to an all time low. Now local authorities are putting up licence fees by 550%! Will there be anyone still in business in 2021? We need help fighting back.
We continue our immersion in all things Animal Welfare Regulations and dog care licensing as we chat with Dog Care Professionals UK (DCP UK’s) licensing consultant, Paul. In this episode we chat about the challenges of how to get a licence extension for your dog care business during the Covid pandemic and how best to try and get the right result from your Local Authority’s licensing team.
In this first part of a mini series on animal welfare licensing regulations , we chat to Paul Thornton, a former local authority senior licensing officer and now a consultant to both other local authorities and to Dog Care Professionals UK about his background, the licensing officer's responsibilities, the 2018 Animal Welfare Regulations (England) and dog business licensing; Heady stuff.
We chat to dog behaviourist, trainer and licensed home day care provider Jon Davison on assessing new dogs at the Meet & Greet stage and effective dog socialisation - whether home boarder, day carer or or dog walker.
00:16 Would you like a 6 figure dog business?
02:36 Some fun but important facts for you
03:50 A late start...
04:54 How did you get involved with dogs?
06:40 3 months into working as a walker for someone else, I started my own thing
08:13 What did pet sitting and dog walking in California look like in the mid 90s?
14:00 What's the split of pet business types in Cali?
15:46 What's the legal framework for dog businesses in your part of Cali?
18:30 Pet Sitting - what does that mean?
23:39 Build it up and sell it?
25:40 How did you get down to 3 days/week?
29:00 Did you change the focus on your business when you reduced your time down to 3 days/week?
32:20 So how did you ready yourself to sell your business?
34:00 It took me a year to decide...
34:30 This guy rang me and asked if I wanted to sell...
35:52 Plan 3 years from final to decision to actual sale...
37:06 So who bought your business?
38:25 When did the penny drop you'd actually sold the business?
41:20 How much time does the writing and dog business coaching take up now?
42:30 What do you see as the trends and changes in the dog business space?
44:30 What would you do differently and why?
www.SixFigurePetBusinessAcademy.com
https://www.facebook.com/SixFigurePetBusinessAcademy/
0:00 It begins with an apology
01:55 Introducing Greg van Praagh - MD, Benyfit Natural - the premium raw dog food manufacturer
3:18 How they increased the performance of their gun dogs
4:22 What's in the brand name
05:12 Retired but under his wife's feet at home - so she shipped her husband out
09:40 Beginning in a bed-sit
10:27 What goes in to your dog is what you get out
10:50 Sustainability, ethics and human grade ingredients
12:24 Brand values
13:31 Coming home from working in Spain to do a start-up
14:10 Evolving the packaging to reflect customer needs and brand values
15:30 Did you struggle coming back to work with your Dad and the challenges of working in a new business segment?
16:40 Standing by a freezer all day
17:20 Getting things done
18:58 Renal failure provided an unexpected challenge - one more hurdle to overcome.
20:25 The Real Pet Food Company - bringing an Australian and global dimension
21:10 Building our own manufacturing plant
22:47 Are your feed ingredients safe for your pets?
24:25 Anyone can start a dog food company but regulations and compliance are key
26:38 Ingredients and packaging oversight
27:47 How do you identify your customer?
29:10 The importance of digital
30:18 Advertising - er no!
31:04 What frustrates you most?
31:50 Incoming Chair of the Pet Food Manufacturing Association
33.00 Having a word with your younger self
34:25 How would you spend a lump sum of money in the dog space making a difference?
36:45 Why I don't have a dog
37:38 Bring your pets to work
39:00 Nutrition and scientific research
39:35 3 guests for dinner - who?
40:20 What does the future hold for Greg van Praagh and Benyfit Natural?
00:25 An apology
01:15 Laura's Little Lodgers and how it came about by an accident
04:53 Ten Years on
05:07 Enrichment
06:18 5 star business and the licence rating conundrum
08:22 Local Authority licensing experience
09:27 Unlicensed operators
12:01 All about the wonderful doggy top
13:03 How do you get customers?
14:30 What is it about Laura's Little Lodgers that suggests Rotties and Vizslas might stay?
15:02 Potty about 3 breeds in particular
16:21 Regulars or ad hoc holidays?
16:57 Matty - When sadness strikes
20:10 Stolen ashes
22:10 Beyond the call of canine care duty
23:58 More than a business
24:18 What I love...
24:45 Sir Michael Parkinson
25:57 Learning Brazilian to communicate with your customer
26:30 Qualifications and learning
30:00 Advice to aspiring new dog business owners
34:02 Schmoozing in Pets At Home
35:27 Billboard
36:02 A virtual dinner party
37:56 Dog going blind - call Laura!
To find out more about Laura's Little Lodgers - please visit https://www.lauraslittlelodgers.co.uk/
Today we meet Kevin Johnson, one of the co-founders of Boogity.ca - Canada's largest off-leash dog walking park as we find out what life is like on the other side of the 'pond'.
Meet Becky Doucette.
Life in the pet shop.
Life as a Pack Leader.
In the next episode we'll catch up with one of the Co Founders of Boogity.ca and find all about the challenges of running such a business.
0.32 How do I escape from this damned job?
1.48 Cyber Security
2:56 Introducing Emma Jackson from Shawbury Paws in Shropshire
4.09 How did you get started - life before dogs
5.02 Why walk away from Cyber Security for a dog business?
6.16 Introducing Ted
7.03 What do you provide as part of your dog service experience?
8.12 Resident dog not so good with children - providing a choice for other owners
9.08 How did you move from Cyber Security to setting up a home boarding business?
9.52 How did you find out all that you needed to know?
01:11 A new licensing service for Dog Care Professionals from DCP UK
03:25 How the new licensing service will work in practice
05:10 How will Dog Care Professionals UK evolve going forwards?
07:20 How we will best meet the needs of fellow dog care professionals
07:36 Don't put this bit in!
09:04 Sometimes it gets a bit emotional but we try to be informal but to the point
09:30 A love-in with DEFRA, where are we at?
10:38 Local Authorities and tackling unlicensed dog care businesses
11:54 Lack of public awareness regarding dog care licensing and the need to raise awareness
14:08 Rescuing 'Doodles' - another ball in the air and the last chance saloon
22:15 Here's a dinner party as a thank you! Who will be your guests?
00:00 Introduction
02:48 Welcome to Marianne Butler from Dog Care Professionals UK
03:00 Life before working with dogs
05:45 Looking into Home Boarding
07:49 Agility
12:12 Licensed regulations and changes afoot
13:05 Reviewing the new regulations wishing we'd drunk more wine
13:47 Setting up a Facebook group in Mid Sussex
16:48 Helping both Licensed Dog Care Providers and meeting the needs of other professional dog carers
18:36 Licensing with Local Authorities
19:30 Lack of courses for council inspectors
20:18 The challenges facing local authorities
23:10 A Home Boarder and a licensing officer!
In this special short episode, we tackle...How did you come to be in pet food manufacturing? How did the business itself come about? So the founder of the business, your father, was sent off to learn the art and the science at Crawley Catering College, aged 69? What is important for your business?
The full conversation will be published over the coming few episodes.
In this special short episode Lisa chats through: setting up her home boarding business alongside a cattery; the challenges and differences in marketing the two; the licensing landscape in Wales and transitioning from her old job to her pet care business, despite what others might say. That's a little bit about life at the Canine Country Retreat and the Gone Fishing Cat Hotel near Wrexham.
How many? 6,671!
How many home boarding businesses are licensed for 6 dogs and have 6,671 Facebook followers? And by the way, Saturday's mayhem at Laura's Little Lodgers stars Bradley, Cooper, Hector, Butch, Autumn and Lily. You just know this is a doting dog loving carer extraordinaire.
The full conversation will be published in a few episodes time.
What were you doing before? How did did your business happen? What training did you go through? How did you build and differentiate your business? Lisa talks poodle parlours and getting to grips with grooming.
The full conversation will be published in a few episodes time.
In this special short episode Kevin Johnstone, the Co-Founder of Boogity.ca helps explain the logistics of a 100 acre pack-walking business.
The full interview will be published in a few episodes time.
This special short episode sees me bounding across the Atlantic to find out about 'exclusively socialised dogs' from Becky Doucette.
The full interview will be published in a few episodes time.
Emma Jackson of Shawbury Paws talks Reading and Shrewsbury; escaping the fast lane and doing something she loves whilst under the watchful eye of Ted, her miniature Schnauzer. In this special short episode we chat about the motivations that led to a career change from the heady demands of I.T. and how she went about setting up her home boarding business.
The full interview will be published in a few episodes time.
Whether you're a professional walker, boarder, groomer, dog day-care or kennels provider, this episode is for you. How do you manage your 'Meet & Greet' engagements?
In this special short episode Jon Davison explains that the challenges can begin long before the knock on your door. He shares his experiences and talks us through his approach to increasing the chances of a peaceful and harmonious co-existence.
This initial series of short episodes are designed to give you a taste of all things From Wags To Riches plus a glimpse of some of my guests and the topics that we will cover.
In this particular episode I shine a light on unsung heroes - online (and offline) support groups, Facebook groups and trade bodies.
We talk fishnets (what?! who said these podcasts would be dull?) as I catch up with the founder of Dog Care Professionals UK, Marianne Butler and we also talk Licensing, local authorities and the challenges Dog Care Pros face. I tease from Marianne news of an exciting new service that will benefit Licensed Dog Care Professional members.
Shortly after you join the podcast and as the main interview starts, you'll hear a note of sudden panic creeping in to Marianne's voice...
The full conversation will be published in a few episodes time.
A promotional taste of things coming up over the next 20 episodes for starters. Please join us. Don't be shy and if you want to get involved, let us know by getting in touch through our website FromWagsToRiches.co.uk and our email.
- My new podcast, ‘From Wags To Riches’ is here. I’ve just wrapped up all the opening interviews so here we go...
And having finished up my first round of podcast interviews...I have to say my guests are nothing short of P.A.W.T.A.S.T.I.C!
A humble thank you to:
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Marianne Butler from Dog Care Professionals UK talks about the challenges of licensing, an excited new support service for licensed carers, starting DCPUK and plans in store for its future, last chance rehoming, agility and fishnets.
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Jon Davison from Canine Assist, behaviourist, trainer and licensed daycare provider shares his experiences and provides tips for canine meet and greets, socialisation, disengagement and dissuading dogs from doing the unmentionable.
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Lisa Gordon of the K9 Spain Norfolk talks about setting up a dog grooming business, budgeting, the importance of grooming socialisation, flat-coated retrievers, gin and curry.
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Emma Jackson of Shawbury Paws shares her amazing transformation story, from cyber security to canine care, providing parties for pooches and their owners.
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Becky Doucette talks her first 3 years working - kennels and daycare in a pet shop and time spent dog pack off-leash walking at Boogity.ca.
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Kevin Johnstone talks being head hunted by his wife and co-founding Canada’s leading 100 acres off-leash dog pack walking business for socialised dogs and owners, all at Boogity.ca.
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Lisa Hannaby talks starting a new home business, doggery, cattery and raw food, marketing challenges, mental health and compassion fatigue around the Canine Country Retreat and the Gone Fishing Cat Hotel in North Wales.
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Laura Peskin introduces her Little Lodgers and highlights the importance of finding your niche, 6,661 Facebook followers, the power of her website and going way beyond the call of duty. She shares bad wind with Sir Michael Parkinson, being banned from a pub and a 3-some with Robert Redford, Stanley Johnson and hot to trot Piers Morgan. - Greg Van Praagh, MD of premium raw dog food manufacturer, Benyfit Natural and the incoming Chair of the Pet Food Manufacturers Association talks about leaving Spain for dog food, his father and founder learning about food preparation, nutrition and production as a mature student for his own working dogs, the importance of meeting customers, your supply chain, quality and trust values but advises against glossy magazine advertising.
And
I’m currently scheduling more Pawtastic rockstar guests for our From Wags To Riches dogcast, so, are you game?
This introductory trailer episode is really a back-story to 'From Wags To Riches' and me, your host, Randle Stonier.
The next trailer episode is a taste of my guests coming up. So feel free to skip this intro episode and go to the meat of the podcast, listening and learning from my guests. And thank you for popping by. But if you want the Intro and back-story...
Hello and welcome to 'From Wags To Riches' - a 'dogcast' for lovers of dogs everywhere and especially for those who might already have a dog related business and would like help, inspiration and advice to take it to another level, or maybe you're just thinking about starting a dog business?
This episode sets out the 4 Ws of my podcast: Who is it for? What's it about? Where am I hoping to take you dear listener? Why might it be worthwhile listening in? And it answers these questions, with a few snuffles, teeth nashing, reflective moments and honesty along the way.
I hope you'll join me in subsequent episodes to listen to some of the great stories, experiences and advice shared by my guests.