THE BUSINESS END OF THE LEASH
Better Together
Pandemic brought out the best in trainers who helped others survive tough times
By Veronica Boutelle , M . A ., CTC
I ’ ve been writing the business column for the Chronicle of the Dog for 15-plus years . I believe my first article ran in 2005 . I ’ ve covered a lot of ground in that time on a lot of subjects — marketing , charging what you ’ re worth , setting and enforcing strong policies , learning how to sell your services with confidence and sincerity , creating effective services and packaging them for success , and on and on . But one key to success I haven ’ t written nearly enough about is dog professionals playing nicely together .
I wrote an article on this topic that ran in these pages in 2013 . I shared then a phenomenon we ’ ve continued to see borne out repeatedly : The most successful trainers we work with at dogbiz are those who tend to view fellow like-minded trainers as colleagues and allies rather than enemies or competitors .
These trainers are happier , too . They spend far less time worrying about what others are doing , leaving more energy for their own businesses . And there ’ s no point fretting anyway , because there ’ s no point trying to be the only trainer on the block ( or on the internet these days )— it will never happen , and it ’ s not good for dogs . Training is not a volume game . Training businesses are inherently limited in the number of people and dogs each can see and help each week . If there are other competent trainers in your area , rejoice . Go after your share of clients , but be glad other trainers are around to help those you can ’ t .
Eight years later , as I write these words in late 2021 , I ’ m struck anew by just how much better we are together . One silver lining in the pandemic was trainers reaching out and leaning on one another in unprecedented ways . In our THRIVE ! group coaching program , Better Together has become a mantra , as R + trainers revel in learning together , sharing their best ideas , pushing each other forward , and celebrating each other ’ s successes . Trainers in this program have found themselves to be smarter together , bolder together , more confident , more creative , and more engaged in their businesses .
Colleagues , Not Competitors If you ’ re like so many trainers whose work is made harder by isolation , I urge you to embrace fellow trainers as colleagues rather than competitors . There are many ways to band together with other dog pros . Here are just a few ideas to explore :
Marketing partnerships . Marketing partnerships allow two or more businesses serving the same general area or audience to pool money , time , and talent to make a bigger marketing splash . Most dog business owners face several marketing challenges . Where will the time come from ? What should I do to market my business ? What if I don ’ t have all the skill sets I need ? Most trainers feel uncertain and anxious about marketing . And when it comes to money-based marketing like advertising , most don ’ t have budgets big enough to make their efforts worthwhile . Banding with colleagues can take a lot of pressure off . Why should several businesses struggle with these things on their own ? Why not share resources and get more from the process ?
The most successful trainers we work with at dogbiz are those who tend to view fellow like-minded trainers as colleagues and allies rather than enemies or competitors .
Members of a marketing partnership market their businesses together around a shared concept . In this case , for example , a group of positive reinforcement-based trainers banding together to market that concept and , in the process , themselves . This is a particularly powerful approach in areas where force-based trainers have the upper hand in marketing , dominate the veterinarians ’ attention , etc . Depending on geography , the partner businesses may all serve the same area , or they might be spread out a bit , serving a collection of contiguous counties or towns . As more trainers move their work online , the potential for partnerships becomes even larger .
The term “ partnership ” is used loosely here — the relationship is not a legal entity . Each member is a separate business owner ; they don ’ t own a business together . But a marketing partnership should operate under an agreement that governs what each member is obligated to contribute , be that funds or time or particular tasks , and at what amount and frequency . There should also be a clear process for making joint decisions about marketing directions , projects , and the use of any funds .
22 Building Better Trainers Through Education