Episode 313 - Disnifying Your Doggy Daycare with Luke Millington from Stay n Play
The Poodle to Pitbull Pet Business Podcast
Release Date: 09/01/2023
The Poodle to Pitbull Pet Business Podcast
What if you could finally stop being the bottleneck in your own business? How do you go from being hands-on, and worried about every little detail, to stepping back and still running a well-oiled machine? What do you need to turn your family pet business into a wealth generating machine? In this episode, I share the five crucial steps to building a business that grows while allowing you take a back seat. You need to move on from being someone who is locked in “I do everything myself” chaos, to adding carefully planned systems that will run your business smoothly without having...
info_outline Episode 384 - How to Increase Pet Care Profits with Experiencial Enrichment UpsellsThe Poodle to Pitbull Pet Business Podcast
Are you sick and tired of dealing with penny pinching PITA customers who complain about your prices? Do you recognise that dogs need more than just a safe place to stay, but do you struggle to convince clients they should invest in enrichment upsells? Would you love to be able to attract affluent clients who value premium, personalized pet services? Then you need to tune in to this weeks podcast where I share how to offer an experiential enrichment program, that will dramatically increase your profits, and set you apart from your crummy competiton I break down how you can...
info_outline Episode 383: How to Train Your Dog with Love and Science with Annie GrossmanThe Poodle to Pitbull Pet Business Podcast
What if you could transform your dog training methods with simple, science-backed techniques? How do operant and classical conditioning help you become a more effective trainer, handler, walker or groomer? And why are those first few training sessions so crucial to building trust and achieving long-term success? In this episode, I’m joined by Annie Grossman, owner of School for the Dogs in New York and author of How to Train Your Dog with Love and Science. Annie shares her journey from journalist to dog training expert, breaking down the core principles of behavior science and showing...
info_outline 382: Dom and Eve's New Year Pet Business Planning Session: Lessons Learned, Mistakes Made, and Our Big Plans for 2025The Poodle to Pitbull Pet Business Podcast
What happens when you hire someone just like you - but can’t coach them? How can you ensure that you learn from this years mistakes, so you don't repeat them in 2025? In this festive episode, I’m joined by the amazing Eve Molzhon, founder of Dog Handler Academy, as we reflect on our big lessons from 2024, and give a sneak peak into some of the exciting things we have planned for next year. Eve opens up about the challenges of hiring and coaching a “mini-me,” the bold pivot to create an enrichment space for dogs who don’t thrive in group play, and how she’s turning her...
info_outline 381: Elite Mastermind Reflections: How the Top Pet Business Owners are Prepping for 2025The Poodle to Pitbull Pet Business Podcast
Are you ready to wind down from a busy year—but not sure how to switch off? Want to know how some of the top pet business owners are preparing to crush 2025? Curious about the wins, struggles, and strategies behind their success stories? In this special holiday episode, I reflect on a transformative 2024 and share exclusive snippets from my Elite UK Mastermind. You'll hear directly from members about the big wins they achieved this year - like scaling from a home-based daycare to a facility with 80 dogs - and the challenges they overcame, like managing team growth, setting...
info_outline Episode 380 - Your 2025 Pet Care Golden Key: Why Enrichment is the Future of Doggy DaycareThe Poodle to Pitbull Pet Business Podcast
Are you ready to turn the dreaded January slump into a booming start for 2025? Do you struggle to sell enrichment activities - or wonder if clients will pay for them at all? Want to learn how enrichment add-ons can transform not just your daycare profits but also improve your staff morale, and help you attract more affluent clients? In this special episode, I share an exclusive snippet from a recent webinar with Tim Jackson, diving deep into how enrichment is revolutionizing the pet care industry. Hear how Beethoven - the chaos-causing Labrador - was calmed beyond belief by some...
info_outline Episode 379 - What is Happening at the Dog Daycares Business Bootcamp?The Poodle to Pitbull Pet Business Podcast
Have you started mapping out your 2025 pet business battle plan? Wondering what it really takes to attract affluent clients who are happy to pay top dollar? Have you planned out your conference season calendar, but don't want to see the same old speakers churn out presentations you've heard a hundred times? Then tune in because this week I’m sharing all the details about my upcoming Dog Daycare Business Bootcamp, which is happening in January 2025 in Orlando. Over two intense days, I’ll help you create a personalised pet business blueprint to smash your 2025 goals. Whether it’s...
info_outline Episode 378: How to Add a Scent Space (and HUGE Profits) to Your Dog Daycare BusinessThe Poodle to Pitbull Pet Business Podcast
Have you heard of scent spaces? They’re the hottest new trend taking doggy daycares by storm - and for good reason. These small but mighty rooms are turning unused spaces into revenue-generating, behavior-calming, tail-wagging goldmines. In this episode, Dom Hodgson reveals how scent spaces can transform your daycare into the talk of the town. Joined by Tim Jackson, who’s seen firsthand the power of this innovation, Dom breaks down why scent spaces are the ultimate upgrade for any facility. Whether you want calmer, happier dogs, more impressed clients, or a premium service that...
info_outline Episode 377 - How To Use Live Events to Build Loyalty and Boost Your Pet Business, with Eve MolzhonThe Poodle to Pitbull Pet Business Podcast
Tired of digital overwhelm and craving real-world connections? Wondering how use live events to create loyalty that no Facebook campaign ever could? In this episode, I dive into the power of live events - whether they’re community open houses, themed daycare activities, or professional expos like the ones we’ve been attending. I share the lessons I’ve learned from hosting and participating in events that have inspired connection, sparked new ideas, and created lasting loyalty among clients and teams alike. You’ll also hear from Eve Molzhon of Dog Handler Academy, who highlights how...
info_outline Episode 376 - How Enrich University Provides a Premium Priced Pet Care BlueprintThe Poodle to Pitbull Pet Business Podcast
Are you struggling to attract affluent clients who are willing to pay what your services are worth? Wondering how to position your daycare as the go-to premium provider in your town? Curious about how enrichment can transform your business and build loyalty? In this episode, I take you behind the scenes of the Enrich University launch and share the game-changing enrichment strategies that are helping daycare owners elevate their businesses, and make more money with fewer clients... Whether you’re offering enrichment already or just starting out and clueless about upsells, I...
info_outlineStrap in folks, because todays guest has a brilliant pet business story AND an even more amazing doggy origin story to share with you...
I'm talking to Luke Millington, the CEO of Stay N' Play Doggy Daycare, who have two branches in Radcliffe and Bury.
He grew up in Stretford with his older brother Kyle, and enjoyed playing Rugby and trying to play football...
When he was 15 years old, he was sitting watching TV at a friends house Luke was attacked by a dog, and had to have 200 stiches and 6 hours of micro-surgery to fix his face. This transformed him from being someone who would cross a street to meet a dog, to being terrified of dogs for the next two years.
He has has a ton of jobs including Macdonalds - which he LOVED - then as a manager at Pizza Hut, Millies Cookies, a Juice bars, and in retail.
His family members have always ran business, so Luke always had an interest in business, which led to him doing his grooming and training qualifications, and in 2016 he opened Stay N Play Doggy Daycare.
Luke shares how he employed a multi-media approach to promoting his daycare, including posters, social media, networking and his website. This strategy took him from 2 clients on day one, to being full within six months, and in 2019 opened a second location which also offers hydrotherapy.
Tune in to discover;
- How chance conversation on a beach in Turkey led to Luke launching his dream dog business..
- Why you need to 'sell your staff' to reasure your clients, if you want to be able to step back from the business.
- How Luke initially advertised his daycare through networking and using 'guerilla' marketing tactics.
- The pricing mistakes Luke made, which you need to avoid if want to be able to quickly scale a pet business.
- Why Luke believes in doing research and surveys before opening a pet business - so you can tap into the local demand with the services you offer.
- Where they offer daycarre, grooming, training and pets as therapy services, like emotional talking therapies and reading therapies .
- Luke also shares how a visit to a local hospice inspired him to start offering pets as therapy services, which led to Luke developing a program which operates in four schools where he helps children struggling with emotional, talking and reading therapies!
This is a super insighful and inspiring episode, and you'll love listening to Lukes story, enjoy!
To find out more about Luke and what he has going on at Stay n Play click here now
Remember, if you are a USA based pet business owner you need to grab a ticket for my Pet Business Premium Pricing Secrets Masterclass in Orlando on September 30th. This is my last LIVE seminar in the USA in 2023, click here now to grab a ticket.
If you want more help and advice from me then you should grab a copy of my brand new book, How to Disnify Your Pet Business, click here to get your copy now
If you want to join the Pet Business Inner Circle where you can get access to hundreds of trainings and ask Dom anything inside the members only private forum, then click here now
To apply to join Dom's Diamond private coaching program click here now