The Untapped Potential of Dog Walkers: Exploring Additional Income Streams and Services

In this episode, Clayton sits down with Nathan Dunleavy, a passionate mentor in the dog walking industry. Nathan shares his journey from a corporate banking background to becoming a successful dog walker and mentor, highlighting the challenges and opportunities within the pet services market. Nathan emphasizes the value of building relationships with clients and diversifying income streams through additional services like pet sitting and product sales.  KEY TAKEAWAYS Mentorship vs. Coaching: The distinction between mentorship and coaching is emphasized, with mentorship being described as a softer, more supportive approach aimed at helping individuals navigate the complexities of running a dog walking business. Business Background: The speaker's previous experience in corporate banking provided valuable insights into business processes, which are now applied to help dog walkers and pet sitters establish and manage their businesses effectively. Market Gaps: There is a recognized gap in support and resources for dog walkers compared to other pet service professionals, highlighting the need for structured guidance and mentorship in the dog walking industry. Diversifying Income Streams: Expanding services beyond dog walking, such as pet sitting, pet care, and even selling pet products, can create additional income streams and enhance business sustainability. Value of Relationships: Building strong, long-term relationships with clients is crucial in the dog walking business, as it fosters loyalty and opens opportunities for upselling products and services, ultimately leading to a more stable income. BEST MOMENTS "I'm not a coach, I'm a mentor. I hate the word coach. There's a bloody coach for everything nowadays." "There just wasn't like any set guidelines or procedures that you need to do this." "If you pay for a five-pound haircut, you're going to get a haircut that looks like you've paid a fiver." "People do want their dogs to be well looked after, and they're happy to pay that premium now." "You could be the best dog trainer in the world, but you could be a shit business owner." HOST BIO Clayton Payne is an industry veteran of three decades of working in the pet industry. Brought up working in his parents' pet store, Clayton has seen the industry evolve over five different decades and has been on the cutting edge of the industry since the nineties. Building pet businesses from scratch, establishing multi-national distribution chains and having worked in every aspect of the industry, Clayton has a rare insight into the Pet Industry that is rivalled by few.  Clayton has been the spearhead of many of the industry's changes and has introduced numerous new concepts to market with a trail of success behind him. He has worked in numerous countries within the pet industry, speaks four different languages and has established both import and export relationships on all continents (excluding Antarctica). As well as being COO of one of the UKs fastest growing insect technology companies, Clayton is a Pet industry consultant who has consulted for many household brands and delivers sales training to pet trade professionals. https://www.linkedin.com/in/clayton-payne-a6772244/ https://www.tiktok.com/@petbusinessdisruptors https://www.youtube.com/@PetBusinessDisruptors   This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/