Getting SOCIAL with your pets…

Posted on March 21, 2012 by NPCOC

Let’s face it, pets are definitely part of the family and it’s a trend that shows no sign of letting up. Kids think of the family dog as their other brother or sister. And those pets can be soo loyal you know they feel the same way back. So ask yourself, what’s missing? What do all the other family members enjoy that our fur babies don’t? Any ideas?

Why socially networking of course! And I don’t mean the local dog park either! We are talking about globally socializing and letting the world know about the adventures of your furry family member. A picture of them in their favorite outfit. Why not a video of them singing or “howling” their favorite tune? Sites like http://petbook.org are a great place to share those one of a kind memories and chat with like minded pet lovers. So, what are you waiting for? Give it a shot! And tell them the NPCOC sent you their way!

Pet Expos and You.

Posted on March 20, 2012 by NPCOC

The next time a Pet Expo comes to your town you might wonder if it’s worth it to take sometime to visit. Don’t wonder give it a try you might just find something you really like and here are some other great things you could find:

Interesting new pet gear you don’t find at the local pet store
Fun activities for you, your kids, and your pets
Great organizations that you could help out with like rescues and shelters
Your next family member if there are adoptable pets available
Great organizations that can benefit your pet like the National Pet chamber of Commerce!
Great shows like pet agility, frisbee dogs, and more to make the afternoon more enjoyable
Plenty of goodies for you and your pet and many raffles and giveaways!
Show specials on many of the items offered to save you some cash…

So, stop wondering and take the time to explore your next expo. You’ll be glad you did and you’ll be helping local businesses in these tough times. I’m sure they’ll appreciate your patronage. There are plenty of places to look but one place to start that we recommend would the Amazing Pet Expos. They do a GREAT job and the best part is all their expos are indoors so you can enjoy them year round!

See you at the expo! Check out our calendar for more events like these!

NPCOC Events Calendar

Here are some pawfect ideas to getting more referrals:

Posted on December 27, 2011 by NPCOC

Always ask your customers for feedback “How was our service today?’ or “What are some other services you would like us to add?” Followed by Please let take a business card and let other people know about our place of business.
Give specials to people who join your mailing list for a newsletter – Send a refer a friend special via email.
When a new customer comes to your business – Ask them “Where did you hear of us?” This should help you know who and where is your business being promoted.
Join National Pet Chamber of Commerce – you will be added to directory, they will add you to goody bags that given out all year around and they can help with social media. http://www.npcoc.com
Final piece of the puzzle to help your business get more referrals is really use chamber, treat customers great and ask for referrals from everyone you meet! Don’t forget to always carry your business cards everywhere you go!

Does the bad economy have your pet business struggling to grow??

Posted on December 26, 2011 by NPCOC

Here are some cheap, easy & quick ways to grow it TODAY!

1) Write a press release or look to local community newspapers: Write about helping animals, donate some time for positive press, and write tips about grooming, pet sitting or training pets. Whatever your pet business is about try to become known as the expert or how to person in your field.

Community newspapers sometimes need writers or experts to introduce yourself and let them know about you and what you do. http://www.petpr.com or http://www.prweb.com

2) Invest your time and your energy in social media. Be it via Facebook, Petbook.org , Twitter, Google plus or Linked In. These are great places to get your name out there and to get a way to meet great people and other pet professionals.

3) Collect emails & start your own newsletter: Collecting emails from your current customers can help your business grow. Make sure to offer tips and other value ads to your newsletters to keep them coming back for more.

4) Join National Pet Chamber of Commerce – they push your business when you can’t make it to trade show or event. They do networking events and other social events that help animals like adoption events. They can give you suggestions and help you’re business grow many other ways. Just make sure they always have plenty of marketing materials to give out! http://www.npcoc.com

5) Final tip is always having postcards, business cards with you! You never know where you might find your best client yet. You are the best promoter of your business, because no one knows it better than you do. Stay positive and go out there and get some tails wagging…

Top Five Ideas to Help Your Pet Business Grow

Posted on October 24, 2011 by NPCOC

1- Write a press release (Look for Free Services to Start) & reach out to local newspapers about events at your place of business. Let them know about what you do in case they need an expert in that field. For example check out http://www.1888pressrelease.com

2- Participate in larger local community events – You can use National Pet Chamber of Commerce (www.npcoc.com) to find events happening all over. You should also look in local community newspapers.

3- Invest your time in Social media: Using Facebook having a fan page, using twitter to drive traffic to your site, try petbook.org to meet other pet owners, and finally LinkedIn to find other Pet professionals like yourself.

4- Join networking groups like for example BNI (Business Networking International) or NPCOC (National Pet Chamber of Commerce), or your local community chamber of Commerce.

5- Optimize your website for the Search Engines: Create a basic webpage that has keywords optimized for your business and the area (“Pet groomer, Miami”) It is a great way to generate leads. By using these keywords, SEO will help attract relevant search engine traffic to your website. This will help search engines like Google and Yahoo that are looking for services like yours every day.

NPCOC’s FRESH new BLOG is live

Posted on October 6, 2011 by NPCOC

We’re blogging and up and running with our new blogosphere space. We invite our members and blog partners to reach out with articles and share so we can make the blogging world a warm fuzzy pet friendly place one post at a time

Bunnies and puppies rule!

Marketing ideas for Trainers/Pet Sitters/Groomers

Posted on October 3, 2011 by NPCOC

The vet or marketing partner package for Trainers & Pet Sitters Getting marketing partners or vet referrals took a more determined effort. This is going to take effort on your behalf and allot of hard work – but it will pay off. The Pet Chamber of Commerce is here to help with anything we can to make this easier for you. Shannon first put together a package: *An actual behavior consult question form and behavior plan (used with the client’s permission) Get statements from your clients on your work to share with others; * a thank-you letter from the same client; *a brochure and business card; *a bulleted list of the benefits to the vet of referring to her; *a tip sheet called ‘Helpful Hints for Training Success’; ***and finally a note giving the clinic’s staff a discount on her services. Then she sprung for the nicest folders available at Office Max, and arranged the material so everything was visible at a glance. Over the next months, Shannon hand-delivered her vet package to vet clinics or animal hospitals, rescues with a letter offering to give a lunchtime presentation (with pizza for the staff) or maybe coffee and doughnut for breakfast, and she always tried to get the name of the receptionist or office manager so she could ask for that person by name when she called back to follow up two weeks later. Out of 15 clinics, five may passed on the presentation, but offered to display Shannon’s business cards. Another two offered their bulletin board for her business cards, but were not prepared to actively refer to her. Two were outright rude, nearly putting her off the whole enterprise.(Please don’t lose you hope – stay positive more business will come. But Five agreed to the presentation, and one described the presentation as icing on the cake because his clients already knew Shannon and said wonderful things about her.

Pet Chamber Introduces Treat of the Week

Posted on October 3, 2011 by NPCOC

We all love treats right? Some of us more than others but hey who ever says no to a TREAT! Yes, we all want something we can go off and find a DEAL. So with that in mind the Pet Chamber of Commerce has come up with the TREAT OF THE WEEK! A nice weekly tasty treat for you and your pet. Feel free to enjoy that treat and come back each week for something new and yummy the next week.

TREAT OF THE WEEK is another great new offering that can help make a difference for people and their pets. And of course it helps our members when you use that treat. So don’t hold back and sample that tasty treat. Pet Chamber members feel free to share your TREAT OF THE WEEK with us!