Breaking Mews: The Pet Industry is Going Mutts!

The pet industry has become one of the most active, broad markets in the world. With more than $61 billion dollars in the industry, there’s no shortage of pet lovers willing to spend to spoil their furry friends. From animal accounts on social media to pet-centric mail subscriptions, our pets have become a widespread obsession. Over half of all American homes have at least one pet! Now, that’s a lot of fluff. So maybe it’s time for you to consider a virtual assistant for the pet industry! 

If you work in the pet industry, you know firsthand just how much owners can love and pamper their pets. There’s no shortage of tasks to do in the pet industry, but that may leave you feeling swamped at work. It may be time to hire a virtual assistant so you can get a little more time to yourself.

What is a Virtual Assistant for the Pet Industry?

A virtual assistant is a self-employed professional who’s specifically skilled in handling the various tasks you’d rather not have to face yourself. If you’re stuck bookkeeping, sending invoices, and making social media posts, you’ll probably be more likely to experience burnout. After all, who wants to file paperwork when you can be grooming poodles and training puppies? So, if you’re tired of the paperwork, consider hiring a virtual assistant.

Pet industry virtual assistant

Why Hire a Pet Industry Virtual Assistant?

You may be wondering, “Won’t I spend more money hiring someone else than just doing it myself?” Shockingly, a virtual assistant can actually help you save money! Because they’re self-employed, they’re responsible for obtaining their own insurance benefits, office space, taxes, and more. In addition, our VAs only charge for actual time worked, which is different from employees who must be paid a set amount regardless. 

In addition, our virtual assistants are subject matter experts and are proficient in whatever tasks you need assistance with. This experience makes virtual assistants around three times faster at completing those business-related jobs. In short, you may actually be losing money by not hiring a virtual assistant!

What Tasks Can You Delegate to a Pet Industry Virtual Assistant?

The real question is, what can’t you delegate to a virtual assistant? VAs can help with administrative tasks, customer service, social media management, tech support, and more. We’ll give you some examples below so you have an idea of how they can assist you. 

Virtual Assistants Can Do Administrative Tasks For Pet Companies

Some of the administrative tasks you can assign to your VA include: 

  • Creating and organizing digital folders
  • Adding/updating information in CRMs like Salesforce, Zoho CRM, Hubspot CRM, BusyPaws, Digitail, and more
  • Sending and monitoring client invoices
  • Providing calendar management
  • Preparing and sending client proposals and contracts
  • Updating spreadsheets
  • Scheduling meetings/appointments, if needed
  • Assist with the hiring process, like posting on job boards and scheduling interviews with pet sitters and pet trainers

  • Relay client messages to you

  • And more!

Virtual Assistants Can Provide Customer Support

Many small businesses struggle with customer service, especially if it’s a business of one. When you’re busy caring for pets, it’s easy to overlook or forget to follow up on emails or phone calls. Fortunately, a virtual assistant with customer service skills can assist with: 

  • Answer phone calls in a professional manner

  • Take messages and give callers information about company services, resources, hours of operation, etc. They can also direct the caller to the correct staff member at your business. 

  • Answer email inquiries from leads and clients

  • Upsell pet care services

  • Reply to text messages 

  • Follow up on missed calls and voicemails

  • Help with sales calls

  • And more!

VAs Can Help With Social Media

Does your pet company have a social media presence? If not, you could be missing out on several opportunities. Many people check to see if businesses have an active social media profile when deciding whether to work with someone. Here are some ways a VA can provide support:

  • Develop a social media strategy for platforms like YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, TikTok, and more

  • Obtain your photos and videos and organize them in a digital folder so they access them when generating digital marketing content

  • Look up content that would resonate well with your audience

  • Use Adobe Creative Suite, Canva, or another tool to design graphics and videos

  • Schedule your social media content using platforms like Meta, Planoly, Sprout Social, etc.

  • Monitor social media analytics and make changes as needed

  • Reply to direct messages and comments in a timely manner

  • And more!

A Virtual Assistant Can Assist With Email Marketing

Email marketing is considered one of the most effective ways to connect with leads and customers. It also can improve brand loyalty and potentially boost sales. Here are some ways a VA can assist you with email marketing

  • Set up automated email campaigns

  • Segment your subscriber list

  • Prepare email marketing campaigns by creating captivating captions, finding images/videos, and making graphics

  • Upload email addresses, names, and other details to email list

  • Schedule the content using Meta, Planoly, Hootsuite, or another scheduling tool to post weekly, biweekly, monthly, etc.

  • Evaluating the results to check for the open rate, clickthrough rate, and more

  • And more

A Virtual Assistant Can Provide Lite Tech Support

If you’re not that tech-savvy or simply don’t have time to focus on technical tasks, let your VA handle it. They can help with technical tasks like: 

  • Add or update examples of pet care services on your website

  • Organize blog posts so leads can read about pet care tips or pets you’ve worked with

  • Assist with integrations that can help you automate various tasks

  • Set up your CRM tool and/or project management software

  • Teach others how to run a pet care business! A VA can set up an online course using platforms like Kajabi, Thinkific, etc. 

A Virtual Assistant Can Do Personal Assistant To-dos, Too

Maybe you don’t need help with your business, but you’d like someone to give you a hand managing your busy lifestyle. A virtual personal assistant could support you in the following ways: 

  • Find and interact with vendors on your behalf (housekeepers, interior designers, lawn care services, etc.)
  • Shopping for gifts
  • Schedule doctors appointments for you and your family
  • Send appointment reminders
  • Assist with travel planning (e.g. researching transportation and lodging, etc.)
  • Identify childcare services
  • And more!

Delegate to a Virtual Assistant for Pet Industry

Whether you’re a trainer, pet groomer, pet sitter, or run doggie daycares, a virtual assistant can help you run your business so you focus on what matters most to you. Therefore, if you’re ready to take the leap and enjoy all of the benefits associated with having a VA, schedule a discovery call with Imperative Concierge Services below. We’ve been assisting clients just like you since 2015 and would be glad to learn how we can also support you in achieving your goals. So, what are you waiting for? Let’s get on the road to helping you achieve time and financial freedom with a virtual assistant today!

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