Today's Client Spotlight is shining very brightly on Markianna Jones and WalkTime (formerly known as Raven Woods Pet Services)! Based in the beautiful community of Raven Woods in North Vancouver, BC --- Markianna and her team provide very professional dog walking and pet sitting services at competitive prices. The Raven Woods Pledge includes professional care, a commitment to the utmost level of respect, open communication and placing the pets in their care first. Check out the Raven Woods Pet Services website here and be sure to like them on Facebook and follow them on Instagram!
What caused you to get into pet sitting/dog walking?
After leaving my career path as a pilot in commercial aviation, I knew I wanted to start my own business. I moved to a beautiful community surrounded by forests and trails and I noticed the streets were overflowing with dogs. After a bit of digging around, I couldn't find anyone offering a good dog walking service to my area. It was simply a matter of seeing an opportunity to start a business with a low barrier to entry. I have always loved animals, so it was a good fit for my first business.
What is the most fulfilling part of owning a pet sitting/dog walking business?
Watching my business grow in reputation, size, and revenue.
What is the most challenging?
The most challenging aspect for me, is running the business while often having to work in the business. As I approach my 1 year anniversary of officially starting my company, I have 3 contractors helping me but am still doing a great deal of walks. I trained myself how to do everything, with the exception of an alliance with a Master Trainer. Developing processes for hiring staff, finding new clients, and managing daily operations has helped a great deal, but managing my time and energy to do all those things --- while pushing for rapid growth --- has been the hardest part!
Where do you see your business in 5 years?
In 5 years, I see my business in 5 new locations.
What has Time To Pet changed the most about how you run your business?
Time To Pet never changed how I run my business, because I knew from the moment I decided to start it that I needed the best booking system on the market. I limped along using my phone calendar until I was ready to stop researching systems, and pulled the trigger with TTP. TTP has given my small, young company a professional and trustworthy appeal. Thanks to it's superior host of features, we've never missed a visit, our clients are very happy, and I can communicate effectively with my team and my clients wherever I am using my phone. The massive amount of features and settings is balanced perfectly with an easy to use, easy to learn user interface. I've never had to train a staff member how to use the system, and I rarely need to sit down with a client and show them how to use the client app. This is a huge relief to both me and my clients. "Your app is amazing" is a common message I receive from new clients! Their delight lets me know I made the right decision. Best of all, you just can't beat the price! Time To Pet is the cornerstone of my entire operation.
