Foreign and welcome to the Pat Accounting Podcast with me, your host, Vicky Clark.

I'm going to help you get to grips with your finances, save you lots of money and take the stress out of doing your tax return.

So let's get going.

Hello, we are live.

Welcome everyone, to our slightly delayed Live Today.

Usually, as you know, we do these on a Wednesday, but mainly you've been absolutely swamped with self assessments, so we've been a little bit busy.

However, today we've got the lovely Karen Fisher from the Queen and Goddess Academy who has stepped in to help out because Lee's a bit busy today.

But we wanted to get Karen on anyway, so even better, it works out really well.

Welcome, everyone.

We've had quite a few new members in the group recently, so if you don't know who I am, my name is Vicky and I run the pet account alongside Lee.

We are a licensed accountancy firm, just in case anyone wanted to know and we help pet businesses everywhere across the uk.

So that's me.

Normally I'm on with Lee, but the lovely Karen is with us.

Today is our special guest and Karen is going to talk about herself, what she does.

She's a dog groomer and her lovely academy that she's got a membership and we'll have a little bit of chat about that.

If you guys have any questions, please pop them in the comments and we will answer them as we go as normal and yeah, we'll just jump right in.

So welcome Karen to our lovely podcast.

Thank you very much.

And to be here.

Thank you.

Notice you brush the hair.

I was like, Karen, yeah, yeah.

I've literally stick back the hair because I had to have much notice.

It'll just stop.

Is that our hat today slipped out.

Dramas and went, right, I'm ready.

You can't see the tracksuit bottoms.

That's what I do usually from home.

I have pajamas on the bottom half and then just like the pet counting T shirt on the top.

Little does any long paid waist.

Yeah.

Right.

Just in case anyone doesn't know who you are, if they're living under a rock and they don't know who you are, please just let everyone know what is it you do your background and just let them find out a bit more about you.

Thank you.

So my name is Karen Fisher.

I have been a dog groomer since 2009, based in the UK.

I'm originally from the Northeast like Vicky, so my accent might get stronger as this podcast goes on because the more people from home, the worse my Geordie accent gets.

So maybe Ant and Deck by the end.

I need some subtitles.

However, I now live in Cheshire where I've been a dog groomer, as I say, for about 16 years.

Over that time, I've kind of done pretty much every way of being a dog groomer.

I started off as someone's bathroom assistant.

I started my own business by myself.

I took on my own Batha, then I read at a table to somebody.

Then I got my own salon and I had staff about them was when I burnt out myself.

I had a little break.

I had two little kids at home.

And then I came back.

I'd had some education in maths.

I'd been to university and business while being a dog group at a mom at the same time.

And then I've basically for the past.

About two years ago I started an Instagram page with no intention of making it into a business, I've got to say.

And I just wanted to help other dog groomers and I was sharing tips, I was just sharing my opinions, just different things about life as a dog groomer in the weeds of my own business.

And as time went on, I was getting more and more momentum with the Instagram page.

More people were asking me specific questions in my DMs and I saw that it was very much veering towards the business side because that is my strength as the business side of it.

And you know, it's like friends are going, you should monetize this, you should do this, this.

And I was like, no, no, I've not got time for that.

But as time went on, I found I was answering the same questions every day.

I was talking about the same stuff, people watching the same things about how to sort your prices out, how to get customers that respect you, how to teach our customers about looking after their dog's price properly.

And for us in our grooming world, grooming schedules and things.

So see, yeah, so I had a bit of a sit down and I've set up the Academy, which is the grooming goddess Academy, which is a membership for female dog groomers.

And we talk about everything like I just said, like the business, the marketing, the prices.

I've used my past like degree in maths and it's learning and business to talk about the price inside of it.

I use my past aviation industry experience where I used to teach customer service, to teach how we talk to customers in our industry because it can be very.

Some things are different, some things are the same.

And also I'm a very.

I commit from like a feminine side for Women that are juggling everything.

Not necessarily kids, but we have different seasons in our lives as women, as we don't always want the same things at different times of our lives.

And how business around your life and not just fit your life around the business where.

I'll let you go on another question quick, before I keep going.

I'm like, is she gonna stop?

No.

No.

And that is in a nutshell, that's the end of the podcast.

Done.

There you go.

We're done in two minutes.

No, that's really good.

And I think when you said you got asked the same question all the time, that's why I created this Facebook group.

Because I was getting.

When I started the pet accounting by myself in 2021, I was getting asked the same questions over and over again.

And I thought there's got to be a way where I can, like, answer them to a wider audience so that I'm not getting the same email of, you know, should I day limit complete?

You know, can I claim for a chiropractor?

Can I claim for a massage?

And I thought if I get asked that question one more time.

So then that's why I started the group.

So then I can put it in the group and then hopefully people search there for the answers and then they're not having asked the same thing.

So I think that's really good that you've done that.

And also from like a business perspective, like, why not?

Because if you spend any time helping people and supporting people, then you need to.

You cannot do it for free.

Oh, 100%.

It was getting to the point where I was.

I was spending that much time in my DMs or writing emails that I was like, I could be.

I could agree with Cockapoon this time.

That's.

So I was like, how much money down each week thinking, well, I'm daft.

Not too here.

So I took a lot of time to decide what I was gonna do.

An online course or a membership or whatever.

And I realized that I think in our industry, in any pet industry, you need ongoing support.

It's not a place to consume something.

You're done.

Because how many of us get online courses we never actually freaking finish and we don't actually get to the end.

Or when you do get to the end, you might kind of follow the steps for maybe a month and then after that you go back to your habitual however you were doing it and you forget.

So the Academy is kind of set up in that every month we kind of keep reminding you, you're a business owner, we keep imagining something to do in your business and it's kind of set up in that way that it's to help women to keep going because it can be so easy just to flop sometimes and, and not kind of.

Remember what you get the momentum for like a week and then it just takes again and you'll be like, years ago I spent like five grand on a course and I haven't even finished it.

That was, that was like two, maybe three years ago probably I thought, oh, that's really good and like I was really up for it and I mean in fairness it was a dull course and yeah, no bothered, but I just have no intentions of finishing it now and I just think, oh well, lesson learned.

But then you spent that five grand on actually like a mentorship or like a membership of some description.

That would have helped me and that would have kept that momentum going.

So.

Yeah, I see what you mean.

Do you still groom full time whilst doing the academy or if you is sort of like.

A groom one or two days a week now?

I'm very adamant that I won't stop grooming completely as even though I've got to the stage where I probably could if I wanted to.

But I think I'd be very hypocritical to come across and tell women that, hey, you can still enjoy your grooming career after 16 years, it's still fine.

And then the minute I got the opportunity to leave, go, sorry, I'm off.

I was wanting to say it.

Now I go, I won't do anymore.

Not at all.

I love being in the salon still and for me it's a nice balance between the two.

Also, it keeps my kind of foot in the door of I still know what these conversations are like firsthand.

Having the conversations about open your price or having a conversation about your dogs mattered when you need to shave off and start again.

So I think it keeps me relevant to my members.

I think if I stepped out I'd slowly forget what it's actually like to be in the weeds and to have face to face conversation with an owner that can sometimes be awkward.

Yeah, yeah, that's fair enough.

And you don't want to, like you say, you do want to lose touch of what's going on.

So you've got the best of both worlds, so.

And also we probably got a better work life balance now.

Oh, I love it.

Yeah.

So I'm three or four days in here in the office and then I'm one or two days in the salon and it works really well.

So you get to meet people for coffee in the Northeast.

I do nothing like that.

We had a nice water and chips on Newburgh and Seafront the other week, which was, do you get any stick for being women only?

I know you've been asked this question before because I saw your video on Instagram.

Yeah.

Do you get any stick with it being.

No, not really.

I mean, some people ask the like, well, what's the crack?

Kind of thing.

Why not me And I have got men that follow me on Instagram and Facebook.

I know that and I'm happy to give any business advice.

And a lot of my content would apply to men.

It's not like it's just all about women.

Yeah.

It's just the fact it comes from the value perspective of.

It's more about.

We have a lot to juggle.

And it's.

I'm not about motherhood.

I'm just saying some.

Some weeks of the month, I cannot be bathed.

I want to burn my business to the ground.

Regardless of the month.

I'm like, I'm gonna go get it.

I'm all on.

And taking that into account rather than assuming women should be all wanting this, this, this.

And this I think is where I'm coming from.

And I also.

And I forget this.

I watched a YouTube years ago about, you tell a woman how to calculate her prices and she thinks, sorry, I tell a man how to calculate his prices, he thinks of every reason why he's worth that price.

You tell a woman how to calculate her price.

The same lesson.

She thinks of every reason why she's not worth that price.

And I get that as perspective.

Like my other half.

He's got his own business.

He can list why his stock is worth what it's worth and why his service is worth what it's worth all day long.

Whereas I, as a dog groom, over the years, I've thought, I'm not worth.

And my grooms aren't worth.

My experience isn't worth that.

And I get it.

So it's coming from just reminding women in a way that I understand how they are worth more.

And that kind of.

They see it's.

I think it's fine.

I mean, there's loads of accountants out there.

I know a couple of accountants that only deal with female business owners.

And sometimes I see it just works better.

But yeah, just.

It was just.

I was just a curious question as to whether.

Man hating or anything like comparing top Dustin's bottom.

We're not doing that.

It's just a small it's, we're just, it's about just that point of view and people come in and the chat about the lies or the chat about how they've got to cancel this week because the kids are off school and it's from a place of understanding rather than a place of judgment kind of.

And I think maybe people find it like a more safe, not that it would be unsafe, but like a safer environment to talk about, like women's issues and things.

Yeah.

And it's funny, there's a woman I follow who works, she's like a passive income genius.

She's like a multi trillion billionaire and she had a membership and only recently did she open the doors to men.

And that was all women as well.

So it's only just after about however many years I've been following her opened the doors to men.

And again, it was for the same reason.

So, yeah, just a curious question.

There is a question coming out.

Can we find somewhere recording some previous lives?

Yes, Alexandra, all these are on the podcast, the Pet Accountant Podcast.

If you search on Spotify, you'll find them all.

And we're also doing a YouTube channel as well because obviously Facebook deletes the videos after 30 days, so they disappear now.

So I'm having to upload them all onto YouTube as well in case people want to watch them.

So if you type in the Pet Accountant on Spotify or YouTube, you'll find it.

Alexander for look back.

Anyway, moving on, the membership.

What do people get in that?

Like what, what's the.

What do you do in there?

Just in case anyone's wondering.

All sorts.

Everything.

The membership is £19amonth, 19 and announced.

It's, it's, it's meant to be forgettable pricing, basically.

So you just join and you, you know, you're safe when you're in there.

And for that we have.

So inside the membership sits an online course called the Grooming Goddess Pathway, which takes you through five different modules of how to either it was designed for women who are already groomers to reset their business bit by bit.

So they look at the price and look at the branding, the marketing and they go through what I've found lately.

In the past six weeks, I've had a lot of brand new dog groomers coming in to the membership and they sometimes start the branding and marketing first because they want to get up and running.

They'll come back to the pricing later.

I let people do whatever they want because it's all there.

From day one we have a mindset and inner work Area where we have lessons or chats each month which is there to basically fuel their want to do the rest.

So the online course, like I just said, is in there but like we said before, not everyone finishes them.

So the mindset in a work area is there to say come on, keep going, keep going, you're worth this, you can do this.

And we have chats in there.

We've had some interviews from mindset mentors and then things.

We've got a template section so when groomers want things like a no show policy or a late policy or a flea policy, these kind of things or how to word something with customers.

There's I think there's over 20 templates in there already since January that they can literally plug into their business.

So rather than thinking how do I write a no show policy?

It's all on attachment that can just take it, adjust as they need and shove in.

Yeah, what else have I got in there?

Do you have a guest song as well?

Because I know you've had all you have had or having Romani on there as well.

Got Romany on a week on Wednesday.

We have Shape your tail software doing a presentation next week but he's going to be to all my.

All my email list subscribers as well as my membership.

He's asking me a public one.

We've had a lot.

We've had interviews with.

With owners like customers that want to talk about how they sea dog groomers and things.

We've had interviews with like Bigger, Paula o' Brien from Bigger, all sorts of people.

Lisa Hart came on stock about branding.

I've got one lined up with Georgia Fuller from Fuller Frills.

So we've got loads of lovely people that either groomers themselves or in the industry that kind of can help us talk about things that are relevant to us.

Not just a chat for sake of a chat but just relevant to the industry.

So that's what's included really.

And we love to see a monthly Q and A and you've got a.

Really good accountant in there for any tax related help.

So yeah, I met my member.

Think of my name.

I'll let you know.

Yes, I am in there to help out of any tax related questions any has in the membership.

So you do get access to us as well, which is definitely a perk.

Oh and Tegan's just put your forgetting someone.

What?

Just put your forgetting someone.

You might have Tegan on there as well as the point.

I might have to even I think means you're gonna do something next week.

Actually I Think, aren't we.

There's too many people.

It's too many.

You got something planned next week for new dog groomers?

Yeah.

The tears of Night Home.

Not even half dog.

And it isn't.

And this is the thing like it, it is cheaper is a business expense as well.

So if anyone's wondering, like you can put it through your business as a business expense and that is cheap for what you get.

Like, I've been in that little.

Had a little snoop around.

Yeah.

And you're not locked in.

If, if you come in and you think, you know, it's not for me, you're not locked in.

It's.

It's not a big deal.

I've only had less than five people leave since January and when I've looked at what they've consumed, it's because they haven't even logged in.

They've just not.

They've.

They've watched maybe half of one lesson, they've realized they haven't got time and they've gone.

So it's not like they're watching it and leaving.

It's just because they're not consuming it.

So pretty much everyone that comes in does tend to stay because it's, it's.

We're getting to know each the more as well on the calls.

And even though there's like literally 97, I think or something at the moment, everyone still knows each other.

And yeah, people want to be more vocal in the call.

Some people just want to sit in the background and get on with their own work.

And I completely.

I'm not going to push anyone to anything.

Yeah.

I think it's good that you don't sort of tie people in as well because I think that makes people a bit nervous.

Oh God.

I've got to like pay for it free air or, or whatever.

And like, the thing is if, if you are new to dog brewing and I think it's a really good resource to have because you're gonna have that help and support from someone that does it.

Yeah.

And again, even if, like you say it's.

You want to reset and go, actually, I need to sort my prices out or I need to sort me marking out, because those are two things that people do get stuck stuck with, especially like the social media and the marketing.

Like I was, you know, wasn't really great at doing the graphics and stuff.

I'm quite good at marketing, but the graphics and stuff and sometimes it just gets stale and you need a bit of a reject.

Which leads me nicely into the expo.

You are going to be one of our lovely speakers on the day and I know you've got some exciting stuff planned, which we're not going to tell anyone because at this price.

But what are you going to be chatting about at the Expo?

For anyone that's coming or anyone that's thinking of coming, because it is generic, so it doesn't matter whether you're a dog groomer or a dog walker or dog trainer, because they're business topics, it is going to help everyone.

So don't go on or like, Karen's a dog groomer.

It's not going to be relevant to me.

If he is a new dog walker, it will be.

Obviously, I know what she's going to talk about, but I'll let Karen tell you what her topic is for the day.

So I'm going to talk about goals and goal setting.

I won't obviously give away the farm on here because you have to come, but I'll let you know.

Things that I've shared in social media in the past or anything that I've already given for free, I'll let you know.

So, yeah, so I do find that in 2025, we are so kind of distracted with the goals of everybody else on Instagram, Facebook, whatever social media platform you prefer, that we can often forget what our goals are.

We assume we get into the industry and maybe as a dog groomer, you think, right, I, I want to compete now, or maybe as a pet sitter, you want to buy a farm and get and become a boarding kennels.

Or maybe as a dog walker, you want to get staff and have a secure field, whatever it is in your industry, you might forget that maybe you came into it because you wanted to work around the kids, or you came into it because you just wanted a job that give you financial security.

And we often forget what our initial goals were, why we set up that business, what we were thinking of on day one and we get in and we these things on Instagram and Facebook, oh, she's doing that and he's doing that and she's doing this.

Maybe I should do that.

And we, we end up like going erratically in different directions and never actually getting to a single sodding one, but burning out in the meantime, because we use energy on here, here, here and here without knowing exactly where we're heading.

So that's what we talk about, is how we can peel back what we really want, how we can set some goals and how we can maybe think about getting there rather than kind of getting so distracted, which is so easy to do.

I mean, when I first started, I used to.

I found.

I don't know, how did I come across.

I can't remember how I came across it.

There's no like accountant.

And I used to go on her Facebook page all the time and stalk and be like, oh, she's doing these posts and oh, she's got this many followers on her Facebook page and I was obsessed.

So like, wow.

I was always on there looking at what she was doing rather than focusing on what I needed to do and what I should do.

And then obviously I must have just got a grip and just forgot about it.

And then I went back on like a year later or actually I'd surpassed her in followers and stuff.

So I was a bit like, I don't know why I measured myself on her.

Which is completely random.

It's just magical, isn't it?

You just need to come down.

Yeah, well, hang on, she's got like 2, 000 followers.

I haven't got any.

Oh, she's doing like this with her account and she's putting this post on about bloody, I don't know, some e tax related.

And I got so caught up in what everyone else was posing to do and that I didn't actually focus on what I was doing.

And then when I did, I surpassed her anyway.

I haven't even looked, don't even know what.

And you find out when you're posting things, you're reacting to something they've put.

Rather than just addressing your audience, you just, you're actually aiming your content at.

And we're getting Charlotte's territory here.

Oh, shout out to the membership too.

But yeah, it is more about just keeping you.

Yeah, blinkers on.

Well, yes, yeah.

Otherwise you do get caught up in it and it's so easy to.

And I think again, you see a lot of groomers, like in the various different groups calling, you know, what are you charging for a cockapoo and what are you charging for a Newfoundland or whatever.

And I think, what does it matter?

Whatever?

I mean, you might, you might say, no, it does matter.

But I'm like, surely you need to work out like your overheads.

And this is probably coming from my finance brain, but what your overheads are, you know, what you need to earn, like, what profit do you want?

What do you want to make in a year and then work your prices off based off that rather than going, well, you know, Sheila down the road charged me 50 quid, so then I must need to charge 50 quid because Sheila Might be multimillionaire, you don't know and might be doing it for the crack and charge £20 and if you're copying Sheila but you need to earn 50 pounds, it's not gonna work.

I just think people need to focus on what they need to earn rather what everyone else is charging.

I think that's, that's.

I don't.

It was probably pet industry wide, isn't it?

Not just groomers that I think you don't see ourselves as business people for some reason and I think that's part of the problem why many pet industries aren't getting the respect they deserve.

I know groom then other grooming industry doesn't get the respect it deserves because they have the C is a groomer and I'm assuming the same for maybe dog walk or anything else that oh, you work with animals, therefore you're either a not done very well at school or you're a bored housewife in a shed or you've been supported by somebody else and.

Step into those housewife and shed.

Yeah, we've got a thing so many.

Of them and they get treated that way, then they treat themselves that way and like you say, they, they end up pricing the things of another bored housewife, another shed and there's no business stuff put into it.

Like they don't think about accountants, they don't think about registering with hmc.

They just kind of step into a shed, get a blast and dryer or maybe get a dog walking sign set up and an Instagram page and off they go.

And then we complain from our end, we're not getting respect, we're getting no shows not turning up.

It's just, it doesn't help, especially on the grooming side.

But their qualifications don't teach you enough in depth about how to run a business or how to start a business.

No, I think that has a big part to play in it as well because they're teaching you how to do the job and then go right, see ya.

Well, these people have no clue of how to run a business or set up because they've never done it before.

And it's like maybe if that was more important or was more focal in the qualifications, it would help those who genuinely want to start a business.

Yeah, I think to be honest, to fit that in though, the Taft have the qualifications twice as long because even what you learn in the four or five weeks you're there, you need for your skills and grooming side of it.

I think they would have to like you say that it Would be great if it was included, but I think the course would be so long.

Yeah.

But even just the basics that we have, the business basics course, which is just loads of modules on, like, the difference between a sole trade and a limited company, for example, because that will save a lot of people a lot of heartache and cash.

You know how to set up with hmrc, you know, what are the basics you need to do with hmrc?

You know, make sure you get a website.

This is how you record your bits and bobs.

Even something as basic as that will probably help people because like I say, they go into it blind.

They are everybody else.

And then like you said, then people don't really give them the respect that they deserve.

Yeah, maybe because they're not treating it like a business to start with.

I mean, I watched Tegan.

We've mentioned this a few times.

I watched Tegan Groom 2.

I think it was two cockapoos and years ago, and I.

I'd never seen the docwoomer work.

Like, I had no clue what you didn't, if I'm honest, at that time.

And I was sat there for like two hours, like, Washington, this poo.

And I was sat there literally like, are you done yet?

And the dog was like flopping around everywhere and a.

On the floor and.

And I was.

And then I watched the bathroom and I was just like.

And that's.

How much do you charge for this?

And it was something daft like, I don't know, 50 quid or 40 quid or something.

I was like, you do all that for £40?

Yeah.

Like, I couldn't.

Wouldn't get over how much you guys do and actually think for what you charge, it's nothing.

And I think if the general public or even dog owners knew what went into.

If it was me, I'd film a full groom from start to finish.

Not.

Not on like a sausage job that only, like, these wash because, yeah, pointless go.

So it needs like a proper green.

Like a cockapoo and demons.

Oh, yeah, those.

I call them clouds with eyes.

Yeah, they call.

You know what, Doc?

I mean, you know, the white ones have the round faces and the tiny little eyes.

I call them clouds of eyes.

Like dogs need, like a proper green.

I'd film it from start niche and be like, this is what we have to contend with and I'm already charging you 60 quid.

Yeah.

I must admit, I did that on time lapse on some of my phones.

You can do time lapse, can't you?

Yeah, And I'm Sure I posted it and it did.

It got a lot of interaction.

But yeah, regular drip feeding of that.

I mean, I've got a mar.

All of this.

Yeah, dresses up and you pay like 80 quid from them to cut your hair.

They're not washing your ass or cutting your toenails.

Do you know what I mean?

You're not flapping around on the shed trying to buy at them.

And I think will quite happily pay 80 to 120 quid to get the haircut.

But God forbid you pay that to, you know, clean your dog and wash its ass.

Yeah.

No, I think as well with hairdressers, they have the advantage that your head's there the whole time.

So your eyes are seeing.

Your eyes see the posh coffee, your eyes see the glossy magazines, your eyes see the sparkling mirror, your eyes see the fact she's on the phone, she's busy, she's.

She's talking about file colors and everything else.

So we absorb our value because we're there with dog groomers.

We don't have that marketplace to do that.

We have to use our social media and our marketing so much more strongly.

So it kind of.

Yeah.

If anyone complains about your prices and so that's too much.

Get this in right.

Let me do one more groom and I want you to sit in with me and watch me do it and then tell me at the end if you don't think it's worth paying that price.

That's what I'd do.

I'd be savage of like, just sit and watch me do it then.

I mean, to have customers in my salon.

No, thanks.

Office, I'm here.

Yeah, I'm telling to get stuffed, but that's what I would do.

I'm like, you mean I think too much?

Sit in the salon and watch me for the next two hours grooming this dog and then you tell me at the end if you think that's, you know, cheap enough.

Yeah, it is about drip feeding our.

Our value and our content continually.

Not just think, I've done it once, it's fine.

Everyone's seen it because, believe it or not, most people haven't seen it.

It's old news on Instagram or Facebook.

So continually, a few times a month, feeding our value, showing what we do.

Not just for groomers, but for dog walkers and pet sitters.

What do you do?

Why are you earning that money?

Why are you doing the dogs kind of thing?

So I think it does matter.

A consistent marketing presence, not just to attract new customers to your business, but to keep your current customers loyal and to know exactly what, why they're paying what they pay and when the next price increase then comes along, they're not like, oh my God, what's that?

They're like, oh, yeah, sure, not a problem.

Yeah.

I mean, we've been told all year.

Long what amazing things you do.

Yeah, we market all the time.

Even like when we're, you know, fully booked up, we still, we still mark.

Otherwise people forget who you are.

And you think you might put that post out on Monday, but only 30% of the people like seeing it.

You can post it again on Wednesday, post again on Friday and it's going to get a different audience each time.

Yeah.

And we do talk about marketing at the Expo.

And you know, part of the reason why I did the Expo in the first place was because of what I said before.

People don't get anything on the help in the business side of stuff.

They just don't.

There isn't anything else out there.

You're right.

When I start agreement, sorry.

Like you say, I never got told about what to do, how to set up, how to register a company's house.

It was only because I had a partner who's got his own business and his own accountant and team.

They were like, you need to do this, this, this and this.

Otherwise, like you say, I would have made all the mistakes, done it all wrong, probably lost out on money because I wouldn't hire someone like me to say, you know, what do this, that and the other.

So I think getting the help, like an accountant early on, getting the help, like somebody telling you what to do, like your business lessons, just, you could save so much money and time rather than chucking spaghetti against the wall and getting half of it wrong.

Sorry, I only.

No, you're fine.

But again, people spend a lot of money on, on the practical side and never on the business side.

And I see that on social media all the time.

I'll come and watch me groom a bichon for 300 pound.

Oh, all day long, sold out.

Come to a business conference, like, oh God, you.

And you do.

If someone asked me if it was free, I was like, of course it's not free.

Like 179 pound for the amount of content that you're going to get and from the speakers that if you went to them individually would cost you thousands.

You know, you're getting that help.

And for me, I want it to like, I want them to be all loads of sponges and just absorb all the information and amount of it.

Feeling motivated.

You know, Charlotte went to Atomicon and I saw her post after which was like, I feel so like motivated and like ready to go to implement all of this stuff.

And, and that's what I want the expo to be like, is to everyone to come out and go, do you know what I listen to Karen's got, I need to reset my goals.

I'm going to do it, I'm going to hit them or you know, I've got more tools to help my marketing or Robin's price and I'm going to go back and I'm going to increase my prices by fiver.

You know, that's the aim for the explorers that you come out thinking, do you know what?

I'm going to take all of this information from these experts and then go and put it into practice and actually spend money on yourselves like invest in yourselves.

And I think that's what we need to be doing more of isnessy stuff.

To say, well, see ourselves as business owners.

Need to stop seeing ourselves as just people that groom dogs for money, walk dogs for money, look after dogs for money.

But we are business owners.

If we had.

I covered this in a webinar last week actually.

When you, even if you work alone, you want to imagine if you had like say a boss in a head office that could come in and do everything you want in your business and sort out for you and they could make sure that customer starts respecting you and make sure you get paid more money and if you had like a, a dream boss that could come and look after you, what would you want them to do in your business?

And then write, okay, you haven't got a dream boss, you are your dream boss.

What do you need to do in your business?

You need to put yourself in that head office, kind of see your position for a minute, look down your business and say how would I protect myself if I was member of staff?

What would I do to help my staff if I could protect them?

Even though you haven't got staff, but now keeping those shoes, keeping that kind of boss shoes and think right, well something like the Pet Pro Expo could make me help me with my prices, it could help me with my mindset, it could help me get some goals sorted, it could help me get a marketing strategy for 2026 sorted, it could help me with all these things and then I can protect my staff myself impacts in my business and it's just putting yourself in those shoes and start thinking in that mind frame rather than I'm in the business, I'm in the weeds.

I've not got time for that.

I need to just get on and do dogs or walk dogs or groom dogs and that's, that's the kind of the mindset shift they need to get into.

And then it's a no brainer for me.

I mean, I buy scissors that are more expensive than the Pep.

For example, I've got scissors that were 300 quid, you know what I mean?

Bought them because I was like, they'll do this, this and that for me.

Yeah, they're an investment and I love them.

But at the same time, oh my God, the value you would get out of a day learning all of this stuff and some obviously little treats along the way.

Why wouldn't you?

It's nuts.

Yes, no, it is.

But yeah, someone did ask me if it was free.

I was like, I can't provide breakfast, lunch, a venue, you know, 13 speakers, everything for free.

I'd love to.

If I was a millionaire, I would do it.

But yeah, social media fluff and airy fairy advice with no actual steps on social media.

That's, that's creative.

If you want real stuff that's going to actually change things, you have, you know, probably want you to invest yourself.

And pay any and just slightly going back on the goal thing.

Like mainly have a.

Every year we sit down and we set the goals for the next 12 months and then when we get to the next 12 months we see which ones we've done and ticked off and then any that we need to tweak and I think it helps you have something to aim for every year.

We'll say, right, this is our turnover goal that we want by the end of the year.

This is our advertising goal.

This is.

This, this is.

We write it all down, it gives us something to aim for and then when we get to the end of the year we can look back and go, shit, we didn't, didn't do that.

We need to maybe focus on that this year.

Oh yeah, we managed that.

Happy days.

And it just gives you something.

Whereas if you don't, like you say you in the weeds and you're a bit like, oh, do I need two grandmas?

I need to invest in my equipment.

Is it, Do I need a website?

And you get so like involved, you just need to take a step back and go, like you said, right, if I could have this magic person come in, what would I ask them to do?

Yeah, exactly.

And that's a really good sort of thing to think about.

What would I need?

My marketing Right, okay.

Well, this stuff you need to pay for and I think people see it as just money.

Oh, I can't spend that much money.

But what's that money going to get you?

Whether it is your, your membership, whether it's the Expo, whether it's an accountant, whether it's a financial advisor, whatever.

You've got to maybe not focus so much on how much it's going to cost, what that is actually going to get you, what you're going to get out of it, because you probably end up getting more than it you pay.

Yeah, you could put 45 pound a week away for the next four weeks.

It's paid for.

Yeah.

But by the middle of July you put 45 pounds a week, which is less than a Cockapoo groom, less than a lot of grooms.

Once a week away for the next four weeks, it's done.

Well, we are 3/4 sold out.

So we've only got 50 tickets left.

This is not a drill.

This is not me pretending we genuinely only have 50 tickets left.

People think it's a sales claw.

You're like, oh, you know, you just say that.

But generally there's only 50 left.

And so don't wait until November because they will have sold out by then.

So just get your hands on them.

If you do want to pay in installments, you can pay in three installments.

If you click the link on the Pep Works World page.

If you need to spread it out more than that, then please just contact me directly and we can do that from our side.

From the accountancy side, we can send you an invoice which splits it into five months.

But you have to contact me directly for that.

You can't do it on the link.

So there's a few people that have done that.

So like I say, if you want to go and you're like, oh, God, I can't afford to shell out 179 pounds straight away.

You can spread the cost out, but just contact me directly and I can sort it out for you guys.

But we have got a good lineup.

I can't wait for yours.

I know you've got a few little surprises and it's going to be great.

And a few other people have.

One other surprise is too much people.

Expecting like a, yeah, I'm gonna come in like with cancan outfit and stuff.

Got Kylie Minogue lined up as a backing singer.

You want to say that because people might buy the ticket thinking carding log's gonna be there.

Please don't.

She's not ask me that's what it is.

I did try and get Noel Fitzpatrick just because I think he's amazing.

But funnily enough, he didn't come back to me.

His loss.

His loss.

Bashing down the door.

So coming down.

And funnily enough you get these like special guests and there was a few that would have been relatable to the event, but they cost a fortune.

One of them, I'm not going to mention names for one hour was 35 grand.

Yeah.

I was like, okay, maybe not.

You're ringing Tony Robbins again.

Tony Robbins.

And what's the other one that's always on?

Fizz Bartlett.

No.

Oh no, he's gonna do me head in now.

Little dog.

Ev CEO.

What's his name?

Stephen Bartlett.

Oh yeah, sorry, it is him.

Yeah, he was about.

No, he was more.

He was 30 grand plus.

I didn't even, I didn't even look at that for one hour.

But we've got 13 equally as great guests, so.

And we've got the lovely Joe Pay as well, who is going to be doing a talk on dog behavior.

So she was recently on the Channel 4 documentary about dogs behaving badly with Nick Grimshaw and she worked alongside Victoria Stillwell.

So she's gonna be there doing one on dog behavior, which is really helpful for all of groomer's, walkers, trainers and stuff.

So that's our celebrity guest because she's been on Channel 4.

No, she's lovely.

Great.

So brilliant.

Oh, and these touch.

For some reason Deborah Meaden was on my, I bet the announce list.

Oh, you know what, I actually did look at Deborah Mead and then again, if I wanted to pay, you know, 15, 20 grand to have Deborah there for literally one hour, you know, if the expo down the line gets bigger and better and we have like a thousand people there, then maybe it'll be able to afford someone like Deborah Mead and like Stephen Bartlett.

But for now, one 79 pound me budget doesn't stretch to that far.

But I would love to get.

My aim is to get like a big high profile guest.

You mean, come on, seriously, celebrity?

No, but someone like Stian, Debra Meade and he gone through that journey.

But I'm not paying for.

I mean even someone that wasn't even that big was like nine grand for the hour.

And I was like, come on, man.

It'S how it's a hell that got that big though, isn't it?

Well, this is it.

And what people don't realize is, you know, these events cost a lot of money to put on.

We're talking like thousands.

So I have tried to keep the price as low as I possibly can.

So I think it's a bargain for a day.

I've paid a lot more than that for.

I do well.

I've seen loads of events out there that are like double that price and again it's.

I wanted it to be accessible to everybody.

I didn't want anyone to miss out.

And you know, if you can't make it on the day in Birmingham, the online tickets will be going on sale later on in the air because it is going to be professionally live streamed so you'll be in the action with everyone else from the comfort of your own home and your PJs with a cup of tea.

So that will be released soon.

And also there's a string of online speakers that we haven't mentioned and hopefully they will be getting announced next week with another special guest lined up snuck in there.

I'm just waiting to see if he can do it or not.

Whether he comes back to me, I don't know but we'll see.

So there's lots, lots and lots and lots.

Karen will be there talking about goal setting so please come along if that's something that you struggle with.

The Pep Expo has its own page to search for Facebook or like I say, contact me directly and if you want to spread those payments out over a longer period of time.

But I'm excited for it.

It's going to be a good day.

We're going to get merry on Saturday night.

That's going to be my day that I'm looking forward to once it's finished.

Yeah, I'd pay for Christmas too I think because you will do it and then we've got two weeks where you kind of get everything lined up.

Come first December you obviously have a month off where you don't even think about anything business wise because you're too random.

Christmas and then come 1st of January you then haven't got to think about goals or mindset or what you're doing that year.

You've already got it ready in November so you just go boosh.

You start 2026 is just ready to just roll.

So it's timed really well.

Yeah, fabulous.

Well I best go and you've got busy day so thank you so much for giving up your time and rather short notice literally.

Karen, please come on, don't leave you.

Can I t.

Put some makeup on but no.

Thank you very for coming on.

This will be on the podcast on Monday if anyone wants to find out more about Count you're very big on Instagram, aren't you?

You're an Instagram masky happy place, Instagram.

Yeah.

Yeah.

But if you put some details in the Facebook group for people that I can share and then they can come find you.

If they're like a technical, like me, don't know how to, to use it.

If you could just put some links and bits and bobs in the.

And then they know where to find you.

And if they want to get in touch or join the membership, Fabulous.

Right guys, have a good week and we will see you soon and we'll be back next week with a fun installment of something tax related.

It's less fun but equally as important.

Right everyone, thanks very much and have a good day.

Bye.

Thanks for listening.

If you've enjoyed my podcast podcast, don't forget to subscribe for me.

And if you want to speak to me, please visit my website@www.petaccountant.co.uk.

and if you'd like to join my Facebook group which is full of like minded pet professionals, then search accounting for pet professionals in Facebook and I will see you there.

Sam.