Take a career break to protect your mental health<\/h2>\n\n\n\nKate Bassett:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
So you initially studied law at university and became a successful management consultant but ended up suffering from stress and depression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Can you tell us a little bit about that experience and how you coped?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sara Barnes:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
So looking back on it now, I probably started with a bit of stress and depression much earlier than I really realised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So I mean, I graduated, I\u2019m going to sound really old now. I graduated in 1999, so the last century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But actually I probably had my first initial hints about it in about 2002. So I didn\u2019t really know about it at the time, just got on with it, did whatever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And it wasn\u2019t until I was out in South East Asia, as you say, being a management consultant, I ended up at some points working 80-hour weeks, which if you\u2019re out there by yourself, it\u2019s not a problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But I missed my family, I didn\u2019t really have friends because I never knew how long I was going to be somewhere. Could go there and be there two weeks. I could go there and be there 18 months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It really was just all up in the air, which, don\u2019t get me wrong, I was happy to do because I knew what I was signing up for. I just didn\u2019t really think it would have that kind of effect on me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So obviously when I started to get a bit down and depressed, I\u2019d phone home, talk to my parents, or occasionally get hold of a friend. But there was an eight-hour time difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So you don\u2019t want to phone your friends when it\u2019s their lunchtime, because if you are having a moan, it puts them down. I\u2019d feel bad about trashing the rest of their day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So got to a head when a few things weren\u2019t wrong in the office, and I was like, \u201cNo, I\u2019ve had enough. I\u2019m going home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I came back, had a couple of jobs then in the UK because I thought, well, at least I\u2019m near friends and family, I\u2019ll do that. And yeah, it was better, but it wasn\u2019t still right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And we found that I\u2019d got triggered into what was my first proper bout of depression when I found out my dad was unwell. He got diagnosed with cancer. I think most people in today\u2019s society have experienced that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But we went through it. I put myself on medication just to get myself balanced so that I could work through my days and not be sat there in a corner trying to teach someone how to transform their business but be a blubbering wreck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So I did that, got through it, changed jobs, got one nearer to home, still wasn\u2019t really enjoying it. And just like you say, I thought, to heck with this, I\u2019m going to have a career break. I\u2019d never had one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So in all my times since college basically, I\u2019d never had that career break.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Turn to your friends and family for advice and support<\/h2>\n\n\n\nKate Bassett:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
And how hard was it to quit your job and that comfortable salary, and who did you turn to for advice?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sara Barnes:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
I was really lucky, and I have to say that wholeheartedly. I had savings in the bank. So I\u2019d gone, this isn\u2019t working, how much have I got in the bank? What could I do with that?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I had my own home and I live in my home by myself, so it\u2019s my responsibility for all the bills. And I\u2019m really fortunate that my parents live quite literally half a mile away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So I sat down, I talked to my mum and my dad. They\u2019ve always been there for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And I said, \u201cI\u2019m not happy.\u201d Dad said, \u201cYeah, I can see that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He\u2019s as subtle as a brick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And I said, \u201cI\u2019ve got to do something. I\u2019m not well in myself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And he said, \u201cWell, if you need it, we will support you to the point that we will pay your mortgage for up to six months.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So that was a big weight lifted off my shoulders because if you think about it, that\u2019s the big bill that goes out every month. And at least I would then have a roof over for my head to do whatever I wanted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I can say, hand on heart, I\u2019ve never needed it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But having that safety net there was probably what enabled me to make that leap. I literally walked in, I\u2019d handed my notice in to my boss, we had a big team meeting, and they said, \u201cOh, Sara\u2019s got something to say.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And I went, \u201cBy the way guys, I\u2019m trading you lot in for dogs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And I got, \u201cArgh!\u201d This massive reaction of gasps of breath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And I went, \u201cSeriously now, I\u2019ve decided I need a break. I\u2019m going to go walk dogs for the summer. What more can you dream of?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s sunshine, fresh air, out in the fields, and it\u2019s that idyllic image of running through the fields with the dogs, and they\u2019re all behaving, and it\u2019s all fabulous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s just say it didn\u2019t quite work out that way all the time, but it gives me stories to tell every day of something that makes people laugh. So that works for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How a career reset can help you to rediscover your passions<\/h2>\n\n\n\nKate Bassett:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
So you initially had this six-month financial buffer. In terms of your next career, had you thought about what you were going to do? What was the plan B?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sara Barnes:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
There was no plan B. This wasn\u2019t even plan A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This was literally, I\u2019m going to take a break. I\u2019m going to reset myself, get things going, and then I\u2019m going to go back to probably being a management consultant or a project manager somewhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I tried big, big, big companies, multinationals, and all that. I\u2019d tried that medium company, and I\u2019d tried a small family owned company, and I\u2019d never felt I quite fitted into any of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So I was like, so what do you do?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And I was like, well I\u2019m not going to go freelance. I\u2019m not going to set myself up as a consultant and project manager and go hunting for work. I didn\u2019t feel the passion there to do that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Whereas once I got into the dog walking and the home boarding, as being the girl that always wanted a dog and I haven\u2019t had one since my early twenties, this worked out great. I\u2019ve got the best of both worlds for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I literally have dogs stay over in my house. Some of them sleep on my bed, some of them sleep downstairs on the sofa. Literally just before we came on, I took a picture, and I\u2019ve got three dogs asleep on my sofa. And I go out and I walk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But if I want a weekend off, as long as I plan it miles in advance, then I can have a weekend away with no dogs and just go from there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Knowing what\u2019s best for your mental health<\/h2>\n\n\n\nKate Bassett:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
And by quitting your corporate job and knowing that you had some space and freedom to explore what you wanted to do next, did that immediately change your mental health?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Were you able to come off the meds?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sara Barnes:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
It probably took me about nine months because as well as the whole job thing, I did have my dad being unwell. So until we got the all clear from him, I stayed on them because I wanted to make sure that I was balanced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because, again, once you decide that it\u2019s going to be this new career, and I did quite quickly on, when somebody turned around to me and said, \u201cDo you do home boarding?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And I went, \u201cNo.\u201d And she went, \u201cYou really need to.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And I said, \u201cWell, why would I want to do that? I don\u2019t want dogs in my house.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And she went, \u201cI\u2019ve turned down \u00a3600 worth of work this weekend.\u201d I was like, \u201cRight, where do I sign on the line?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Again, even for six months I\u2019ll do that. \u00a3600. And I went from there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But I think really, I didn\u2019t know what was going to be next, and I just went with the flow. And I\u2019ve always had that mentality of I\u2019d rather regret something I did than something I didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That could explain why I have a very eclectic past. Between university and project management there were a lot of other jobs in there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But I think all of them in their own way have helped me with where I am now. And the fact that six months has turned into five years is a testament to this is probably where I should be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Knowing when your small venture can actually turn into a legitimate business<\/h2>\n\n\n\nKate Bassett:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
And at what point into the six months did you think actually this could be a legitimate business?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sara Barnes:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
It probably took about three or four months to get to the point I was going, well, actually, I\u2019m not making huge amounts of money, don\u2019t get me wrong, but I\u2019m covering my mortgage, my savings are not broke. I have still got a little bit in there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But again, it was, well, I\u2019m really enjoying this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And if people see it as a valued proposition, it\u2019s no good just having somebody that can only walk your dog on a Saturday or only walk your dog on a Tuesday afternoon because they\u2019re working around other jobs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If that dog needs to be walked on a Thursday evening, then nine times out of 10 I can do it. I do have free food Thursday, where I go up to my mum\u2019s for dinner. And I can\u2019t have the laptop with me. I can take my phone but nothing else. I take the dogs with me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We have that an hour and a half on a Thursday evening, mum cooks me dinner and I just get to relax and switch off a little bit from the business. Because I do pretty much everything for the business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So I am the business finance keeper, bookkeeper, I do all my accounting, I do my payroll, I do vehicle mechanic work because vehicles break down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And if not, then it goes off-road for two or three days while it goes into a garage. So I\u2019m a jack of all trades, I\u2019ll turn my hand to most things. So that hour and a half a week is just a kind of \u201cahh\u201d moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kate Bassett:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
So I mean that\u2019s been a huge learning curve for you in many ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Marketing doesn\u2019t have to cost a fortune\u2014print out some flyers and get yourself a branded T-shirt<\/h2>\n\n\n\nKate Bassett:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
What were some of the toughest moments of getting the business off the ground and building up the brands and getting new clients on board?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sara Barnes:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
For me, it was really, I only knew of Facebook, let\u2019s be honest, or social media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Everyone goes, \u201cJust create a page and everyone will flock you.\u201d And it\u2019s so not that way. No matter how hard you try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So it was learning how to market the business was a big thing for me. It\u2019s not just going around handing out a few flyers, which really does work, or just creating a Facebook page. It\u2019s getting your name out there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So in the summer, when it was too hot for me to walk, because we do have days where it is too hot to take the dogs out, I would literally be going putting flyers through every door in a housing estate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since then, I\u2019ve managed to get a regular slot on the local newspaper. So I write for them once a month, which I would say to anyone that\u2019s starting out, at least get a press release out there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And I know it sounds really old school, get a press release, get a nice picture, put it in the paper. The worst they\u2019re going to do is not publish it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The best they\u2019re going to do is publish it, they\u2019ll ask you for a comment on something, or you know, just do something. Stand out from the crowd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019ve always worn branded T-shirts when I\u2019m working, even from day one, which is a bit sad because most people are, \u201cIt\u2019s only you. You don\u2019t need to have a branded T-shirt.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And you\u2019re like, but actually, that means the person sees me walking down the street, and they go, \u201cAh, she\u2019s a dog walker.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They may not see me again for another three weeks, and they go, \u201cOh, that\u2019s her again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So getting your name out there, marketing and advertising is the biggest thing, but it doesn\u2019t have to cost a fortune to do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Learn your business expenses and how to budget<\/h2>\n\n\n\nKate Bassett:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
What were some of the hacks that you discovered and money-saving techniques?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sara Barnes:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s learning what you can put through your business as a business expense<\/a>. It is, really. I mean, yes, you say branded T-shirts. Yes, that\u2019s a business expense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But for a dog walker, I go through probably two pairs to three pairs of walking boots a year. They\u2019re all business expenses. Learn about what the warranties are on them, because again, most walking boots have a one-to-two-year warranty period on them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So you get free exchange. I didn\u2019t say that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But also things like on the admin side of things it is keeping good records. Really make sure you do keep on top of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you leave it for three months to then start filling in an Excel spreadsheet or going through and doing a bank statement, you\u2019re not going to remember anything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From day one, I said, right, this is my bank account, this is my personal account and never the two shall cross. And really, I did keep it, even though I was a sole trader initially, did keep it as a separate entity as much as you can.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So I would take drawings out of it, but I really started to live beneath my means, if that makes sense. So if I could take \u00a3500 or \u00a3600 out a month out of the business, that\u2019s fine, but I need to make sure I still save part of that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because next month or not now, but at that point, it might have been in two months\u2019 time, I might not be able to take \u00a3600 out of the business. I may only be able to take \u00a3300. If I still need 600, where\u2019s that other \u00a3300 coming from?<\/p>\n\n\n\n So budgeting is really key.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But like I said, for me, it\u2019s making sure you keep the two things as separate as possible because that way you\u2019ll know how well your business is doing even when you don\u2019t think it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So the first time I hit a \u00a31,000 income in a month, I was up cheering and everything else, I was applauding myself. But I never thought that two months ago I would hit a \u00a37,000 month. I just never thought that was going to happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So looking at now, I still don\u2019t take a huge amount more out of the business now that I\u2019m earning \u00a37,000, or the business is earning \u00a37,000 a month, to when I was earning \u00a31,000 a month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I live very frugally. I put as much as I can through the business. And learn to sew because then you can repair things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Honestly, half my T-shirts will get a dog claw go through them, and you go, \u201cOh, there\u2019s a hole in this T-shirt.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Make do and mend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Exactly. It\u2019s very old school but it does work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And were there any other business owners in the local area or books that you read or networks that you joined that helped you in that first year?<\/p>\n\n\n\n So in the first year, I think looking back, I was really lucky. There were a bunch of local dog walkers, and they all had a WhatsApp group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And before I started, I went, and I met a couple of them and said, \u201cCan I follow you for a day?\u201d Or, \u201cCan I come out on a walk and pick your brains? I\u2019m considering doing this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n And they were really welcoming because they said, \u201cThere are more dogs that are here than we can handle.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n So we had that as a get-together and people would have a little bit of a moan, or they\u2019d say, \u201cI\u2019ve just dropped this customer because of X, Y, Z, watch out, they could be coming your way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Or, \u201cI\u2019ve had this enquiry. I\u2019m not sure.\u201d Or, \u201cOh my God, I\u2019ve just had an amazing day. I\u2019ve hit my \u00a31,000 goal,\u201d or whatever had happened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So it was really good for networking within dog walkers and learning stuff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I tried a couple of networking groups and I think maybe I thought I was going to get more out of them, but I felt like everyone was trying to sell to me. But I did meet, we had a woman in business group, which was also interesting because I was one of the younger people, and I wasn\u2019t that young.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But I met a lady who at the time was in a recruitment agency. She now runs a mobility scooter and the chairs that move up, she now works there, and I\u2019m like that\u2019s a bit different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But she has a dog, and I didn\u2019t realise she had a dog, and I hadn\u2019t seen her for two years. And then she said, \u201cOh, we\u2019re going away. The girls are going to be at the house. Can you walk the dog?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n So you make friendships and acquaintances with people, and you\u2019d never even imagine half the time that they\u2019re actually going to come to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So you should always be polite, be generous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Books wise I did quite a bit of reading in my first year about just basic business admin. I mean, I did business and finance at college, but like I said, that was in the \u201990s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So I had to remind myself about basic bookkeeping, about what you can and can\u2019t do. Is it okay to go and put a flyer on a car in a car park? I don\u2019t think you can, but I never did, because I wasn\u2019t sure, and I didn\u2019t want to get in the press for the bad reasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yeah, that was the only book I read was just, like I say, on basic business principals so that I had an idea of where I could go with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And what do you think were the transferable skills that you took from your role as a management consultant that helped you as an entrepreneur?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Planning, to-do lists. I live by to-do lists, even now. It just means I don\u2019t forget things. Organisation skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My diary is fairly hectic. I have roughly 130 dogs that we look after. Some we\u2019ll see every day, some we\u2019ll see once in a blue moon, but we just go through the motions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And I have to be able to remember who\u2019s where and what. And who\u2019s got food allergies, who doesn\u2019t have food allergies. But yeah, to-do lists are a big thing for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And as I grew the business, processes and procedures, and documenting what you do and how you do it so that you can clone yourself effectively because it\u2019s too much for just me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Will the dogs like the other person? Will the customers like the other person I bring on board? And if not, how am I going to handle that, and how do I train someone when we\u2019re so busy already?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because I should have probably recruited earlier than I did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How am I going to train them and replicate myself and share what I know about these dogs in a way that they can take it in?<\/p>\n\n\n\n And just as the business really started to take off and thrive, the pandemic hit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How did you cope with that when you were only allowed out of the house for, I think it was an hour a day to exercise?<\/p>\n\n\n\n During the first 12 weeks of the pandemic, obviously we were all supposed to stay at home and not do anything, so I sat on my sofa and knitted dog scarves for Christmas presents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Get ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Blatantly the right thing to do in the early spring and summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But the one hour a day, basically I said to all my customers, \u201cUnless you cannot deal with your dog, because you\u2019re all at home as well, I\u2019m not coming to see you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n So I put my business on hold, which was really hard, because like you say, I was just getting to that point, you\u2019re really happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So I had one customer who survived a week and she said, \u201cThe dogs pulled me over three times this week.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n And he was a dog we walked every day. I\u2019ve known him since he was eight weeks old, and I see him pretty much every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So my hour\u2019s exercise every day was taking that dog for a walk. And I would walk from my house to her house, she only lives half a mile away, pick up the dog, walk him around the fields for 45 minutes to an hour, drop him back at her house and walk back to my house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And that was my life outside of knitting scarves and bits and pieces, stuff like that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But actually you were helping her out, you were probably helping your own mental health, and you kept a client on board.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Exactly. He was my only income for the first bit of the pandemic because I wasn\u2019t entitled to any of the grants or anything that were going around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So he was my income, he basically paid my mortgage. She was like, \u201cWell, I\u2019ll just give you a load of money, and you can then just walk it off over time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n And I was like, \u201cNo, I only want to get paid for what I do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n And I had a couple of customers that were really generous that were saying, \u201cIf you want, we\u2019ll pay you a \u00a31,000 now. We\u2019ll give you a \u00a31,000 tomorrow, and then we\u2019ll just draw it off as and when we need it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n And I was like, \u201cThank you for the offer, it\u2019s really generous, but I don\u2019t want that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because if I want to go away, and they want the dog walking, well, they\u2019ve already paid for it, haven\u2019t they? So you kind of go, \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n So it was going back to living frugally, baked beans on toast and all those kinds of things and going from there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But it was an interesting experience. Not saying I would like to go through it again. And as soon as we could open up, I was so much happier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was lovely to see the dogs again. You miss them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And you\u2019ve seen huge growth since then. I know you\u2019ve taken on staff, you\u2019ve bought another van, but you mentioned you wish you\u2019d recruited earlier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At what point should you have done it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Looking back, and they do say hindsight is an amazing thing, I should have recruited Emma, she is now, my first employee. She\u2019s still with me, thankfully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I cry when she goes on holiday now. Like, \u201cOh no, I\u2019ve got to go back.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I probably should have recruited her when I hit about 75-80% capacity because that would\u2019ve given me and her the opportunity to do a lot more initial training and learn a bit more, if that makes sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So I knew what I wanted her to do, really easy, just go off and walk dogs. But you forget that even for me, it took me a few months to learn the best way to walk. Not just one dog or two dogs, but four or six.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because we have some groups where the dogs are all off lead, which is great because they\u2019re having a whale of a time. You\u2019ve just got to be able to keep an eye on six dogs and make sure where they all are at one time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So your head\u2019s on a swivel. You start slowly. So new staff members usually get two or three dogs and usually one of them is one that has to go on lead, and then you build it up, and you build it up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unfortunately, with Emma, it was literally, \u201cYou are coming on board, I\u2019ve got to go away for a weekend in about three weeks\u2019 time. So you\u2019ve got three weeks to learn. Congratulations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n And she was like, \u201cOh my gosh.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I was really lucky that Emma has two dogs of her own. So it was a good starting point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And how do you find employees with that right mindset and the right energy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n You talked about recruiting and replicating yourself. How do you do that?<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s not as easy as you might think.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Everyone goes, \u201cOh, everyone will love to do dog walking.\u201d And you\u2019re like, \u201cYeah, they do. But not everyone\u2019s a good fit for my business.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I don\u2019t do solo dog walks. That\u2019s one of the things I really don\u2019t want to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ve got a couple that I do because they\u2019re either dogs I can do at any time of day or they\u2019re dogs that were in a group that have had a few growth issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They\u2019ve hit adolescence and gone, \u201cNo, I\u2019m the boss.\u201d And you go, \u201cNo, no, you\u2019re not. I\u2019m the boss. I\u2019m the walker.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n So how did I recruit?<\/p>\n\n\n\n So I was really lucky. My second employee was actually Emma\u2019s mum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Keeping it in the family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Exactly. So my mum is known to all my customers as Granny Barnes, and she will not come on the books as an employee. She\u2019s a volunteer. She will not. I keep asking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Emma came on, then Emma\u2019s mum came on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And then it was, I put job adverts out on Facebook. I put job adverts out on job hunting sites and stuff. And that bit\u2019s easy. You get this wealth of people come and go, \u201cI want to walk dogs, I want to walk dogs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n But you\u2019re like, \u201cAre you going to happy doing it in the middle of November when the six dogs are all muddy, and it\u2019s peeing down with rain?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because let\u2019s be honest, that\u2019s the worst kind of time of year. You\u2019re covered in mud, you\u2019re sliding everywhere, what are you going to do?<\/p>\n\n\n\n So I thought I had a really good recruitment process. I did a CV check. I did a chat over the phone. My first real face-to-face with them, I took them out on a group walk, so they could experience what it was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So if I\u2019ve got a problem dog on a lead, I\u2019m a bit evil, I give it to them for a few minutes while I unload the other dogs from the van just to see how they react to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because if it\u2019s a problem dog, and they can just hold it steady, that shows me that they\u2019ve got a level of confidence and ability just to handle dogs. Because everyone thinks it\u2019s really easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And to be honest, some of them really are, but others are really not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And as the business has grown, you now have employees, you have the extra van, you have 130 dogs on your books.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Has that changed the way you run the business?<\/p>\n\n\n\n So yes, I\u2019m actually a lot stricter now with my customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So originally, I was like, if a customer asked me to do anything, I would pretty much always say yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So again, going back to an earlier question, one of the things you need to learn to say is no, especially if it\u2019s not quite what you want to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So I\u2019m only allowed, when it comes to dogs in the house, I\u2019m only allowed four. So that\u2019s it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If I\u2019ve got four dogs in the house, I can\u2019t take anyone else in, which really upsets some customers they\u2019re like, \u201cBut I need you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n But I told you six months ago I was busy already, so if you really want the dates you need to book far in advance. You also need to pay a deposit now, which you didn\u2019t before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Especially before the pandemic, I really wasn\u2019t worried about them. But now everyone\u2019s wanting to go on holiday and then people are dropping off because something\u2019s happened at work or what have you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And I\u2019m like, oh, I\u2019ve just lost two weeks\u2019 worth of income.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I tried to take a bit more time for me because I am seven days a week pretty much 24\/7. It\u2019s very rare I have a dog-free night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And if I do, I\u2019m usually sat on the sofa going, \u201cI could have a bath without having a snuffly noise at a door.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n So yes, I would spend all night sat in front of my laptop or on my phone working given half a chance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So I have to put limits. I have reminders that come up saying, \u201cStop playing on your phone.\u201d Or, \u201cStop working on your phone.\u201d Or, \u201cNow is the time to do this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n From that perspective, I\u2019ve always been, having had a law degree, we\u2019ve always had quite a comprehensive contract. And I know a lot of dog walkers don\u2019t, but I would say if you are in a business where you need any form of contract, make sure you\u2019ve got one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I originally started with a timesheet for staff and Emma to fill in. Paper timesheet. I\u2019ve now transitioned that over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019ve got a HR app because that just makes my life easier so that I can just pull the report off the app on the last day of the month after everyone\u2019s gone home and I can run payroll.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rather than spending 20 minutes or an hour or two hours chasing everyone going, \u201cYou didn\u2019t give me your timesheet. I need your timesheet, or I can\u2019t pay everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n So there\u2019s lots more systems and processes in place now than there were as the business has grown. So with me and Emma, it was really easy. We\u2019d just have a conversation. Me and Emma\u2019s mum, there was still only three of us, so it was just a conversation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But now there\u2019s me, Emma, Emma\u2019s mum Lisa, Katie, and Julie, that\u2019s the five people walking team. Plus I have an admin lady. So it\u2019s not just one conversation now, it\u2019s a lot more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So it\u2019s just working out how to communicate, because again, I\u2019ve had to learn to communicate better with people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because I think I\u2019ve told somebody something, or I always ask my customers to confirm anything they\u2019ve said to me over the phone on a written message, either a text or WhatsApp or an email, just so I\u2019ve got it for future referral.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because I can\u2019t always remember everything. I\u2019m not as perfect as I would like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And you\u2019re right. From the outside it probably looks like this dream calming job where you are outside with dogs and in nature but in reality, it\u2019s really stressful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And you talked about the sleepless nights and working weekends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Do you still worry about your mental health, and how do you prioritise that other than having Thursdays at your mum\u2019s?<\/p>\n\n\n\n So I\u2019ve tried really hard in the last 18 months to two years to have one weekend or one two-day period away from the business every quarter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s worked really well, except for this year, I haven\u2019t had one yet. Oops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But in my defence, I am going on my first holiday since starting the business at the beginning of June. So in a few weeks\u2019 time. And that\u2019s going to be a scary moment for me because I\u2019m letting go of my baby and letting it run with Emma and a few other people in charge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But I took up running.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So I started in Couch to 5k with a bunch of ladies, which was great, because it\u2019s not just a matter of going for a run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We would have a gossip, and we put the world to rights. And it was gaining that network of friends that I would never have met otherwise. And that\u2019s three 45 minutes a week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Customers are aware that Sara goes for a run at 6:30am, and then she\u2019ll be back by 7:15am. That\u2019s worked well for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Taking me time is something I have always struggled with. So it\u2019s being aware of that and then really putting it in my diary as an appointment, like I would any dog walk or trip to a physio or trip to the doctor or whatever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So it\u2019s planning it in and giving myself the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yeah. You actually schedule it into your diary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yep. I have reminders that come across like, \u201cNo boarders.\u201d Or, \u201cNo walking this day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n For the business, I try to give myself one admin day a week, especially now I\u2019ve got the team. On the flip side, I give all the team at least a three-day weekend pretty much every week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So the girls generally don\u2019t work Friday. So Friday, Saturday, Sunday is me in the business with all the dogs as my responsibility, unless I\u2019m off teaching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So then one of the girls will come and cover the dogs for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What are your expansion plans for the business?<\/p>\n\n\n\n So as well as doing dog walking and home boarding, very early on I started teaching pet first aid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So I do that face-to-face because when I was looking to become qualified in pet first aid, which is a requirement for the business, it wasn\u2019t available. I couldn\u2019t get it locally. So I qualified in that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So that\u2019s one area that is growing. I\u2019m probably going to expand where we can home board. So I\u2019m going to license my mum\u2019s house, so she can have house guests of the four-legged variety as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ha-ha, more money for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And then I\u2019ve actually just started, late last year, a second business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tell us more!<\/p>\n\n\n\n So I\u2019m not busy enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Don\u2019t laugh, but it\u2019s called We Do Doggy Doo Doo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And basically, we are scooping poop out of people\u2019s gardens and parish council poo bins and churchyards and things like that where some unscrupulous people don\u2019t necessarily pick up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And where there is a community or someone that is prepared to support us, and we will go in, and we\u2019ll do it for them, obviously for a fee. It\u2019s not a huge fee, to be honest, but it works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And that one is interesting for me because it\u2019s such an unusual business proposition, that most people go, \u201cUgh, people don\u2019t pick up dog poo in their own garden?\u201d And they do pull that funny face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And well, not everyone can. You\u2019ve got older people. One of my staff had to have knee replacement surgery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So if she hadn\u2019t had a husband who was prepared to pick up, nobody would have been picking up after the dog because she couldn\u2019t bend down to do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019ve got older people that their dog is their true-life companion, but they have age-related ailments, which means they can no longer pick it up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So again, from my perspective, I\u2019m therefore helping them to be able to keep their pet, which is their companion. So it gives me that warm fuzzy feeling, if that makes sense, when I\u2019m picking up poop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But it was a natural extension for me because we spend all day picking it up anyway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yeah, I love how you\u2019re diversifying the business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s different. What\u2019s the worst that could happen really, it doesn\u2019t take off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I mean, I invested an initial amount in it, and I\u2019ve not gone over that. It\u2019s self-funding itself now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After this one is a bit more established, I\u2019m forever on the hunt for a plot of land. Because I\u2019d like a secure dog walking field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So people that have got reactive dogs or nervous dogs or dogs that can\u2019t be let off lead in public, they\u2019ve got somewhere they can take their dog, where they will have sole use of it, and they can then run wild and burn off the energy that they need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If I ever win the lottery, I have a huge expansion plan, but we\u2019ll have to wait to win the lottery on that one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So you now spend your days picking up dog poo, walking dogs, home boarding and running your business. Is there anything you miss about the corporate life?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Probably the interaction with different people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So most of the people I see on a daily basis have four legs. They\u2019re not really people, they\u2019re dogs. I can walk down the street and I can spot a dog that I know, but I couldn\u2019t tell you if it was the owner that was walking it sometimes or one of the kids or a family member.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So I don\u2019t, other than the initial time when I meet them, it\u2019s very rare that I actually see the family. I just see the dog. So sometimes I think that human interaction I miss a bit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But I\u2019ve identified that as a problem, so I am trying to put myself out there a bit like with the running group, contacting friends that I\u2019ve had from almost past lives is the best description and trying to stay in touch with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Be it over a phone call once a month, or I\u2019ve got a friend who\u2019s moved out to America for work, so we try to make FaceTime or something once a month just so we can say, \u201cHi, how are you?\u201d Because it\u2019s quite isolating for her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So I\u2019ve identified that and thought, well, is it isolating? We\u2019ve had a chat and said yes. So we scheduled that in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It helps her, and it helps me because it\u2019s somebody who knows what I do and knows about my past, and we can talk about anything and everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yeah, I think you\u2019re so right. Because no matter what business you\u2019re running, it can be really lonely as an entrepreneur.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So important for your mental health that you are prioritising those human interactions as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Definitely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So what would be your tips for a successful career pivot? If anyone listening to this show is thinking about doing it, what\u2019s your advice?<\/p>\n\n\n\n I would definitely say have a plan, make sure you\u2019ve got some money behind you. It\u2019s no good going, \u201cI\u2019m going to have a career pivot just because I hate my job, and I\u2019ve got no money.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ve said it to people who are starting up businesses or people who don\u2019t know what they want to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Take a job that you really don\u2019t like if you have to. Do it for six months and bank as much as you can with the goal that I\u2019m doing this for six months so that, for example, I can afford a driving lesson, or I can start a new business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So get the money behind you. It doesn\u2019t have to be the biggest amount. Do your research. So like I said, I went and spent time with dog walkers. I found out about home boarding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Set yourself a plan, set yourself a goal, and then once you\u2019re ready, just go for it. And go hell-bent for leather.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I mean, I quit my corporate job. I had a pub job on the side initially because I was like, I\u2019m too scared to have no income. But that died a death really quickly because I got busy with dog walking. And then you just wholeheartedly commit to it but be prepared to change the plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So I had no intention initially of home boarding, but that\u2019s nearly 50% of my income now. I never thought about having dogs stay in my house, especially curled up on my bed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But they\u2019re all currently downstairs on the sofa. I can pretty much guarantee it now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And you get really house-proud when you get your first home, and you are like, \u201cOh, it\u2019s all pretty.\u201d And now I\u2019m just like, ugh, it\u2019s gone out of the window. I\u2019ll clean the house. That\u2019s not a problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And the other thing I would say is once you\u2019ve done that pivot, don\u2019t be scared to ask for help. I really didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And I really refrained from asking people, not just their advice, but also getting the right people on board. So as daft as it sounds, getting a cleaner in for me is a big deal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They need to be able to like dogs. If they don\u2019t, they\u2019re not going to enjoy cleaning my house. But I really didn\u2019t want to give up that level of control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So if you are a bit of a control freak like I am, accept that you are going to have to release some element of control at some point, but really get the money behind you, do your research, and then jump in wholeheartedly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just go for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yeah, definitely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wherever you\u2019re listening or watching, subscribe to Sound Advice on Apple iTunes<\/a> here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We are also on Spotify<\/a> and anywhere else you get your podcasts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Join our community to share your insights and stories on Twitter @SageIreland<\/a> using the hashtag #SoundAdvicePodcast, on Instagram @SageOfficial<\/a> or in the comments below!<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can visit the Who Lets Your Dog Out website here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nKate Bassett:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Sara Barnes:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Network with other local business owners<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Kate Bassett:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Sara Barnes:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
To-do lists are a must in any job role<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Kate Bassett:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Sara Barnes:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Knowing when not to take advance payments for work you haven\u2019t done yet<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Kate Bassett:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Sara Barnes:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Kate Bassett:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Sara Barnes:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Kate Bassett:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Sara Barnes:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
When should you recruit more staff?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Kate Bassett:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Sara Barnes:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Finding employees with the right energy and mindset<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Kate Bassett:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Sara Barnes:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Kate Bassett:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Sara Barnes:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Update processes with your employees and customers as the company grows<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Kate Bassett:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Sara Barnes:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Kate Bassett:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Schedule regular time out from your business<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Kate Bassett:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Sara Barnes:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Kate Bassett:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Sara Barnes:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How to diversify and expand into multiple businesses<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Kate Bassett:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Sara Barnes:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Kate Bassett:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Sara Barnes:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Kate Bassett:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Sara Barnes:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Prioritise human contact and interactions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Kate Bassett:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Sara Barnes:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Kate Bassett:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Sara Barnes:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
A successful career pivot needs funding and research\u2014then just jump into it wholeheartedly<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Kate Bassett:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Sara Barnes:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Kate Bassett:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Sara Barnes:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Inspired by this small business story?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Want to know more about Who Lets Your Dog Out and Sara Barnes?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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