This morning while still in bed, I started looking online at SEO (Search Engine Optimazation) in an effort to better understand what I can do to make my website more visible to folks looking for help with their dogs in my local area (around Lombard, Villa Park, Elmhurst, Glen Ellen, in Illinois). I decided that instead of working on this while still in my jammies and under the covers, that I needed to get myself together and go into the office (at Wiggles-n-Wags Dog Training) where I have better tools to work with and better web connectivity.
While going through the morning rituals of coffee, shower, getting dressed, I think about all the things I do as a dog trainer and the owner of a training business...most of which have nothing to do with training dogs. Before I left the house this morning I unloaded 12 15lb bags of dog food and other supplies for my own pack of 4. And I spent some quality ball-throwing time with them while drinking my coffee before leaving them behind to go to work.
One might ask why I don't take all my dogs with me - after all, I own a dog training facility. The simple answer is that it is too small. There are classes going on this morning and so my dogs would all have to stay in their crates in the very small back bathroom. Not that much fun for them, nor for me. Even if there weren't classes going on, I tend not not get work done when they are here (they are so much more fun than doing actual work!). So I go home a couple times a day to play, feed, and let them out - I truly appreciate the commute is only 3.5 miles away. Then I come back to the facility to work.
On SEO. And on Google Analytics. And on website updates. On ordering and stocking my small store, returning phone calls, answering emails, etc, etc, etc, Oh, and I get to vacuum the facility today too - we have puppy social this afternoon. So far the only 'dog training ' I've done is the 10 minutes I worked with Splash on doing tricks for his breakfast.
Don't get me wrong. I love my job. I love my business. I appreciate every day all the pieces that go together to make up this business...the trainers, the dogs, the website, all of it...well, except maybe Quickbooks and taxes. I just would like to do more dog training!
:o)
