Pet sitting entrepreneur calls free coaching from Digital Ready a ‘game changer’
Platinum Paws owner Jennifer Gardner learned how to use search engine optimization to find new clients.
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Jennifer Gardner has taken over 50 courses on Verizon Small Business Digital Ready.
When Jennifer Gardner was laid off from her archaeology job in 2014, she knew it was time to evolve her part-time pet-sitting gig into a full-time business. So she launched Platinum Paws, a premium pet-sitting services company offering in-home care to all types of pets in Washington County, Maryland. And when Gardner says all types of pets, she means it. Her clients include common domestic animals, but also lizards, horses and more. “Chickens, dogs, guinea pigs, you name it,” says Gardner.
Gardner and her seven part-time employees are experts in managing the menagerie in their care, as well as building client relationships. “We do create such an amazing bond with our clients’ dogs and cats and their animals,” she explains. “The most satisfying part of running my business right now is actually having employees and bringing on employees who are just as pet-focused and customer service driven as I am.”
But after a few years in operation, this solo entrepreneur realized she needed help if she was going to grow her business. “I had no clue, really, what to do with marketing, so I started looking at Verizon Small Business Digital Ready,” Gardner says.
Since discovering the program, Gardner has taken more than 50 courses, including live coaching sessions on search engine optimization (SEO) led by veteran digital marketing expert Maisha Walker.
“Search engine optimization is a super exciting space for small business owners,” Walker explains, “because it represents a place where they can connect with potential customers, essentially for free, if they're able to get their businesses found in the search engine results.”
With Walker’s help, Gardner says she started receiving more business inquiries by phone — up from zero to 15 or more each month. And her revenue has gone up by 25% year over year, for which she partially credits the Digital Ready program.
“The Verizon program is: Here’s what you need to know to run a business,” she says. “And then here’s what you need to know to run and grow your business. It’s not a cookie-cutter approach.”
Gardner also finds herself returning to the platform for the sense of community. “There's the group community events that are a lot of fun to get to, because then everyone gives feedback. And I really love that,” she says. “You get to know people. You get to ask questions. The instructors know you.”
Expert instructor Maisha Walker, meanwhile, is just as passionate about the program and the opportunity to work with entrepreneurs like Gardner. “The ability to help small business owners be more successful and build these businesses that they've dreamed about is extremely rewarding,” she says. “I feel like I'm making a real impact … And that is very exciting.”
Verizon Small Business Digital Ready is part of Verizon’s goal to support 1 million small businesses by 2030 with the resources to thrive in the digital economy. Visit CitizenVerizon.com to learn more about the company’s responsible business efforts. To sign up for Verizon Small Business Digital Ready, visit digitalready.verizonwireless.com. An individual user's experience may vary and results are not guaranteed.
