Are you the kind of person who plans? Or does the idea of making a pet business plan make you feel overwhelmed and less likely to do the thing you hope you’ll make happen.
I used to be terrible at planning. I’d set a goal, then get the fear about it.
So I’d put off doing the things I needed to do to make it happen in the timeframe I’d given myself, then either abandon it altogether or scramble to do it at the last minute.
And when it didn’t go as well as I’d hoped, I’d tell myself that was just because it was rushed.
What was really behind it, I now know, after five years of studying coaching, was fear of it failing.
Which, ironically, is exactly what kept happening, because rushing something at the last minute rarely gives it a proper chance of going well.
When you run a business you have goals and dreams and things you want to do to keep moving forward, and planning is part of all of it.
But this is what I think most people get wrong: they think planning only means social media content and it’s so much moe than that.
I started working with pet business owners in 2018, after writing a book, Publicity Tips for Pet Businesses, and planning was part of the support I provided in helping them raise their profiles.
Over the years I saw the stumbling blocks people encountered, so I trained as a coach, so I’d have the skills and understanding as to why this happened, and the tools and strategies to help clients navigate them.
It’s also why I created The Pet Business Content Planner and The Planner Club, for pet professionals who want to plan then do the work.
In this post, I want to walk through 11 areas to cover with your planning.
So not just content, but taking care of yourself, staying connected to the people you love, your own development, launches, awards, press, growth, finances, rest, and collaboration.
If any of this has been falling off your list, I hope reading it helps you see you’re not alone, and with a bit of planning, you can get back on track.
Planning for your business
The obvious one, content, sales, offers, the day to day running of things. This needs protected time rather than being squeezed in around everything else, because rushed planning tends to produce rushed decisions.
For me, this means knowing what I’m talking about each month before the month starts, rather than staring at a blank page wondering what to post.
It also means looking ahead at what’s coming, a launch, a quiet period, a seasonal change, and deciding now what I’ll do about it, rather than scrambling once I’m already in the middle of it.
I’m writing this post in September 2026 and last week I went on a strategy day with Lucy Rennie, another business coach, so I could do my own planning.
Planning for launches
Anyone who’s launched something knows there are a lot of moving parts and so many things to consider.
Give yourself twice as long as you think you will need because not everything will go to plan and things always take a lot longer than you think.
Case in point, I decided to create a planner in 2024 in November. I wrote it in two weeks then launched it and it was so stressful and I felt like I looked like a total shambles.
Any launch needs a proper run-up, content, timing, momentum, all mapped out in advance rather than scrambled together the week before.
Planning for awards
Awards are a brilliant way to raise your profile, but entries have deadlines, often months ahead of the event or ceremony, and they take a lot of time to put together properly.
The more time you have to work on your application the better your chance of winning so it’s worth taking the time to do this.
Miss the planning window and you’ve missed the opportunity entirely, sometimes for a whole year.
I start asking people to nominate Sunnyside Cottage for the Dog Friendly awards in August, and the event isn’t until November.
Planning for press coverage
Magazines, newspapers, radio and TV stations and bloggers and podcasters all have lead times.
This is the time lapse between them deciding they like your idea and it being published.
For example, I would interview people for my podcast and they might not go live for months. Often I send ideas to magazines four months ahead of publication.
So if you want to be featured around a particular date or theme, you need to be pitching well in advance, not the week you want the coverage to land.
Planning for CPD and industry events
Staying good at what you do takes ongoing effort, training, courses, industry events, keeping up with what’s changing in your field.
This is easy to deprioritise because it doesn’t feel urgent in the way a client deadline does, but it’s exactly the kind of thing that compounds over years if you keep putting it off.
Not feeling at the top of your game can impact on your confidence and lead to imposter syndrome, and you could do without this.
Planning for collaborations and partnerships
Working with other businesses, or with influencers, needs lead time too.
The best collaborations rarely happen spontaneously, they’re the result of approaching your collaboration partner early, agreeing what you’re both trying to get from it, and giving everyone enough time to deliver what’s needed.
For example, back in December 2025 Sarah Jones started working on her Dogs In Yellow day, and approached The Windsor Estate.
This involved filming and interview time and the pieces were published in September 2026, nearly a year after she made the initial contact, but well worth the wait for the prestige of working with them.
Blog link: https://www.windsorgreatpark.co.uk/understanding-dog-jackets/
Video link: https://www.windsorgreatpark.co.uk/explore/activities/dog-walking/
Planning for succession and growth
If you’re bringing new people into your business, whether that’s your first member of staff or a bigger structural change, that’s not something to figure out on the fly.
It needs thought, time, and a proper plan, the same as any other part of the business.
Likewise if you’re closing your business, this needs a plan too. You’ll want to work out the different parts of the business and how each one will wind down.
Communicating with your audience will be part of it too, and planning will ensure it’s a calm and considered ending that you can celebrate rather than a chaotic one that stresses you out.
Planning for your finances
Tax deadlines, quarterly reviews, pricing changes, this is about looking ahead with your money admin rather than reacting when something’s due.
Deciding now when you’ll review your prices, means that when it gets to that time, you’ve got it clear in your mind that it’s going to happen, rather than letting it drift off the to-do list.
Planning for taking care of you
It’s a well worn cliche but you can’t pour from an empty cup, and if you’re not factoring self care into your planning, you’re going to feel frazzled and burned out.
I used to roll my eyes at self care too, and think it was indulgent.
A business owner who’s running on empty makes worse decisions, has less patience, and enjoys their work less.
So build the rest in, and make it a non-negotiable to look after you. You are the Golden Goose!
Planning for rest and time off
This is different from general self care, it’s specifically about protecting holiday and downtime so it doesn’t get swallowed by “just one more thing.”
If it’s not booked in and treated as set in stone, it’s the first thing that gets sacrificed when work gets busy, which, in a business like ours, is most of the time.
Planning so you stay connected to the people you care about
When I was a staff journalist I was always missing things like hen dos and birthdays because I’d be away on jobs and I felt awful.
I told myself when I went freelance it would change, but it didn’t for ages as I always put work first.
But family time, friendships, and seeing the people who matter are important for your wellbeing – we need this connection – and having time away always helps spark new thoughts and perspectives for work too.
Protecting that time deliberately means you’re not choosing between your business and the people you love, you’re making sure both get the time they deserve.
The point is, planning isn’t just social media
Every one of these needs the same thing: time set aside, deliberately, rather than hoping it happens around everything else.
Without that, things fall off the list. Maybe you’ve made a brilliant new freebie but never told anyone about it.
Maybe you keep thinking “I need to put my prices up,” then keep backing out of it, or can’t find the time to update every page and booking form.
We have never been so busy, or so distracted, and that’s exactly why having a plan matters, across all of this, not just the bits that feel most urgent.
How The Planner Club can help
In The Planner Club, there’s the time and space to create your plan, plus somewhere to bring your questions or challenges, a Q&A call at the start of each month.
There’s the community to help you implement it too.
Maybe you’re starting a podcast and want guest recommendations.
Maybe you need to post in the Facebook group to say you’re actually going to do the thing you said you would.
Maybe it’s simply celebrating when it’s done.
And there’s the planning call each month, followed straight after by the co-working session.
So you’ve got all the guardrails in place to do the things you say you want to do.
If you’d like to join, it’s £30 a month, £90 every quarter or £300 for the year and the Pay In Full option includes your planner.
Head here to find out more: https://rachelspencer.co.uk/shop/
Further reading
What is The Planner Club and should you join?
How to use the Pet Business Content Planner
How to write a press release for your pet business
Taking care of your emotional wellbeing with Andrew Hale
How to create a plan that matches your skills, strengths, goals and energy
