If you’d like to start 2027 feeling like you’ve got all your ducks in a row, and you’d love some space to work things out for yourself, then my online planning day is for you.
It’s on Monday 9th November, from 10am to 4pm on Zoom, and it’s for pet business owners of all kinds, from dog walkers and cat groomers to trainers, dog-friendly cottages, pet shops and brand owners.
In this post I’m sharing what to expect on the day, what’s changed since last year, what happened for some of the people who came last time, and how you can join us.
Why I run a planning day
Over the years I’ve been to plenty of events that left me feeling like I needed to do more. More platforms, more content, more strategies.
There’s a time and a place for learning new things. But sometimes what we really need is the time and space to work out what’s right for us.
I was inspired by a Denise Duffield Thomas podcast called “What are you really charging for?”, where she talked about how experiences can be more helpful than information.
That’s what the planning day is. You get the time, support and structure to get clear on your goals for 2027 and start building a plan you want to follow.
How people feel when they arrive
By the time November comes, most pet business owners I know are tired as we come to the end of a long year, and they’re looking forward to a break.
They’re excited about what’s coming next and they’re often a bit overwhelmed and nervous too.
At the start of last year’s online planning day, I asked everyone how ready they felt for 2026, out of 10. Most people said around 5. Kerry from Fur and Fables said 3.
When I asked again at the end of the day, nearly everyone said 8 or 9. Kerry said 7, which she pointed out was more than double where she’d started.
The words people used as they left were things like calm, organised, prepared, confident and joyful.
Kerry’s was “Like I’m not fire fighting.”
That to me is a sign of a day well spent and how taking time out to work on your business and do your forward planning can help you think more clearly.
What’s new this year
More time for you. I’ve changed the format so there’s less of me teaching and more time in small breakout groups.
That means more time to work on your own plans, and more thinking time. After each breakout, we come back together so everyone can share what came out of it.
What journalists want, with Jenny Holliday. Jenny is a national newspaper journalist, founder of the Freelance Media Network and a friend of mine.
I’ve been helping people get press coverage for years, and I still think it has a real place in your marketing. We spend so much time on social media.
It can take hours to make a reel, or we fiddle around with a carousel all afternoon.
A good piece of press coverage can start with one email and a few answers to a journalist’s questions, and it can reach so many people in your local area, or around the world if you sell a product.
I know I talk about what journalists want until I’m blue in the face, so I’m really glad to have someone else share it.
We’ve had some brilliant press successes in my community this year, and I want you to have the chance to think about your own story ideas on the day.
Q&A time. There’s time on the day to bring along whatever’s on your mind and ask me.
More support with the things that get in the way. This year I qualified as an Emotions Coaching Practitioner, and it’s been such a helpful programme to take and has had a huge impact on my clients.
I feel much more confident supporting people with the emotions and mindset that can stop them doing the things they really want to do.
So if you haven’t put your prices up yet, or imposter syndrome keeps creeping in, we can look at what’s behind it.
What to expect from the Pet Business Online Planning Day
Morning: We look back at 2026 and work out what’s working well. Then we look ahead to what you want to be celebrating this time next year, and what you’d like to start and stop doing to get there.
Jenny’s session: What journalists want from pet businesses and how to get press coverage for what you offer.
Afternoon: You map out your big campaigns for 2027, and then we plan your January together.
You’ll finish with your first step written down, ready for Tuesday morning. The breakout groups are small and friendly, cameras are optional, and you only share what you want to.
What happened after last year’s day
Jules Ballard from Contented Canines is a dog behaviourist. When I asked everyone for their word for 2026, hers was “visible”. She’d had imposter syndrome for years, and she came to the day wanting to write a book.
She said it out loud on the call, and in May this year she published Holistic Help for Your Anxious Dog. She said: “Rachel’s support last year gave me the confidence to follow a completely new direction.”
Sarah Wells from Send a Dog a Bone felt overwhelmed and intimidated by everyone else there. She scored herself “not sure maybe 5” when it came to how prepared she felt for 2026 and said chaos was her middle name.
Sarah left the day feeling confident having seen how people responded to the gorgeous products she makes. This year her business has grown massively, with lots of bespoke treat boxes out in the world.
The cherry on the icing on the top of the cake was in October 2026 when she built a huge dog bar for Edition Dog Live and has worked with Dog Friendly.
Elizabeth Hack from Canine Care Hub said: “Even the ‘experts’ feel overwhelmed and in awe of other people!”
Business coach Elizabeth Hack arrived saying she’d been running minute to minute and couldn’t see past a workshop she’d delivered the day before.
She left feeling calm and confident, and this year she had a stand at Edition Dog Live too.
Who the day is for
The planning day is for you if:
- You want to feel calm and focused going into 2027
- You’d like to plan a year that fits your business and you
- You want time, support and structure, without the pressure
- You’d love to be part of a kind, supportive community of pet business owners
It isn’t for you if:
- You’re looking for a step-by-step system to follow
- You want lots of marketing tactics and hacks
- You’re hoping to add even more to an already packed year
How to join
There are two ways to join us.
Join The Planner Club and the planning day is included.
Every month there’s a Q&A call, a planning session and a coworking morning, plus the members’ Facebook group, so you’ve got support to stick to your plan all year.
It’s a year-long commitment, at £30 a month, or £300 for the year with your 2027 Pet Business Content Planner included.
Just the day. A ticket is £100 and includes the replays and a copy of my 2027 Pet Business Content Planner.
Get your one day ticket for the Planning event here
If you’ve not yet ordered your planner then you can buy one in Navy or Stripes this year.
Buy your 2027 Pet Business Content Planner here
If you’d like your planner in time to write in it on the day, please book by Wednesday 4th November if you’re in the UK, or sooner if you’re overseas.
Already got your planner? Use the code GOTPLANNER to take the cost of it off your ticket.
Already a member of The Planner Club? You don’t need to do anything, your place is saved.
Final thoughts
You know what your business needs. My job is to give you the space to hear yourself think, and to make a plan that fits your goals, your values and your way of doing things.
And you don’t have to do it on your own. There’s a whole room of kind, supportive pet business owners ready to cheer you on, and I’d love to see you on the 9th.
Related posts
What is The Planner Club and should you join?
11 things to plan for in your pet business
How to start 2027 with January already planned
Should you buy the Pet Business Content Planner?
