Hiring your first employee is one of the biggest transitions a pet care business owner can make, but it's about much more than posting a job opening.

In this webinar, Doug Keeling, better known as Doug the Dog Guy, shares lessons learned from more than a decade of building and leading a pet care team. Drawing from both successes and hard-earned mistakes, he walks through the foundational work that should happen before you hire, from understanding your numbers and pricing to creating repeatable systems, learning employment laws, and preparing to become an effective leader.

Doug also offers practical advice on attracting quality applicants, conducting interviews, onboarding new team members, and building a culture that encourages employees to stay. Throughout the conversation, he emphasizes that successful hiring isn't about finding the perfect candidate. It's about creating a business that's ready to support and lead a team for the long term.  

Whether you're preparing to hire your first employee or looking to improve an existing hiring process, this webinar provides practical guidance to help you build a stronger, more sustainable pet care business.

In this webinar, you'll learn

• How to know when your business is ready to hire.
• The financial and legal foundations to put in place first.
• Why leadership and company culture matter as much as recruiting.
• Strategies for attracting, interviewing, and onboarding great team members.
• Common hiring mistakes and how to avoid them.

Watch the webinar

Watch the full webinar below to hear Doug's proven hiring framework, learn from real-world examples, and gain practical strategies for building a reliable team that supports your business as it grows.

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Suggested timestamps

• 3:15 – The mindset shift from solo owner to team leader
• 5:45 – Preparing your business before hiring
• 9:20 – Understanding your numbers and pricing
• 15:45 – Labor laws every pet care business should know
• 20:15 – Employees vs. independent contractors
• 31:30 – Building your hiring process
• 36:00 – Where to find quality applicants
• 40:00 – Interviewing, references, and onboarding
• 46:00 – Reducing turnover and building a strong company culture
• 54:00 – Price increases, communication, and client expectations