Got a tricky pricing decision to make? A new service idea you’re not quite sure about? A marketing plan that’s been sitting on your to-do for months? Who do you call?
When you run your own dog training business, every decision lands on your desk. And while you’ve probably got trainer friends to swap stories with, finding someone to help you navigate the business side of things isn’t always so easy.
The good news? You don’t need a fancy advisory board, a bottomless budget, or a personal entourage of business gurus. But you do need people in your corner who can offer the right kind of support when you need it.
And that starts with knowing who you’re looking for.
Not all support is created equal
Maybe you’re part of a few online trainer communities. Perhaps you’ve got a handful of colleagues you regularly message, or a trainer friend who’s always happy to listen when you’ve had a particularly difficult day.
Those relationships can be invaluable. But there’s an important distinction between having people to talk to and having the right people to help you make progress.
Let’s say you’re considering raising your rates. You mention it in a Facebook group and receive twenty responses. One trainer tells you to double your prices. Another insists clients won’t pay more than a certain amount. Someone suggests introducing packages, while somebody else recommends abandoning hourly pricing altogether.
Everyone means well. But you’re now sitting with twenty opinions, none of which necessarily accounts for your expenses, local market, business goals, or the clients you serve.
What you really needed was someone who could help you work through the decision in the context of your business.
That’s why building a useful support network is about more than surrounding yourself with people who share your profession. It’s about understanding what kinds of support you need, and knowing where to find them.
The four people every business owner needs in their corner
You don’t necessarily need four separate people, but it can be useful to think about your support network in terms of four different roles.
- The person who knows their stuff
Some decisions benefit from expertise you don’t have, and there’s no prize for figuring everything out yourself.
An accountant who understands small service businesses can help you make sense of your numbers. A marketing professional might identify why your website isn’t generating inquiries. A business coach can help you evaluate whether a new service makes financial and strategic sense.
Where to find them: Start by asking other small business owners who they use and recommend. Professional associations, local business networks, and industry-specific communities can also be good places to find specialists. And remember, you don’t always need an ongoing arrangement. A single consultation or targeted review might be all it takes to get unstuck.
- The person who’s been there
There’s something particularly valuable about talking to someone who understands the realities of running a dog training business.
They know that a one-hour consultation rarely involves just one hour of work. They understand the emotional demands of supporting clients, the challenges of balancing training and admin, and the peculiar experience of trying to explain to someone why your job isn’t simply playing with puppies all day.
An experienced colleague can share what’s worked for them, what hasn’t, and what they wish they’d known sooner.
Where to find them: Think about trainers whose businesses you admire, perhaps someone you’ve met at a conference, through a professional association, or in an online community. You could reach out with a specific question or invite them for a virtual coffee. Just be respectful of their time, particularly if you’re hoping to draw on substantial experience. A paid mentoring session might be a worthwhile investment.
- The person who challenges you
We all need encouragement, but sometimes the most helpful person in your corner is the one who’s willing to push back.
Perhaps you’re convinced you need to launch another service, and they ask how your existing services are performing. Maybe you’re reluctant to raise your rates, and they encourage you to look at the numbers rather than relying on assumptions about what clients will pay.
A good sounding board doesn’t simply agree with everything you say. They help you examine your reasoning, consider alternatives, and make decisions with greater confidence.
Where to find them: This might be a trusted colleague, a fellow small business owner from another industry, or someone you’ve met through a business networking group. Look for people who ask thoughtful questions, understand your goals, and aren’t afraid to offer a different perspective. The best person isn’t necessarily the most experienced. It’s someone who can help you think more clearly.
- The person who helps you follow through
You know that brilliant business idea you’ve been meaning to act on for approximately seventeen months?
Sometimes the missing ingredient isn’t knowledge, inspiration, or even time. It’s accountability.
Having someone who knows what you’re working toward, checks in on your progress, and notices when you’ve quietly abandoned the plan can be powerful.
Where to find them: Try partnering with another trainer or small business owner who’s also working toward a goal. Arrange a monthly check-in where you each share what you’re working on, what you’ve accomplished, and what you’ll tackle next. Keep the commitments specific. “I’m going to work on my marketing” is easy to postpone. “I’ll rewrite my puppy class page by Friday and send it to you for feedback” gives you something concrete to work toward.
Give your support network a little audit
Here’s a practical exercise you can try. Grab a piece of paper and make three columns:
Challenge | Who can help? | Next step
In the first column, write down three business challenges you’re currently facing. They don’t need to be enormous. Perhaps you’re struggling to manage your schedule, wondering whether to introduce a new service, or finding it difficult to stay consistent with your marketing.
In the second column, identify someone who could genuinely help with each challenge. Not necessarily someone who’ll solve it for you, but someone who has the relevant expertise, experience, or perspective.
Then, in the third column, write down one specific action you could take to get that support.
For example:
| Challenge | Who can help? | Next step |
| My calendar’s full, but I’m still not earning enough | Accountant or business coach | Ask for help calculating what I’m actually earning per client hour, including travel and admin |
| I’m getting inquiries, but too few turn into bookings | Experienced trainer or marketing mentor | Ask someone to review my website and inquiry responses to spot where people might be dropping off |
| I keep putting off marketing because client work takes priority | Fellow trainer or accountability partner | Arrange a fortnightly check-in and commit to one specific marketing task before each call |
Notice any gaps?
Maybe you’ve got plenty of people to commiserate with about difficult clients, but nobody to discuss your finances with. Perhaps you’re surrounded by knowledgeable trainers, but don’t have anyone who’ll help you stay focused on your business goals.
Those gaps are useful information. They show you where a little more support could make the biggest difference.
Make it a two-way street
One final thing worth remembering: a strong professional network isn’t just about who can help you.
You have valuable experience, knowledge, and perspective to offer others, too. Even if you’ve only been running your business for a short time, there will be things you’ve figured out that someone else is still wrestling with.
And supporting another business owner can be a surprisingly effective way to sharpen your own thinking. Explaining how you approach a problem, hearing someone else’s experience, or helping them evaluate an idea can prompt you to reconsider your own practices.
And if you’ve spotted a few gaps in your own support network, consider this your prompt to start filling them. You don’t need to find everyone at once. One thoughtful conversation with the right person can be a very good place to start.
Of course, sometimes you can find several of those people in the same place. That’s one of the things we love about THRIVE!. Alongside experienced business coaches who know the dog training industry firsthand, there’s a whole community of trainers bringing their own experiences, ideas, and perspectives to the table. Office Hours offer a chance to talk through challenges and get thoughtful, honest feedback, while Café Days and member-led Strive Teams create opportunities to connect, encourage each other, get work done, and stay accountable.