Using free training, paid courses and one to one to grow your pet business 

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Whatever it is you want to achieve in your business, you can go and learn how to do it for free on the internet.

We’re in an age where we have access to so much information, with video tutorials for anything from fitness to figuring out tricky tech.

So you can learn pretty much anything for free.

But there are also people out there who can help you get fit, figure out tech, or learn whatever it is that you want to master too.

And there are differences when it comes to the support you get when you pay to work with someone, particularly one to one, compared to trying to figure it out for free.

In this episode I’m sharing the difference between paid, one to one support, and using free content.

You can listen in on the player link below or carry on reading the key points covered as a blog post.

What happened when I paid for support?

Three years ago I realised I needed support if I wanted to make a go of starting a coaching business for people in the pet industry.

I’d written a book, Publicity Tips for Pet Businesses, and I had an idea of what I wanted the next step to be, but I knew if I tried to do it alone, I would most likely get derailed and give up.

So I found someone who had walked the path I wanted to before me, Janet Murray, a former journalist who had set up a coaching business helping people get press coverage.

Janet is many years ahead of me and has changed her focus over the years, and now helps people be courageous with their content.

Working with her helped me make a success of the vision I had and I continue to invest in support to keep me moving forward.

Paying for one to one with someone who knew what I wanted to achieve and had done it (and way more) themselves gave me the quickest and most efficient way of reaching my goals.

How free content works

When you first want to learn more about a topic, chances are you will try to figure out as much as you can on your own.

That’s what Google is for! And it’s why we see so many ‘How to’ articles and videos out there. 

Using free content is great, particularly when you succeed with what you set out to achieve. 

I love running my free Five Day Get your Pet Business in the Press challenge and seeing people featured in the media with what they’ve learned for free.

Free content is often a way for you to discover people who can give you the support with the challenge you are facing, should you decide to invest.

Paid for courses and group programmes

Paid for courses and group programmes are a way to build on what you have learned for free and get personalised help and support.

For example, following on from my free trainings, I invite people to come and work with me in my paid for programme, which is now the Pets Get Visible membership.

Find out more here: Is my Pets Get Visible membership right for you?

People taking part get support, advice that’s tailored to their business, accountability and feedback so they can confidently promote their work.

We have regular content planning calls and coaching sessions so they have support that’s personalised to their businesses and feel part of a community.

I’ve recently taken Helen Perry’s Engaging Instagram and Lists Club courses. (Find out more here)

I’d followed her for over a year and listened to nearly every one of her podcasts.

This gave me the reassurance paying for her programme would give me the accountability I needed to work on my Instagram and improve my newsletter. (If you’d like to subscribe, click here)

Plus I had her expert insights into the platform and the chance to get personalised feedback from her about my business.

Her free content left me feeling absolutely certain she was the right person to help me and the paid for support gave the transformation.

Paid one to one support

With paid for one to one you have regular time with the person you’ve invested in to focus on your  individual business and challenges.

This is more expensive than a group programme or course, but it’s most likely the quickest and most efficient way for you to reach the outcome you’re looking for.

While a course or programme shows you the ‘how to’ one to one can be more ‘done with you.’

One to one coaching can help you find the answers within yourself, through effective questioning and problem solving.

Plus because you’ve paid, you’re more likely to do the work.

Usually, if you’re working with a business coach or mentor one to one, you will be asked to commit for a set period of time.

I currenlty have availablity for one to one support, so if this is of interest, please do get in touch, and it will be a minimum commitment of six months.

One to one – what it means for current clients

These are some of the responses I had when I asked my current one to one clients about the difference between free content and tailored support.

‘121 working means you get feedback on your specific situation and can create relevant content or a plan that will work for the individuality of your business.’

‘My business is individual and so are its needs. Free content has its place, but pound for pound you get what you pay for!’

‘1-1 you get to bounce ideas of each other and receive the experts attention/knowledge. 

‘Free content is very general and not specific to your needs, plus I don’t do the work if it’s free. I’m far more invested if I’ve paid money will do the work/take on board the advice.’

‘121s allow you to be more focused and targeted in what you want to achieve where as general online can be confusing and contradictory. A combination of online and 121 learning with one person and organisation is the gold standard of blended learning in my opinion.’

‘1-1 you get focussed time to discuss your topic and finish with an action plan, ideas you hadn’t thought about and timeline personalised to your project.’

‘Free content is generic, it’s not always going to work for you, or it’s not clear how to apply it. 1-1 is more in depth, bespoke and tailored to me and my business.’

So what should you choose?

Free content is brilliant if you have the time to invest in implementing it and are determined to focus on that one challenge.

Also make sure the person whose free content you are consuming is credible and has a proven record of results others using their free content.

Paid for courses and programmes work really well if you want to master a topic but don’t want to spend time figuring it out alone.

They should give you a roadmap to follow to take you to where you want to be. Again, try to find a programme where you have access to the person running it.

One to one support is ideal if you want to reach your goal quickly and have personalised advice and ‘done with you’ support.

Paying the higher price means you’re held accountable, you’re invested in your own success and you have nowhere to hide.

Want to chat more about working together? Book in a free 15 minute call here.


If you found this post interesting, you might like to read What happens in a Get Your Pet Business in the Press session or Using a PR company versus learning how to get press coverage yourself. 

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