MENTORSHIP – BEHAVIOURIST / TRAINER
In 2009, during the global financial crisis, I left the corporate world and started my own behavioural consultancy business. People at the time either laugh (how cute!) or thought I was crazy.
For over a decade, I have clocked in over 10,000 hours of “cat time”, and have helped over a thousand families in different countries. My work has been featured many times on media in several countries.
But I notice one phenomenon, animal lovers regularly contact me and want to follow their passion to start their own animal business, but people often are confused and overwhelmed, not sure how to start.
There are several reasons
1. Not sure where to get training
2. Scared of the “business” side of things – legal, finance, marketing, tech…
3. Not sure if they can make a living wage and how
4. Or ask themselves “do I know enough to help others?”
I have been there!
I wish someone could just tell me how to start this journey!
The good news is:
NOW I CAN HELP YOU
What will you learn from this programme:
- Where to get your training
- How to gain clinical experience
- Selecting a business name
- Registering your company
- Where to buy insurance
- Start-up costs and how to best use your start-up money
- Setting up your workflow
- Writing business policies
- How to manage client files
- Branding, website, social media, networking, how to get “word of mouth”
- How to get on “traditional” media, how to write a press release that gets you interviews
- Advertising and promotion ideas
- Determining your service area
- Selecting and pricing your services
- How to do screen clients
- Maintaining your calendar and schedule
- Payment policies, discounts and cancellation policies
- Book-keeping and taxation
- How to handle “tricky situations” and “difficult clients”
- And more!
Each programme is bespoke, so you can decide what kind of help you need and do the work at your own pace.
No matter where you are on your journey…
– only daydreaming of working with animals?
– Already got training but not sure what’s next?
– Or already started your journey but not getting any client?
–> I can help you.
* Service en français disponible
** Alice 可提供廣東話及國語服務，歡迎查詢。
Alice offered me a consultation when I expressed interest in finding out how she became a cat behaviourist and what the role entails. She very clearly explained the types of educational avenues available, noting that the role requires a lot of CPD. She walked me through the overarching aspects of the cat behaviourist role and also outlined the day-to-day work. As I am only taking the very first step in exploring this interest, she recommended some low-cost ways of dipping my toes into the field, as a way to test whether it really seems a good fit. Alice was so personable, helpful and honest throughout the consultation — she was very clear and easy to follow and used lots of relatable examples that even a novice like me could follow. I would definitely recommend this consultation to anyone interested in becoming a cat behaviourist or who had started their journey in that career. Both would benefit from Alice’s advice and experience.
I got great advice from Alice on creating an environment that would be less stressful for cats in the cattery we are building and Alice sent me some great links. Alice confirmed some of my ideas were suitable and also made suggestions to better some others as well as giving advice from her experiences.
Alice is a fountain of knowledge in different areas within which I am interested! She gives clear cut information and I now have a few ideas for the future. Wonderful and helpful! Alice has a very educated, business savvy head on her shoulders and is great fun to chat with also. She made me feel at ease I could talk to her for hours!
Alice helped me plan the steps to make my website more user friendly so that I can create more traffic onto my it and get more clients. It also helped me realise that what I sold, wasnt clear and I didn’t make it easy for people to pay me.
Alice Chau-Ginguene is a Cat Behaviourist, writer, educator and advocate. For over a decade, Alice has worked with thousands of cats and their humans.
She is the founder the longest standing, award winning pet sitting business in Dublin – Maow Care and the founder of Ireland’s first cat-centric festival Dublin Cat Fair. She has been featured on numerous media both in Ireland and abroad. She has been recently featured on RTE documentary – One Day: Keeping Ireland Company
She is the “Top 5 Finalist” for “Pet Sitter of The Year” Competition 2018 for Pet Sitter International. She is the co-admin for the biggest Professional Cat Sitter Facebook Group with over 900 members. She enjoys sharing her experience with other professional cat sitters around the world.
Alice’s accreditations:
- Postgraduate Diploma, Clinical Animal Behaviour & Welfare, Odisee University College (offer accepted, starting October 2021)
- Postgraduate Certificate, Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, University College Dublin
- Professional Certificate – SME Management
- Certificate in Training Delivery
- QQI 6Train the Trainer (with Distinction)
- Certified Instructor, Canine First Response
- Certificate in Missing Animal Response
- Advanced Award Certificate of Feline Behaviour (with Distinction), COAPE
- FETAC Level 5 – Start Your Own Business
- Bachelor of Arts, The University of Hong Kong
* Service en français disponible
** Alice 可提供廣東話及國語服務，歡迎查詢。