How to Prep Your Pet Business for Maternity Leave with Maris Sonnabend (Plus… Big News!)

In case you missed it, our family is growing again! I’m Mikaela, founder of Pet Marketing Unleashed, a small design agency supporting small pet service businesses, and we're expecting a baby girl around the holidays. Which means I’ll soon be taking a real maternity leave... something I didn’t fully do with my first.

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Why This Blog Post Isn’t Just About Maternity Leave

But here's the thing: this blog isn't just about maternity leave. These steps apply anytime you want to step away from your business, whether it’s for travel, a health break, or simply to prevent your business from running you instead of the other way around.

To give you the best advice possible, I teamed up with Maris Sonnabend from House of Paws Pet Care and Elegant Paws Wedding Attendants. She’s built two thriving pet businesses that continued to grow while she was away on maternity leave, and she generously shared her strategies with us. We're both so passionate about bringing this information to the forefront of the pet industry, as it's not something we've seen talked about, but is SO crucial for the moms and moms-to-be out there who also have a pet business!

But first, a note on my maternity leave: While I’m away from my desk this winter, you will still have support from the Pet Marketing Unleashed team and business will still be running as usual! We’ll also still be posting and sharing our regular content via email, podcast, and social media so you can receive tips, blog posts, and value-based content from us without pause!

First... My General Tips for Planning a Maternity Leave or Extended Leave From Your Pet Business

1. Start planning earlier than you think you need to, and follow the steps outlined below from Maris.

Planning for a maternity leave, let’s face it, is a lot of work, and you definitely don’t know how you’re going to be feeling during your pregnancy, which means things can take longer than they normally do.

2. Plan to be gone longer than you think!

You can always come back earlier if you’re feeling great, but it’s also great to prepare for other scenarios depending on your birth, your recovery, your energy level, your headspace, etc. It will feel MUCH better knowing that your business will be okay if you take more time

5. Create a master Google Doc for your team

Create a master GoogleDoc with scenarios, contact info for emergencies, email templates, 1:1 meetings before your leave, create an automated email responder, etc.

The First Prep Steps for Extended Leave?

1. Do a Time Audit

Yes, it’s the dreaded time audit, but it works. Write down everything you do in a week and highlight tasks you repeat often. Those are your first candidates for automation or delegation.

Rule of thumb from Maris: If you do something more than twice, there’s probably a way to automate or streamline it.

2. Build Out SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures)

Don’t keep everything in your head. Document processes for things like:

• Onboarding new clients

• Handling complaints

• Scheduling staff or contractors

• Emergency procedures

Even if you’re solo, this protects your clients and your business if something unexpected happens.

3. Automate What You Can

Outsourcing vs. Automating: How to Decide

Not everything should be automated. Here’s how Maris breaks it down:

• Keep: Revenue-generating activities (like marketing and strategy).

• Delegate: Things your team can handle better than you (like hiring, onboarding, or client communication), or things that you don't love doing that you can delegate!

• Automate: Repetitive tasks like reminders, notifications, or saving replies.

Automations & Tools That Make a Difference

Maris relies on:

• Slack – for internal communication (separate channels for management vs. team)

• Zapier – to connect all her systems (like getting client notifications or new leads sent into Slack automatically)

• Time to Pet – for client scheduling (plus get 50% off 4 WHOLE months of TTP with our link)

• A CRM + Website – for capturing new clients and staff applications (check out our pet business website templates for a DIY site option if you don't have one yet)

Pro tip: Start small with automation. One simple “if this, then that” Zap can save you hours each month.

Overcoming the Fear of Stepping Away

Many pet business owners fear things will fall apart without them. Maris admits she did, too. Her solution?

• Slowly wean yourself out by taking smaller breaks first.

• Test your systems before you leave fully.

• Trust your team. If you don’t, they may not be the right fit.

How Branding & Websites Support Time Off

Maris also shared how updating her brand and website with PMU allowed her to step back in her business. Here's some of what she mentioned:

• She now has clear branding that has built trust and recognition in her local community

• Her website acts as a “24/7 manager,” guiding new clients and potential hires through next steps automatically

• We spruced one of her sites with SEO-driven updates that has brought in steady leads without her needing to hustle behind the scenes (ideal client leads and ideal new hires!)

Quick Wins to Start This Week

Even if you’re not prepping for maternity leave, here are small steps you can take right now to reduce burnout and allow yourself more time in your day-to-day:

• Set up a saved reply for FAQs (or add those to your website!)

• Automate new client onboarding emails

• Document one recurring process in a Google Doc

• Schedule real time off in your calendar, even if it’s just one afternoon

• Consider creating a welcome packet to address questions and impress new clients

“No matter how much you plan, something will always pop up that you didn’t prepare for. Don’t beat yourself up—just document it, update your systems, and move on.”

Your SOPs and automations are living documents. They’ll grow and evolve as your business does.

Maternity leave (or any time off) doesn’t have to mean pressing pause on your entire business. With systems, automations, and the right people in place, your pet business can keep running (and even growing) while you step away.

👉 Want your website to help carry the weight too? Check out our Pet Business Website Templates, designed to attract your ideal clients, convert leads, and free up your time while you’re off living your life, whether it's a new baby in your arms or a mai tai on the beach!