25/07/2025
Just a kind a little reminder wrote with the righ words.
Please do not forget that behind every small business, there is a real person with a real life, real responsabilities and real consequences.
Thank you for your support !!
✋ 𝐈𝐭 𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐲 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠...
I believe my extensive use of humor may have given the wrong impression.
𝐑𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐌𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐨𝐠 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚 𝐡𝐨𝐛𝐛𝐲.
My hobbies? That would be my dogs, my cats, my husband, my family, my sports, my Lego sets, and my books.
Your pets? They’re my job.
A job with responsibilities, bills, and very real consequences when things fall through.
In the past 48 hours alone, I’ve had cancellations that amount to what I would have paid myself in September.
Yes, 𝒑𝒂𝒊𝒅 𝒎𝒚𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇. Independent workers don’t get salaries from someone else, we generate them. After we pay first:
- 25% to CNS
- Accountant
- Insurance
- Utilities
- Business tools and subscriptions
- The landlord
- The bank
- Our old friend: the VAT
- and the Administration des Contribution Directes
All of these still expect their money, whether you cancel on us or not.
Now I’m left asking:
𝑫𝒐 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒍 𝒎𝒚 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒌 𝒐𝒇𝒇 𝒊𝒏 𝑺𝒆𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉 𝒖𝒑?
Because guess what? We don’t get paid holidays, paid sick days, or paid time off. If we’re not working, we’re not earning.
And let’s talk about something else:
This year alone, I’ve lost count of how many clients I’ve lost to "friends", cousins, students, neighbors, and casual sitters who work under the table.
I get it, everyone’s watching their budget.
But please understand: if you cancel on professionals like me too often, one day you’ll call and we simply won’t be here anymore.
How quickly can it happen?
Just remember how many dog boarding businesses (and big established ones!) closed after two months of lockdown.
That’s how close the margins are.
Maison Dog takes a huge amount of time, heart, and sacrifice to run. I haven’t spent Christmas with my family in 9 years.
I haven’t really travelled with my husband in just as long.
So I’ll say this:
𝐈 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐈 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐜𝐤.
I will shape this business until it will work for me and my family. And if it doesn’t? I’ve changed careers and paths four times already. I’m not afraid to do it again. I am kind of reckless.
Believe me, I really hate to be like this. I truly do.
It’s not personal, it’s professional.
Thank you to those who continue to support my small business (and others) with trust, respect, and reliability. You keep Maison Dog going. ❤️
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I wish everyone a lovely summer and relaxing holidays, but please know: fundamental changes are coming.
Maison Dog will carry on, in this shape or another. Stronger or leaner, but never at the expense of my well-being or my family.
Best, Cristina
Photo credits to Lisbeth Ganer Photography
