Ep. 129 – EBITDA Explained: Six Crucial Letters That Will Transform The Profitability of Your Pet Resort

Are you measuring the success of your business by how many dogs you can squeeze into daycare next week when you should really be asking how valuable your business is becoming?

Have you ever wondered why some pet businesses are worth millions of dollars while others, despite generating similar revenue, struggle to make any real profit?

And what if the biggest opportunity in your business isn’t finding more customers but building the assets that make every customer more valuable?

In this week’s episode of the Pet Boarding & Daycare Podcast, Dom is joined by business valuation expert Teija Heikkilä from Pet Vet M&A to unpack one of the most important numbers in business: EBITDA – Which stands for Earnings Before Interest Taxes Depreciation and Amortization.

It might not be the most exciting acronym you’ll ever hear, but as Teija explains, it’s the figure that determines how profitable, bankable and ultimately valuable your business really is. Whether you’re planning to sell in five years or never intend to sell at all, understanding EBITDA changes the way you make decisions.

After the interview, Dom takes the conversation one step further by explaining why you don’t improve EBITDA directly. Instead, you improve the assets that create it. From premium pricing and memberships to marketing systems, automation, client experience and recurring revenue, Dom shares the practical ways daycare owners can build businesses that are more profitable today and significantly more valuable tomorrow.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

Why EBITDA Is the Number That Really Matters – Teija explains why buyers, lenders and investors focus on EBITDA rather than revenue.
The Funnel That Drives Business Value – How every decision you make, from pricing to staffing, eventually shows up in your bottom line.
Why Assets Beat Sales – Dom explains why building marketing, pricing and system assets creates long-term growth.
The Hidden Cost of Underpricing – Why raising prices isn’t just about making more money today, but building a more valuable business.
How Memberships Create Predictability – Why recurring revenue makes your business easier to run and far more attractive to future buyers.
Thinking Like a CEO – The mindset shift from chasing more dogs to creating a business that grows in value year after year.

Huge thanks to this week special guest Teija Heikkilä. Find out more about Pet Vet MA by going to PetVetSales.com

Thanks also to our sponsor, Focus Answering Service. Remember, every missed call is a missed revenue opportunity; protect your reputation and scale your business with 24/7 live call support. focustele.com

Want to plug the Enrichment University program into your facility? Click here to enroll now

Want to work with the World Leading Pet Business Coach? Add your name to the waitlist for Dom’s Exclusive coaching program The Dog Daycare Success Academy now by clicking here.

Episode Highlights

[01:16] – Dom previews a value-packed episode focused on EBITDA and building a more valuable business.
[04:26] – Dog News: The weirdest things dogs have eaten… and how to turn the story into valuable marketing.
[09:51] – A dog survives being swept 800 metres out to sea, and the enrichment lesson hidden inside the story.
[11:48] – Dom shares what he’s planning for the second half of the year, including new presentations and DDSA events.
[14:35] – Teija Heikkilä explains what EBITDA is and why it affects every aspect of your business.
[16:38] – Why every business decision should be filtered through one simple question: “Will this improve EBITDA?”
[20:28] – How EBITDA is calculated and why owner-operated businesses require careful adjustments.
[30:00] – The authority-building assets every premium pet business should be creating.
[33:15] – Memberships, recurring revenue and why predictable income increases business value.
[34:44] – Automation, CRM systems and building a business that works even when you’re not.