How Kim Mourits had to change course due to the pandemic and now runs a successful dog school thanks to the tips from Google
When Kim’s work as a stewardess suddenly ground to a halt during the pandemic, she sprang into action. She set up her own dog training school and got off to a flying start with her online puppy-training course, thanks in part to Google reviews.
Kim Mourits has had a passion for dogs since childhood: ‘I’ve been actively involved in training dogs since I was 14 years old. I’ve owned various breeds over the years and have completed a range of training courses with them. As a result, I became more and more enthusiastic about helping people train their dogs. When I had time off as a stewardess, I continued to invest in my love of dogs. I got a qualification as a cynology instructor from the Martin Gaus academy and I also took part in a whole host of courses and workshops, including two seminars given by Cesar Millan.’
When flights were pretty much grounded in 2020 because of the pandemic, Kim suddenly found herself spending a lot of time at home. She decided not to sit around waiting for the next flight. Instead, she finally turned her passion into a career. She started her own business: Hondenschool Kim (Kim’s Dog School). ‘At the start of the pandemic, I took part in a Google Digitale Werkplaats workshop to find out how to improve my online marketing. When I started, I thought that I’d be teaching four or five hours a week at most, but with the support of Google Search and the Google Digitale Werkplaats, my dog training school grew much more quickly than I could ever have imagined.’
After 14 months, Hondenschool Kim has 200 active course participants and has seen 400 course participants complete their training. Currently, Kim is helping her clients both online and in-person, in their own homes. Kim: ‘To meet the huge demand, I’ve even had to take on staff. Google reviews also really motivate me, because I can see that my students not only learn a lot from my training courses, but also really enjoy them. That reinforces my belief in my mission to make every student a better dog trainer than me.’