A Pet/House Sitting Service can be a very profitable business. According to www.petplace.com, Americans own approximately 73 million dogs, 90 million cats, 148 fish, and 16 million birds. Considering that many of these families plan vacations and weekend getaways, there is a great need for pet caretakers. Many pet owners leave their dogs and cats at kennels, but (for the most part) most animals would prefer to be at home. That’s what pet sitters are for! If you are thinking of starting a pet-sitting service, the following steps might help you launch this fun, but sometimes hectic business.
1. Decide if a Pet-Sitting Career is for You
Ask yourself the following questions:
Do you truly enjoy working with animals?
Do you have experience with pets?
Are you willing to work holidays, weekends, and odd hours?
Are you motivated?
Do you understand this is not a “get rich quick” business?
Do you have reliable transportation?
Do you have some extra money to invest in the business?
If you answered “yes” to all of the questions, the a pet-sitting business might be for you! It is a necessity that you have experience, and enjoy being around animals. As with launching any business, you must be very motivated. You also need to have some extra money to pay for advertising, insurance and more.
You might also visit a pet-sitting forum such as http://www.thepetsitters.org/forum/ and http://www.forum.pet-sitters.biz/ to help get an idea of what pet-sitting is all about.
2. Contact Your Local SBA
The next step is to call your local small business administration (visit http://www.sba.gov/) for advice on getting the business off the ground. They will help you plan your business, get necessary licenses, market it and more. You can attend classes/workshops or receive one-on-one business counseling. Another site to try is www.asbdc-us.org.
3. Decide on a Business Name
Now it’s time to name your “baby”. Try to come up with a cute and eye-catching name. It could be something like “Purrfect Pet Sitting” or “Tender Touch Pet Sitting”, etc.
4. Join Professional Organizations
Your next task is to become a member of the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters and Pet Sitters International. They provide assistance in many areas, including becoming bonded and insured. This is very important for you and your clients protection.
5. Set Your Rates
Now is the fun part – deciding how much you want to earn! Keep it reasonable since you are new, but don’t underestimate your abilities either. The average is about 10$ per visit – you may set it as more or less depending on the cost of living in your area, etc. You might consider charging a “Holiday Fee” as well. Check out what other pet sitters in your area (if any) charge, and keep it at the same or less.
6. Visit With and Hire a CPA
If you’re knowledgeable with taxes, you cans skip this one, but if not, your next step is to hire a CPA. He/She can (hopefully) prevent you from the IRS knocking on your door next year. To find one, ask friends for referrals or look online /in the phone book
7. Create Business Cards
You can make start-up business cards yourself at home with your computer or a kit. There are also several sellers on eBay who would be thrilled to sell some to you. You could also order some from a local printing shop. Business cards are necessary to help promote your business.
8. Join Your Local Chamber of Commerce
Joining your local Chamber of Commerce can really help your business succeed. It will provide you with many networking opportunities, as well as the option to attend workshops, seminars, and more. To find your local chamber, look online or in the phone book. The membership fee is well worth it, at least for the first year.
9. Create a Questionaire
Create a questionaire that you will provide to new clients when they hire you for a job. Include questions such as a pet’s name, veterinarian’s information, what they like to do, where they might hide in the house, etc. Be sure to ask if they would like their mail collected, plants watered, sprinklers turned on, etc. Don’t forget to get emergency contact information as well. You can either have them fill it out, or ask them the questions and you’ll fill it out.
10. Create a Visitation Form
Create a visitation log/form that you will leave at the home. It will include information such as the time you visited, how long you stayed, and any information such as “Fido wanted me to rub his belly” or “Barney refused to go for a walk.”
11. Advertise Your Business
Now it’s time to begin to advertise and market your business. Start light since you don’t want to overwhelm yourself at first. One idea is place an ad in the “Yellow Pages” section of a newspaper – (they are small ads in Yellow Pages style) – you can purchase an ad that will run for a full month, for a fairly reasonable price. Here are some additional ideas:
Create and post fliers around town on bulletin boards in places such as grocery stores, pet groomers, etc. (Vets might not welcome them since they offer a kennel, but you never know.)
You might also look into running ads in free community papers/magazines. The Thrifty Nickel is one choice. Most communities also have free newspapers geared towards Senior Citizens and Families.
Look into getting your business included in the phone book. Evaluate if the cost is worth it. You might even include a coupon such as 10% off services, etc.
Consider renting a booth at a home and garden expo, community fair, etc. Even some craft fairs would be happy to rent you a booth. You can meet potential clients in person, hand out your business cards, etc.
Another idea is to mail fliers to families in the area with pets. You can purchase mailing list (arranged by income, pets, etc.) from services such as InfoUsa (http://www.infousa.com/).
List your services for free on Craigslist. (www.craigslist.org)
12. Accept Your First Client
It might take some time, or could come almost immediately. When your first job comes, provide excellent, top-notch quality service, as you would with any job. Try to go above and beyond. Act as though there are video cameras in the home each time you visit.
13. Keep Up the Good Work
Continue to promote your business, accept jobs, and provide A+ service. You might have to slow down on advertising because you’ll get so much business through word of mouth! Never slack or let the quality of your job go down, always provide lots of tender loving care, and have fun!
