Pet Sitting: Before You Begin

Before you begin a pet sitting business, here are some things you should consider even before you start looking for your first client.


FIND OUT IF IT’S REALLY THE RIGHT CHOICE FOR YOU?

Working with pets is an awesome job, but there’s a lot more to pet sitting than just playing with pooches all day. For a successful business you will also need:

• People Skills
  
  
• Organizational Skills
  
  
• Accounting Skills (or the money for an Accountant)
  
  
• Self-Confidence - you have the knowledge and the love needed to be a good pet sitter, so just believe in yourself!
  

Take This Test to find out if you have the right personality for a pet sitting business. These questions are designed to make you think honestly about your own strength’s and weaknesses, so that you can make an informed decision.

Just like any business, there are always going to be days when you wonder why you became a pet sitter. Click here to read the list of my TEN WORST THINGS ABOUT PET SITTING.


READ PET SITTING BOOKS

There are several great books out there, that can tell you how to set up and run a successful pet sitting business. Before you begin your business, it’s a great way to learn from the pro’s. A couple of of my favorites books are Pet Sitting For Profit, by Patti Moran and The Professional Pet Sitter: Your Guide to Starting and Operating a Successful Service, by Lori Mangold.

Reading pet sitting books from different authors who have been in the business can give you different perspectives on the following:

• Getting Started and Setting Up
  
  
• Advertising Tips and Ideas
  
  
• Business Forms: Samples and Tips
  
  
• Networking Ideas
  

CHECK OUT PET SITTING WEBSITES

Not all pet sitting businesses are created equal and you can learn a lot from studying pet sitting websites. Things to look for are:

• Services - find out what types of services are being offered
  
  
• Policies - it's important to have a good set of policies in place
  
  
• Office Hours and Pet Sitting Hours
  
  
• Service Area - This is so important! When you’re first starting out, you may be tempted to reach for a larger area than you can realistically cover once your business takes off.
  
  
• Pet Clientele – a pet sitting business can be custom fitted for your needs. Some sitters only care for cats or small dogs, while others specialize in big dogs. The choice is yours.
  
  
• Prices – prices will vary from one area to another, but this will give you a basic idea for pricing your own services.
  
  
• Web Site Design – eventually you will probably want to set up your own website.
  

TALK TO OTHER PET SITTERS IN YOUR AREA

One of your best sources for information and support could be another pet sitter. Some may give you the brush off, but most will probably be very supportive. Successful pet sitters know that creating a pet sitter network is a great way to build businesses and friendships. You may be surprised to find that a lot of business could come your way in the form of referrals from other pet sitters.

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