How to Start Your
Own
Highly Profitable Pet Sitting Business
As you know,
millions of American families go on vacation every year. It's the great
American Summer tradition. And now, with travel prices going down, many
more families are expected to travel this year.
This is why now is the perfect time to start a pet-sitting, dog walking,
or doggie day care business. With families on the move, demand is going
nowhere but up.
More and more families are opting to hire pet sitters instead of getting
family or friends to care for animals while they're gone. People are
finding that pet sitting is easier and more affordable than they
thought, and pet sitting businesses are reaping the benefits.
Advertising this kind of business is also easy. These kinds of local
businesses can benefit from small ads in the paper, posters hung around
town, and even Internet advertising.
There are also services that specialize in providing a secure
environment where pet owners can quickly match, screen, and select pet
sitters, dog walkers, and pet care centers. Pet owners can often easily
find these kinds of services in their area, and pet sitters are notified
of the needs owners have.
Pet owners love their animals like part of the family, and they want to
be sure they are well taken care of while the family is away. Starting
your own pet sitting, dog walking, or pet daycare service is a great way
to fill this need and start a productive business. If pet sitting is up
your alley, you're definitely barking up the right business tree.
The Advantages And Disadvantages
Owning a pet-sitting business has many of the same advantages of
owning any business, naturally you are your own boss, you set your own
hours, depending on the number of clients you serve per day, and your
paycheck will be limited only by your willingness to work.
I also work out of my home, and that's a big advantage, another
advantage of my pet-sitting activities is the opportunity of getting to
know some real characters: Sissy, the cat that only eats facing
north - a true example, believe it or not, or Harry, the blue-footed
Amazon parrot who refuses to stay in a cage.
Your list too will be endless. Ninety-nine percent of the people I
met are very nice. Most are concerned about their pets or they wouldn't
call me. And the animals love me no matter what.
As with any business, pet-sitting has a few disadvantages as well. If
the business is to succeed, long hours and hard work is necessary. Pet
Sitting is not a get rich-quick scheme,
Holidays are especially busy. Servicing fifteen pets, each two times
a day is not an unreasonable expectation.
Unless you're a real animal lover some of the tasks can be
unpleasant: Who wants to clean a litter box twice a day for two weeks?
But that wildly wagging tail or the purr of a lonely animal that greets
you at the door does make it all worth the trouble. You must truly love
animals, or you won't enjoy this business.
Your Start-Up Costs
Start-up costs for pet-sitting business are small. Expenses can be
divided into three categories: marketing, insurance, and transportation.
Initial outlay can be as little as $200 or as much as $300 if you choose
to pay for a visit to an accountant.
That isn't a bad idea. An accountant can explain tax laws and
policies governing this type of business. In some states, for example,
he or she will tell you not to charge sales tax because you perform a
service that is not taxable.
Although most clients will come your way by word of mouth, you should
invest in a few marketing tools.
Business cards are essential. Costing anywhere from $25 to
$50, business cards can be placed anywhere pets are found - pet shops
and vet clinics. Because most vet clients have kennel facilities, some
may not allow you to place your card with them.
Establish a relationship with a vet in your area, though, and he or
she will begin to recommend you when the kennel facility is full.
Design a flyer and place copies on community bulletin boards, church
bulletin boards, at the grocery store, and any other place you can think
of. "Welcome-to-the community" associations may be willing to give your
card to new residents, too.
Keep trying to get your business known. People will be delighted with
this service when they hear that you are a top quality pet-sitter. If
you can afford it, buy an answering machine. Once your business is
booming, you'll need one to take all your business calls.
Know that potential clients will ask if you are bonded. A bond simply
means that an insurance company finds you trustworthy and is willing to
put this in writing. An insurance policy protects the homes you enter.
If something is broken while you are there, your policy will cover it.
Being bonded, however does not protect against damage to pets while
in your care. With this type of policy, your premium increases as your
business increases. Initially your coverage cost $100 per year. As you
client list increases, you can pay as much as $500 per year. Being
bonded, however, is worth the expense. Clients are more likely to use
your service if they know you're backed by an insurance company.
Keep a log of business miles traveled in your car. Also keep track of
gas and auto expenses. These are all tax deductible.
Your Potential Income
Determining a fee is a personal matter. Fees range anywhere from $8
to $20 per visit. Some pet-sitters charge more for initial visit and
less for subsequent visits. The fee will also depend on the number of
pets involved and the amount of trouble they will be.
Obviously a household with three cats, a turtle, two birds, and a
hamster should be charged a lot more than the one with a single dog.
Decide in advance what your limits are, too. If you don't care to
feed, water, and brush a horse each day be prepared to say no.
A wide variety of people will use a pet-sitting service. Certainly
vacationers will be a number-one market. Therefore, holiday times will
be extremely busy. Some people own pets but have little time to spend
with them - couples who both work full time, and singles who travel.
A few words of advice and some notes of caution:
At times be prepared for a mess. Bored animals are messy little
things. They knock over plants, break vases, and chew furniture.
Although yours is not a house cleaning service, your clients will
appreciate your efforts to tidy things up.
Always follow your client's instructions to the letter. Even if
no one but you knows If Fido eats exactly at 6 P.M., do what is asked.
Owners can detect when a pet's routine has gone awry.
While most clients will love you, expect a few complainers. Some,
however will be annoyed that Fifi's nails grew too long while she was in
your care, or that Bucky seems listless since their return.
A pet-sitting business is an easy one to start. Your only requirement is
a real love for animals.
You will find that people are quite interested in your service and
are more than willing to pay for it. Take it from me this is a very time
consuming business. But I really enjoy it and I've learned from it.
You're certainly compensated and it is very satisfying."
J. Alice McNutt
(J. Alice McNutt is the author of the popular step-by-step course "Pet Sitting For Love And Profit.")
Remember, your future is up to
you, 
