Ready to Start a Lucrative Pet Sitting Business?

Summer is the best time to start a pet business, as a lot of people are going on vacation.

Do you love animals? Perhaps you would like to start a business that allows you to spend a lot of time with cats or dogs or all different kinds of animals. If the answer is yes, a pet sitting business may be the ideal option for you.

However, it isn’t as easy as simply stating you want to be a pet sitter then hanging out with adorable puppies all day long. If you are curious about knowing how you can start a pet sitting business, I list some of the basic steps below:

Check licensing guidelines

Each state and city might have its own guidelines in terms of business licensing. Therefore, before you start to pet sit, check your local chamber of commerce or government to be certain that you get the correct documentation or license to operate a business in your locality. You also might consider getting business insurance to safeguard yourself just in case there are any health issues or damages associated with the animals you work with.

Related article: 50 Pet Businesses You Can Start Today

Outline business policies

You will then have to come up with a few policies and actual plans for the business. Will you only be watching cats or dogs? Will you be going to your client's house for a set quantity of time each day or continuously stay there? Will you offer any additional services such as dog grooming or walking? There certainly are other questions that will arise when you work with customers. However, you should have answers for the essentials before you get started.

Make a pricing structure

From that point, you must consider how you’ll price your services. Conduct research to check what other people in your locality charge then make a structure in which you charge per job, per day, or per hour. Setting these rates early on will help you be prepared for clients when you begin to market your services.

Related article: Want to Get Paid to Help Animals or People?

Network locally

Since you’ll probably work with pet owners in your area, it’ll make sense to do a ton of marketing locally. Contact local vet offices, pet supply stores, and pet grooming businesses to check if it’s possible to put flyers up or otherwise advertise your pet sitting services there. You also could do local advertising in newspapers or you can sponsor a local event.

Spread the word on the internet

Even when you are searching to attract local clients, online tools will offer a big boost. Post about your pet sitting services on Care.com or Craigslist. Check social media for groups that might be relevant to your target audience. Perhaps there is a Facebook group for dog owners in your area that might help to garner interest.

Make client contracts

When you start to get clients, you should create contracts with them in order for both parties to know precisely what to expect. It’s possible to find some sample agreements on the internet to make your own. Or it’s possible to consult with a legal expert specializing in crafting business contracts. Then once you gain a new client, go over the agreement and get them to sign it in order for you to keep it for your own records. Apart from the essentials covered in every agreement, such as the delivery of services and payment terms, you also should consider contingency plans such as what’s expected of you just in case of a vet visit or emergency.

Keep a schedule

Also, you will need to start an in-depth schedule of when you must perform services for customers so you’re sure to show up in a timely manner for each job and not overbook any certain dates. Use a paper planner, Google Calendar, or appointment scheduling software such as TimeTap or Appointy.

Start working

Now it is time to actually start working! If you enjoy spending time with pets, it should be the easiest portion of the job for you. Also, you must keep up with the administrative portion of operating a business, such as scheduling and bookkeeping. However, the actual sitting ought to take up the majority of your time.

Keep in touch

You also should keep an in-depth contact list of clients in order for you to stay in contact and try and garner repeat business. Do not overwhelm them with phone calls or emails. However, you may start a monthly newsletter with some pet owner tips that has a line at the bottom that reminds them to get in touch with you if they need pet sitting services. Or sending out pet birthday cards or a holiday card might go a long way in helping you build up a loyal base of customers.

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