Pet Sitting jobs…
PET SITTING: Start Your Dog Sitting & Walking Home Business
The Post-Covid Recession has hit working and middle class families hard. Not to forget us Boomers who thought we were going to retire. But an amazing reaction to that has been the success of work from home jobs. And small mom and pop businesses are thriving.
One of the brightest successes has been in the pet sitting and dog walking businesses.
Getting Started: In home pet sitting near me. First, check out your competition. Google “pet sitting near me.” Then decide if you will be sitting pets in your home or in your client’s home. Or both.
Here, from Home Business expert Lisa Paredes, is a Guest Blog on that subject, an excellent look at the booming pet care sector…
How to Start a Pet Sitting Business
If you adore pets and have always had a “Fido thumb”, you could have your own pet-sitting business! If you’re thinking of establishing one, know what you’re getting into. It’s a major responsibility caring for other people’s pets so it’s not a business that you do on a whim.
Put on your thinking cap and let’s start a pet sitting business!
Pet Sitting Business: Basic Guidelines
Consider the following before opening a work from home pet sitting business.
1. Training – just because you’ve taken care of a friend’s Chihuahua or Bichon Frisé as a teen, it doesn’t make you a dog care expert. With the numerous dog breeds out there, you may want to familiarize yourself with the different personalities of dogs; some are friendlier than others; some require more exercise than others. Be a voracious reader; keep a collection of books or encyclopedias that you can consult when the need arises.
2. Decide if you want your pet sitting business to be full time or part time. Pets need tender, loving care round the clock. If you can invest the time and effort and make it a labor of love, success comes more easily. Don’t run a pet sitting business for the purpose of making extra money on the side. There is no price tag for commitment and care.
3. If you’re planning on taking more than one pet at a time, check with your municipality if you’re allowed to do this. You may have a large piece of land but your city’s zoning laws prohibit a pet sitting business in your particular area. Your neighbours could complain and you might be endangering the health of others.
Do Your Homework
4. Yes — Do your homework. There must be other pet sitting business owners in your area. Find out discreetly how much they charge and what their fee structure is. You don’t want to price yourself out of the competition. Speak to pet sitters about problems they’ve encountered and how they solved those problems.
5. Because certain dogs need regular exercise, visit the dog parks in your community and take note of their opening hours.
6. Have the right equipment! If you’re taking in dogs only, you’ll need to give some thought as to dog collars and leashes, food bowls, toys and treats. You may need a dog cage if you plan on taking them to the country.
7. When you advertise your pet sitting business, you may want to specify what pets you’ll take, which breeds, and your price for each. You could charge an hourly fee or a fixed fee for the day. This is important because you wouldn’t like to take on a pet of which you know nothing about. How many would take in say, a boa constrictor?
8. Learn how to spot a sick pet. This is for safety, health and personal liability issues. You may not want the pet owner to accuse you of neglect. This is why you may want to screen both pet and owner. Ask owners about the eccentricities of their pets and what you need to watch out for.
“In Home Pet Sitter Wanted!”
9. Some pet owners would rather have you come to their homes instead of dropping their pets off at your place. Decide if this is something you might consider doing during certain days of the week. Going to the pet owner’s house might save you the trouble of fitting out your place. The only downside is it limits you as to the number of pets you’d like to care for in any given day.
10. Don’t stop marketing your business. Even if you have enough pets on your hands, pet owners can be fickle or economic conditions may force them to forego pet sitting. Ask your customers to refer you to other customers. Leave your business cards in vets’ offices.
How to Start a Dog Walking Business
Despite the fact that dog walking is not considered a true profession to many, it has become big business for those who are good at it. And, being one of the easiest work from home businesses to start and maintain, there are newcomers every day. Especially since we are a nation of busy dog lovers.
So, although most people are committed to ensuring that their dogs get the proper exercise, many lack the time. And in some cases, the physical ability to do it themselves. This is where you step in, by offering your dog walking services.
Before You Start
Before you pass out a flyer or add your first customer it’s important to determine what you will charge as your fee. This is important and will prevent you from showing favoritism or giving different prices to different owners. Remember, people talk; and, you do not want customers who feel they are being charged unfairly.
Be sure that your rates are fair to both you and your customers. If you are renting, check with your landlord to see if there will be any problems on the off chance that you need to bring clients home, especially if you are thinking of offering dog washing or feeding as an additional service. Finally, talk to your neighbors about your plans.
Money Money Money: Start Up Costs and Needs
Though a dog walking business is relatively inexpensive to start, there are a few key things that you will need. The most important being a love of dogs, the outdoors, and long walks. Many underestimate the physical stamina needed to keep up with dogs. They also fail to consider the time and commitment involved.
It’s often over looked; but, you will need a good memory to distinguish between your clients and their needs. There are dogs on special diets, with special medicines, and special needs. A good dog walker can stay on top of and eventually anticipate these needs.
You will need money for marketing, which should consist predominately for making copies of flyers. Yet, you may also consider keeping dog food, toys, and dog washing products on hand as well. If you don’t have any, a good pair of walking shows couldn’t hurt.
Marketing
Again, you should focus your marketing strategies on inexpensive but effective methods. Such as using word of mouth, passing out flyers, online classifieds advertising, and knocking on the doors of any elderly or disabled people you may know who have a dog.
Things to Consider
Due to the number of new dog walking businesses springing up everyday, consider the things that you could do to set your business apart from the pack. For an additional fee, you may want to offer services like dog washing or feeding. If you are a stay at home mom, you can get your smaller children to help create a fun family business.
Thanks, Lisa. Lisa Paredes has been “dedicated to helping work at home moms succeed with their home business.” She started MommyEmpire with that end in mind…
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PET SITTING: Start Your Dog Sitting & Walking Home Business
Updated June 30, 2023.
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