Pet Sitting JobsTaking pet sitting jobs is a realistic, low cost way to make extra income. It could even become a full time business. That said, a pet sitting business regardless of how small it is, is not something to take lightly.In this litigious world we live in today, many people will sue you for a lot less reason than a lost pet or a missing valuable from their home. Even if you are just planning on taking care of pets in your spare time, you should be bonded and insured. Most potential clients nowadays are going to ask whether you have protected yourself from lawsuits, and if you tell them that you haven't, they aren't likely to think that you are running a real business worthy of the prices you are going to charge. Some people will not even bother to call you if you don't include "bonded and insured" in your advertising. To make sure that you and the pet owner are on the same page regarding your compensation and responsibilities, you are going to need contracts. You will also need forms for the client to fill out, covering all of the things you need to know about the pets and the premises. There are many effective ways to advertise for pet sitting jobs. Most of them are pretty cheap, but it will be an additional expense. You are going to need business cards. You will not need to use these until you either meet with a client or give one to someone who you think might need your services at a later date. Make sure you order enough to last awhile. Business cards are much cheaper per card when you order several hundred, or even better one thousand at a time. Walking door to door with flyers is a very good way to advertise your pet sitting business. The closer you stay to your home, the more profit there will be in the jobs that you will get. If you live in a densely populated area, work your way out from the center (your home). Only go as far from the center as necessary to get enough initial jobs. Travel time can seriously eat into profits, and it is very difficult to charge extra for it. You not only have to consider how much time it takes to get to the pet sitting job, you have to think about how far that job is from the others. As you gain more clients, you can develop a route and eventually only accept work that makes you the most money in the least amount of time. In this line of work, time is money. Veterinarian offices are very good places to advertise; many vets offer boarding, but very few offer pet sitting. Pet shops are also a good place to leave flyers and business cards. Some dog parks have glass covered bulletin boards for ad placement. You should also develop friendships or business relationships with dog groomers; you send them business and they return the favor. Always strike up conversations for word-of-mouth advertising whenever you have the opportunity. Don't hesitate to ask your clients for referrals. Make sure you leave comment cards with your final bill and ask you clients if you can use them as references. Also leave Angie's List comment forms and ask your clients if they would mind reviewing your serviceon Yelp, Yahoo, and other business review sites. The value of those referrals can not be overestimated.
Every pet sitter needs a website. The most ambitious have large websites with many pages that drive traffic with keyword focused content. Small websites are better than nothing, but in densely populated cities with many pet sitters, they are basically just markers on the web, not unlike a telephone book. Extensive websites get found by the major search engines (Google, Yahoo, and Bing) for many keywords. Someone typing "pet sitter" along with your city or neighborhood will likely find your website far up the pages of search if you have constructed your site properly. In addition to building content, you will have to do a few things to optimize it for the search engines. The time you spend doing this will be rewarded. If you take this advice, you will be doing something that very few pet sitters think about, much less get around to actually doing. A good website can set you apart from the competition and make a one person operation look like a big deal. To be a successful pet sitter, you are going to have to set parameters in your business. It might take a little time to set your geographical boundaries, but it must be done. In the beginning, there is the temptation to take any work that you are offered, but you can't make money if you spend too much time getting to jobs. You will spend too much on gas and put wear and tear on your car. You will also make it difficult to take on more jobs that are in another direction, but closer to home. The one advantage of accepting a pet sitting job out of your territory is the referral you will get for a job well done, but as your business grows you might have to turn down future business with this client to take other jobs closer to home. Repeat business is the lifeblood of a service business, and a client list is your most valuable asset. At your first interview with potential clients, you should make a decision whether or not you actually want their business. If they are overly stern and demanding, they might be more trouble than they are worth. You should also decide whether you want to be in contact with their pets. Caring for aggressive animals can be challenging and even dangerous. Sick or aging animals can be problems also. But each pet sitter will have to make his own decisions based on his own comfort level. You also need to decide whether you want to make some areas off-limits because of safety issues. Risking your life by going into dangerous neighborhoods is not worth the money that you will make. Setting prices is one of the most difficult chores you will face. You have to arrive at a price based on your overhead and desired profit, but you can't disregard your competition. Every pet sitter checks out their competitors, and after you get in the business you will be checked out. So don't feel bad about making a phone call, posing as a potential customer, or checking websites for pricing. It's just a business reality. Pet sitters generally charge in the $15 - $25 range per visit. The variation is more geographical than anything else. It is just more costly to live in some areas of the world than others. Remember you are charging "per visit," not "per day." Some owners will just want one visit per day and others will ask for two. You might want to give a discount for the second visit of the same day. Most pet sitters charge an additional fee for each additional pet. Since additional pets doesn't affect your overhead dramatically, this is one variable where you should be in line with your competition and maybe even undercut them. Prices should also be based on visit duration. Visits could range from as little as twenty minutes to as long as an hour. At the low end, it is basically just feeding and letting the pet out to do what he does. At the high end, more chores could be involved along with more contact with the pet. To make the home look occupied, some owners might want you to spend more time in the home than there are chores to do. These can be very lucrative assignments, because the owner is wanting more than just getting his pet fed. He will generally expect to pay more. Some owners will ask if you can spend nights in their home, in addition to daily pet feeding and dog walking. This can be financially rewarding and might not even interfere with your other pet sitting jobs. You are basically getting paid while you sleep. Some owners will be so grateful that you are providing this service that they will permit, sometimes even encourage you, to use the home as it were your own. There will be other owners who will ask if you can board their pet in your home. Many pet sitters specialize in this option and others do it on a case-by-case basis. If your circumstances are right for this it can add substantially to your income. Make sure you check your zoning laws and whether you will need additional insurance. Taking pet sitting jobs can be financially rewarding, but it can be demanding. This is probably not a business for you if you aren't available seven days a week throughout the year. It's not going to be worth the time and expense to advertise a business and not be able to take the pet sitting jobs that are offered. Seven day and longer vacations are the norm, so that means you will have to work every day during that time. In the first year of your business, it is inadvisable to turn over responsibility to someone else. You need to learn the business before you try to ascertain who could take your place. However, you are going to have to have a back-up to takeover for you should an emergency arise. Regardless of the emergency, you can't abandon the pets that have be placed in your care. Make sure the backup is as responsible as you are. Burnout is common in the pet sitting business. Once you get established, make sure you block out vacation time. Even if you hate travel and spend your vacations at home, block out time to unwind and take your mind of pet responsibilities.
The barriers to entry to the pet sitting business are few, but that doesn't mean that it's a business without pitfalls and secrets to success. It's worth it to spend a few dollars that to make more money and learn from an expert. Learning the hard way is costly: Click Here! to learn more. Return to About Money Making from Pet Sitting Jobs |
Pets often need medications. Some are fussy eaters. Some have to be walked to a special area to do their business. Some clients are going to want you to take care of other things for them, for example turn on lights at night, pick up newspapers, and water plants. All pet owners are going to have their unique set of circumstances, and you will not find any two jobs alike.
