New Page How To Start A Pet Sitting Business

Tips on preventing burn out

1. AREA COVERED - Keep clients within a 10 mile radius of your home, refer out clients who call to the next closest sitter.

2. NETWORK WITH OTHER SITTERS - Find the sitters that cover the "same" area as you when you take time off or are sick and sitters that cover areas you do not cover or services you do not offer.

3. TIME OFF - Or "closed" as we like to say it in the industry. Your first year it might not matter if you only have a few clients but eventually you will be busy and before you know it you will have NO days off. Plan now to create REGULAR time you are closed. Busy full time sitters schedule work 7 weeks open then the next 2 weeks closed, then 7 weeks open, then the next 2 weeks closed.

To keep your clients informed of your dates CLOSED put them on your web site and in a short one page newsletter you create and give out at EACH
     New client consulation
     End of each pet job
     Mail out twice a year to clients
     Email out twice a year to clients

You will find if you inform your clients ahead of time of your "closed dates" they will book their travel around you. On the rare times when they ask for a referral it will come in handy to have a list of one or two sitters to refer them to. Just refer the client, do not get involved with contract negotiations. Let the other sitter do their OWN consultation and have the client sign the other sitters contract and pay them directly. This limits your liability when you take time off or have to refer when you are sick etc.

4. CHARGE ENOUGH - DO NOT think that by charging the lowest rate in town you will get all the clients. Instead you will get all the clients most sitters do not want!

5. DO NOT OVERBOOK - Know your limit and stick to it. You are like a small hotel, with just a set number of rooms, when you are booked you are booked. Click HERE to review maximum number of sits per day.

6. HOLIDAY CHARGES - Charge extra on the holidays. Even minimum wage workers get double and triple time on holidays. Remember you are taking away precious time you could be with your family and friends on a holiday so your clients can be with "their" family and friends!

7. JUST SAY NO - There are some clients you should just say no to, for example
     Vicious dog
     Dog tied to chain or rope and left outside
     Bizarre situation or client
     Filthy house
     Chronic late payer

8. CREATE BUSINESS POLICIES - Here are some examples of business policies you might want to think about
     1. What types of services will you offer and what types of services won't you offer ? (drop-in, daily walks, grooming, transportation, overnights, housesitting, etc.)
     2. What will be the length and charge per visit?
     3. How early and how late will you do visits?
     4. What time of night will you not answer the phone after?
     5. How long do you want free consultations to last, 1 hour, 1 1/2hours?
     6. What if they want a second consultation, what do you charge?
     7. What will you charge for extra services like, picking up extra pet food supplies or driving back keys?
     8. How far in advance do clients need to book your service?
     9. When will you start taking reservations for holidays like Thanksgiving & Christmas?
    (Suggestion -  don't let clients book any earlier than the middle of October because if they book too far in advance they will generally change their plans)
     10. What if client returns early, do you have a refund policy?
     11. How many pet sits can you take on each day before you are booked?
     12. How many will you take on for a holiday?
       (Remember if you take on your maximum number you will have NO time to spend with your family)
     13. Define your service area and stick to it
       (Remember you should start at a 10 mile radius and pull in your mileage each year)
     14 . How will you tactfully refuse service to a client?

Remember, you are self employed now. If you do not set your business policies, then your clients will and that is not the position you want to be in.

If you follow some of these simple steps you can have a long, happy and successful business.

MOST sitters go out of business due to burn out---don't be one of them!