Wednesday 12 August 2015

How to start a pet sitting business

Pet sitting suIf you love animals and are good with them, then a pet sitting business may be a great option.

So how do you start your own pet sitting business?

It’s not really all that difficult. Your main requirements will be enthusiasm and a love for animals. For a pet owner, leaving their pets in someone’s care may be the equivalent of leaving their children in child care. This means that in order to be successful in this business, a true love of animals will help you stand out from the competition.

Here’s how to get started:

You’ll want to identify what type of services you’ll offer. For example, will you care for pets in their owners' homes or your own? Will you offer dog walking as well? Will you offer extended pet care for people going on vacation?

Writing a detailed list about the services you feel you’re able to offer will help you get organized and know where to place your marketing efforts.

Once you have a clear idea of what you’ll be offering, you’ll want to make the business legitimate. (If you're in the US, you can get information about registering your business at your local county office.) This will ensure you present a professional image and that you’re meeting all regulations. You’ll also want to look into any relevant insurance you may need.

When all the legal aspects are taken care of, your next step is marketing your business – i.e. finding customers!

You can easily get started by sending flyers out in your local area. You may also want to consider advertising in your local paper. Getting a sign with your business logo and placing it on your car is also a very effective method of local advertising. Just ensure your details are clear for all to see.

And don’t forget your internet presence. Even a small local business can benefit from an online presence. Here are just a few reasons why:
  • People may find your website when using local searches for pet sitting or pet care. This will increase your client reach.

  • People will have time to look through your website and learn more about you and your services. This means that once someone contacts you, hopefully your website will already have pre-sold your services. This is great news because the prospect will probably need very little convincing to now use your services.

  • People can get recommendations. A good website will include testimonials from other customers.
This creates trust and reassurance for any potential new customers who may find your website. Again, this helps to pre-sell your services.

Starting a pet sitting business can be both fun and profitable. If you love pets then this may be just the right venture for you.

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