| Everyday someone asks me, "How do you start a | | | | about letting a stranger into their home to care for |
| pet-sitting business?" I try to answer their question | | | | their most precious possession, they want to feel |
| succinctly. But the truth is, starting a pet-sitting | | | | that you are a real human being with an |
| business, or any business is not always a succinct | | | | understanding and appreciation of their relationship |
| process. Following are 21 tips that I know can lead to | | | | with their pet. You need to be a business person |
| pet-care business success in any economy. | | | | with a heart - have all your forms and policies in |
| 1. Accept what you don't know. Not everyone who | | | | place, but let your personality shine through. |
| starts a pet-care business is an expert on every | | | | 13. Believe in yourself. This is the most important |
| type of household pet. Be honest with clients who | | | | success factor I have found. Define your success by |
| call requesting care for a pet you've never cared for. | | | | your rules and wake up every day with the |
| Your honesty and commitment to learning from them | | | | knowledge that you can and will succeed. |
| will go a long way in building long-term trust in you | | | | 14. Ignore the naysayers. Plenty of people are going |
| and your company. | | | | to doubt you when you tell them this is your goal. |
| 2. Commit to learning about business. Unless you've | | | | Don't listen. Surround yourself with people who |
| run a series of successful small businesses before, | | | | believe in you and never stop moving forward. |
| you must create a self-education plan for yourself. | | | | 15. Create systems to work smarter. Everything can |
| No matter how much you love animals (and they | | | | be systemized to help you get everything done. |
| love you) your business will flounder without | | | | Make a list of all your 'must dos', 'should dos' and |
| attention to the mundane details of accounting, sales, | | | | 'want-to-dos' and determine how often they happen |
| marketing and filing. | | | | (annually, quarterly, monthly, weekly, and daily). Sit |
| 3. Have a realistic budget. Set up a realistic budget | | | | down with a calendar and plug in the activities that |
| for running your business. Be honest about how much | | | | will accomplish your lists. |
| money you need in order to pay your bills and invest | | | | 16. Network. Just like building alliances, you need to |
| in your business. Many pet-sitting businesses close | | | | step up your 'face-time' in your community. |
| because the owner did not evaluate how many visits | | | | Investigate several networking opportunities in |
| they would need to perform in order to meet their | | | | groups that are industry specific (like pet-rescue |
| basic financial needs. | | | | organizations, pet-sitter networks) and business or |
| 4. Evaluate the competition. Make sure you | | | | community specific (like the Chamber of Commerce, |
| understand what the other pet-sitters in your area | | | | or NAWBO). After visiting several, select the ones |
| are already doing, and what you can do better or | | | | that are most effective for your business - both in |
| more efficiently. If there are no other pet sitting | | | | terms of referrals for new business and for |
| companies in your area, find out what your potential | | | | educational purposes. |
| customers currently do to care for their pets when | | | | 17. Evaluate. If something is working (or not) for you |
| they can't be there. | | | | - find out why. Ask questions of everyone - your |
| 5. Set realistic rates. Yes, you love pets and you can't | | | | happy (and unhappy) clients. Find out what keeps |
| believe that you can get paid to have fun - that's | | | | happy customers coming back. If someone decides |
| what a great many star athletes say too, yet they | | | | not to hire you for their pet's care, ask them what |
| manage to make millions of dollars each year. You | | | | influenced their decision. If their decision was based |
| won't likely be able to draw clients in by charging | | | | on an area where you can't compromise - you won't |
| thousands of dollars for your services, but you won't | | | | provide every other day service for cats - move on. |
| be able to serve pets well if you quit in 6 months | | | | If it's something you can improve upon - they |
| because you need more money to survive. | | | | thought you were too abrupt on the phone - fix it! |
| 6. Listen to pet-lovers. Ask pet owner's what is most | | | | Get to the heart of what drives your business and |
| important about their pet's care. Never imagine that | | | | take time each day to improve. |
| you know everything - a pet owner always knows | | | | 18. Set goals and action plans. You must know what |
| their pet best. Listen and you will learn how to serve | | | | your objectives are for you and your business. When |
| them better. | | | | you envision your life in a year, three years and ten |
| 7. Enjoy the people. I often joke that "Until that | | | | years, what will you be doing? How will your business |
| puppy can write a check, I work for his Mom!" And | | | | be running? Whether you intend to serve ten clients |
| it's true. The people who love their pets are your | | | | for life, or you want to establish the top pet-sitting |
| customers - even if you don't see them. Check in | | | | franchise in North America and Europe - you need to |
| with them and find out how they feel about your | | | | have a goal and a plan. |
| service. Make sure they understand that you are | | | | 19. Find your niche and stick to it. When I started |
| happy to work with them and you appreciate being | | | | peggiespets.com, I was intimidated by narrowing to a |
| part of their care giving 'family.' | | | | niche. By defining your niche and marketing to them, |
| 8. Make business decisions. You are in business, so | | | | you are not turning away other business (our niche is |
| treat yourself like a business owner. If you intend to | | | | big dogs and puppy potty training) you can continue |
| work as a sole proprietor, make a decision to work | | | | to accept all the business you want that is outside of |
| only with the clients that contribute the most to your | | | | your niche (ask all the terriers, birds and rabbits we |
| bottom-line. | | | | care for!). |
| 9. Build Alliances. Work with the other pet-sitters in | | | | 20. Strive for success everyday. Never compromise |
| your area. If you need a back-up or you are booked, | | | | your ideals to meet someone else's expectations. |
| you need to know the other quality caregivers who | | | | The reason you started your own business is |
| service your area. You can ruin your great reputation | | | | because of your passion, so always stand by your |
| simply by recommending someone who doesn't live | | | | convictions and work hard to exceed your |
| up to your standards. | | | | expectations each day. |
| 10. Build alliances with other small business owners in | | | | NOTE: You'll encounter people who don't do business |
| your area. Who better understands the 'downside' of | | | | the way you do, and you'll find clients that don't live |
| pet ownership than the dry cleaner or housekeeping | | | | up to your expectations...don't lecture, don't get on |
| service in your neighborhood? Their businesses are | | | | your soapbox, just politely point them in a different |
| based partially on the pet-owning clients in your area. | | | | direction. |
| Ask to place your cards in their shops, or if you can | | | | 21. Help someone else succeed. The more you give |
| run put a flyer in their monthly bills sent to their | | | | away, the more you will receive. Whether you are |
| clients. | | | | helping another pet-care business get started (with |
| 11. Serve the client, not your ego. It's a heady | | | | more than 65 million dogs and 77 million cats in |
| experience to feel the power of running a business | | | | American households according to APPMA- there's |
| and sometimes you will think you know what's best | | | | room for more pet-care providers!) or you're helping |
| when caring for someone else's pets. Realize that | | | | another person achieve their dream, you will be more |
| you need to ride the fine line between educating | | | | successful because you participated! |
| customers and talking down to them. | | | | Follow these tips to achieve your own brand of |
| 12. Be genuine. Everyone wants to work with | | | | pet-care business success! |
| someone "real." When people are making decisions | | | | |