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