Start a Pet Sitting Business - are you Ready?

Are you Ready?
You've taken care of all the legalities and necessities of opening your new pet sitting business. You've obtained the appropriate licensing and insurance policies, developed a winning marketing plan, acquired all the proper service contracts and forms required to start a successful pet sitting business. So, what's next?

The Next Step
As with any business, the first step to being successful is laying the proper groundwork. Once you've made preparations and laid the proper groundwork, the next step is to create your Business Policy Statement. This step should not be skipped and is highly recommended before acquiring clients.

Why is it Important?
A Policy Statement establishes expectations between you, the pet sitter, and your client. It outlines what services you will provide to the client, what fees you will charge for those services, what behavior is expected of the client and/or pet, when payment is expected, what happens if payment is not made in a timely manner and so on. A Policy Statement formalizes the Client/Sitter relationship and ensures you have a shared understanding of the services being providing. Creating a handout outlining your Policy Statement to distribute to new clients at the initial Get Acquainted visit is a good way to start your relationship off on the right foot. Your company website is another key place to post your Policy information and lend credibility to your business. Most clients appreciate this extra effort; it gives them peace of mind knowing Fluffy will be taken care of accordingly and builds their confidence in you, as a professional pet sitter.

What Things Should be Included?

What types of services will you offer?
There are many types of services sitters offer. You need to decide which ones you'd like to include in your business. Some examples of services include: Vacation Care, Daily dog walks, pet taxi service to groomer or vet appointments, supply runs for food and supplies, potty training visits, overnight visits, etc.

How long will your visits last?
Visits typically last any where from 20 minutes to 1 hour in length depending on the type of care you provide and the area you are servicing. The amount of time you spend at each visit will determine how many visits you can comfortably complete in one day and what you will need to charge per visit to make a reasonable profit.

What types of pets will you service?
Will you only service dogs and cats? What about hamsters, rabbits and fish? Are you comfortable with birds or snakes? There are many animals besides dogs and cats that you may encounter in your business. Some you may not wish to care for. The key is to set clear expectations up front.

What hours will you be available to service clients?
Will you start your first visit at 5am if that is the time Fido normally awakes for his morning potty break? How about in the evening? When will you conclude you final evening visit? What time will you eat or return phone calls to other potential clients? Outlining these expectations up front helps avoid problems down the road.

What will you charge for your services?
Although there are many factors, your geographic location will primarily dictate what the market in your area will bear. Conducting research in your area is the best way to determine rates for your services. Contact boarding facilities, veterinarians and other pet sitters to see what they are charging. Determining your service area and how far you are willing to travel and how far apart your visits will be is also a factor. Generally, the smaller territory you service, the larger your profit margin. Other cost factors should also be considered, things like the cost of gasoline, wear and tear on your vehicle, marketing supplies, and insurance premiums. Basically anything involved in the cost to keep you in business. A word of advice...don't undersell your services. The service you provide is invaluable to many, many people. Those are the clients you are targeting. Not the price shoppers or the people looking for a bargain. Pricing yourself competitively from the start will convey the professional image for your business that you desire.

Will you charge a client for an initial Get Acquainted visit?
This is a matter of personal preference. Some sitters charge for an initial meeting with the client to get acquainted with the pet(s), discuss the policies, complete all the appropriate paperwork, and obtain a house key. Others choose not to charge a fee citing it gives the client an opportunity to meet you and gain confidence in your abilities before having to pay a fee. Either is acceptable; it's your business - you decide.

How will clients pay for services?
Will you require your clients to pay a deposit or in full, up front or will you invoice them after service has been completed? Will you email an invoice or snail mail it to the client? Will you impose a late fee if not paid promptly? Will you allow clients to pay by credit card? Consider the pros and cons of each choice and decide which method works best for your business.

Will you accept Emergency Service calls?
What will you charge? If Aunt Ida unexpectedly kicks the bucket and your client has to jump on a plane in 2 hours, will you accept last minute requests for service? Will you impose an extra fee for last minute reservations? How much will you charge? Will you arrange payment options?

How will you handle client's keys?
Appearing trustworthy is key to being successful in this business. Clients are entrusting you with cherished members of their families, as well as, their home and its contents. They need to feel confident you will be dependable, take excellent care of their babies and be responsible in their home. Establishing a tracking system to identify a client's keys is vital. Remember, the tracking system should only be known to you and members of your team and should not identify the owner's name or address in the case they are ever lost or stolen. A defined written policy to share with clients and an accompanying acknowledgment form requiring a signature should eliminate problems.

What areas will you service?
As mentioned above, generally, the smaller territory you service, the larger your profit margin. Determine in advance what area you will service. The closer your target market, the more visits you can complete in a day, and the more income you can generate. Some sitters charge an extra fee for service outside their target market. If you consider this option, be sure to look at all your cost factors and make it worth your time.

Will you charge clients for early returns or cancellations?
If John Smith returns home early from a trip or cancels service the day before he's scheduled to leave on a trip - will you impose a cancellation fee? What if you had 3 other clients you could have serviced but didn't schedule because you were booked by John Smith at the time they called? Make clients aware of your early return and cancellation policy.

Will you charge an extra fee for holidays?
Holidays are typically a very busy time for pet sitters. Many regular clients are attending to other priorities or going out of town during this time of year. If you require additional fees during the holiday season, spell out in detail what that fee consists of. Is it a per visit or per day fee? Which day(s) specifically will the extra fee be imposed on?

Will you charge per pet or per visit?
Will your fees be based on a per visit basis or a per pet basis? What if Client A has 4 dogs, 2 hamsters, a cat and an aquarium full of fish and Client B has 1 dog? Will you charge them the same rate? Will it realistically take you the same amount of time to perform the visit? Consider these things before you quote a rate to a potential client. Try to get all the information necessary before quoting a service rate.

Will you require client's to contact you once they've returned home after extended service?
Some sitters require a client to contact the sitter or leave a message once they've returned home after an extended trip. It lets the sitter know the client is home and caring for the animal so the pet(s) is never mistakenly left unattended. If the client doesn't call on the expected date of return, service would continue until the sitter receives a notification call from the client.

These are just a few of the general elements to consider when creating a Policy Statement. Your list may look quite different from the items described here. Your Policy Statement should reflect what is important to you and meet the needs of your business. If you lay the proper groundwork and prepare yourself for success; there is plenty of opportunity available for those interested in pet sitting as a career. Pet sitting is one of the fastest growing small business segments today. Americans spent an estimated $40.8 Billion on their pets this year. 63% of US households own a pet, which equates to 71.1 million homes. That's a lot of potential business - go uncover your share!