How To Start A Pet Sitting Business

How To Start A Pet Sitting Business - Background Info:

There are about 140 million cats and dogs living in US households. People tend to care about their pets as much as they do their children; pets are part of the family for many people.

People need to work full-time, and they may need to travel. They don't want to leave their treasured friend alone. This is why the pet sitting business is thriving.

According to Molly Locklin of MyPetBusiness.com, "Opening up a pet sitting business is a fantastic way to turn your love for animals into a little extra cash. This type of business becomes more popular each year, and many people are even turning it into a full time career.

Pet sitting businesses are great because they are scalable: you can start with a handful of dogs and grow as much as you want over time.

One of the things most people don't realize, is that there is much more to professional pet sitting than simply walking and playing with your client's pets.

Professional pet sitters care for people's pets either for the day or for longer periods of time like during vacations or business trips. Many professional pet sitters also double as dog walkers they often offer other services like cleaning up accidents, changing cat litter boxes, administering pet medications, bringing in newspapers and mail, watering plants and taking out trash.

With dual-income households becoming more and more the "norm," there is an increasing need for pet sitting businesses. If you are looking for a work from home business with little investment needed, pet care business opportunities abound in many forms:

Daytime in-home visits while owners are at work

Daily walks of pets for shut-ins (dog walker)

In-home pet care while owners are away on vacation or visiting

Pet "Day-care" at your home

Pooper-scooper service

Tasks And Skills Needed:

Business Specific Tasks:

If you are planning to do all the business tasks or hiring or subcontracting tasks, here's a list of tasks that need to be attended to when it comes to the business side of running a pet sitting business:

Bookkeeping

Accounting

filing

General office

Industry Specific Tasks:

Same as above if you plan to do everything yourself or get help, here are some of the tasks necessary to operate a pet sitting business:

Feed pets

Help to keep pets safe and healthy

Administer medication if necessary

Walk dogs; let them out for exercise

Love animals

Be knowledgeable about the care of animals, particularly dogs and cats

Be able to play with and get along with many different types of animals

Have basic knowledge about the care of other types of common pets: turtles, fish, birds, hamsters, etc

Approximate Daily Hours Needed:

General Hours of Operation: - When your business is open - Hours vary greatly according to the number of animals you have in your care.

Hours Needed to Prepare - Before Opening and After Hours Activities - Clean carpets, floors, litter pans, take out trash, shop for supplies as needed.

Number of Employees Needed To Run This Business:

Minimum Number of Employees -During the Start Up Phase: You can start this business yourself on a full-time basis.

Number of Employees - Once Your Business is Up and Running Successfully:

Website maintenance

Record/Bookkeeping

General office

Customer Service

Cleanup

Shop for food and supplies

Additional sitters

Skill Requirements for This Business:

Owning a pet sitting business is definitely not for people who don't have patience and a love for animals. You won't want to cleanup pet messes, go outside in cold weather for walks, or soothe a scared pet who misses his owner if you don't love animals. This is the most important part of the job. If you do love pets, this can be a good way to start your own business relatively inexpensively.

A background in pet care work such as veterinary, pet shelter, dog training or boarding care is of course very useful and usually recommended.

A well-trained and experienced pet sitter or dog walker must be able to interact effectively with all types of dogs and cats large and small and be comfortable with other pets such as birds, rabbits, ferrets, snakes, etc.

Licenses:

No matter where you are working, you are going to need insurance. This protects you and your business in case something happens to a pet while in your care. Having insurance is not mandatory, but it will help give you and your clients peace of mind.

You don't need a pet sitting license, which means that there is no formal coursework you have to take in order to become a pet sitter. You will need a business license, however. Check with your city or state to check on the requirements. Depending on where you live, there may also be zoning issues to take into consideration.

Approximate Minimum Start up Cost:

Bare essential: - The investment cost to start up a pet sitting business is low. You can get started for as little as $200, which will cover the costs of printing business cards, flyers, and advertisements. You also need transportation and insurance. Insurance can be as low as $100 a year when you are starting out. As you grow, the premiums go up, but it is essential to have insurance to protect your business in case something happens to the pets in your care.

Minimal exposure - There are several ways to advertise for free along with leaving business cards with veterinarian offices and animal shelters, urgent care facilities.

Necessary Equipment to Run this Business:

Necessary Start-Up Equipment & Supplies:

Computer

Printer

Cell phone

Website

Extra leashes

Water and food dishes

Mops, brooms, cleaners

Paper towels

Litter boxes and extra litter

Kennels

A good walking route or backyard for animals to exercise

Supplementary Equipment: - Equipment or helpful products that you can acquire to once your business is off and running:

Caged areas

Toys such as cat trees and exercise equipment for dogs.

Van for transportation of pets (pickup/drop off service)

Monthly Expenses To Consider:

Wages
Phone/cell phone
Internet access
Permits
Advertising/Marketing
Electricity
Water

Special Requirements and Considerations For This Business:

Find out all you can about the trends in the industry. Know your competition, in particular, their strengths and weaknesses. This will help you identify your competitive advantage. In other words, this will help you figure out what you can give your customers that they're not getting from the other businesses. And keep from emulating the competition's strategy. Instead, make the most of your own advantage points.
Becoming associated with a veterinarian who can provide emergency services is recommended by the Humane Society of the United States.
Always check with a licensed veterinarian if you are a pet sitter, and have any questions about the care of a pet including administration of medications.
Becoming Pet CPR certified can be a valuable asset to your business. For more information about Pet CPR courses, please contact your local American Red Cross chapter.
Your organic marketing approach, paired with an online presence will sure to make your business grow. Clients expect you to be online, so they can shop your services, and learn more about you. With approximately 90% of Americans using the Internet, a website for your pet business is not a luxury, it's a necessity.
There are also several national pet sitter and professional pet associations such as PetSitUSA, Pet Sitters International, The National Association of Professional Pet Sitters, and The International Association of Canine Professionals that can get you started on the right track, and offer tips and advice about important insurance, bonding requirements, training, as well as networking opportunities.

Pros And Cons of Opening A Pet Sitting Business:

The Pros of Running a Pet Sitting Business:

You get to work with pets.

You have the freedom to arrange your schedule

Most clients are very grateful and happy for your services

You can go outside for walks

The Cons of Running a Pet Sitting Business:

Long hours

Hard work

You often have to work on holidays, when people are traveling

You have to cleanup pet messes

Pets can create chaos in any clean room - you'll need to pick up after them

Cat feces is dangerous for pregnant women. They should never handle cat litter. If you are pregnant, you need to have someone do this for you.

Type of Customers You Need to Attract:

There are different opportunities that you can take advantage of in the pet sitting business:

In-home visits while owners are working

Dog walking

In-home care while owners are traveling

Pet sitting from your home

Pet Sitting Business Statistics:

Pet sitting has been named as one of the fastest growing home-based businesses according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Entrepreneur.com's report 'Become a Pet-Sitter or Dog Walker' explains that the outlook for pet sitters and dog walkers has never been better.

Both pet sitting and dog walking are still in their infancy as recognized professions. But with only about 3 percent of households nationally using a pet sitter or dog walker, there is plenty of room for new pet sitting and dog walking businesses to emerge and grow.

There are no statistics on the number of dog walkers, but some estimates put the number of bonded and insured pet-sitter businesses nationwide at 10,000.

Revenue:

Pet sitting and dog walking can be very profitable and rewarding, especially in large major metropolitan areas where pet walking in particular has become more popular.

The national average is about $16 per visit, and it usually customary to charge an additional $1 to $3 for each additional animal in the household. Do the math, and at 6 visits per 7 day work week, is $672 per week or $34,944 per year.

Add a few more pets per household, and you are making well over $35,000 while working for yourself, and with some of the cutest clients in town.

Pet Sitting Business Resources:

Industry-Specific Websites:

Pet Sitters

NAPPS

Pet Sitters Center

Courses:

Pet Sitter Boot Camp

NAPPS Online Certification Program

Equipment and Supplies:

PSI

Care A Lot

Forums:

Pet-Sitters.biz

Franchises:

Home Buddies by Camp Bow Wow

Associations:

The National Association of Pet Sitters

Association of Professional United Pet Sitters

Books:

101 Ways to Market Your Pet Sitting Business

NAPPS Emergency Planning Guide for Pet Owners

Start Your Own Pet-Sitting Business

Pet Sitting for Profit

Other:

How to start a profitable pet sitting business

Starting a Pet Sitting Business from Home

Businesses To Related to a Pet Sitting Business:

Pet care/veterinary medicine
Petting zoo
Pooper Scooper