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I am thinking of starting my own pet-sitting business.

2006-07-30 07:27:33 · 2 answers · asked by scsfsu 2 in Business & Finance Small Business

2 answers

Associations may be a good avenue to explore. These organizations will address many of the thoughts, questions and concerns you'll inevitably have as well as many you haven't anticipated yet.

Research, research, research – this cannot be stressed enough. Read as much as you can about the industry. Here are some book titles that are relevant:

* The Face in the Window: A Guide to Professional Dogwalking by Dianne Eibner
* Entrepreneur Magazine's Start Your Own Pet Sitting Business by Cheryl Kimball
* The Professional Pet Sitter: Your Guide to Starting and Operating a Successful Service Edition 2005 Newly-Revised Includes Business Forms by Lori Mangold

There are plenty of free informational resources out there. Check the source box for links to articles.

Hope that helps! I wish you much success & happiness in all your ventures!

2006-07-30 10:30:12 · answer #1 · answered by TM Express™ 7 · 0 1

I have a friend who does this.

First, I'd advise you to get some sort of liability insurance coverage (you can get a policy with a high amount and get the premium financed). i.e. we had $1 million, and only paid $90/month for 10 months (a good agent can do this for you).
Secondly, pay is to be negotiated with your clients. My friend uses a child baby-sitter pay scale and by how complicated the job is. (from $6/hr for a few hours in an afternoon, to $200-500 for a full weekend.) If it's a regular house dog, you know to pet him, feed him, walk him and keep fresh water out. A "show" dog needs brushing, pampering, etc. It pays a little more per hour.
But, if it's an iguana with special needs, i.e., turn the sun lamp/warming rock on a few hours, then off a few hours, handling certain nasty, wormy, critter "food" items, etc, then of course you should get more per hour.
The main idea is "KNOW the critter you're sitting for", and then follow the instructions of the owner as closely as you can. After all, they're trusting you with their baby!

2006-07-30 08:01:19 · answer #2 · answered by magazieboarder2002 1 · 0 0

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