Home Business Idea: Dog/Pet Sitter

As you know, millions of American families go on vacation every
year.  It's the great American Summer tradition.  And now, with
travel prices going down, many more families are expected to
travel this year.

This is why now is the perfect time to start a pet-sitting, dog
walking, or doggie day care business.  With families on the
move, demand is going nowhere but up.

More and more families are opting to hire pet sitters instead of
getting family or friends to care for animals while they're gone.
People are finding that pet sitting is easier and more affordable
than they thought, and pet sitting businesses are reaping the
benefits.
Advertising this kind of business is also easy.  These kinds of
local businesses can benefit from small ads in the paper, posters
hung around town, and even Internet advertising.  There are also
services that specialize in providing a secure environment where
pet owners can quickly match, screen, and select pet sitters, dog
walkers, and pet care centers.  Pet owners can often easily find
these kinds of services in their area, and pet sitters
are notified of the needs owners have.

Pet owners love their animals like part of the family, and they
want to be sure they are well taken care of while the family is
away.  Starting your own pet sitting, dog walking, or pet daycare
service is a great way to fill this need and start a productive
business.  If pet sitting is up your alley, you're definitely
barking up the right business tree

Author Ian White is founder of Pet-Sitters.biz.  Pet-Sitters.biz
specializes in helping pet sitters and pet owners connect to each
other.  Find and screen a sitter for your pet or advertise your
pet care business.  FREE trial membership for a limited time. 
For more information, go to http://www.Pet-Sitters.biz

The Pet Sitting business is booming internationally.  In the
United States alone there are upwards of 63.2 million individuals
who own a pet, or two.  Reports tell us that in America there are
roughly 64 million dogs and 76 million cats in households.  These
numbers support why the Pet Sitting Business is on an upward
swing.  It is fast becoming one of the best small business
ventures that an individual can undertake.  The Pet Sitting
business has been ear marked by the U.S. Bureau of Labor as a
small business industry that will thrive with the coming years,
with Pet Sitting services located throughout the states.

Pet owners world wide are breathing a sigh of relief that they
have this option for their pet when they travel. In the past
when an individual would travel for business, or a family would
vacation, they would rely on grandparents or relatives to see to
the needs of their pets.  This is no longer an option for many
people.  Family's don't always remain in the same community.
Statistics show that it is common for parents and siblings to
live hundreds of miles apart.  Once the family option for pet
sitting evaporated, people turned to their neighbors.  This was
soon found to be a bad option for both the neighbor and pet
owner.  Neighbors felt used, and the traveler felt as if they
were putting the neighbor out by asking the favor. 

Some individuals tried to travel with their pets.  They assumed
that it would be best for their pet to not be separated from
them.  These good intentioned pet owners soon realized the folly
of their ideals when they discovered that drinking water in some
areas weren't up to par, leash laws were different in each area,
and the chances of finding a lost pet in a strange area were
minimal. Extended car travel is not good for a pet, either.
Animals can quickly become dehydrated and agitated when left in a
locked car while the family is inside a restaurant, or mall.  The
chances that a pet could possibly get hit by an automobile rise
every time a pet is taken into a public area, such as parking
lots or the city.  Pets do not like being kept in a crate in a
hotel.  They do not like being muzzled for barking or for
snipping at strangers. Pets just generally do not like being away
from home.

Air travel is not pleasant for a pet, either.  The cargo holds on
airplanes have erratic temperatures.  There is no heat, and there
is no air conditioning. The sounds in these cargo areas also
frighten animals and make them skittish and nervous.  Some pets
even require medication prior to flight.  Taking your pet on a
plane should only be considered under extreme circumstances. 

Pet owners soon realized that while they were comforted by the
presence of their pet on a trip, the pet was out of its comfort
zone and did not behave like its usual self. The route of
kenneling a pet was soon taken and though it saved the day in a
tight pinch, pet owners tended to know from the start that this
was not a good option for their pet. Their pets were kept in
small quarters. They were only allowed out a couple of  times a
day for a few minutes to do their business. Being crowded in an
area with other barking and whining animals would leave a pet out
of sorts for days after their owner came home. 

Options were limited for a traveling pet owner.  Some people gave
up and simply refused to have an animal if they were going to
have to be away all the time.  That was until the Pet Sitting
business made its arrival into the small business industry.
True animal lovers were the first to recognize the need for the
Petting Sitting business.  They were the ones who took it the
hardest when they were forced to see what their pets went through
when they were forced to travel with their owners, or how they
behaved after being picked up from a kennel after a week or more
away from home.   Truthfully, these individuals could not enjoy
their trips for worry.  These were individuals who hung a
stocking for their pet at Christmas, and made them a birthday
cake on the pets special day each year.  These people saw the
need and they stepped out on a limb.  They started a Pet Sitting
service.  Word spread like wildfire and pet owners world wide
started seeking these services in their own area. 

The rapid growth and success of a Pet Sitting business come when
the business owner realizes that it is a business.  A love for
animals is the foundation, but smart business sense is what will
keep you operating.  There is only a minimal amount of cost in
starting up a Pet Sitting service. That is a major plus for
anyone thinking seriously about going into this animal care
business.  A budget should be laid out to meet the costs of the
outgoing business.  Do not ever under estimate these expenses.
It is better to over estimate than to cut yourself short.  Set
goals for six months, one year, three years and five years. 
Try to stick to your plan to achieve these goals.
You should research other Pet Sitting services in your area.
Find out what their strengths and their weaknesses may be. 
Learn what the going rate for Pet Sitting is in your area.  Be
competitive in your rates.  Just because you may be doing what
you love is no reason to do it for pennies.  On the other hand,
no one is going to pay your Pet Sitting business a small fortune,
either.

You have to be a people person. The reason you get into the Pet
Sitting business may stem from being an animal lover, but if you
are not warm and friendly with people you can forget about your
Pet Sitting business getting off the ground.  Pet owners are
particular about whom they let care for their pets.  If they
sense that you are uncomfortable around them, they will be wary
of you.  Try to develop your people skills if you lack self-
confidence in that area.  You don't want your shyness to keep you
from doing what you love.  You don't want to come off as a
phoney, but maintaining eye contact and being able to carry a
conversation with the pet owner without looking at your shoes
will go a long way.

You should go out to the home and get acquainted with each pet
and design a list of duties that the client is wanting you to
perform while they are gone.  The pet owner will familiarize you
as to the habits, character and personality of each pet.  You
should know what they like to play with and what special
nicknames they have.  You should also ask the pet owner for clues
about their pet, or signs you should watch for in case of
illness.  Some dogs may lay around and sleep all day.  Others may
not settle for a moment.  You should know what to expect from
each pet in the home.  If they are not doing their usual
activities that should throw up a red flag to you.  You should
make sure that the client gives you all the information on the
pets in the home.  You will need history of illnesses,
vaccination records, veterinary information, as well as a place
to contact the pet owner if needed. It is important that you are
given a key by the client and that you are not expected to
retrieve it from a hiding place.  A possible thief could be
watching the home and may see you getting it and replacing it.
That is a disaster waiting to happen. 

Besides walking the dog, feeding the bird, tending to the cat,
and playing with the pets, a client sometimes will want a Pet
Sitting service to do other things. The Pet Sitting business can
offer many services for the traveler, besides pet care.  The
first one being home security.  You can pick up the mail,
newspaper, water the potted plants, and do a thorough walk
through of the home to make sure that everything is as it should
be for your client.  Simply opening the curtains on one visit and
closing them on the next will give the home a lived in look.
These services are in addition to pet sitting.  The possibilities
are endless as to what a Pet Sitting service can offer the
client.

The Pet Sitting business is booming.  Everyone is happy.  The
small business owner gets to do what he loves for a living . . .
being around animals.  The traveler can enjoy their trip knowing
that all is well on the home front.  The pets get to stay in
their own home, around their own things, eating their own food,
and they get to go out and play like they usually would on their
regular routine.   
 

Author Ian White is founder of Pet-Sitters.biz.  Pet-Sitters.biz
specializes in helping pet sitters and pet owners connect to each
other.  Find and screen a sitter for your pet or advertise your
pet care business.  FREE trial membership for a limited time. 
For more information, go to http://www.Pet-Sitters.biz

http://www.pet-sitters.biz/blog/2005/07/articles-by-ian-white-founder-of-pet.html