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I have been running my own little pet-sititng/house-sitting service here in So. Cal for the past 3-years, and while I have had moderate success, I haven't been able to expand this service as much as I would like. I started out solely advertising on Craigslist, and most of my current and past clients, in fact, contacted me via my Craigslist postings; I initially gained quite a few clients from Craigslist, but then it soon tapered off. And besides Craigslist, I have gained some references through "word of mouth." But I am still a pretty small-scale service hoping to gain additional clients.
Anyone here have any experience starting and/or running a pet-sitting/house-sitting service, and if so, would you care to share any tips on how you gained clients and/or expanded your service? Although I have had moderate success with Craigslist, I hope to find other ways to reach potential clients; because although Craigslist is free and easy to use, it tends to attract the bargain-basement shoppers, those people with the "garage sale" mentality seeking the best product/service for the absolute cheapest price. And while my prices tend to be pretty low relative to others offering the same service in the area, I still get a lot of people asking for discounts (especially the wealthier people who have large homes, nice cars, etc., but who want their pets cared for as cheaply as possible).
Also, I carry pet-sitting/house-sitting insurance and bonding, and I am certified in pet first-aid/CPR, so I am not just some kid down the street doing this as a side gig; plus, I have excellent references and a clean background (Dept. of Justice background clearance). So, it's not like I am unqualified; I take this service very seriously, and since I have a genuine love for animals, I enjoy doing this type of work. But my biggest problems seem to be marketing and reaching new potential clients. Admittedly, so far, all of my marketing has been done through Craigslist and word-of-mouth. But I am currently working on creating a website for my service, and I am hoping that will increase business. And I am not yet an established business with a business name or city license, but I am looking into establishing myself as a sole proprietor with a DBA (I am not looking into becoming so big that I would have to hire several employees and obtain an actual storefront).
I would greatly appreciate any tips/info from anyone experienced in running this type of service.
I don't personally but I have two freinds who do this for all or part of their living. One of them has been my dog sitter for 10 years. I hooked her up with the other person when she was looking to get out of her old job and do something else. She is a excellent pet sitter. Both of them work for a bigger company that sets them up with clients.
The one who does it part time has a set up at home where she can take large dogs for extended stays. She has had as many as 17 big dogs at her house when I have visited.
The other one does home visits as well as being a regular caretaker for several horses on a private farm.
I think having a well designed website will help you a lot. It was what got me a larger client list with my hoof trimming work. Word of mouth is a big help. Placing flyers at local pet stores or in places where pet owners go frequently is also a idea to consider.
Also keep our pricing in mind. Being too cheap can actually hurt you. People tend to think that if they are paying a lot for it it must be better...Make sure that you are charging at least the average going rate for your area.
Word of mouth is free and the best way to gain new customers. Give good service, take good care of the animals, treat the owners well.... and don't be cheap! We ran a high end doggie hotel for over 10 yrs and were expensive. But the facility was great with lots of outdoor space, huge rooms with couches and art on the walls and we specialized in group play before that became an accepted norm in the business.
All of our dogs went home clean and brushed, nails clipped if they needed it. We didn't charge extra for medications, or cookie, or tummy rubs.
Charge well for your services, be a bit choosey with the dogs (and people) you take! Let it be known that some dogs are not invited back.
Word of mouth is free and the best way to gain new customers. Give good service, take good care of the animals, treat the owners well.... and don't be cheap! We ran a high end doggie hotel for over 10 yrs and were expensive. But the facility was great with lots of outdoor space, huge rooms with couches and art on the walls and we specialized in group play before that became an accepted norm in the business.
All of our dogs went home clean and brushed, nails clipped if they needed it. We didn't charge extra for medications, or cookie, or tummy rubs.
Charge well for your services, be a bit choosey with the dogs (and people) you take! Let it be known that some dogs are not invited back.
Thank you for the info. It sounds as if you had quite the business going -- that's great!
Yeah, I always strive to deliver quality service, so I agree that my prices should reflect that. But I tend to be fair-minded to a fault, which often means I underprice for many of my house-sitting/petsitting services. And like I stated, the clients I get from Craigslist tend to be the discount-minded shoppers, and I find it hard to turn people down. I think my still being a small-scale operation makes me want to please everyone in an effort to garner more business -- a bad habit I admit!
I have to break that "I always have to be cheapest" mentality!
When you had your business, did you go through a particular insurance company for coverage? The current plan I have is being transferred to a new company, and they are drastically raising rates, so I'd like to weigh other options.
I don't personally but I have two freinds who do this for all or part of their living. One of them has been my dog sitter for 10 years. I hooked her up with the other person when she was looking to get out of her old job and do something else. She is a excellent pet sitter. Both of them work for a bigger company that sets them up with clients.
The one who does it part time has a set up at home where she can take large dogs for extended stays. She has had as many as 17 big dogs at her house when I have visited.
The other one does home visits as well as being a regular caretaker for several horses on a private farm.
I think having a well designed website will help you a lot. It was what got me a larger client list with my hoof trimming work. Word of mouth is a big help. Placing flyers at local pet stores or in places where pet owners go frequently is also a idea to consider.
Also keep our pricing in mind. Being too cheap can actually hurt you. People tend to think that if they are paying a lot for it it must be better...Make sure that you are charging at least the average going rate for your area.
Thank you for the response. Yeah, I need to get more aggressive with marketing my services. I am working on my website, and I am going to soon create some business cards to distribute. I have also had good results through word-of-mouth, and I'm hoping that will continue!
Your friend's dog-sitting service sounds great. I wish I lived in a more rural area and had a large lot so that I could offer dog boarding at my location; that would be optimal, as I get a lot of inquiries about in-home dog boarding. But I live in a typical big-city suburb where the houses are small and the yards and lots are tiny. So at best, I could dog-sit a dog or two at a time, but nothing more.
I recently hired a petsitter, after much deliberation...I'm paying them $486 for a week's worth of care for my one cat. And I'm thrilled. I had no friend I could trust to come by 3 times a day to maintain his all-wet diet. So, what persuaded me to shell out this kind of cash?
This company had a good website that came up within the first page of my Google search results. They had multiple good reviews on not only their own site, but on Google reviews, Yelp!, and so forth. There were profiles for each person involved describing their background, with photos of them posing with animals. The staff are longterm rescue volunteers, vet techs, and specialize in special needs animals requiring meds. All of this info was present on the website. Testimonials from customers were also there. They keep a book of notes, a "diary" of visits, and email or text updates with photos.
As for pricing, while they are charging comparable prices ($20/visit, plus an additional $10 for visits on a holiday)...they do offer certain discounts. One discount is for those who rescued their pets instead of buying them. During the preliminary interview, the lady asked me, "And how did you and Nimbus meet?" And gave me 5% off after I told her he was a rescue.
She also has a reciprocal agreement with some of the rescues and holistic petstores in the area. She is allowed to advertise her services at their locations, and she hands out their cards or brochures to her clients. DEFINITELY take brochures or cards to any holistic, organic, or high end pet supply stores in your region! It's a guarantee, those are the folks who will shell out top dollar for the right petsitter...
EDIT: I didn't even check Craigslist. I wouldn't trust anyone I found there to necessarily not be a scammer, because CL is so full of that sort of thing these days.
I recently hired a petsitter, after much deliberation...I'm paying them $486 for a week's worth of care for my one cat. And I'm thrilled. I had no friend I could trust to come by 3 times a day to maintain his all-wet diet. So, what persuaded me to shell out this kind of cash?
This company had a good website that came up within the first page of my Google search results. They had multiple good reviews on not only their own site, but on Google reviews, Yelp!, and so forth. There were profiles for each person involved describing their background, with photos of them posing with animals. The staff are longterm rescue volunteers, vet techs, and specialize in special needs animals requiring meds. All of this info was present on the website. Testimonials from customers were also there. They keep a book of notes, a "diary" of visits, and email or text updates with photos.
As for pricing, while they are charging comparable prices ($20/visit, plus an additional $10 for visits on a holiday)...they do offer certain discounts. One discount is for those who rescued their pets instead of buying them. During the preliminary interview, the lady asked me, "And how did you and Nimbus meet?" And gave me 5% off after I told her he was a rescue.
She also has a reciprocal agreement with some of the rescues and holistic petstores in the area. She is allowed to advertise her services at their locations, and she hands out their cards or brochures to her clients. DEFINITELY take brochures or cards to any holistic, organic, or high end pet supply stores in your region! It's a guarantee, those are the folks who will shell out top dollar for the right petsitter...
EDIT: I didn't even check Craigslist. I wouldn't trust anyone I found there to necessarily not be a scammer, because CL is so full of that sort of thing these days.
Thanks for the reply!
Wow! -- $486 for a weeks' worth of cat care!? That sounds like an awful lot of money for cat-sitting, but, hey, if the person delivers great attention and service, then I guess it would be worth it!
Like I said in previous posts, I always seem to attract the people who expect a lot of service for the absolute cheapest price. I have had a few very generous clients, but they are few and far between. When I first started pet-sitting, I made the mistake of selling myself too cheaply; But I quickly realized that was a mistake, with gas prices and commute times not leaving me much profit in the end.
Here in So. Cal, gas prices are now around $4.25/gallon, so I have to charge enough to cover gas PLUS my time. I have a family that is using me the next 10 days to check-on and feed their two dogs. They live 3.7 miles from my house (7.4 round trip). They want twice a day visits ( morning and evening). I'm charging them $25/day ($12.50/visit). The husband sort of hemmed and hawwed when I quoted him the price. And this family is very well to do: big house, upscale neighborhood, fancy cars, etc. most 'professional' companies would charge significantly more than I quoted, yet I still get the 'hard sell' from a lot of folks.
I realize pet-sitting is not a skilled trade that requires extensive training or schooling to perform, but nonetheless, it is a valuable service that is in high demand; many people are stuck and have no friends/family to care for their pets at various times, so people like me are valuable.
Most vet offices have bulletin boards. Ask if you can leave a brochure of your services, plus attached business cards on them. Go to every vet office within a reasonable distance for you. This is a good way to find people who take care of their pets and are willing to pay fair fees for pet sitters.
The lobbies of my local Petsmart and Petco stores also have many flyers up for pet sitting services.
Stress the fact that you bonded & insured. make note of what services you offer. We use a cat petsitter once in a while. She will also take in out mail, water plants .
Please do not undervalue yourself. You are looking after someone's whole life, while they are away.
If you are good at your job, and I mean really good at it, the house will be cleaner than when your clients left, and the animals will not want to see you leave.
I have built a business entirely on word of mouth. I have rich clients, and poor clients. I do not worry obsessively about my fees. I live in Montreal, so I do not worry about gas prices. You have to include gas prices, or you will not be able to cover your expenses.
I give discounts to artists, seniors, and students. Other than that, everyone has to pay fair market rate for really excellent service.
Understanding how late this post is, and wishing you all the best. You are a very kind and thoughtful person.
Get yourself some magnetic signs for your car doors.
Put flyers in all the local pet stores, feed stores, and farm and ranch stores. Contact the local humane society and see if they keep a list of professionals that they recommend.
Contact your local parks and recreation and see if they will let you give a class on basic pet care.
Always wear a shirt with your business name on it... really big so no one has to rest their cheek on your breasts in order to read it.
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Pet sitting is a very skilled trade
