Do you have little ones at home who are continually asking when they can get a puppy, but you’re not quite sure if they’re actually ready for that full-time commitment? A good way to test the waters and discover what kind of pet actually feels right for your family — and to see who’s going to be the one to take the dog out on daily walks — is by trying your hand at pet sitting.
If you have any friends and family members with pets, you may recognize the stress that they feel when they have to travel out of town and need someplace safe and loving for their pet to stay while they’re gone. You might turn into a true furry friend savior of sorts to the loved ones in your life by opening up your family and home in this way.
And if you’re always looking for ways to put extra money aside for bills, travel, or even the kids’ college fund, this can be a really fun way to do it.
Let’s take a look at the steps you need to take to start a successful and safe at-home pet sitting business with your family.
1. Make sure your kids and home are ready to take on the responsibility and care involved with providing care for animals.
If there’s one thing you need to be sure about before embarking down a path that includes a pet sitting business at home, it’s that your children and partner are on the same page as you, because it simply will not work for both you and the pets coming to stay at your home if everyone doesn’t completely love the idea.
If your kids are super small and you’re still teaching them about how to properly interact and touch an animal in a caring and safe manner, you may want to wait a year or two until they’re more physically and emotionally equipped.
If your children are a bit older and have expressed interest in getting a dog, you can have a conversation with them about starting this pet sitting business. You could tell them that it’s a great way to interact with pets of all breeds and to get a feel for how your family does as a whole unit with a furry friend to take care of.
If everyone is on board and wants to give it a go, it’s then time to make sure your home is pet-ready. This means making sure all areas are safe, and you have items for play, walk time, feeding, and bedtime. A lot of this can be provided by the pet parent, but it’s always good to think ahead and plan for any emergency situations.
2. Start out with family and friends at first to see how your kids and the pets are together.
To get the ball rolling with your family pet sitting business, you could volunteer yourself and your home to a good friend or family member the next time they are in need of pet care. Think of your first few times as a trial to make sure you’re doing the right thing for both the pets and your family.
This is the time to work out any kinks that may pop up, which may include getting all the details about how the pet parent provides care for their pet at home. Do they sleep in a crate at night? If so, you need to ensure that you have a safe and quiet spot for pet crates in your home.
You could also set up a pet assignment chart of sorts to mark down when and who is going to take care of meals and any treats as well as walks and social outdoor time. Once you map it all out and give everyone a heads-up in terms of what their responsibilities are, things should go fairly smoothly, and you should be able to enjoy the time you have with the pet.
3. If all feels right, decide on your rates and set up a social media page to start scheduling some pet sitting.
When things are feeling pretty official with moving forward, you’ll want to decide on your pet sitting rates before setting up a proper social media page and website.
It really depends on the length of the pet’s stay and what kind of animal they are and the level of care that’s involved, but if a dog is staying for a full day and overnight, a lot of reputable and professional pet sitting services charge anywhere from $60 to $100 for a full day of care.
You can play with these payment rates and decide if larger breeds of dogs or senior pets that require more from you, including providing medications and special diet plans, should escalate your price point. But once you have decided on the pricing and payments, you can start setting things up online for yourself.
When thinking about your online presence, you’ll want to set yourself up on social media to get the word out about your services. Be sure to use hashtags that include the city you live in and the service you’re providing to make sure that the people who are looking for you can find you.
It’s not always necessary, but you can also set up an easy webpage where you can include fun photos with the pets you looking after, your rates, and even a booking app for clients.
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4. Don’t forget to spread the word with friends, at school events, and with friendly acquaintances at any extracurriculars, because most people need a good pet sitter.
And one thing that’s very important to remember when starting a small business is that you should never be afraid to promote yourself.
This means that when you’re hanging out with friends and the topic of vacation comes up and you know they have a pet a home, make sure you let them know about your pet sitting venture.
You could even post a few flyers in your neighborhood at the library or community center or even up on your kid’s school notice board for other parents to see.
If you’re hanging out with other parents while watching your kid play soccer or participate in a gymnastics class, mention your pet sitting in casual conversation, because it’s likely that you’ll be met with a few questions and maybe even your next pet sitting appointment.
