How to Make Money at Home Pet Sitting

When you have a love for animals a pet sitting business is a great way to make money at home, doing something you love to do. Families who leave their pets with you want you to take time to play with their cat or dog, exercise them, and feed them properly. Since you are working from home having time to spend with the animals can be genuine. Here are steps to make money at home with a pet sitting service.

Instructions

1. Start Up Costs For Home Pet Sitting Service

   Starting a pet sitting service requires little up front costs.
   • Ensure your yard is secure and safe for the dogs and cats.
   • License and insurance costs.
   • Have a variety of pet toys.
   • Marketing costs as you can afford.

2. Pet Sitting Business Zoning Requirements

   Check with your local, county, and State governments regarding any zoning regulations that apply to a home based pet sitting business. There may be special zoning issues and licenses you must get including a kennel license and/or a business license.

3. Pet Sitting Insurance

   Check with your insurance company about liability insurance. This is to protect yourself, your family, friends, your home, your clients and their pets. Discuss the coverage of pet sitting insurance, also. The basic coverage may not cover everything your pet sitting business needs. Ask your insurance agent if there is a special rider that is needed.

4. 

   Pet Sitting Example Price List

   • Per Day
   • Dogs up to 15 lbs. $20
   -16 - 30 lbs. $23
   -31 - 45 lbs. $26
   -46 - 60 lbs. $32
   -61 - 90 lbs. $35
   • Cats - $12
   • Drop off and pickup by appointment only. All shots must be up to date and a flea control method must be in place.

   You want to make money at home with your pet sitting service so the best way to find out what the going rate is for your specific area is to call some of your competitors to hear what they charge.

5. Pet Sitting Marketing

   To make money at home you need to do some marketing. Here are some suggestions for marketing your pet sitting business.

   • To start your pet sitting business talk with local veterinarian offices and pet stores to let them know you are open to take new customers.
   • Print off business cards with contact information but focus on a marketing statement that focuses on how you can fill a need vacationing families need.
   • Your pet sitter business is typically for people within 25 - 50 miles around your home. Do some do some demographic research to create a mailing list for your target market. Print your postcards and send them out once per month.
   • If there is a local travel agent in your town let them know about your pet sitting business and ask them to provide that information when working with their clients.
   • Design flyers and leave them in grocery and other stores families frequent and/or leave one in the newspaper portion of the residential mailbox.
   • Send information, in the format of a press release, to your local newspaper and place a classified ad in for consecutive weeks.
   • Use the power of the Internet to help you make money at home with a pet sitting business. Post an ad on www.craigslist.com or other free classified ad websites such as www.oodle.com, or www.flugpo.com.

6. Keep Your Pet Sitting Business Growing

   There are ways to continue making money at home after you begin.
   • Keep information about all leads, and customers, for you to use for future marketing.
   • Once you have a few customers ask them for referrals and provide an incentive for them to let their friends and family know about your new business.
   • Stay current on issue regarding pet food, pet health, and pet toys, etc. so you will be seen as an expert in your field.
   • Join the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters (www.petsitters.org) for further advice on running your home based business.

Tips & Warnings

• Making money at home by providing a pet sitting service provides an alternative for families with pets, who are leaving town, instead of a kennel. Families treat their pets like one of the family and your home based service will help them feel more relaxed knowing their pet is in a loving home. Knowing that their pet will not be locked up in a cage, and is in the care of someone who truly loves animals, will allow them to enjoy their time away.

Resources

• Click Here to Discover How to Become a Pet Sitter
• Small Business - Dream to Reality