How to Make Money Pet Sitting

People love and dote on their pets, which is reflected in the fact that the pet industry pulls in close to $50 billion annually. An increasingly popular career in the pet industry is pet sitting. If you love working with animals, pet sitting may be an ideal way to spend time with pets while making decent money.

Things You'll Need

  • Insurance
  • Website
  • Hosting
  • Domain name
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Instructions

    • 1

      Find employment with a pet sitting company, if there’s one in your town. If you’re more independent and like challenges, start your own pet sitting business.

    • 2

      If you opt to open your own pet sitting business, start by deciding what services you are going to offer to your clientèle. In addition to pet sitting services, you might offer daily dog walks, a pet taxi, overnight stays, plant watering and mail pickup.

    • 3

      Set your rates, taking into consideration the length of each visit, whether you’re going to require potential clients to pay a fee for the initial consultation with you and if you’re going to add a surcharge per visit during holiday periods. Research other pet sitting businesses to determine the rates they charge, so that you don’t undercharge or overcharge your clients.

    • 4

      Have a website designed professionally or purchase a website template and customize it for your needs. Consider your market when deciding whether you want a more sophisticated website design or a cuter, more fun website design.

    • 5

      You must have comprehensive insurance if you want to protect yourself and your pet sitting business. You can purchase insurance through your insurance broker or through several non-profit and for-profit pet sitting associations.

    • 6

      Emergencies happen, and you want to be prepared for those emergencies by taking a pet first-aid class. Most local Red Cross chapters hold pet first-aid classes, so check with your local chapter. Be sure to advertise on your website that you successfully completed such a class.

    • 7

      Complete the legalities for running a business in your town and state, including applying for relevant business permits and licenses, and registering your pet sitting business name.

    • 8

      Begin marketing your pet sitting business in your neighborhood. There are a plethora of marketing methods you might want to try, including joining your local Chamber of Commerce, handing out business cards and brochures, sending a press release to local media, and spreading the news through word of mouth.

    • 9

      You’re now ready to begin taking reservations. In addition to taking reservations by phone, make sure your clients and potential clients can sign up for your service on your website.