Becoming A Pet Sitter: The Pros And Cons
Pets are changing the traditional definition of family. Statistics indicate that 76% of cat owners and 85% of dog owners in America consider their pets as part of their family. This great affection for pets has created a thriving industry built around pet care, with pet sitting businesses steadily on the rise.
Most pet owners would rather hire a pet sitter instead of leaving the responsibility of caring for their animals to a helpful neighbor or friend. This way, the pet owner has peace of mind knowing that an expert pet care service provider is looking after their animal while they're away.
However, becoming a pet sitter or starting a pet sitting business isn’t as easy as asking a few neighbors to leave their pets with you while they're at work. In addition to knowing how to handle and control the animals in your care, there are other requirements like pet sitting insurance to consider. You can take a look at our full guide on starting a pet sitting business here.
But before you start putting the wheels in motion, it's important to consider if this is the best move for you. Keep reading as we go through the possible pros and cons of starting a pet sitting business.
A love for pets is a good motivation for considering starting a pet sitting business, but it's not enough to keep your business afloat once it's up and running. This is why it's important to weigh the pros and cons of this line of business to determine whether it's truly a right fit for you.
To help you figure that out, here are some of the major benefits and downsides of running a pet sitting business.
Benefits Of A Pet Sitting Business
Take a look at some of the biggest benefits of starting your own pet sitting business:
Freedom to work as little or as much as you want
As a pet sitter, you are your own boss. Of course, the role comes with unique challenges, but being in charge of your success is generally good. As your business grows, you can choose the clients to work with and those to turn down (such as those who want you to sit their pets before sunrise).
Earn money doing what you love
Making decent money from spending quality time with dogs, cats, and other pets is sheer fun for someone who loves animals. It beats the nine-to-five grind of doing something you absolutely detest.
Low startup costs
Starting a pet sitting business generally requires a low investment compared to other small business ideas. You don’t have to worry about maintaining a storefront because there is none. Even the cost of advertising your business is very low, at least at the initial stage, because you’ll mostly depend on referrals from clients, which costs almost nothing. Besides, most pet owners will provide their own leashes and other supplies. With Book Your Pet, you can get a full suite of business management tools for a low monthly fee.
Relatively easy to build a client base
Landing new clients is as easy as selling your services to people in your neighborhood and community. And if you do a good job, you’ll have loyal customers who will recommend you to other pet owners. You can also get more clients by building a network that includes veterinarians and pet stores in your area. With Book Your Pet, potential customers will be able to search for and find you with ease.
Get good exercise while working
Pet sitting is a great way to get lots of workouts every day, which is good for your health and fitness. This is particularly the case if dogs are part of your pet sitting schedule due to the need to walk them regularly throughout the day. No matter what type of pet you work with though, you’re probably not going to spend eight hours sitting behind a desk in a cubicle every day!
Downsides Of A Pet Sitting Business
We won't pretend that starting a business is going to be all sunshine and roses. You're bound to run into some minor complications along the way. Here are some of the potential downsides to starting a pet sitting business:
Physically demanding work
Starting a pet sitting business is a hands-on decision that can require you to be active and physical throughout the day. This is especially the case if you plan to make it a full-time business. If your health and fitness don’t allow you to go several miles a day while keeping up with all the activities of pet-sitting, you may want to consider another line of business.
You may have to work odd hours
Pet sitting requires plenty of flexibility in your work hours. Not all clients will stick to the regular working hours. In many instances, it may be necessary to make urgent short-term pet sitting arrangements on weekends or when clients have emergency trips. Consider whether giving up your weekends or sitting a pet at odd hours is something you are willing to do.
Business knowledge and animal know-how
Anyone with a passion for pets can take on a career in pet sitting. However, succeeding in your chosen career requires more than just your love for animals. While you don’t need any formal training to be a pet sitter, you need basic business knowledge as well as solid experience in handling different pets and caring for them in case of injuries or other emergencies.
Chasing payment
Chasing money is no fun, but it's something most self-employed people have to face. Some clients will forget, while others will always pay late. You need to find a way to reduce money chasing, like setting up automatic payment reminders or collecting deposits or payments at the time of booking using the Book Your Pet business software.
You may have to provide additional services
Some clients may expect you to provide other services apart from pet sitting. For example, you may be asked to groom or bathe a dog, dispose of dog waste, cook homemade meals for dogs, or even clean the house. It's usually best to have a price list for additional services so that you can add it to your bills anytime you are expected to provide extra services while pet sitting. With Book Your Pet it's easy to make it clear what services you offer. You can list multiple service categories and can even include add-on services that customers can choose to include at checkout.
Summary
Starting a pet sitting business can be an incredibly rewarding process. If you'd much rather work with pets than people then this business venture will allow you to be surrounded by four-legged friends, day in and day out.
Before starting your business, weigh up the pros and cons and make sure that you're confident that this is the right decision for you. If you decide it is, congratulations, you've taken the first step to becoming a verified petpreneur.
Book Your Pet offers a suite of solutions to help you build and grow your business.
Our Membership has all the information and resources you need to start building a pet business. The Book Your Pet software also provides a complete, comprehensive support system that will make running and growing your business easier than ever. Automate your operations, market your business, and set yourself up for success. Sign up today.