About a Pet Sitting Business

Why start a pet sitting business? Pet owners nationwide use pet sitters to help take care of their pets. Anywhere that people have pets there is a demand for professional pet sitters. If you are an animal lover and an inspiring entrepreneur this thriving small business industry may be the right home business idea for you.

What exactly is involved in a pet sitting business?

Pet sitting and pet care can take many different forms. Commonly these include visiting pets in-home while the owners are at work during the day, daily walks of pets, in-home pet care while the owner is away from home on vacation or business and pet sitting day care at your own home. Pet care duties can include feeding the animals, administering medications, grooming and playing with the pets, changing cat litter boxes and walking the dogs. Your time and commitment will determine the type of pet sitter services you will offer. Some people limit themselves to cats and small dog breeds others are willing to take care of all types of pets and enjoy taking bigger dogs for walks. Depending on your home situation you can offer pet "day care' where people deliver their pets to your home to be looked after while they are at work. Pet sitting services for people away on vacation can include picking up the mail and newspaper, opening and closing curtains and watering plants. There are many different services a pet sitting business can offer its clients.

What do I need to start a pet sitter business?

First and foremost you need to genuinely love animals. Pet sitting takes commitment and this is difficult if you are not an animal lover. As a pet sitter you need to know about looking after different types of pets not only cats and dogs. You may be asked to take care of rabbits, fish, snakes, guinea pigs and birds amongst others! Apart from liking animals you also have to be able to get on with their owners! Pet owners want someone they find warm and friendly to look after their pets. Good social skills are important in building a solid client base. When deciding if this is the right home business idea for you it is important to consider that pet sitters typically work over holiday periods and public holidays when pet owners are away from home. In addition you must be able to handle high levels of responsibility - pets are much loved and treasured members of the household.

What are my start up costs?

Start up costs are low. You will need liability insurance. You cannot operate your business withour pet sitting insurance. This costs anywhere between $150 and $300 depending on your area and the pet care services you will be offering. Find out more about Pet Sitting Insurance. You will have some advertising and marketing costs in order to get your pet sitting business off the ground and find clients and pet sitting jobs. These will include promotional material like flyers and business cards, advertising costs and subscriptions to professional pet sitting organizations. Find out more about Finding Pet Sitting Jobs. Ongoing business expenses basically amount to transportation costs (gas and maintenance) for client visits and phone costs for contacting clients - depending on the distances you travel this should not be more than about $30 per month.

What can I expect to earn as a pet sitter?

This depends on where your pet sitting business is located and how many visits you make per day. The National Association of Pet Sitters estimate the national average for professional pet sitters is approximately $16 per visit, each visit being about 25 - 30 minutes. It is usual to charge a couple of extra dollars per visit for each additional pet in the same household. Overnight pet sitting fees range between $50 and $80. Fees will also vary according to the pet care services you include and the size and number of pets you are looking after. Find out more about Pet Sitting Fees.

If you think that a pet sitting business is a good work from home opportunity for you go to How to Start a Pet Sitter Business.

Become a Pet Sitter - Tips and Advice

About a Dog Walking Business

Turn your passion for pets into a thriving home business