Chances are you know the name Marcus Sheridan (The Sales Lion).
I have spoken about him plenty, have done a Google Hangout with him (and Bella Vasta), and he was our keynote speaker at both PetSittingOlogy Conferences in 2012 and 2013.
(And rumor has it, he will be along for the ride at our 3rd conference in October 2014.)
Much of what Marcus teaches is insightful, informative and spot on.
Here is one point he likes to make in his presentation.
As you know, pet owners have many options when choosing a pet sitter in their area to serve them.
Our job then becomes to create a professional first impression through our website and hope that they make contact.
From there, you will have to continue to dialogue and differentiate yourself to become the clear and only choice.
Some pet sitters like to offer GPS tracking to their mix to give the pet parents an extra sense of security and control.
However, at times the concept is not all its cracked up to be.
The end of the year is always a good time to look back on your business and take inventory on where you are and where you want to go.
Whether it’s in the form of New Year Resolutions, or not, the start of a new year can empower you to reach the next level of success.
This February, PetSittingOlogy turns 5!
I thought it would be wise to put together a list of some of my favorite and most helpful articles here so you can inch closer to your personal and business goals.
There are two kinds of drivers in the world: Good drivers and bad drivers.
We all know what the bad drivers are like: they hardly ever signal and change lanes without warning. They speed out in front of you and then go 16 miles per hour. They hold up traffic without a care in the world.
I happen to love driving and consider myself a good driver. I’m aware, I’m defensive, and I’m considerate to those around me.
I do also like driving a bit on the faster side. I’ll always choose the left lane when possible. I do not believe that makes me any less of a good driver. I just like to speed along.
My wife, however, will disagree. She happens to hate my driving! She would prefer I slow it down a bit even though I feel I am safe as can be.
Inspirational quotes and funny sayings are also extremely popular.
How would you like to be on the front end of a wildly popular shared image that you yourself put out?
Thanks to ReciteThis, you can now do just that.
As you have certainly seen in the recent past, many directory-style profile websites have popped up catering to our industry.
Sites such as Angie’s List, Care.com, DogVacay, Rover, and others are looking to be a viable resource to pet owners looking for reliable pet care.
I completely understand that the conversation here may be “these sites are nothing but filled with hobby sitters.”
But is that the case with Angie’s List?
And if that is the case, what does this mean for the future and direction of you and me (the professional pet sitter)?
Whether you are comfortable with it, or not, blogging (or simply creating content) is a requirement in the battle of SEO (search engine optimization).
Google has repeatedly said that creating unique, original, relevant content matters. Or, as they say it specifically: “Provide high-quality content on your pages, especially your homepage. This is the single most important thing to do. If your pages contain useful information, their content will attract many visitors and entice webmasters to link to your site.”
OK, so with that out of the way, today’s post looks at a recent blog article from pet sitter Laura Capra of Keep Me Company Pet Sitting.
Our 2nd Annual Pet Sitting Live Event and Conference is coming along nicer than I could have imagined – thanks, in part, to our incredible sponsors.
We created 2 programs this year to allow even more pet sitters to attend who otherwise could not because of financial restraint.
Personally, I created the Sponsor-A-Pet-Sitter program and the PetSittingOlogy Scholarship to help do all I can for those pet sitters who want to attend, but simply do not have the financial means at this time.
Plus, keep reading… we have great news for those pet sitters not selected who truly want to attend the conference, as our guest! (Watch video below.)
Did you know that I steal from people every single day?
And I know you do, too (or at least you should be)!
I spent close to 15 years in the acting and film world before I became a pet sitter.
And one of the things that I still remember today from an acting teaching of mine was that very quote (about stealing from the best).
What exactly did she mean by this?
Was she condoning illegal or unethical activity?
Of course not.
She was referring to learning, studying, and applying the techniques of the best in the industry to yourself.
Whether it’s acting, a new website, or the next greatest invention, people “steal” inspiration from those respected around them.
That’s how we learn, create and discover our own great potential.
For example, I teach pet sitters how to create an amazing website from the success of my own pet sitting business website.
Over the past 4+ years, I continue to deliver articles, tools and resources and basically say, “Hey, this is how I do it and found it to work, you should do the same (steal it!).”
If you spend any amount of time chatting with other pet sitters online, you quickly to hear similar stories, questions, issues, and frustrations.
One big overriding theme I see all too often has to do with the public perception of a pet sitter.
Sure, the pet owner who winds up hiring you understands and respects the service you provide, but this may be the exception, not the rule.
Dialogue of pet owners sneering at your fair pricing structure, making absurd requests, and expecting you as the service provider to be thankful that she is giving you the opportunity to be hired has got to stop.
But it starts with you.
In order to consider whether or not pet sitters are taken seriously (and why), we need to take a step back and understand what it means to be professional first and foremost.