I was strolling around the web this morning and found myself at the pet sitting services section on Craigslist.
Naturally, there are plenty of listings for pet sitters trying to find their next pet sitting client.
Some listings are from established companies, while others, uh, are not.
I’d like to share with you a listing that caught my eye. Unfortunately, it was for the wrong reasons.
There’s been plenty of chat recently on the Association of Pet Sitting Excellence Members Message Boards about blogging.
Some pet sitters are already doing it, some have WordPress up and running but have not yet started writing, and others are not quite sure how to get going.
Whether you realize it or not, blogging on a regular basis will do you so much good that it’s not even funny. Seriously.
By simply writing once a day or once a week, you will be enhancing your search engine credibility and will find new visitors to your site on a regular basis.
You will also show your potential clients that you are an expert at what you do. You are saying, “I know what I’m talking about, I am a professional, and you can trust me with your pet.”
Everything we do in life either helps us in some way or it hurts us. Your Facebook presence is no different.
You know Facebook is all the rage today. We certainly continue to hear it all time:
“More than 400 million people are on Facebook…”
“If you’re not on Facebook, you’re missing out on this and that…”
“Go where your clients are…”
Every once in a while, something comes along to disrupt the status quo.
Some months ago, I received an email from fellow pet sitting business owner Danielle Chonody asking if we can set up a time to speak.
I already knew Danielle from the industry and was excited to hear what was on her mind.
Early into the conversation, Danielle cuts to the chase and says, “I want to start a pet sitting association!”
I recently had the opportunity to chat with Pampered Pet Care of Atlanta company owner Sarah Paulk on the subject of independent contractors.
Sarah’s pet sitting business was voted “Best Pet Sitting Company” in 2009 by Atlanta Magazine and with a roster of 13 independent contractors on board, the company must be doing most things right.
In this open and honest interview, Sarah walks us through the step-by-step process of finding, interviewing and hiring the perfect IC for your team.
There’s been a lot of talk lately of hiring pet sitters as independent contractors.
And it’s no secret that I’m a big fan of hiring pet sitters to help your business grow.
Bringing on the right person can make you more money by helping to expand your services and your service area.
I received this question through the Ask Joshua page:
Question:
Dear Joshua,
How can I make sure the information I share with my IC is not used against me or shared with anyone else? I don’t want my competition to know all my secrets, or the exact way I do things.
Help!
-Cindy Espers
Tampa, Florida.
Here’s an interesting ‘What If…’ that should get you thinking in the right direction.
How would you grow your pet sitting business if you were given $1000 to spend?
Where would you invest the money?
Leave your comments/list below…
Pet Sitters International (PSI) and National Association of Professional Pet Sitters (NAPPS) are the two big players in the professional pet sitter association circle.
PSI alone boasts more than 8000 members (that’s a lot of pet sitters) and the Internet is littered with articles claiming anyone can make money pet sitting.
But how much good are they really providing us with?
PSI and NAPPS both claim similar goals and benefits:
Animal House Shelter, Illinois
Animal House Shelter, Inc rescues abused and neglected dogs and cats and rehabilitates them mentally & physically in order to place them with the best new family. We rescue 98% of our dogs from high ‘kill’ shelters, pounds and various animal control facilities in which they are usually listed as strays, and almost always scheduled to be euthanized.
We have been open since June 2002 and have rescued, rehabilitated and placed over 10,000 dogs and cats, to date, into their loving forever homes!
Sterling Animal Shelter, Massachusetts
There’s a place in your community where the hungry are fed, the homeless are sheltered, and the abandoned are given care. Its your local animal shelter, right here in Sterling, MA.
Where we provide comfort and care for our community’s unwanted animals. We offer many other services too, for pets and their people.