Don’t you just love using four-letter words?
They have power.
Use the right ones at the right time and you’ll succeed beyond your wildest dreams.
They make you feel good, keep you energized and have others looking up to you in admiration.
I’m not, of course, talking about those four-letter obscenities. I’m talking about the two four-letter words that most of us forget about.
Earlier this month, I was thrilled to be asked to write for the Technorati Small Business Channel.
Technorati was founded to help people discover great blog content, and their network of media sites was just ranked the 5th largest media property.
Needless to say, I’m stoked to have been given this opportunity to expand my business knowledge to a wider audience.
With that said, below are the first 5 articles published on Technorati. I’m certain pet sitters can find value in these posts.
I love all things technology. Rarely, though, does something as cool as Google Voice come along.
I’ve been using Google Voice (GV) for several months now and I am in awe of the service and capability.
In a nut shell, GV provides you with one phone number that you can tie to all your phones. It’s not a phone service, but rather a way to manage your phones.
Initially, the service was in beta and accounts were given out by Google by invite only. They have now begun to change all that.
We recently updated our “What Is PetSittingOlogy (About Us)” page (check it out, you can listen to an interview and learn more about my background).
The following list of 8 components was originally featured on that ‘About’ page but didn’t fit the bill during our page revamp.
So, it’s now restructured into a full-featured blog post here. Please make it feel welcome.
And, here we go…
My wife Alitia absolutely loves our Tivo. She’s also the one in charge of the remote control, for the record.
One of the brilliant ways Alitia saves us money each month is on movie rentals.
Instead of shelling out $5 per rental (or more on a Netflix service fee), she’ll go through the Tivo guide and search our channels for upcoming movies to record.
We then build up a library of movies to watch at our leisure (with no late fees, of course). A common enough practice.
Apparently, we’ve been catching a string of movies about dogs and honestly I don’t know how many more I can take.
Who can use a healthy dose of good news right about now?
Well, if you’re a member of PSI (Pet Sitters International) or NAPPS (National Association of Professional Pet Sitters) you are now eligible to receive quality and affordable health care.
If your pet sitting business is your main source of income, you may have found health care to be a near impossibility to afford or obtain.
Are you looking for more pet sitting clients than you can possibly handle?
Of course you are, it’s a trick question!
We can all use a spike in our bank accounts right about now and one way to increase our available balance is to increase our client base.
The holiday season is no longer just around the corner; it is squarely upon us. And it’s no secret that the last few months of the year are the most profitable for working pet sitters.
There seem to be a variety of misconceptions about becoming a pet sitter and running a pet sitting business in general.
It looks like the industry has fallen into the “easy as pie, anyone can do it” category, along with “anyone can make money fast from pet sitting.”
I see two schools of thought on this subject:
On one hand, since there are no tests to pass or forms to fill out, anyone can open up shop and call themselves a pet sitter and start making money from it.
And on the other hand, it’s still every bit a business and requires a certain level of business skill including knowledge that is specific to the pet care world.
Have you noticed the interesting phenomenon about the current season of America’s Got Talent?
As we approach the finals, it’s becoming more and more apparent.
America’s Got Talent is not about talent at all. Sure, the finalists certainly have talent, but the show is not actually about talent.
“What?!” you may be thinking. “But it’s got the word talent right in the title!”
Fair enough. So let’s back up for a second. It’s important to note that none other than Simon Cowell created the show. Mr. Cowell is certainly no stranger to producing compelling and exciting television shows.
Are you doing everything possible to assure an exceedingly positive experience for both you and your clients?
After all, the more you enjoy doing your job, the more your clients will return. And the more clients that return, well, you get the concept…
Imagine the feeling of pleasure and satisfaction you’ll obtain from not only doing a job well done, but also completing a thorough job well done.
You’ve covered all your bases, and life is good.
I’ve outlined 16 steps that will take you from the initial contact with the potential client all the way through your post-job follow up email.