We have received many e-mails from our readers who are not in business yet but want to be asking us how to start. This post is intended to be a quick startup guide to get a pet sitting business up and ready for customers within 7 days and in some cases with as little as $100 start up costs invested. This article is by no means comprehensive - just an outline of the required steps and some resources to get more information if you need it quickly. We will take each step of the process and break it down in detail in subsequent posts.

For now, we are responding to our readers request for a quick outline of the steps needed to get started. This post is intended for those of you whose most pressing need to for immediate cash. It is not intended to replace a business plan or more sophisticated marketing strategies. Anyone can start using this method and through implementation of some of our marketing strategies can grow a fledgling dog sitting business into a full blown profit generator.

We have set each step up to take a day to complete. Some of these steps will only require a just minutes up to a few hours of your time. You could complete multiple steps in a day and be ready for business sooner than 7 days.

Please feel free to post or e-mail us your questions. That will help us decide which segment(s) of the setup process we should create first - the more responses on a particular topic - the sooner we will write about it.

Our business is all about prospering the pet care business owner so that pets are given safe, competent and loving care. So, we don’t want you to think you can setup a business in 7 days and never have to do anything else except get more and more clients. Please keep visiting our blog and contact us with any specific questions you have. We want your business to flourish - that’s what we are here for.

Hopefully you have already done the first two steps before deciding to start a doggy day care…you have researched your market and you have developed the minimum skills necessary. We already know so many of you have a passion for animals and that has led to your decision and that is not at all a bad way to choose a business…it’s just not the only requirement.

Once you have completed your market research and you know your market can sustain another pet sitter…you are on your way. If you haven’t done your market research, let me just add this one disclaimer…almost any market has room for a new player if that player has a unique selling proposition. If you are committed to this business and to the animals in your care - we will help you build a healthy business.

If you are able to differentiate yourself from the rest of the market - almost any market will not only sustain a new business but it will actually allow you to prosper and grab market share. We aren’t going to get into the market research or creative marketing strategies in this post…this article is for those who have already chosen Pet Sitting as their business of choice and need help getting up and running.

Let’s get started….

First is the Legal Considerations

(Disclaimer: I am not an attorney and this is not legal advice. Please consult an attorney for legal advice).

1 - Choose Your Business Entity Structure

• Corporation
• LLC
• Sole Prorietorship
  • • you can use online service to get more information about each structure and/or to setup your business quickly and inexpensively

    It is important to understand from the beginning that if you choose to setup an LLC or Corporation, you must keep your “personal” and “business” money and bookkeeping separate. We won’t go into detail here because most of you will start out as a Sole Proprietor; for now just know that if/when you choose to setup your LLC or Corporation keeping separate books and bank accounts is a requirement to maintain your legal status.

2- Understand Employment Laws - applicable if you intend to hire employees

Find more information by doing a google search on “employment laws in “your state”"; or you can go to your state’s official website and search there.

• Minimum Wage
• Overtime Pay - over 40 hours per work week
• Restrictions on employing children
• Taxes
• Record Keeping

3-Understand Local Zoning Laws if you are planning to run the business out of your home

You can find information at your county’s official website or by googling “zoning laws in “your” county, “your state”

4- Obtain Necessary Licenses and Insurance

• Business License
  • You can find information regarding your state’s Business License requirements here

• Pamphleting or Solicitors License
  • Contact your city clerks office or local police department if you plan to solicit within city limits to obtain a solicitors license
  • many cities provide information including cost and applications online - start with a google search

4a. Insurance

Insurance providers are listed below. Please get all of your coverage and quotes in writing and compare policies to meet your specific needs. For example - some policies only cover pet sitting performed in a commercial building. Please review your options carefully to be sure they fit your needs and always get coverage terms in writing to assure your safety.

• Mourer-Foster
• PSI
• INSFAC

5-Inexpensive Basic Marketing Tips Strategies and Price Setting

The fastest and least expensive way to get started is through word of mouth. If you know people who own dogs - whether or not they use pet sitting or not…let them know you are in business. Ask for referrals.

Offer free pet sitting to your friends and family in exchange for referrals. This serves three important purposes: one of course is to get referrals; second, to iron out your processes on family and friends before you sign up clients who are strangers to you; third, it lets your family and friends know right from the start that you are in business and if they want your services you will expect something in return.

I hope you aren’t cringing at this…it is all out critical to your long term success. You must set boundaries with the people closest to you - right from the start is best. Think of best friends, neighbors and family members as your biggest time thieves. If you don’t control the boundaries you will end up working for them for free when you should be taking on new clients; or engaging in activities that have nothing to do with business when you should be focused on work.

People closest to you will have a tendency to think that since you now work from home you have an open door policy to their every whim. Just watch if you don’t believe me. It won’t be long before your sister or neighbor call you up to baby sit while they run to the grocery store right in the middle of the day.

You will want to say ….HELLLOOOOO, I’m working! You can avoid the whole uncomfortable scenario by setting up boundaries from the very beginning.

I don’t mean to suggest you shouldn’t help out friends and family - aren’t we all interested in personal time freedom when we decide to go into business for ourselves? Just remember, your small business failure or success will rely a great deal on your ability to discipline yourself and your schedule.

Okay, basic marketing strategy number 2: Flyers

This is extremely basic but very effective. You can put up flyers any where you find a public bulletin board. You can get permission to put up flyers in places of business; high rises, apartment buildings, veterinarian clinics, pet stores, grocery stores, any where there is traffic.

If you get your solicitors license you can also canvas the neighborhoods around your home. It is best to try to keep your sitting clients within a few mile radius especially in the beginning. You can just blanket communities, don’t worry about finding just the dog owners. You never know if the home owner has friends or family they can pass the flyer on to.

If you haven’t already, sign up for our newsletter on our homepage: http://dogbusinessdaily.com we are sending out a message about creating effective, high converting flyers in the next issue.

6-Supplies and Equipment Needed

Unless you are going to be sitting in your own home - you won’t require much in the way of your own supplies or equipment. Even though the pet owners provide leashes, collars, food, toys etc., I always recommend keeping a “kit” in your vehicle at all times in case of an emergency need - like the owner drove to work with the leash in her car.

I recommend keeping a small, medium and large choker type collar or a leash that you use as a collar and leash combo for any size dog (like the one your vet uses).

I always keep biscuits or puperoni’s in the event behavior needs to be coaxed with food (of course you need the owners approval before handing out any treats). There is nothing more frustrating than letting a dog out in his own fenced in yard and then not being able to get him back in the house.

*tip: some pet sitters keep dogs on a leash even in their own fenced in yards. If the pet owner wants you to let the dog roam free - it is up to you to decide whether or not you can handle the job. Base your decision on how well behaved the dog is, how safe you feel in the environment (is there a high risk of injury or any risk of escape)?

Always ask if the owner is okay with you keeping the dog on a leash if that is your intention. If the owner doesn’t agree and you aren’t comfortable controlling the dog - pass on the job.

You will need client information forms, contracts, a billing system and an organization process in place. We can get you started very simply - I am going to add a post for forms and business processes in the next day or two.

Just know you will need an iron clad way of keeping your keys and schedules in order. You are taking on the responsibility of caring for these animals and there is no place for lost keys or schedule mishaps.

7 - Naming Your Business and the Internet

I added this at the last minute - just to make a note that if you plan to have an internet presence at some point in the future and we recommend that you do…you might want to make sure you can get your business name as a domain name.

Naming your business is an important part of “branding” you and your business. You can make it simple, cute, professional, funny…anything that conveys the business attitude you want to portray. We will often recommend branding your own name in the business.

There are long term benefits - we will discuss in other posts.

For now, go to google, do a search for “godaddy sale” click on the link that gives you the best domain sale price..usually running around $6.95 and go to godaddy.com and select and reserve your domain name. You don’t have to do anything with it right now.

There’s lots of information and lots to keep you busy for the next couple days. Sign up for our newsletter to get additional startup information as well as marketing tips to grow your business and check back soon for more detailed explanation of the 7 steps above.

Good Luck and Congratulations on your new business.

Waggles,