Marketing yourself and letting your potential clients know about you is an integral part of any small business, and pet sitting is no different! You will need to be reasonably internet-savvy in order to do this, as many potential clients look for pet sitters online, so look for sites and directories that advertise pet sitting services and get yourself signed up.Additionally, you may wish to find out about advertising in the phone book, shop windows, and pet-related businesses in your area too, such as dog groomers and veterinary clinics.You may want to check out Charlotte pet sitting for more.
You can also sign up with one of the various pet sitting and dog walking agencies out there, which will help you to find work and handle a lot of the paperwork and advertising duties for you, although this will of course be reflected in your take-home earnings.
Some basic tips to get started
The longer you work as a pet sitter, the more confident you will become about it, as you develop a better understanding of your own abilities and limitations. You will also soon find yourself working out ways to save time each day and maximize your income without compromising the care of your charges, and also, improve your skills continually simply be becoming exposed to more and more opportunities.
It can take some time to get your first clients on board and build up your reputation, so don't expect to start making a living wage out of pet sitting right away! It is also a good idea to build up a relationship with other local pet sitters to exchange knowledge and potentially work, such as if one of you has more work than you can handle, or if you need help when you are ill.
If you find that you aren't managing well with one particular client, such as a dog that is particularly unruly or potentially aggressive, it is important that you know when to call it a day and ask the owner to find an alternative option, rather than carrying the risk of continuing on in a situation that is potentially risky or not working out.
Also, particularly during the early stages of your business, don't bite off more than you can chew; don't commit to taking on so many animals that you will be pushed to get round to them all, don't walk more dogs than you are confident with, and if you come across a client that tells you that they have been through multiple pet sitters already but they all left, find out why!