How Can I Give My Pet Care Small Business An Edge?
My husband and I own and operate our own pet care business- we provide pet sitting and dog walking services. We are willing to accommodate alternative requests when they are made but we rarely get them.
I know that pet care businesses are gaining popularity because people are doing more for their pets. However, as a small business what services could I offer or what approaches could I take to appeal to pet owners more than the average pet sitter?
While I’m willing to undergo additional training for more skills like grooming and training, what services could be useful that I could offer right away?
My business already offers pet sitting visits that are one hour in duration, which is unheard of among professional sitters around here (most people stay for 30 minutes or so). Without dropping prices, what could I do that would appeal to you and make my business your first choice? I want to be unconventional- don’t want to stick to JUST dog walking, pet sitting and house sitting.
Health care! There are so manmy things you can do without a vet that will make sure to keep low cost for owners and more income for you!
The DHPP (parvo combo) vaccines can be given by you and if you do cats, the FVRCP vaccines can be done as well. Reaearch small animal care and learn the facts, so you can educate your customers!
Dogs need HeartGuard or a heart worm prevention once a month, and if they go months or more without it, they need to be tested first, or if they have heartworms, giving them the preentative could kill them!
Also, little things like not being abl to give cats the flea prevention from Walmart stores could be a good thing to spread around. It has an active ingredient permethrin and is very toxic and can kill them.
Puppies and kittens need at least three vaccines (DHPP/FVRCP) to be protected, and until they are 3 months and cn be on the heartguard, they need de-worming with Strongid or another pyrantel based wormer to prevent those nasty intestinal worms.
Also, outside cats need to be tested for leukemia and vaccoinated yearly.
These are just a few very commonly ovrlooked things I see daily,and you can investigate them more thoroughly or even ask your vet about them. The Strongid you can also keep on hand, but stay away from trying to do rabies vaccines yourself (its illegal) and leave the heartworm prevention and testing to the vets as well. GOOD LUCK!!!
Offer “green” environmentally friendly options for waste removal, treats, toys and accessories. Leashes and collars made of hemp and organic pet food could help if you advertise it in the right market. Have a “points” system, like so many sitting sessions equals a free toy.
you could open up a kennel or small dog hotel? or petsitting thing where people bring their pets to you.
When you start a new business, it is very important to advertise AGGRESSIVELY!
You have to spend to make, and as you mentioned, pet care is becoming very popular.
Personally, I have seen Pet Services grow dramatically as far as advertising in the paper. Because of this, there is a lot of competition, so these places run “specials” all the time.
Try your local paper, Internet, Fliers and so on…
a pet sitter who also grooms and trains my dog – I’d go for it -
Or volunteer at an animal shelter – or offer to train or groom animal shelter dogs for the shelter if they will refer you as a good pet sitter or allow your business cards to sit on the front desk – plus you get animal grooming and training experience
Or when animal shelter has events, offer as a prize your pet sitting services –
I know when I volunteered at an animal shelter, almost all the people in the pet profession gave some time, or products.
with pet sitting what animals do u sit? If you sit dogs and cats too then I would wash and give the pet owners choices of what you do. Like frozen treats in the summer, pool time in the summer, certain a mount long waks, play time with other dogs and cats, cats away from dogs, both animals play with you or uer husband for a certain amount of time…I would LOVE that for my kennel!
Basical just play time… 
Doggy Day Care is becoming popular. Those that get along with each other is large fenced area with interactive toys for each other & with people. Include a large wading pool and floating toys. This is a care which stimulates mind & body of pets and run simular to a child day care which has petting time, play time, snak time & nap time.