Building a pet sitting business is time intensive. We focus our marketing on getting leads and bringing in new clients, but what most people forget about are the prospects that already have expressed interest by calling in or emailing, but have never converted to a paying clients. These prospects are called our “Low Hanging Fruit.”

Picture a large, well-grown, fruitful tree. The Low Hanging Fruit is heavier and therefore hanging lower, ripe and ready for picking. These are the people that you should market to and focus on, not the higher fruit that is not quite ripe. Doesn’t that make sense?

Starting today I want you to start focusing on these warm prospecting by setting up marketing systems to keep in touch with them.

Your Assignment

Create a Low Hanging Fruit spreadsheet. This should include:

1. Client name
2. Email address
3. Mailing address (Always try and get this!)
4. Referral source
5. Pets
6. Service they’re interested in

Review and update this list weekly.

Go through your notebooks and add those people that have expressed interest in yours service over the last 6 months to 1 year, but have not converted yet. This should include any clients that have had a “Registration Meeting/ Meet & Greet” with your company.

Next, set up a system for following up with these folks. It could be an email or a phone call, or a card mailed to them. The card should include their name and their pet’s names. This is my preference for following up. People are very impressed with the fact that I take the time to send them a personalized card. There’s a saying, “People don’t care about how much you know until they know how much you care.” Show them that you care!

This method will become one of your best and most effective marketing tactics and the greatest thing is that it’s SO SIMPLE. Now, get to it!

Now, if you’re not sure about how to consistently bring in paying clients to your pet care business, you may be interested in our Private Coaching Programs. I understand how overwhelming all of this can be and I would love to help you develop a marketing plan to boost your business.

I’m dedicated to your infinite success,

The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack in will. -Vince Lombardi

Like launching any type of business, starting a pet sitting business takes a lot of planning, organization and commitment. Here are the basics to help get you started.

 
1. Get clear on your vision

• Do you want to start a pet sitting service?
• This would mean providing multiple visits per day for customers who need pet service while they are traveling or unable to be home with their pet.
• Do you want to start a dog walking business?
• This would mean providing mid day dog walks for customers who work long hours.
• Do you want to open a dog walking and pet sitting service?
• Do you want to provide house sitting services?
• Do you want to do pet boarding or open a dog day care?
• Which other dog services or cat services will you provide?
• Will you offer pet transportation?
• Will you offer pet grooming such as nail trimming or dog baths?
• Do you wan to sell pet grooming products or pet grooming supplies?
• Do you want to be a small business or a large business?
• Do you want to do the actual pet sitting and dog walking or do you want to manage the company?
• Do you want to hire employees or use independent contractors?
• This is a topic for another article, but let me VERY clear, you must put a lot of thought into this decision and set your business up correctly.
• Will you invest in professional pet sitter software or will you use a manual system (something which I highly advise against.)
• Will you join the associations? Pet Sitters International and/or National Association of Professional Pet Sitters?
• Will you protect yourself with pet sitter insurance?
• Will you be a sole proprietorship, an LLC or a Corporation?
• Pet Nanny started as a sole proprietorship, but we later became an LLC. This is a decision that you would want to discuss with your attorney and accountant.

There are so many things to consider when deciding to start your own pet service. It important to be clear on the type of business you want and to set yourself up for success from the very start!

2. Take action!

This seems so simple, but you would be surprised how many people I have spoken with over the years who have had fabulous ideas for starting their own businesses and then did absolutely nothing. It’s such a bummer. Being an entrepreneur is not for the faint of heart, that’s for sure. My business coach calls it “a full contact sport.” You must have self-discipline, the ability to take action and the persistence to see an idea through to the end. Without action you will not see results or achieve your goals. So, if you decide that you want to start a dog walking service, then sit down and map it out! Remember as Martin Luther King said, “Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” The first step is putting pen to paper then taking action!

3. Choose a smart name for your business

• First make sure that there is no other business in your service area that is using your name idea.
• Do a trademark search on the name United States Patent and Trademark Website.
• Search domain names on www.godaddy.com to see if it’s available. You want a url that’s easy for others to remember. If the url is available buy it immediately!!!!
• Register you fictitious name or “Doing Business As” DBA Name. A fictitious name is different from your personal name. So for example, I’m Colleen Sedgwick “doing business as” Pet Nanny-Pet Sitters of the Main Line.
• Tips:
• Choose a name that is memorable and easy to spell.
• Choose a name that actually conveys what you do.
• Don’t involve a committee when making the final decision. Too may cooks in the kitchen will result in nothing but a vanilla type name. Only involve key players and make sure that those people represent a variety of types.

4. Write a tagline: a short, memorable phrase that associated with your service.

5. Have a professional logo designed

• If you want to own a professional company, you need a professional logo that will stand the test of time.
• You can find designers at fabulous rates on www.elance.com, www.guru.com and www.odesk.com

6. Have professional business cards printed

• You will need business cards for your customers as well as to give to referral partners and promote your business.
• www.vistaprint.com is a great site where you can design and have you business cards printed.
• Remember to use a professional logo.

7. Have a professional website designed in WordPress

• Wordpress is great for search engine optimization and it also gives you the ability to make updates to your own site without having to rely on someone else.
• Your website is where you are going to make the first impression with your clientele, so I do not skimp on this step.
• Again, you can find designers who will design a professional site for you on www.elance.com, www.guru.com and www.odesk.com.

8. Join Pet Sitters International & National Association for Professional Pet Sitters
These are the two big pet sitting associations. They both provide great member benefits, but most important is that you will be listed on their Pet Sitter Finders. Many client prospects will first go to their sites and then type in their zip code to find pet sitters in their area. While you are building your web site ranking, this is going to be a great way to have clients find you.

9. Register your business on Google Places, Yelp and Yahoo
Have you met Siri? Siri is a voice recognition app. She’ll write your emails, check the weather and update your calendar. She’ll also locate businesses and services for your potential customers. Siri will forever change the way traditional web searches happen. When someone asks Siri to “find a local pet sitter,” the answer will be based on your current location, not on whether you are at the top of Google. You need to optimize your listings on Google Places, Yelp and Yahoo.
a. Google: www.google.com/placesforbusiness
b. Yahoo: www.istings.local.yahoo.com
c. Yelp: www.biz.yelp.com

10. Get Pet Sitter Insurance!!!
Do yourself a favor and get yourself a liability insurance policy. The rates are extremely reasonable and it absolutely worth the peace of mind that you will receive. You never know what could happen and it’s best to be prepared. If you join PSI or NAPPS they offer member discounts. Woohoo!

Now, go get started! I believe in you.

This may all be very overwhelming. I understand. I used to be in your shoes. If you need help with getting your business off the ground and creating an biz boosting action plan then our Private Coaching Programs may be the perfect fit for you. Email us at info@petsittingbizboosters.com to schedule your FREE get acquainted call. I would love to help you design and bring to fruition the pet care business of your dreams.

I’m dedicated to your infinite success,

Due to the tough times with the economy most people are thinking LOW. That would make the most sense.  You have to compete, right? What better way to compete then by lowering your prices to be the cheapest service in town, right? Well, actually, NOT right… for at least 3 reasons.

#1. Your business is supposed to make money!

As much as we love what we do, we go into business to turn a profit. This is not a bad thing. Everyone has to make a living. Please take out of the equation your passion for animals or love of providing this service. Just because you like what you do doesn’t mean that you can’t charge appropriately for it and unless you have a very good thought process of why you should be the cheapest pet sitting service in town there is no good reason why you should be a commodity and go for cheap. You are not a flashlight, or a pack of batteries. You provide an outstanding service to countless homes in your community and you should be paid handsomely for it. Remember, peace of mind is priceless and that is what you are giving to your customers.

#2. Bargain hunters make the worst clients

Bargain hunters are the people that are going to call every operation in town just to compile a list of prices and then go with the cheapest one available. These are NOT the people that you want to work with because they don’t see the value in what you provide and they don’t respect what you do. They’re the ones that consider you “the dog walker” or “the pet sitter,” not “Colleen” or “Mike.” I know you know what I’m talking about. We’ve all had these people to deal with and it’s not fun. I’ll tell you what’s even harder. Signing-up these non-ideal clients, then after countless arguments over prices or their refusal to follow your policies, having to figure out how to “unleash” them onto another unsuspecting service with causing the least of amount of damage. It’s NOT fun!

I believe that if you charge at a premium rate you are going to attract premium clients. These are the people that see the value in the amazing service that you offer and are happy to pay you for it. They respect your business, your policies and your vision. These are the people that become your biggest supporters and will refer you all over town. I can promise you one thing, the bargain hunters will do nothing but drain your energy and take up a spot that one of these awesome clients could fill. Believe in yourself, and in your business and charge what your worth!

#3. Lowering your prices or continuing to be the cheapest service in town is just lazy thinking.

Perhaps you don’t see the value in the service that you offer. Maybe you consider pet sitting or dog walking something anyone can do, so you are just going to price yourself the lowest and hope for the best. YAWN. Come on! You’re smarter than that, right? Figure out how you can make your business stand out from the crowd. Offer something of value and then raise your prices! Craft a compelling marketing message that will have clients banging down your door in hopes of working with your service.

I know it’s easier said than done, so here are some helpful strategies…

#1. Stretch don’t splatter

What I mean by this is, you want to raise your rates to a number that may make you feel a bit uncomfortable but won’t cause your brain to splatter. I do believe that pricing is a mindset issue and if you don’t believe in your pricing how are you going to expect others to. So stretch yourself a bit, but don’t crank the prices up so high that you price yourself completely out of the market. If you need me there to hold your hand when you make the jump, I’ll be there for you. I promise you though, it’s not as scary as you think.

#2. Educate your clients and prospects

If someone doesn’t see the value in the amazing service that your company offers then the burden is on you to educate them. This is what marketing is. Teaching the public about your service and all the wonderful things it has to offer with the outstanding benefits that your clients receive. When you take this approach to your business, the pet loving community sees the incredible value in what you offer and WANTS to pay you for your awesome service.

#3. Decide in advance if you are going to raise your fees across the board or only for new customers. If you decide to grandfather your existing client rates nothing says you can’t raise them later. Food for thought.

#4. Be more specific about the services that you offer. Generalists have a hard time charging higher rates because no client feels compelled by a vague service offering. “We will walk your dog!’ How boring is that? Clients want to feel like your service was made for them. If you can solve a more specific problem, then you can charge a much higher rate. “You can enjoy complete peace of mind while you work knowing that your pooch has been well exercised and loved.” “No need to rush home from the office.” We’ll be there to love, feed and exercise your most prized furry possession.” See the difference? Take some time and think about how you can solve a more specific problem for your customers. Then charge them for it.

#5. Do it with confidence

If you are 100% confident in the service that you provide you have absolutely nothing to fear. I believe in you!

If you would like help with strategizing your services and rates plan our private coaching programs may be the perfect fit for you. Email me at info@petsittingbizboosters.com to schedule your FREE get acquainted call. I would love to help you build the pet care business of your dreams.

I’m dedicated to your infinite success,

All you need to do is ask yourself what it is you really DO for your clients. What I mean by that is what results and benefits they receive from working with your company.

So for example, instead of being a company that “pet sits” or “dog walks,” Pet Nanny- Pet Sitters of the Main Line provides true peace of mind to our clients by offering first-rate pet care and top-notch customer service with 100% satisfaction guaranteed. So, what is that BUZZ sentence here? The answer is; we provide true peace of mind. The peace of mind factor is all over everything Pet Nanny related. It’s on our website countless times. It even has its own page, The Pet Nanny Peace of Mind Blueprint. It’s on our business cards, in our Welcome Packet, and on our voicemail. It’s everywhere, because this is what I’m offering to my clients. I’m not just offering a service where someone comes to your home and walks your dog. Pet Nanny is a service that they know, like and trust and that they can rely on to enter their homes worry-free every single time they use us.

What are you offering that is special and sets you apart form the other generic pet sitting companies out there? What problem are you solving for your clients? After you get clear on this and then start relaying that message to your prospective clients, those prospects will soon turn into paying clients that will use your service until the end of time. Why? Because you are the solution to their problem.

To get those creative juices flowing, let’s look at exactly what your ideal clients are motivated by. According to Jim Edwards and David Garfinkel in the ebook entitled “Ebook Secrets Exposed” www.ebooksecretsexposed.com here are the top 10 most powerful motivators.

1. Make money
2. Save money
3. Save time
4. Avoid effort
5. Get more comfort
6. Achieve greater cleanliness
7. Attain fuller health
8. Escape physical pain
9. Gain praise
10. Be popular

Now, not all of these apply to the pet sitting business world, but pinpoint the ones that are relevant. Next, use these motivators to help inspire different and unique ways to design a marketing message that will solve your clients problems and PULL your clients in.

Your Assignment:

From the list above identify the motivators that fit for your business, and then list an example of how each of these has happened in your business using real life examples. Then evaluate, mix and match and create a marketing message that provides results and benefits and solves your clients problems. Now, sprinkle this results and benefits marketing message through all of your materials. It’s what you want to be known for.

You may not be sure where to get started and that’s OK! I was there once too. If you need individualized help in boosting your pet sitting business you may be interested in my private coaching programs. If so, please email me at info@petsittingbizboosters.com to schedule your FREE get acquainted call. I would love to help you skyrocket your pet sitting business straight to success.

I’m dedicated to your infinite success,

When I speak to my clients about how much money they want to make in their pet sitting businesses, I am shocked at the answers that I receive.  The responses usually range anywhere from $30,000 to $75,000.  That’s an average of $52,500 per year for what these businesses hope and wish they can make. I find this not only shocking but also sad. You see, you must set high goals for yourself to achieve great things in life and with all of these business owners setting the bar so low for themselves it’s no wonder there are so few profitable pet sitting businesses out there.

I‘m here to tell you that you CAN make so much more in your business and that you don’t have to play small. You can create a greatly prosperous and professionally fulfilling pet sitting business. I know that it may not seem possible, but I can tell you from experience that it is! By creating systems and leverage techniques you can ignite your pet sitting business into a moneymaking machine. First, you must change your mindset. You must think BIGGER, dream BIGGER and BELIEVE that you can do it. Then you have to do the work.

My personal business coach Fabienne Fredrickson shared with me a paragraph from Louise Hay’s book “You Can Heal Your Life.” This excerpt has resonated with me and hopefully it will do the same for you.

“I love the visualization of standing at the seashore looking out at the vast ocean and knowing that this ocean is the abundance that is available to me. Look down at your hands and see what sort of container you are holding. Is it a teaspoon, a thimble with a hole in it, a paper cup, a glass, a tumbler, a pitcher, a bucket, a washtub, or perhaps you have a pipeline connected to this ocean of abundance? Look around you and notice that no matter how many people there are and no matter what kind of container they have, there is plenty for everyone. You cannot rob another, and they cannot rob you. And in no way can you drain the ocean dry. Your container is your consciousness, and it can always be exchanged for a larger container.”

After I read this I looked at myself and realized that I was carrying only a small pitcher. I wanted to make money, but I was content with “just enough.” That was the thought that I constantly told myself. (You have to start becoming keen to the sabotaging thoughts that go through your mind.) It wasn’t until I shifted my mindset and asked the universe to triple my income that the right opportunities started to present themselves. It’s strange how the universe works. “Ask and you shall receive.” It’s so true.

Your Assignment: Picture yourself on the shoreline, feet in the sand, looking out at our vast ocean of abundance. What’s in your hands? Now, change that mental picture to that large pipeline. Next start writing the goals down as if you have already received them and are so grateful. Remember, you can’t ask for too much because you can never exhaust the supply of abundance that is available to you.

1. I’m so happy and grateful that I received 5 new clients this week. I’m so grateful! Thank you universe!
2. I’m so happy and grateful that I hired 2 new fabulous, responsible pet sitters this week. I’m so happy and grateful. Thank you universe!
3. I’m so happy and grateful that I made an additional $50,000 in revenue this year, 2012

You get the picture. Be specific as possible and always be grateful for it. Without that element you won’t get very far. Remember, you are the only person that can set the limits. Think BIG, dream BIG and BELIEVE you can do it. I believe in you.

Are you committed to shifting your mindset? Great! If you need help and want to learn the systems and best practices to building a profitable pet sitting business email me at info@petsittingbizboosters.com to schedule a FREE get acquainted call. I would love to help you boost your business straight to success! I will give you all of the tools, scripts, templates and examples handed to you on a silver platter.

I’m dedicated to your infinite success,

This topic is all too familiar for me because I did this with my own business for years. It would either be feast or it would be famine. I would have a ton of active clients and no pet sitters or too many sitters and not enough business coming in. It wasn’t until I learned the business principal of over-filling your pipeline that this series of high’s and low’s finally dissipated. I learned to never let the well run dry. What this means is that I learned to always be marketing for new clients and always be recruiting for new pet sitters. Most pet sitting business owners do very little when it comes to marketing and recruiting and what they do aim for is to have just “enough” clients. I’m going to tell you right now, you MUST change your mindset and aim BIGGER! When I’ve spoken to my clients about this, I always get the questions “What if I get too many prospects? What do I do then?” This is a GOOD problem to have people! There can never be too many clients that want to work with you and pay you for your services!

Here is what you do.

First, you attempt to leverage yourself by hiring more pet sitters to carry the overflow. Better yet, always recruit excellent pet sitters so that as your business grows you have the people to hand the business to.

Next, if worse comes to worse, you put the client prospect on a waiting list and contact them when you have the ability to service them. This is not a bad thing. I would get their address and send them a card with a dog bone or cat treats to let them know that you are ready and would love to work with them. Is this the ideal situation? Absolutely not, but at least you are now imprinted in their minds as a business owner who is responsible by following up and that you take an genuine interest in their pet by including the gift. Small gestures go a long way in this industry, but that’s another lesson.

So, how do you do this? You must become disciplined. You have to take a NO EXCUSES approach to create systems to keep your marketing and your pet sitter recruitment on autopilot. What this means is that it’s not if you feel like doing it. It’s what you do, no questions asked. It’s written in your calendar as a concrete “to do item.” The key is do something every single day that will stimulate future business. If you stay organized and disciplined the business will flow in on a continuous basis… and then you will need a continuous flow of sitters to carry the work. This is how you make money at this business. LEVERAGE!

Here’s a quick glance at what a typical week looks like on the Pet Nanny marketing and recruitment calendar:

Your assignment: create your own marketing and recruitment calendar. Get a large blank calendar from an office supply store (think Staples or Office Depot) and tape it to your wall. Write in (writing is very powerful) what you are going to do each day and stick to it! Plan a month out. So, for example at the start of March, I’m planning my April calendar. I promise that as soon as you make this commitment to yourself and your business you will not experience the feast or famine phenomenon again.

Now, if you need help getting organized and creating a marketing strategy to boost your pet sitting business you may be interested in my private coaching programs. Please email me at info@petsittingbizboosters.com to schedule your FREE get acquainted call. I would love to help you skyrocket your pet sitting business.

I’m dedicated to your infinite success,

Quote: “The biggest difference between an average income and financial freedom is Implementation.” –Bill Glazer

There are some people in this world that take action and implement and sadly there are others that don’t. Let’s just say I gave 2 different people my Complete Pet Sitting Business Booster Success Kit. This kit includes everything one needs to create a fabulous, profitable business. It has the EXACT documents and procedures that I use to manage and run my high six-figure business. All these two people have to do is implement the systems and strategies in their own businesses. The first person grabs it and runs with it. They go home and take everything they were given and put it into immediate action. The other person takes it home and reads through it, then puts it down. Then a month later picks it up again and thumbs through it all the while himming and hawing that they’re “too busy,” or that they “know this stuff already,” or they’ll “get to it next month.” Now, from those two types of people who do you think is going to have the more successful business? The first person of course! This person is a DO-er! They IMPLEMENT. They don’t need to ask questions, or over-analyze or complain or make excuses. They just do it and they do it quickly.

Would it surprise you to learn that most successful millionaire entrepreneurs believe that implementation (a.k.a “getting things done”) have named it as the number one KEY to success? That doesn’t surprise me at all… because it’s true!

I’m no stranger to procrastination. I understand it completely, but I can say with total confidence that when you finally decide to just bite the bullet and get something done, it is far less painful and time consuming then what you have created in your mind. Therefore, it’s worth the effort. Plus, the satisfaction that you’ll get from finally putting a check mark next to that task is priceless!

Here is a mantra that I follow in my business, “ACT WITH SPEED.” I have learned first-hand that it is not only the act of implementation but actually the speed with which you do it that will show you a drastic return on your investment.

Your Assignment: How can you implement more effectively? What have you had on your To-Do list for a long while? Put a deadline on the tasks, write them on your calendar and get them done! No excuses please.

You may need help getting organized. Trust me, I know. It’s all very overwhelming! If you would like help with creating the pet sitting business of your dreams please email me at info@petsittingbizboposters.com to schedule your FREE strategy call. I would love help to boost your business!

I’m dedicated to your infinite success,