I have always had an interest inpet sitting. My former career as a firefighter kept me form pursuing it because of my 24 work schedule. It was hard enough to have pets, let alone try to care for someone else's.

I no longer do that job, so that leaves me open to it as a job. Judging from our experiences over the years trying to find pet sitters, I think there is a need. I think there is a need for people who take it seriously, and not just think they can stop by and throw food at a dog once a day and call it a business. We have run the gamut of problems with sitters, that we all have I am sure, and will not list them all here.

I was hoping that you all may have some ideas that may be helpful, things that you would want in a sitter, etc that I can keep in mind.

I plan on offering services for small and large animals, including livestock. Also, plant care which was always a problem, and still is, to have yard, garden stuff taken care of when on vacation. Will also offer trips to groomers, vets etc. And even some home care such as a light cleaning before people return from vacation, laundry, stocking fridge, etc. I am semi copying from a friend who works on the other side of the state and runs a business there, full-time with her husband.

Time is divided into 30 min, 1 hour time slots, or more if needed, with a 30 minute minimum. gas mileage is paid per mile TO the residence from my home.

One thing I am hung up on is insurance. There is pet sitting insurance, but it does not cover large animals, or damage to the clients home, except for rekeying due to lost keys, I am wondering what I would need in terms of ins when it comes to driving pets to appts or large animal care. I think it could get prohibitively expensive to try to insure with several different companies trying to get everything covered. Maybe I should research LLC and see what that would do also.

I do not want to work full-time, so I am not looking to start a business in this economy and think I am going to be super busy next month. it will be a process and take time, and I don't want it to get too big even if it could.

if anyone has input, I would love it. Something you wish your sitter would do, etc, or even info on ins if you have any. Throw it out here. I am going to be ordering cards, etc very soon. I want to get them out before the big holidays because I don't have an issue with working over those days, and I know it is not easy to find people who will. Thanks!!

My dog-care people stay here (sleep here) and house- as well as animal-sit when I travel without the dogs.

They also come to walk/potty if I ever have to be away for just a day.

There's a surprising amount of info here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pet_sitting

I would be sure to get bonded first.

I actually looked into the bonded/insured area. Insured of course is what you would think, but bonded only covers you if your employess, or you, I guess, steal anything from the house. I won't have employess, nor do I intend to steal from my clients. SO according to the reading I did, bonded only makes you sound better, it really does nothing for you in way of protection unless you have employess, that I guess you do not trust. I imagine it sounds better to the clients, but isn't usleful for you as the owner.

Thank you for the link!

 Quote: Julie Sloan

I actually looked into the bonded/insured area. Insured of course is what you would think, but bonded only covers you if your employess, or you, I guess, steal anything from the house. I won't have employess, nor do I intend to steal from my clients. SO according to the reading I did, bonded only makes you sound better, it really does nothing for you in way of protection unless you have employess, that I guess you do not trust. I imagine it sounds better to the clients, but isn't usleful for you as the owner.

Thank you for the link!

My comment was too vague. I think you mis-read why I recommended getting bonded. I should have clarified.

I didn't at all mean that it did something to protect you. I meant 100% that it's one of the first things potential clients want to see.

It makes you sound better because it does protect the client.

That is, I wouldn't hire someone to stay in my house who wasn't bonded.

I will look furhter into it, but you actually have to be criminally convicted of stealing for the bonding to even pay, so they are looking at taking oyu to court, winning, and then waitin gon the bond to pay, whereas some of the pet sitting insures cover theft, mysterious disappearances, and/or breakage of an item in the client's house.

I don't allow anyone to stay in our house personally, or even to come in our house when we are not home, but I think I would feel more comfortable dealing with their insurance company than the court system. Of course you are right in that it sounds better to the client, of which most are not going to understand how it works, or what protection they actually are getting, or I should say what they would have to go through in order to get money back.

I have serious doubts about staying in client's homes to pet sit, but we will see how that all works out.

But again, I will loook further into it. The article you linked me too also talked about that very issue. it said too, most are getting away from the bonding.

Julie,

I am confused... you've tried to find pet sitters in the past but yet would not let anyone come in your home? You want to start a business pet sitting but don't want to stay in someone's house?

If my pet sitter isn't comfortable staying in my home, they aren't much help sitting for my pets from my point of view. I'm out of town at the moment and I have someone who is comfortable staying in my home 24/7 and in whom I have the trust to allow to do so. I don't know how it could work any other way, but maybe I'm missing an important point. I don't want my dogs alone at night in the case that a fire or other emergency would occur, so I would not use a service which would only come in to feed and potty, but not spend the night.

Are your friends who have an existing business across the state able and willing to give you some input since they are already up and running?

we have horses and at the time 2 of our dogs did not live inside, but had a dog door into the basement. The inside dog went to the kennel. Bear would have had a seizure I am sure if we had forced her to go. So, I did not need to allow anyone inside our actual house to do sitting. They come in, feed and play with the dogs, care for the horses, get the mail, and that is all. Now it is mostly the same. They need to come to feed the horses, get the mail, Tanka goes to the kennel.

I know there are times when someone will want me to stay overnight, but I am sure that is not every job. if it is, that means pet sitters can only sit for one person at a time. No dog walking, no going to people's houses who work long hours and need dogs to be let out. Not everyone wants or needs someone who spends the night. Will I be willing to do it, maybe, it depends on what the situation is.

And I do see your point on fire or emergency, believe me that was my job for a long career. I think about that very time I leave my house and lock my dog inside. What if...But that emergency can happen just as easily during the day as at night, or anytime a person leaves their house and lets their animals inside the dwelling. It would be totally unrealistic for a sitter to have to be there every moment, and totally undoable for anyone who has their own dogs at home to care for. if sitting means I can't have my own dogs at home to need care and to not be left alone, then you are exactly right. I do not need to be an overnight pet sitter. i will have to stick to the jobs that do not require it. And judging from anyone I have talked to in our area, and my friend who works across the state,there is a huge need for that also. there is a sitting business for sale right now, and she runs from place to place all day long, so she has many many clients going at once. We tried her, she was afraid our our draft horse.

I will also be caring for horses, or whatever livestock people have. That is a business all on its own. Around here, we used the person with the most stellar reputaion, once. We came home one night early because my husband got sick,and found horses with dirty almost empty water, and hay put out for them. Yes, there is a need.

 Quote: Julie Sloan

that means pet sitters can only sit for one person at a time. No dog walking, no going to people's houses who work long hours and need dogs to be let out.

I didn't mean to imply that my sitter has to be at my home around the clock and not leave the property - they come and go in a normal daytime routine. I just want someone there more than not, and definitely during the night. This is just what I require; I'm sure you will find many folks who are comfortable having someone just stop in to feed, play and potty.

I have never used a petting sitting service before. I did, however, one time, asked my vet for a reference, and he was able to point me to a couple who did pet sitting in my area. So it is probably a good idea for you to see if your vet will be willing to let you put a little flyer at his/her office.

I know when I contacted that particular couple, they were not overnight pet sitters, they feed/play/potty the dogs, get your mail, and that's it. They did not want to walk the dogs (probably due to liability). They also required a meeting at our house to meet our dogs before deciding if they would be willing to pet sit.

Your service can also be useful to puppy owners, who need someone to let the puppy out to potty/play during work hours.

I have a list of people who are wanting my cards when I am ready to go into business. It is difficult here to find someone reliable, dificult to find someone who will do large and small animals, and from our experiences, dificult to find people who really take this seriously.