Start a career as a pet sitter

Enjoy working with animals pet sitting

More and more professional pet care services are becoming available for pet owners. Because of the busy lives people lead and the time spent away from home due to a lengthy commute, travel or just errands that need to be run, caring pet owners are turning to pet services to help provide an environment for a healthy and happy pet. We see a growing demand for pet sitters, pet trainers and even doggie day care centers.

There is an abundance of information on the web to launch you on your way to a successful home-based pet sitting business. You can find information on topics such as:

• Starting your own pet sitting business from home.
• Building your home based pet sitting business.
• Administering first aid to your pet.
• Software programs for your home-based pet sitting services.
• Getting certified as a pet sitter.

Excellent resources and benefits are found through organizations such as the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters. Professional organizations offer continuing education and information on business insurance such as liability insurance, bonding, and legal services. By joining an organization you will be eligible for discounts on insurance, books, and supplies which will help lower your start-up costs. Start up costs for pet care services range depending upon several factors.

Other rewarding animal careers:

• Start a new career become a Veterinary Assistant through Penn Foster Career School
• Earn a career diploma in dog obedienceas a Dog Obedience Trainer/Instructor
• Study from home for a career diploma in Pet Grooming

You might want to think about the following:

1. Do you want to be a certified pet sitter? If so, certification will cost approximately $350 for both the exam and the home study material.

2. Carrying liability insurance can cost anywhere from $75 to $250 per year, depending on how much insurance you would like to carry. If you also want to include a dishonesty bond for insurance purposes, the cost is approximately $250 per year.

3. Will you become a member of a professional pet services organization? Dues are approximately $100 per year.

4. Business forms for pet sitters run approximately $20

5. Are you going to hire an accountant to set up and maintain your books?

6. Will your business cards be done professionally, or will you create your own?

7. Will you have marketing expenses, make your own brochures or rely on word of mouth?

Also, do not forget to look into pet training through non-profit animal organizations which offer courses in dog obedience, dog socializing, dog behavior/handling, etc.

Why choose pet sitting services?

Pet sitting services allows you the flexibility to work as little or as much as you desire and you control your work hours and your fees. Some pet sitters charge by the day, some charge by the complexity of the pet's care. You can have a few clients or make pet sitting services your full-time work at home business. Perhaps you might want to limit yourself to dog walking and not take on any other responsibilities. Maybe you worked as a vet technician and would like to utilize your skills to care for pets with special needs? Do you love pet sitting? Maybe expand your services and start a doggie day care.

However extensive or limited the services will be that you decide to provide, you can rest assured that you will not only have the freedom of working from home and setting your own parameters, but have the satisfaction of enjoying your work experience.