Starting a Pet Sitting Business

If you love animals, have free time on your hands, and want to have some extra income, you might want to consider starting a pet sitting business, or look for an existing business in your area and apply for a job with them. You may even find an opportunity to purchase an existing pet sitting operation and have the benefit of the current client list for immediate revenue.

Starting your own business as a professional pet sitter is often similar to starting any other business, especially since in some jurisdictions pet sitting services are required to be licensed by the authorities. Just like with any other business, you will want to have a business plan before you get started: decide whether you want to hire other pet sitters or do it alone; what geographical areas you want to cover (factors may be distance from your home, and whether lots of people in a particular area have pets); decide what types of pets you want to care for, and what services you are willing and able to offer (e.g., dog walking, feeding, grooming, administering medication, etc.)

You might want to check out the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters and Pet Sitters International, both of which are professional organizations that can provide you with tools to support your business.

For general small business information, including tips on how to write a business plan and what steps you need to take to start a small business, visit the website of the Small Business Administration.