The most common advise I find when reading about starting a home based business, is to choose an area that you are passionate about. So, if you are a passionate animal lover, and are interested in a business with a low start up cost, a pet sitting business might be right for you.
Pet Sitting is a pretty easy business to start. Basically, it would involve taking care of other people's pets, which will probably be dogs and cats. You could end up taking care of fish, rabbits, and hamsters...so it is good to love all animals in this business.
Pet sitting is usually done at the pet owner's home, or if you want to set up a service where you bring the pet into your home to be cared for is also an option. It is something you decide based on what works best for you. If you have small children, you might find it easier to care for the pet at the owner's home.
The pet sitting services generally would be feeding, giving fresh water, exercising, playing, giving prescribed medications, and just simple caring and loving.
Advertise with flyers and business cards that you can just print out yourself. Go to veterinarian's offices and pet stores and ask if you can leave your business cards. Put flyers on every available bulletin board around town that you find. Word of mouth is the best advertising of all, and the cheapest, so as your business grows, so will your success.
If you are a stay at home mom, and are not sure how to combine pet sitting with your kids at home, think about having a babysitter for a couple of hours a day while you are out running your business. Or maybe you can schedule your appointments in the evening when your husband is home.
Any passionate animal lovers with more tips, please share!!
