November 16th, 2020

Today's Client Spotlight is shining on MJ Gonzalez and her pet sitting team. Her company is PETS by MJ and they have been providing superior pet sitting and dog walking to the pets of San Diego, CA since 2011. Given the obesity epidemic that is striking pets all over the US, PETS by MJ offers professional, earnest, and trustworthy pet care services to busy pet parents who need help exercising their pets! They operate like a daycare so you can drop off your beloved pet during your work hours or for the time that you're out of the city and they can take care of the rest. Any pet in the care of MJ becomes healthy and energetic! You can see the full gallery and reviews on the PETS by MJ website.

MJ had a lifelong dream to own and operate a pet care business and she took the opportunity to make her dream of running a successful pet care business a reality back in January 2011 after working years in corporate! She moved to San Diego, CA and started working as a dog groomer and also worked for a local pet sitter part-time who ultimately trained her and helped MJ start her own business. So she quit working for the dog grooming salon and with her predecessors' help, MJ's reputation grew with her business and it didn't take long to start taking on a good amount of clients! Specializing in pet sitting and dog walking, MJ and her team is having just as much fun as the lucky pets she cares for! So if you are in Mira Mesa, and surrounding San Diego area, make sure to reach out to PETS By MJ for all your pet exercise needs! Also, make sure to check them out on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

She ran her business solo for about the first 7 years but: 

MJ was receiving requests for multiple dog walks for the same time slots. Her most popular service, Overnights (in clients' home). She also received multiple requests for the same nights. And then when she started offering private doggy daycare and private dog boarding at my home, she definitely needed the extra help. So she hired on a handful of other fun loving pet owners who either just started their own pet business or very close friends who MJ could train to help with pet visits.

"Its been such a wonderful blessing to have these fantastic people working for me! My clients love them and most importantly, the pets love them. It has made my schedule much more manageable."

Why did you get into this business?

It was my life long dream to have my own business, particularly with animals. And when I had the chance to follow my dream, I took it. My mom always remembered how I seem to bring home injured birds or animals to the house as a kid, and somehow I just knew how to take care of them, nurse them back to health, and release them. So I guess you can say "its in my blood" to be around animals and help take care of them on some level.

What is the most fulfilling part of owning a pet care business?
The most fulfilling part of being in a pet care business is the unconditional love and happiness you get on a daily basis from the pets. My heart has been so full of love and happiness that I don't regret never going back to the corporate world.

I am constantly learning something new from the different personalities I work with everyday. Each pet is different but also similar in many ways so I get to use my skills, knowledge, and discernment on what works best for each of them. I love creating bonds with every pet I take care of and they become my extended pet family.

What was your biggest challenge, and how did you overcome it?
My biggest challenge was the fear of not making enough money to pay bills since the pet business industry can have its slow periods. But my predecessor always told me not to think negatively and always believe there is more than enough clients out there to make you happy. She also had the mentality of sharing is caring. She had other established pet sitters that she worked with when she had too much of a busy schedule. She introduced me to those sitters and taught me how to work with other established pet sitters where we can help each other out and we all "win" at the end. And she was right, I just had to trust the flow, and continue making a good name for myself and everything worked out fine.

How do you feel now, working with Easy Busy Pets?
When I learned about Easy Busy Pets, and going through the initial introduction, it was a no brainer that I needed to use this software as they pretty much covered everything a pet sitting and dog walking business needed. I've been looking and researching pet sitting software for a couple of years but none really made me want to hit the "subscribe" button until I heard about Easy Busy Pets. I also love that EBP is continually growing on their end and making new features available for us.

It's definitely makes scheduling and invoicing so much easier. I love it! My clients love it!

And signing up new clients is just as easy and they seem to love the features as well. And my workers are also able to use the software to check in/out each visit they are scheduled for and as the Pet Business Owner, I like how I can see that for myself. There are just so many features that make my life so much easier.

Easy Busy Pets is definitely the best pet business software ever!

What is one piece of advice you would give to someone who wants to achieve what you have achieved?
Follow your dream. Trust your instincts. Make good connections with other business owners. Most importantly, word of mouth works the best when it comes to your reputation and your relationships with pets. And keep learning, whether its taking online classes or going to local classes for more experience. I love taking online classes and going to meet ups. The extra knowledge and experience and connections you make, will put you ahead of the others.