Why 2021 is a great time to grow a pet sitting and dog walking business

Unemployment is up, travel is down, and the economy isn't likely to recover at 2019 levels for quite some time. However, 2021 is still a great time to get in front of your ideal clients.

While the world is trying to recover from COVID-19, there are still:

• Busy professionals who don't have time to attend to their pets continually.
• Older adults who need assistance caring for their four-legged family members.
• People travelling and vacationing, albeit closer to home and using ground transportation.

So, even though the opportunities might look different, they're still there in abundance.

Tips for starting a pet sitting and dog walking business

Now that you know why 2021 is an excellent year to start your business let's go over some marketing tips you can use to get clients.

Reach out to family and friends to refer you

Your network is one of the first places you should go to when trying to start your pet sitting and dog walking business. Your family can provide you with social proof, honest feedback that you can use to improve your processes and services, and referrals.

So, reach out to them via personalized emails, texts, calls, DMs, etc., and interact with them like you would any professional-client relationship. Not only can this help you to stay professional, but you'll also improve your client communication skills.

Incentivize customers to refer you

Another way you can increase your client base is to offer a referral program. Referral programs:

• Help encourage word-of-mouth to high-quality leads that will need or consider your services.
• Create more loyal clients than leads that come from any other source.
• Build a foundation for client relationships.

Here's an example of one pet sitting and dog walking business referral program:

Partnering with businesses that can generate a stream of potential leads for and from you is a good strategy for finding new clients. And you can share your business flyers and cards to create a mutually beneficial relationship. Some places you partner with are pet stores, vets, coffee shops, animal shelters, grooming shops, etc.

Here's an example flyer you can share with businesses you partner with:

The costs of starting a pet sitting and dog walking business

While creating a pet sitting and dog walking business can be exciting, there are some costs that you should be aware of.

Business registration - $45+

Your business registration is the legal structure of your business. You can register as an LLC, DBA, or Corporation. Various factors contribute to its price, and there are levels of protection that each type offers. Before you decide on one, do your research and consider your long-term business goals.

Business license - $50+
Your business license can help you legally launch your business, pay taxes, protect your assets, and get accredited. So, it's a must-have startup cost. The price to obtain your licenses depends on the type, location, processing, and recurring fees.

General Liability Insurance - $139+
Pet sitting and dog walking insurance for your business can help protect you if an accident occurs with a pet. Even if you're always careful and mindful, accidents do happen. And it's still better to prepare for the worse than pretend it won't happen. 

Website - $23+
Your website is the place that potential leads will land on when looking for the services you offer. There are various types of website builders you can browse through to showcase your services, schedule appointments, and accept payments.

Marketing - $15+
Besides your website, you'd also need marketing material such as brochures, business cards, flyers, etc. The price you'll pay depends on the quality and quantity that you want. So, if you're looking to hand out high-quality cards and flyers to everyone in your area, be prepared to spend at least a hundred dollars.

Supplies - $10+

Some of the supplies you'd need to start your business are dog leashes and collars, treats, doggy bags, and scoopers. It's not an extensive or expensive list. And in the beginning, you don't need to overdo it. See what you need, what's working and what isn't, and go from there.

Contract - $100+

With a contract, you set the tone of your relationship with your client. And you also protect yourself from potential problems. Creating the contract is free, but since it's essentially a legal document, you'd need an attorney to get all the details air-tight for you.

Tips for growing a pet sitting and dog walking business beyond your personal referral network

Your referral network is a great starting place to find customers for your pet sitting and dog walking business. But there are many more leads you can access to help make your business more successful and profitable outside of family and friends. Let's discuss a few ways you can reach more high-quality leads. 

SEO optimize your website
While creating a website is one of the best investments you can make for your digital presence, it's not enough to stop there. Your website will be one of the first places that leads come from when looking for your services, so besides having a visually-appealing site, you always want to ensure that it's optimized for SEO.

Why?

Because if your site doesn't have good or any SEO, you're not generating organic traffic. This means fewer people can find you when they're looking for the services you offer. Also, if it's not optimized, then the traffic you do generate won't be high-quality leads.

Here are a few ways you can optimize your website for SEO:

• Utilize short-tail and long-tail keywords naturally
• Produce high-quality content on your blog
• Optimize on-page SEO
• Speed up your page
• Get backlinks from reputable sites

Update your Google My Business page

Your Google My Business page helps your customers and leads find relevant, accurate information about your business. So, make sure that you've claimed your listing and edited any inaccurate or outdated data.

Here's an example of an updated Google My Business page:

Here's an example of a positive experience shared on Google reviews:

• Sharing your Yelp reviews on social.
• Displaying your Yelp badge next to your other social icons on your website, brochures, etc.
• Mentioning your profile to your customers.  

Reach out to real estate agents and other "super connectors"
Besides networking with other businesses in the pet industry to grow your business, you'd also want to network with businesses that'd know high-income leads that can benefit from your services.

For example, you can partner with real estate agents. So, when they sell a home, they can provide homeowners with information about your business.

You can also partner with other businesses like cosmetic dermatologists, travel agencies, and financial advisors, to name a few.

As you can see, starting and growing a pet sitting and dog walking business in 2021 isn't impossible. And, with these tips, you'll have everything you need to build a profitable, enjoyable business next year.

Use a pet business software that will optimize your operations
As a business owner, your time is money (literally). Start your business off on the right foot with a pet business software that will help you save time scheduling with clients, collecting payments, sending notifications, and more.

It's also wise to choose a software that includes website creation, so you can manage your marketing and client services all in one place.

Use a pet business software that will optimize your operations

As a business owner, your time is money (literally). Start your business off on the right foot with a pet business software that will help you save time scheduling with clients, collecting payments, sending notifications, and more.

It's also wise to choose a software that includes website creation, so you can manage your marketing and client services all in one place.