The basic idea of client retention is to be there for them; be empathetic and do whatever you can for them. People have a general need to feel connected and acknowledged. So many business owners tend to focus on getting new clients rather than improving relationships with current clients. It is easier and more cost effective to focus on current clients than on getting new clients.

Here are some specific things you can do to improve customer satisfaction:

1. Remember birthdays

When a client signs up, ask for the dogs birthday. You can place their birthday in a separate and searchable field in your software program, but you need to remember to search for birthdays in the next week. You could also enter these birthdays into a program like Google Calendar. You’ll then receive an email, text, or pop-up to tell you it’s the dogs birthday. (You can also invite the client to the pet’s birthday & it’ll seem like they’re getting automatic reminders from you.)

Get the owner’s birthday, too! Be sure to send them a gift certificate or a thank you card on their birthday. Facebook is a great way to find people’s birthdays.

2. Let them know you

Keeping in mind business etiquette; be transparent with your clients. Tell them where you want your business to head, get their input. Tell clients how many stops you currently have. Tell them when you’re done with their house (or when you get there.) Leave them fun notes. Compliment them on their home and talk a little about yourself; it’s okay. Be human. Connect with them.

I told a client how much I loved walking their dogs, but I was sad because at some point the route would become full and an employee would have to walk their dogs. I prepared them for the transfer months before it happened. This gave me the opportunity to reassure them how I looked for staff and who my ideal walkers were. When the new walker came on board, they were already a part of the family.

3. Go Tech

There are reward and reminder apps out there for smart-phones. If a sitting client hasn’t had an appointment in a while, you can automatically remind them or give them a discount to sign up within a time limit. Check out the following apps to see if they work for your business: Cardigan, LoyalTree, or QR Rewards.

4. Answering Machine Hell

Don’t you hate calling someone and getting their voicemail? Not only do you need to listen to their long message, but you usually need to listen to the annoying ‘If you would like to leave a message, press 1’ post-voicemail announcement. Do whatever you can to have a human pick up the phone when someone calls. Studies show that consumers are happier with a call center taking a message, than having to leave a voicemail. If you need to let the call go to voicemail, change your voicemail. With many cell phones, you can hit a number (or the pound sign) and go right to the beep. Try telling people to press pound to leave a message and see if it improves over-all happiness. Whatever the case, if the client leaves a message be sure to call them back as soon as possible.

5. Good Impressions

If first and last impressions are most noticed, then the other impressions are your opportunity to further your consistent branding. Follow up with the client, via email, snailmail, phone call, (but not text) after the first meeting. Don’t be impersonal. Don’t treat them as a ‘routine’ client. Follow up to ask them how the first care visit went. Follow up after a week and then a few weeks. Make sure you are both on the same page in regards to their expectations and your services. Tell them you appreciate them and you’re excited to work with them. Leave a good impression.

6. Thank you.

Please say ‘Please & Thank you.’ Thank you. Be sure to be appreciative of your client. They don’t need to be with your company, but they are. Enough said.

Do you have any more tips? We would love to hear from you!

Mark these on your calendar! Let client’s know how ‘in the know’ you are by supplying them with this list of pet-centric holidays throughout the year. These are all holidays created by different organizations in order to raise awareness. By posting them on your Facebook wall, announcing them to workers, or creating a celebration around a certain day you help your business in multiple ways: It creates a fun environment (Squirrel Appreciation Day), it shows your company has compassion for certain causes (Pet Theft Awareness Day), and it gives you some great things to blog / share with your clients.

We scoured the internet to find these, so if you happen to know of any we missed on this list PLEASE let us know. We’ll certainly look into them!

January

• January – Walk Your Pet Month

• January – Train Your Dog Month

• January 5 – National Bird Day

• January 14 – National Dress Up Your Pet Day

• January 21 – Squirrel Appreciation Day

• January 29 – Seeing Eye Dog Day

February

• February – National Prevent a Litter Month (HSUS)

• February – National Pet Dental Month (AVMA and American Veterinary Dental Society)

• February – Responsible Pet Owners Month

• February 2 – Sled Dog Day

• February 4 – Thank a Mailman Day

• February 7-14 – Have a Heart for Chained Dogs Week- Dogs Deserve Better

• February 14 - Pet Theft Awareness Day

• February 20 – Love Your Pet Day

• February 22 – Walking the Dog Day

• February 23 – International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day

• February 28 – Spay Day USA - Doris Day Animal League & HSUS

March

• March 3- What If Cats and Dogs Had Opposable Thumbs Day

• March 4-10 – Professional Pet Sitters Week - Pet Sitters International

• March 18-24 – National Poison Prevention Week

• March 20 – International Earth Day

• March 23 – National Puppy Day

April

• April – Prevention of Animal Cruelty Month (ASPCA)

• April – National & International Pet First Aid Awareness Month

• April – National Pet Month

• April – Prevent Lyme Disease in Dogs Month

• April 7 – Everyday is Tag Day

• April 10 – ASPCA Day

• April 10-16 – National Animal Control Appreciate Week

• April 11 – National Pet Day

• April 15-21 – National Pet ID Week

• April 17 – Pet Owner’s Independence Day

• April 15-21 – National Pet ID Week

• April 22 – Earth Day

• April 24-30 National Scoop the Poop Week

• April 26 – National Kids and Pets Day

• April 28 – International Guide Dog Day

• April 28 – National Arbor Day

• April 28 – World Veterinary Day

May

• May – Be Kind to Animals Month

• May – Chip Your Pet Month (HomeAgain)

• May – Go Fetch! Food Drive for Homeless Animals Month

• May – National Pet Month

• May 1 – MayDay for Mutts

• May 6-12 – National Pet Week (AVMA)

• May 6-12 – Be Kind to Animals Week

• May 12 – Animal Disaster Preparedness Day

• May 20-26 – National Dog Bite Prevention Week (HSUS)

June

• June – Adopt A Cat Month

• June – Adopt a Shelter Cat Month

• June – National Microchipping Month

• June 13 – World Pet Memorial Day

• June 17-23 – Animal Rights Awareness Week

• June 21-25- Take-Your-Pet-to-Work Week

• June 22 – Take Your Dog to Work Day - Pet Sitters International

• June 23 – Great American Backyard Campout

July

• July – Dog House Repairs Month

• July 3-August 11 – Dog Days

• July 31 – National Mutts Day

August

• August 5- National Assistance Dog Day

• August 5-11 – International Assistance Dog Week

• August 20 – International Homeless Pet Day

• August 26 – National Dog Day

• August 30 – National Holistic Pet Day

September

• September – National Guide Dogs Month

• September – AKC Responsible Dog Ownership Month

• September – Pet Health Insurance Month (Canada)

• September – Pet Smile Month

• September – Senior Care Health Month

• September – World Animal Remembrance Month

• September 9 – National Pet Memorial Day (International Association of Pet Cemeteries)

• September 15 – Responsible Dog Ownership Day

• September 15 – Puppy Mill Awareness Day

• September 23-29 – National Dog Week

• September 23 – Dogs and Politics Day

• September 23-29 – National Deaf Awareness Week (Deaf Dog Education Action Fund)

• September 28 – World Rabies Day

October

• October – Adopt a Dog Month (AHA)

• October – National Pet Wellness Month

• October – National Squirrel Awareness Month

• October – National Animal Safety and Protection Month (Emergency Animal Rescue Service – United Animal Nations)

• October – Adopt a Shelter Dog Month

• October 1 – Fire Pup Day

• October 2 – World Farm Animals Day

• October 4 – St. Francis of Assisi’s Feast Day/ World Pets’ Day/World Animal Day

• October 14-20 – Squirrel Awareness Week

• October 14-20 – National Veterinary Technician Week

• October 10 – National Pet Obesity Awareness Day

• October 16 – National Feral Cat Day

• October 20 – Pit Bull Awareness Day

November

• November – Pet Cancer Awareness Month

• November – Pet Diabetes Month

• November – Wishbones for Pets Month

• November – National Pet Awareness Month

• November – Adopt a Senior Pet Month (Petfinder.com)

• November 4-10 – National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week

• November 17 – National Black Cat Day

• November 18-24 – Puppy Mill Action Week

• November 23 – Fur Free Friday

December

• December – Safe Toys and Gifts Month

• December 2 – National Mutts Day

• December 15 – Cat Herders Day

• December 21 – Underdog Day

Are there any dates that need updating? Did we miss anything? Please click on ‘contact us’ or leave a comment and let us know!

1. Give customers more than they expect

Whether from promises you place on your website or from what others do in your area, know what your customers expect from you and then do more. For example: If you ordered non-rush product from me with a 5-7 day delivery with free shipping, you would be happy. If you then received the product next day you would have a lasting impression of ‘wowness’ with my company. Even if I could probably always send it next day, I wouldn’t tell you that because you would expect it. Know what you can offer. Promise their expectations and then wow them with more. (Read ’Delivering Happines’ by Zappos CEO Tony Hseih)

So how can you do this with sitting?

• If you have extra time between visits, make longer visits and make sure to tell the client about  their bonus.
• If the client lets you make a spare key, make an extra one for the client.
• When you set up an initial visit with a client, find out their availability schedule. If you plan to meet them within a few days, see what you can do to meet them later that day (or asap)… and tell them you were able to squeeze them in because you are very excited to have them as a client.
• Take a client to breakfast… or golfing… or anywhere the client likes. (We had a walker who took a client on a Chicago day cruise because the client’s husband would never pay to do a tourist thing in the city he lived.

2. Know your clients.

Know your client’s hot buttons. On a large scale, you can send out surveys to current clients to see what they like and don’t like about your offerings. Some clients are more apt to respond honestly to a survey.

Talk to you clients. Even if you don’t get them Christmas cards or cards for special occasions in their life (baby birth, etc.) talk to them about it. If someone is having a baby, post articles on your website about introducing babies and dogs… and be sure to send it to them. Be their friend and learn about them. Know their habits and help them make informed decisions about whatever you can (especially their dogs.) (Think of the popularity of Amazon’s ‘Other People Have Bought’ recommendation.)

3. Respond IMMEDIATELY to problems

As a consumer, you should know how annoying it is to reach out to someone and not get a response for a few days.  Businesses that do large amounts of business have call centers that answer the phone. This is because they people are unhappier if they’re waiting on someone to get back to them. Be quick about solving problems with a great solution.

And don’t believe that if you created a problem with a client, you have lost them as a client. Much of the time, you can keep the relationship going… and if you hone your skills, you can usually use the mistake as a bonding point between you and the client. Let’s say you missed a dog walk one day. Be calm and call the client as soon as you know. If it was your fault, admit it. If it was there fault, don’t blame them… help them know for next time. Be honest and sincere. Be sympathetic towards the dog (Are they okay? Is the house okay?) and listen to the client’s feelings. Understand them. Show empathy.  By the end of the call or when you speak to them a few hours later explain how you created a fix for the problem and thank them profusely for helping you find an error. Give the dog a gift basket or free visits. (GO over and above an apology.) The point is to make sure everything is okay and then do more to make sure the dog (or the client) is happy.

4. Keep In Touch

It’s natural for relationships with certain clients to become closer and further away at times. It gets busy running a business. Set up a reminder in your calendar to take an hour a week to contact clients you have not spoken with in a month: send them a personalized e-mail, call them, do something to reach out to them. A handwritten ‘thank you note’ outside of the pet visit only has to be three sentences… and you’re usually at their house so you don’t even have to put a stamp on it.

5. Be personable

As much as people try to make relationships with a ‘business,’ relationships are mostly about people. You can grow your business and clients can trust the types of people your company hires, but if you are not personable… if your staff is not personable, things will shut down.

Being a larger or more productive company is great, but when it loses the human touch for profit it loses spirit. If you dislike a client, they still have every right to get an equal taste of your company as the next person. Also keep in mind that just because you dislike them, you might not dislike people who they refer to you. Be a person to your clients, not just a robot for a business.

6. Reward your customers.

Because who does not like seeing a return (or at least a little perk) on their investment. Yes, their pets are happier. Yes, their house is well cared for. Gift exchanges are sometimes expected during the holidays; they lose their luster and get mixed in with all the other corporate gifts. Do it in March… or July.

We saved our pennies and bought our clients $15 gift cards to Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, or whatever coffee /snack place we knew they liked. It took some research, but we used them for birthdays or little (otherwise pointless) moments of celebration:‘Yay! It’s your dog’s 29^th walk with us and that’s how old he is in human years! Happy golden walk!’…or… ‘Yay! Milo didn’t chase after any squirrels today! I’m glad you and I (client and dog walker) are working on training him together. In honor of this, I award you with a gift card.’ Or to our one die-hard & jovial Bears fan: ‘Yay! Bears beat the Packers this weekend! Scruffy barked at your neighbor (Packer’s fan) and wagged his tail when he saw someone in a Bear’s Jersey. Well-trained! Please accept this gift card in celebration.’

Gift ideas: dog treats, gift certificates, free walks, ‘extended’ walk gift certificates, items with their pets pictures on it… (I like shutterfly or cafepress.com.)

Make your interactions with them enjoyable and memorable. Create a fun environment your clients will enjoy… and most of them will praise you for it. Be human and enjoy yourself.

Happy learning,

Paul Franklin
APSE Board Member

For MORE ways to ensure client happiness, join us! Learn what other sitters do to create happy clients. New membership levels include business consulting, coaching, and more!

Learn about our virtual conferences

Don’t forget to join us on February 14th @ 4pm PST for our interview with Zappos Insights!

Association of Pet Sitting Excellence

Why should promotions just help ‘the lead’ and ‘the business?’ Too often businesses have a promotion and make it completely self-serving. I recently attended a conference on marketing to a specific niche where they strongly encouraged squeeze pages. Pages where you can watch a video or get a download, but you need to enter your email to ‘get more.’ They do work, but I tend to think of them as the god-awful-sales-pitch website that has the “obnoxious extra-loud voice playing that stuns you like a deer in headlights before remembering the mute button.”

Those are so typical and they turn people off. It’s like hearing an advertisement on tv: you either fast forward through it or try to use the washroom before commercial break ends. It can be so interruptive and … cheap feeling. So how can we DO MORE for our audience? How can we make our audience LOOK GOOD just for interacting with us? How can we be genuine?

After a brain storming session, this is one idea we decided to try:

First: As business pet service business owners, we have asked ourselves (and have been asked by others): ‘Are service associations worth the money?’ This question has been posed in so many different places, that we wanted to give business owners an ‘example’ of what they can expect to get with us. Let’s give out one of our best webinars. But then we improved it. Just offering 1 thing bores people. It’s not enough incentive. What happens if we give away 5 days of relevant content for ANYONE to look at? Though it’s only 5 days, we decided it might convince people. (Then we added an extra event just to make it better.)

We have hundreds of business offerings inside; will 5 be enough for a good taste? We are putting our name on the line and letting others review it publicly. But that’s still not enough. How could we improve the sitters experience even more? How could we directly help a sitter make a business transaction they might not otherwise do? Then we had the idea…

Second: The Association of Pet Sitting Excellence (APSE) is picking a random pet sitter and donating up to $500 (in the sitter’s name) to the sitter’s shelter of choice. (Click here to enter.) Picture yourself going to your local shelter with a check for $500.00 & showing them your support. Talk about good PR and networking! You might even offer to buy them ‘new parent kits’ for new pet parents (with your name on them.) The sky is the limit.

APSE went out and got a sponsor to split the funds. Rover.com, a nifty pet sitter search engine, is donating up to $250 of the final prize. In return, we mention their name and thank them profusely for caring. We don’t give them any personal information regarding the sitters who sign up. We mention their name and everyone is happy.

The more sitters who enter, the more money you can give your local shelter. (Plus you get 5 days of material that will improve your pet sitting business!)

It is a few promotions in one. The sitter who wins $500 will build a relationship with a local humane society. Pets at the humane society will benefit. The humane society will benefit. The sitter will hopefully get more business from the humane society. Ideally, this is how it will work.

———

When you do promotions, keep them fun. Follow the advice of Bob Burg and have your actions help others as much as possible. With enough of a reach, good will, and attractiveness, people will start flooding in.

It’s okay to get sponsors and work with others. Be confident. Help others.

Happy marketing,

Paul Franklin

(Do you have any promotions that have worked really well for you? I’d love to hear about it! Send me a note at: pfranklin@petsittingexcellence.com)

PS – CLICK HERE to be a part of this current promotion. I hope you win the $500.00!

The 2011 APSE Pet Sitter Industry Survey showed that only about 50% of people have a written plan of where they want their business to go. However, almost everyone had an idea of where they want their business to land. In the book ‘What They Don’t Teach You At Harvard Business School‘ by Mark McCormick, it shows that 13% of graduates who had goals were earning about twice as much as the 84% with no goals at all. Even more specific, the 3% who had clear-cut written goals we earning 10 times as much as the other 97% PUT TOGETHER. Many other studies further prove that if you write down your goals, you have a better chance at success… and you will go much further.

Fine I’m convinced. I wrote it. Now what?

Making a business plan is like sitting in a parked car with the GPS programmed, but not yet turning the key. You know where you want to go, so all you have to do is drive there. Easy, right? Usually driving can be the hardest part. It’s where the most danger is: accidents, crazy drivers, other distractions like phone calls, passengers, and the list goes on… Despite the millions of things that CAN happen, somehow we plug away until we get to our destination.

We look ahead for problems that might stop us and be defensive drivers to get there safely.

We use a GPS or our internal GPS constantly and usually without trepidation. Yes, sometimes we might not follow the GPS. (I’m still hoping for an avoid ghetto button.) Regardless, we do whatever we can to reach our destination.

Your business mindset should be similar. You map out where you go & not knowing HOW to get there, you do what it takes to get there… and on (usually) time. Pressing the gas where you need to, stopping when needed, possibly even changing the route (or asking for directions) to make a smoother journey or to avoid unnecessary congestion. Usually pretty simple… but we’re used to it.

Remember the first few times you drove? Eventually, you comfortable and gained confidence. It’s the same with business.

A few weeks ago, I was in Boston for a funeral of my friend’s daughter. Right before the service began my friend’s cousin, looking a bit frazzled, arrived. She had just driven from New York to Boston without a map or a GPS through rush hour. She had never been in this area of Boston and had a vague understanding of where this specific town was. Before she began her journey, she jotted down how she THOUGHT she should get there and she let her internal compass pointed her to about 4 blocks from the funeral home. From there, she asked directions.

There is no GPS for business to tell you the exact moves to make. If you ever want to leave your driveway and end up in the right place you need to write down how you best think to get somewhere and ask for directions when you get stuck.

No matter how good your internal compass, those who plan accordingly before they begin their journey get there sooner.

Even if it is hard to take time to plan, it will be worth it in the end.

Best wishes in your success,

Paul

It remains our absolute pleasure providing you with the tools, education and resources needed to grow your pet sitting business.

Whether you are just starting out, or just starting to grow, we will continue to be there for you.

We are excited to celebrate in your continued success in the coming year!

~Thank you.

-Joshua Cary, Danielle Chonody, and Paul Franklin

Share this with other pet sitters and leave your comment below!

Well, last month, one of our APSE members started a conversation about the Zappos Insights Tour in Las Vegas she recently attended.

She gave it rave reviews and from that moment a buzz began by other members in our forums.

Plans made on this discussion thread by a couple of members for a weekend Vegas getaway quickly transformed into the scheduling of our first unofficial APSE meet-up.

Mark Your Calendars

On January 26-28, 2012 Joshua Cary, Paul Franklin and Danielle Chonody will all be in Vegas together to enjoy a weekend of fun with plenty of other APSE members who have decided to join us for the trip.

(Some are arriving as early as Tuesday, January 24, 2012 and others leaving Sunday, January 29, 2012.)

We want to keep the meet-up casual and spontaneous. Our only scheduled activities are:

• Zappos Insights Tour -Thursday January 26, 2012 at 3pm
• Group dinner following the tour

The rest of the weekend will be relaxed fun activities enjoying the Vegas scene (food, shopping, nightlife, thrill rides, shows…)

Pure Coincidence

We discovered though discussions with our members at our first ‘open forum day’ that the weekend we randomly chose for Las Vegas coincides with the NAPPS annual conference being held in the same location.

Subsequently, several of our members attending the NAPPS conference have decided that while they are in Vegas they will also catch up with us for the Zappos tour and dinner before the start of the conference.

If you are attending the NAPPS conference and find some time in your schedule, we invite you to join us for a meal or fun activity around town. We would love to get to know all our APSE members better!

It’s important to note that it is certainly not our intention to take away from – or interrupt your experience with – the NAPPS conference. We respect and appreciate the NAPPS organization.

If you wish to join us just book your ticket to Vegas and let us know in the members forums how to get in touch with you so that we can make sure that you are not left out of any the activities or spontaneous fun.

Where ever you are in your product pricing decisions, I hope you have researched competitors, looked into pricing structures, costs, and potential profits. Hopefully, you have estimated how many clients you need to have based on different pricing models and have budgeted accordingly. Mostly, I hope you have built a pricing structure and worked in what you thought was fair – not too much & not too little.

So what pricing model is best? Here is where your pricing model might take you –

Just as an example, let’s pretend you are a dog walker and after some research, the average pricing in your area is $15.00 per visit. (I realize pricing should best vary per area & $15.00 is not necessarily the average pricing in your area.)

Charging higher than the average:

Pricing: $16.00 or $20 per visit.

You are going to attract those people who are willing to pay more. They may expect more and hopefully your service is already excellent. They will most likely be very happy with you as long as you remain consistent and do not disappoint.

To the client you appear as a ‘better’ and higher priced business. People will treat you this way and expect a ‘better’ business. In turn, you have an improved outlook about your business because you’re getting paid well for what you do. AND because you feel positive about your business, your clients are happier, and the business does well. It’s cyclical.

Their pricing rationalization was most likely: ‘you pay more for better service.’

Also, when it comes time to reasonably raise prices, it will generally be accepted by those who feel this way because they feel good about the service they receive for what they pay. A ‘pricing with the times’ is more acceptable.

Pareto’s Principle (80/20 Rule): (http://betterexplained.com/articles/understanding-the-pareto-principle-the-8020-rule/) Originally, the Pareto Principle was based on wealth. 20% of the people have 80% of the wealth. It’s also applicable to most situations in life — 20% of your clients, bring in 80% of the income; 20% of clients give you 80% of your problems, etc. This rule also internally repeats. Of the top 20%, there is a 4% division who is responsible for the 80% of the top 20%, and so on.

Using a higher priced method, of 100 people who look at your business 4 might end up buying. For the run-of-the-mill average business, this can be GREAT for long-term growth. (I’ll explain what it takes to go from long-term to short-term growth below.)

(Please keep in mind this is just an example; many aspects are at play when it comes to getting buyers. You can have a brick of gold that no one will buy if you can’t market, sell, or maintain your business effectively.)

Charging The Average

Your clients will be a mixture of reasons of why they are with you. Afterall, this is where MOST of the companies charge. If everyone charges $15, then you charge $15. From those 100 people who call; let’s say you get 20 clients. You may feel as if you want to be different and stick out more than the others. In this case, you will say you do with services, etc… but you won’t get paid more unless it’s through upsells, additional fees, etc. Businesses at this level are more tempted to bring in additional fees than at the ‘higher priced’ level because they feel as if they should be earning more. This feeling of ‘charging additional fees’ is usually even greater for businesses who under charge.

Though ‘the need to market’ depends on multiple recipes for success, in this regard, a business does not need always need to market or ‘get their business name out’ as much as a high end business because general client conversion is greater in ‘average’ prices.

When looking at the numbers and your own personal goals, it might make more OVERALL sense to charge the ‘same’ as average priced businesses because odds are you’ll likely be getting more clients.

Charging Less

(Keep in mind this does not apply to the psychology behind coupons, special discounts, or other similar deals.)

If everyone charges $15, you charge $14.00… or $8.00

Within a few dollars, clients will think of your pricing as a ‘deal’ and you’re more apt to get MORE clients who wish to save money. You get more clients, but they might watch their dollars more. Therefore, when it comes time to charge more, you may see more retaliation or grief for raising prices. However, keep in mind that you will also be attracting more clients.

Similar to average prices, you’re more apt to want to charge more for ‘extras’ and even more apt to feel ‘stressed’ or ‘burnt’ out because you feel you are not getting paid enough if YOU are doing the work. (From personal experience though, once you hire everyone to do the work for you — not getting paid enough starts to fade as other problems may arise that relate to not getting paid enough… — but that’s a whole other blog.)

PLEASE NOTE:

A funny thing happens when people start to seriously undercut the competition. Studies show that the MORE you undercut the competition, the MORE potential clients start to have preconceived notions and immediately think of you as ‘less trustworthy’ and ‘less ideal’ to what they want. (Regardless of the truth.)

Think of buying a can of soup. Which is your initial reaction to what might be healthier or better tasting?  A $0.50 can of soup, a $1.25 can of soup, or a $4.99 can of soup.

As businesses undercut TOO much — the principle of 80/20 returns and only 4% of the people are attracted to your business. I’ve seen businesses charge $8 or $10 compared to the $15 and gain no business.

Most of the time when in either of the extremes, the business is focused on pricing — and this is how client’s see your business. The BULK of businesses are average pricing and this is what people are used to. If pricing is not normal, consumers ask themselves why it is not. If you do not explain pricing or do not properly prepare them for the pricing, chances are they will be less accepting of it.  

Here’s my take:

If you have a GREAT marketing campaign & you can bring in MORE people than the standard business — then by all means, charge more! According to Pareto, you’ll need 4x the amount of people to see your business to get the same amount of clients as a ‘standard’ priced business. HOWEVER, it’s cyclical. The more who see you, the better branded you become & the more you (can) grow.

Also, please note that if you are charging an average or a below average price — that if you suddenly or over a short time increase your prices to ‘elite’ pricing, you will be attracting different clients (and no longer those who are with you.) Just as an example, I have a client I consulted with who was of ‘standard’ pricing, but was over-run with walks. She had spoken with a different consultant who told her to change all of her prices to $22 per walk. When she did (over a 6 month period), she LOST EVERY ONE OF HER CLIENTS and had to start over.

There are certainly ways to increase pricing to be a ‘higher priced’ business… but keep in mind your current clients have come to you for certain reasons — and money usually is one of them.

Happy learning!

Paul

(This article is also published on paulfranklin.info)

I used to make a fair amount of money pet sitting for friends, but as a law student I don’t have time to commit more than a few weekends a year to my friends’ animals.

However, I’ve learned over the years that pet sitting can be a lucrative and enjoyable venture.

The following pet sitting advice will serve you well whether you have a one-person business or an operation large enough to use payroll software for your employees.

Service Agreements (Know your Limits)

One of the most important things you need to determine as a pet sitter is what services you’ll provide. For instance, I love cats and dogs and have even taken care of fish, but I don’t want to take care of snakes or lizards.

If you’re a solo practitioner, you can obviously make your own rules about what jobs you do and do not take. Starting a business can be quite the undertaking, but it can be worthwhile as long as you’re not faced with working for a pet sitting service that refuses no pet.

Know what pet owners expect of you while they’re out of town. Pets, like humans, are used to routine. Some animals are fed small amounts of food multiple times a day or require more than one walk to burn off excess energy.

Other pets may have special needs, such as daily insulin injections. Preparing and signing an agreement of what your business will and will not provide will keep communication clear between you and pet owners. You can find these kinds of forms inside the APSE Members Area, a recommended resource for those looking to go pro.

Insurance Coverage

Professional pet sitters will want to pick up insurance for their protection. The Kennel Pro Pet Sitters Program, a policy available through full-service agency Mourer-Foster, Inc., is recommended for one or more employees as it covers medical and replacement costs for animals in a pet sitter’s care.

My pet sitting has only been occasional and therefore insurance was unnecessary, but pros will want to make this worthwhile investment. As with any insurance, pet sitters will ideally never need to use it but having it will put everyone’s minds at ease. When marketing your services as a pet sitter, having insurance will serve you well for attracting business.

Business Forms

Along with service agreements, pet sitters will want to use various forms to help their business run smoothly. Examples include a vet release so that animals may receive emergency medical care in their owners’ absence, permission slips for administering medication, or invoices in the case of larger operations that use online billing or payroll software systems as mentioned earlier. The more organized and professional you are, the better.

It’s all about trust

Having pet sat for well-organized friends who presented me, literally, with pages of instructions for their pets and the care of their home, I have a better idea of what questions to ask other pet owners. Follow the above tips and do your research. Trust in your ability to provide excellent service just as pet owners trust you with their animals.

Ashley Spade, also known as Sir Winston Pugsalot the First’s favorite human, is a law student in Chicago. When she isn’t studying, she enjoys competing in 5K races, trips the the bark park, and blogging. Keep up with her adventures on twitter: @ashspade