Blog

A Test In Expanding Your Pet Business
Posted By Paul | No Comments
Testing Your Vision

You want to do something new in your business, but you’re lacking confidence in your vision. Perhaps you are debating adding poop scoop services or you are thinking of hiring contractors instead of employees. Whatever the case may be, there are a few questions to ask yourself that will help validate your new vision.
1. Would this new step motivate you to join your company and continue to motivate you once you are there?
  If we never did anything we never did before, then...
2. Does it provide a beacon for guiding the kinds of adaptation and change required for continual growth?
3. Will it challenge you?
4. Can it serve as the basis to formulate a strategy that can be acted on?
5. Will it serve as a framework to keep strategic decision making in context?
6. How will it improve your business? Read More …
How Pet Sitters Must Now Focus On Their Google Places Listing [video]
Posted By Joshua | No Comments
» Resources Mentioned In This Video
Read More …
Legal Ins and Outs of Pet Sitting
Posted By Joshua | No Comments

This is a guest post by Ashley Spade.

As soon as law school started, I knew right away that I had to find a way to pick up some extra cash.

Law school is far from cheap, so I decided to make use of my dog sitting experience to set up my own little pet sitting service.

I took advantage of email marketing software to help get the word out, and before too long I was getting customers left and right.

Maybe it’s just the law student in me, but as I started this little service of mine these worst case scenarios started popping into my head. What if one of the dogs runs away? What will happen if one of them gets sick and dies? Will I be liable?

But I told myself not to worry because I knew that if I took the right legal measures then I would be protected. For those of you who are thinking about starting your own pet sitting service…
Read More …
How To See Where You Currently Rank In Google For Each Keyword [video]
Posted By Joshua | 1 Comment

What is one big goal you always look to achieve with regard to your pet sitting website?

I bet it’s to rank high in Google for a specific keyword or phrase, right?

The game begins when you decide on what term your most ideal client would type into the search engines to find the service you provide.

Most typically this will be a variation on pet sitting, dog walking, or pet sitter, along with your town, city or area served.

But Without Guessing How Can You Tell Exactly Where You Currently Rank in Google?

Sure, you can spend all day thinking up various search terms, plugging them into Google one by one and see if your website is there.

Or you can use a free tool like the one highlighted in my video below.
Read More …
Member Spotlight: 5 Questions with Sandra Lindstedt
Posted By Joshua | 2 Comments

According to APSE member Sandra Lindstedt of The Pet Nanny of Trinity and Piper’s Pet Sitting Service, Panache Vue magazine is delivered to homes within her service area valued at $400,000+ and is geared towards professional women. (Talk about knowing your target market!)

This is especially exciting since after having advertised in the upscale publication twice before, Sandra was recently given the opportunity to write an article for Panache Vue to further her pet sitting business publicity campaign.

While placing ads in a magazine could have its own set of positive returns, you can’t argue the fact that a 350-word article written by you (and one that did not cost you a penny to have published) would have an even greater return.

The reason a printed article will have significantly more impact than a display ad is because of ‘borrowed credibility.’

It’s known that practically anyone can pay to have their ad printed in a magazine or newspaper, but when you are given the chance to write an article, the implication is that the magazine or newspaper itself is saying, ‘We think this person is an expert on this topic!’

That’s borrowed credibility. Without explicitly saying so, the assumption is that the publication is vouching for you and giving you credit for your expertise.
Read More …
17 Pet Sitter Safety Tips – for New and Experienced Pet Sitters
Posted By Danielle | 4 Comments

Recently, I had a new sitter of mine comment that she was visiting a client’s home and she noticed a guy parked in an unmarked car on the street outside the house who lingered and made her uncomfortable.

She said I should tell all my new pet sitters to lock the doors after they arrive for the visit.

Makes complete sense.

I guess locking the doors behind me is so automatic that I don’t think to tell my new sitters.

So I started thinking… How many other safety tips do we ourselves do that other pet sitters need to know.

Some pet sitter safety tips that you routinely do yourself may not be so obvious to others.
Read More …
This Is How Your Potential Clients See Your Pet Sitting Website [video]
Posted By Joshua | 4 Comments

This video is all about making sure your pet sitting website appears as you intend it to appear across a variety of browsers.

After all, your website visitors (potential clients) may not be using the same browser, operating system or display settings as you use.

In the video, you’ll learn how to use a free online tool to make sure your site is looking its best.

Oh, one last thing… Every Friday, we send out a free pet sitter tips newsletter, and this video was made as a special part of the most recent tip.

If you enjoy this and want more of this delivered to your inbox every single Friday, just tell us were to send it by using the sign up box over to the right!

Now on with the show!
Read More …
10 Ways To Increase Sales Without Selling
Posted By Paul | 3 Comments

or… 10 Ways To Up-sell Clients

When you use a business you are more apt to buy again from the business.

Your client’s buy walking or sitting services from you routinely and they trust your opinion when it comes to their pets.

Instead of spending more money to advertise to new people, don’t forget about offering more to your current clients.

It’ll be easier than you thought and you don’t have to even consider putting distracting Google ads all over your site. (You know who you are.)

Here are some tips to earn more income while working smarter, not harder.
Read More …
Facebook LIKE Button Gets A Sibling – Introducing The SEND Button
Posted By Danielle | No Comments

Facebook has just announced a nifty new social plugin tool that makes it easier for people to share your website content with their friends and connections.

It’s called the Send button and you’ll soon see it located right next to the Like button at the top of webpages or blog posts.

It’s similar to the Like button that we’ve all become used to seeing on blog posts and web pages. The Like button has allowed you to share web content with your friends by posting the link to the web content page on your Facebook wall as a public broadcast.

So what’s different about the Send button?

The new Send button allows private sharing of web content. It will allow you (and your readers) to share web content directly with your friends and online connections via email. Or you can also share web content with any of your Facebook groups.

This means that instead of relying on your friends to check their Facebook wall feed or your Facebook page – you can now send the web content directly to their inbox (either Facebook inbox or email inbox) where it is more likely to be seen!
Read More …
Is Juggling a Full Time Job and Growing a Successful Pet Sitting Business Really Possible?
Posted By Danielle | 5 Comments

Recently I’ve had a couple of pet sitters ask me how I was able to work a full time job and grow my pet sitting business at the same time.

I’m not going to kid you, some days it was tough going.

But if you are passionate about your business, have the right attitude, and get the right systems in place, growing a successful pet sitting business and being in the ranks of the full time employed is certainly far from impossible!

For the first 7 years of owning my business Protecting Max I worked as an oilfield engineer and reported to the office 5 days a week for the daily grind.

My job sometimes involved international travel, meetings where it was impossible to answer the phone, and I also commuted 30 minutes to work beyond my pet sitting service area (so I couldn’t pop out for midday visits during lunch hour!). If you find full time work that is flexible, does not require you to travel, and is within your service area it will make life much easier for you. But none of these challenges prevented me from growing my pet sitting business to an operation with six contract pet sitters and over 150 clients.

Many of you may be in pet sitting start up and still need your job to pay the bills while your business grows.

That was my story.

I’ve also spoken to one sitter that has owned and run her sitting business full time for several years and is now planning to return to the workforce. Whichever situation you are in my advice to you is the same. Here are some tips from my juggling experience.
Read More …
Page 2 of 7«123 4 5 »...Last »