Businesses for Boomers – Pet Sitting – A Recession-proof business
After my blog about pet sitting as a great business for baby boomers, I decided to explore this idea more. I contacted Pet Sitters International and talked to Beth Stultz. Here is what I learned about the pet sitting business:
Q: First, the big question. With the terrible economy right now, is this a good time to start a pet sitting business?
A: Pet related businesses are pretty stable, despite economic conditions. In 2007 in the U.S., people spent $41 billion on their pets, and 63 percent of U.S. households own a pet. For many people, their pets are their children, and they aren’t hesitant about spending money on them. So the demand for pet-sitters is pretty stable. Our Pet Sitters International membership is growing; it shows no signs of slowing down.
Q: I saw that with my experience at the big pet store a few weeks ago. It doesn’t look like there is a recession in the pet-sitting business.
Q: What kind of people have pet sitting businesses?
A: Our members are from a variety of backgrounds and ages. The typical pet sitting business owner is a woman Baby Boomer. Women make up 84 percent of pet sitters, and 60 percent are between 41 and 60. Most have completed some college, and for most this is a second career or a supplemental career. Most run their businesses as sole proprietorships, not corporations. The common factor with pet sitters is their love of animals.
Most of our members have been in business between 3 and 5 years, but we have many members who have been in business between 10 and 15 years. Some of our members combine pet sitting with house-sitting, staying in a home to take care of both the house and the pet.
Q: What does it take to start a pet sitting business? How long does it take to get established?
A: Setup of a pet sitting business is really quite simple. You can run the business from your home, so all you need is a car to get to your clients and marketing expenses. You also might want to get pet sitting business software to better manage your client base.
Depending on the area where you want to have your business, it usually takes a couple of months to several years to get your business established.
Q: What about startup costs?
A: Startup costs in the pet sitting business are low. You will need liability coverage and you should be bonded. You might want to buy the pet sitter software, and you will need to spend money on marketing. That’s about it.
Q: What is the most difficult part of the pet sitting business?
A: It is difficult to maintain a client base. People leave or move away and you have to keep replacing them. Just like any other business, marketing is something that has to be done constantly. We encourage members to do community events, contact local businesses, and do partnerships. Of course, word of mouth is still the best way to get new clients.
Q: How much does a typical pet sitting business owner make? How much is it possible to make?
A: It is difficult to talk about averages, because you can run a pet sitting business part-time or full-time. Some pet sitting business owners make over $1 million a year.
Q: Wow! They must have big operations with lots of employees!
A: Yes, one pet sitting business owner has 30 employees.
Q: Tell me more about Pet Sitters International. How do you serve your members?
A: Pet Sitters International currently has 8,000 member businesses. Our members serve an average of 19 clients each, and they collectively perform more than 17.4 pet sitting engagements a year. We offer a variety of services. We encourage people to establish themselves as professionals, to set themselves apart from the hobbyist, the non-professional pet sitter, and we help them run their businesses as professionals.
We help with marketing, and we have an online store where members can buy promotional materials and flyers, and they can personalize these products for their business. We also have software (called “Power Petsitter”) that members can buy to better manage their client list and stay in contact, and we have newsletters they can personalize and send out to their mailing list. We also give members the opportunity to purchase liability insurance through Business Insurers of the Carolinas.
Q: What about the liability issue? Do pet sitters need liability coverage?
A: Yes, they do. Of course, like other business owners they need an overall business liability policy, but they also need special coverage for “care, custody, and control.” This special coverage specifically covers the pet, in case something happens to it. The amount of this coverage depends on the level of coverage they want to purchase and the size of the business. Policies start at about $250 a year and up.
Q: What makes pet sitting so attractive to people?
A: First, as I said, they love animals and this gives them an opportunity to be with them. Second, pet sitting can be a wonderful career, and you can tailor it to what you want it to be. You can run the business part-time by yourself, or you can run it as your career, your livelihood.
I would encourage your readers to go to our Pet Sitters International website and read some of the pet sitting business success stories.
Thanks, Beth.