How to Be A Good Pet Sitter and Get Clients
At Grand and Graham Pet Sitters, we know the pet sitting business backwards and forwards. If you’re just starting as a pet sitter in San Francisco, we can offer a few tips to help you stand out as a professional to your clients.
Want to join our team? Learn how to apply here.
Be Passionate About Pet Care
You, of course, need to love pets as a pet sitter, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. You also need to know all the dirty details about how to keep them healthy and happy.
A great way to let your clients know you’ve got the training and experience they’re looking for is to obtain certification from trusted educators and training systems. Some of our favorites are:
Pet First Aid Courses. Check with your vet or local shelter to see if they offer pet first aid classes. The American Red Cross is another great resource for these courses, they also offer a free app with emergency protocols for dogs and cats. Having this kind of certification can bring your clients peace of mind and could save the day in an emergency.
Reactive Dog Training. Many dogs need pet sitters because they have stress reactions to their owners leaving or to unknown environments. Having training in productive means of redirection and comforting reactive dogs is another key selling point for dog sitters. One of our favorites is Fear Free; they offer training programs and free resources for dog caregivers.
Pet Sitting Certifications. There are some organizations that can offer holistic courses in much of what we’ve been talking about. Pet Sitters International (PSI) and the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters (NAPPS) are the main two. However, paying for full certification isn’t absolutely necessary.
Beyond training, there are lots of ways to learn more about caring for dogs and cats, you could also volunteer at San Francisco’s Animal Control, San Francisco SPCA, or your local vet. Volunteering can introduce you to a wide variety of animal temperaments in a short period of time, and looks great when speaking with future pet parents.
If you are providing your clients with references, don’t forget to ask for a reference from your supervisor, where you decide to volunteer
Be Responsible and Courteous
While every pet owner will have different specific needs, everyone wants their pet sitters to be punctual, attentive, and good communicators. When advertising your services and talking to clients, take every opportunity to display the care and responsibility you take with their animals.
Pet sitting is also house sitting, and you can’t neglect that part of it. When meeting your clients, be sure to ask proactive questions about how they want the house looked after while they’re gone. It’s always a nice gesture to ask if you can water any plants, take in the mail, or take out the trash during your stay.
It may go without saying, but unless you’re told otherwise, don’t eat their food or use items around the house like exercise equipment, gaming systems, or hot tubs. You could risk damaging these items and needing to replace them.
While looking after their pets, you’ll also need to keep an eye out for any messes the dogs (or you!) make and get them cleaned up before your clients return home. No one likes to come home from vacation to a messy house. Whenever possible, you should leave a client's home in better condition than you found it, and in a “guest-ready” state every day.
Be Serious About Your Business
Finally, we can’t forget about that “professional” part of being a professional pet sitter. To make a living as a freelance service provider, you’ll need to incorporate your business and have a business license in the city of San Francisco. You’ll be responsible for keeping records of your income and expenses for your taxes, though you may also need to hire an accountant when it comes time to file them.
To bring in a consistent line of new clients, you’ll need to invest in advertising. Word of mouth is a great place to start, but social media marketing, local ads, and physical flyers can all be valuable ways to get the word out. Keep it small and consistent at first. Digital ads can add up quickly, so make sure to take the time to figure out what’s working for you.
Once you’ve got that full roster of clients, you’ll also need to devote time to keeping them happy. We recommend taking detailed notes on the preferences of each client so they don’t have to walk you through things every time they see you. Scheduling is another unavoidable beast in this line of work, so find a system that works for you before things feel overwhelming.
If you’re new to note-taking and want to start standardizing your process, you can use Etsy as a resource to find pet intake form templates. When your business starts to grow, you can look into CRMs for clients to input information, schedule care, and pay invoices online.
How to Be a Successful Pet Sitter in San Francisco
Being a pet sitter can be a great job, however, it’s a lot more than just playing with dogs. If you’re great with pets but don’t want to be a business owner, you don't have to go it alone. At Grand & Graham Pet Sitters, we’re always looking to add talented and driven sitters to our team. Reach out today or learn more about our hiring process here.
