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When researching business ideas that allow you to work with animals, you’ll probably encounter pet sitting. Pet sitting is a venture that, as the name suggests, involves supervising and caring for pets while their owners are away. Owners can’t watch their pets 24 hours a day, seven days a week. As a result, many of them rely on the services of a pet sitter. By starting your own pet sitting business, you can take advantage of the following benefits.

#1) Forge Friendships With Pets

By starting your own pet sitting business, you’ll be able to forge long-lasting friendships with pets. Pets will warm up to you the more you sit them. An owner’s pet may initially be standoffish. Over time, though, they’ll begin to feel more comfortable being around you. The bottom line is that starting your own pet sitting business will allow you to forge long-lasting friendships with pets, making this a rewarding venture.

#2) No Formal Education Required

You don’t need any formal education to start your own pet sitting business. All you need is the desire and dedication to provide a valuable sitting service for owners’ pets. The same can’t be said for veterinary medicine jobs. Most jobs in the veterinary medicine industry require formal training. To become a licensed veterinarian, you must complete a four-year Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) program, which is typically preceded by a separate three- or four-year degree program. Even with little or no college training, you can start your own pet sitting business.

#3) Work Remotely

Of course, pet sitting is typically performed remotely. You don’t need to lease a store, nor do you need to use your home to provide sitting services. In nearly all cases, pet sitting is performed remotely at the pet’s home. When an owner asks you to sit his or her pet, you can drive to the owner’s home. Starting a doggy daycare or boarding business, on the other hand, will typically require a separate facility. Doggy daycares and boarding businesses are performed at a separate facility and not the pet’s home. If you’re looking for a pet-focused career that allows you to work remotely, you may want to start your own pet sitting business. It’s one of the few pet-focused careers that will allow you to work remotely.

#4) Low Startup Costs

Because it’s performed remotely, pet sitting has low startup costs. Unlike with a doggy daycare or boarding business, you won’t have to lease a facility. There are still some startup costs involved with launching a pet sitting business, some of which include a business license, fuel and vehicle maintenance, insurance and marketing services. Nonetheless, pet sitting businesses have significantly lower startup costs than many other pet-focused businesses.

#5) Repeat Clients

Another benefit of starting your own pet sitting business is repeat clients. Clients are pet owners who will use your pet sitting service. Assuming you provide a high-quality service that addresses all of their pets’ needs, they’ll likely become repeat clients. Client loyalty is high among pet sitting businesses. Most owners don’t use multiple pet sitting businesses. Rather, once they’ve found a pet sitter, they’ll continue to use that pet sitter. The end result is repeat clients, all of whom will pay you to watch and care for their pets while they are away.

There are ways to increase client loyalty with your pet sitting business. Whether you just recently launched your pet sitting business, or if it’s been up and running for several years, you can encourage repeat clients by sending them a photo while you provide watch their pets. It’s a small gesture that goes a long way at increasing client loyalty. When clients see their pets are being taken of, they’ll feel more comfortable using your pet sitting service in the future.

#6) It’s Good Exercise

You’ll be able to get plenty of exercise while running a pet sitting business. It’s not uncommon for pet sitters to visit a dozen homes per day. When visiting a client’s home, you’ll probably have to take his or her dog outside to walk and play. You may also have to provide food and water for the client’s pet. All of this walking is good exercise for both you and the client’s pet. Regardless, starting your own pet sitting business will increase your physical activity levels. It’s not a particularly strenuous venture, but it still involves physical activity that can improve your health and wellness.

#7) Work For Yourself

Of course, starting your own pet sitting business will allow you to work for yourself. You won’t have a boss or manager dictating your schedule. If you start your own pet sitting business, you’ll essentially be your own boss. You can set your own prices, work on your own schedule and pave your own career path. There won’t be a boss looking over your shoulder if you start your own petting business.