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Are you thinking about starting a pet sitting business? According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), over 63% of U.S. households own either a dog or a cat. Most owners, of course, can’t watch their pets all 365 days of the year. Maybe an owner is traveling for a family vacation, or perhaps an owner is out of town for a business meeting. Regardless, pet owners regularly require the services of a pet sitter. Before starting a pet sitting business, though, there are several important things you should consider.

#1) Education and Experience

You should consider your education and experience when starting a pet sitting business. Neither a formal education nor experience is required, but they can certainly give you a head start on your competitors. If you volunteered at a local veterinary clinic, for instance, you can mention this experience in marketing materials. It shows prospective clients that you know how to care for animals, resulting in a higher level of confidence.

#2) Services

Pet sitting businesses offer a variety of pet-related services, so you’ll need to decide what type of services you want to offer. Successful pet sitting businesses typically offer multiple services. If you only offer a single service, you may struggle to attract clients. So, when planning your pet sitting businesses, think about what services you intend to offer. You can always add or remove services later down the road, but you’ll have an easier time securing clients if you offer a variety of in-demand services.

Here are some of the most common types of services offered by pet sitting businesses:

• Dog walking
• In-house pet sitting
• Pet feedings
• Boarding
• Pet grooming (bathing, nail clipping, etc.)
• Administering medication to pets

#3) Market Territory

Something else to consider when starting a pet sitting business is market territory. In other words, which region do you want to serve? The larger your market territory, the more clients you’ll reach. With that said, you shouldn’t target an excessively large region. If you serve clients in a 100-mile radius, for example, you can expect long commutes to and from their homes. By serving a smaller region, however, you’ll have shorter commutes, which allows you to perform more sitting jobs.

#4) Business Structure

For a successful pet sitting business, you must treat it like a business. Among other things, this means choosing the right business structure. There are several different types of business structures in the United States, including a sole proprietorship, a limited liability company (LLC), a partnership, an S Corp and a C Corp. Of those structures, sole proprietorships and LLCs are the most common for pet sitting businesses. The former is easier to set up since it doesn’t require filing articles of organization. LLCs, however, provide liability protection of your personal assets. To determine which structure is right for your pet sitting business, consider talking to a professional accountant or tax advisor.

#5) Marketing and Promotion

How do you intend to market and promote your pet sitting business? One of the great things about running a pet sitting business is that you’ll likely have repeat clients. After a client has purchased a sitting-related service from your business, he or she may request another service in the future. First, however, you must spread the word about your new pet sitting business so that prospective clients know it exists. Neglecting to perform marketing or promotion will restrict your ability to attract clients. Whether you distribute business cards, post flyers, create social media posts or even invest in radio or TV ads, you need to spread the word about your pet sitting business.

#6) Insurance

As a pet sitter, you’ll be responsible for the well-being of your clients’ pets, which is why it’s a good idea to secure an insurance policy. Major insurance companies offer policies specifically for pet sitting businesses. These policies are generally designed to protect your business against financial loss associated with injuries to a client’s pet, injuries to you or someone else, or damage to a client’s home or property. Hopefully, you’ll never need to use it, but just having an insurance policy will provide peace of mind knowing that your pet sitting business is financially protected against unforeseen disasters.

#7) Competition

You can’t expect to launch a successful pet sitting business without evaluating the competition. Unless you live in a rural area, you can expect to encounter at least some other pet sitting businesses competing for the same clients as your business. Competition isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as it indicates there’s a demand for sitting-related services. If there’s too much competition, though, you may struggle to acquire clients. To evaluate the competition, search online and in local phone books for pet sitting businesses that serve your business’s intended market territory. You can then compare their services, and the prices of those services, to those offered by your pet sitting business.