With the small initial investment, pet sitting services could turn into a big business, generating at least a six-figure income in two to five years. Depending on the area you live in (your potential income will be limited if you live in a small place with few dog or cat owners in the vicinity).

How many hours you are willing to put in, there is a big chance that you will earn income in less than three years. A lot of pet-sitting businesses grow by adding contract staff, with the owner managing the scheduling, client interviews, marketing, as well as other aspects of growing the company.

To find out more about the most popular animals owned as pets in the United States, click here for more details.

Some service providers are serving hundreds if not thousands of customers, so hiring a lot of independent contractors to handle the job is the best way to go. Almost all organized pet owners who are willing to put some effort and time into learning the industry can launch a small shop with a modest budget and minimal time commitment (since startups usually serve two to three customers per day). Knowing the industry’s ins and outs, the work involved, and the resources needed to start a pet-sitting company will help entrepreneurs decide if this industry is the right choice for them.

Dog walker or pet sitter?

Dog walking and pet sitting are not the same. Dog walkers are just doing what the name suggests – takes the canine for a walk. In cities, canine walkers walk more than one dog at a time. Pet sitters are more involved with pets and their owners. They usually become the primary caregiver of the animal, learning about their medical needs, nutritional requirements, as well as their behavioral problems.

Check out https://www.forbes.com/sites/richardkestenbaum/2018/11/27/the-biggest-trends-in-the-pet-industry/#62f17168f099 to find out the latest trend in this industry.

If you want to make big money, you need to offer pet sitting services. A typical sit can last more or less one hour per session, feeding, playing, and watering part of the visit. There is a big chance that sitters will be asked to take in the homeowner’s mail, water their plants, and turn the house lights on and off if the customer is out of town for a vacation or work (if your company offer to choose this type of service for an additional fee).

Non-conventional hours

Sitters not only don’t have the luxury of a weekday, 9 to 5 work schedules, but they also need to work during the evening, usually, holidays, and weekends. It does not mean that you will have to work 24 hours a day, seven days a week, but sitters need to limit the number of customers they take, or they can hire assistants if they want to avoid stress and burnout.

As the main pet caregiver, sitters are the go-to contacts for owners, who usually call before calling the vet and during dead hours of the night. For instance, when a fellow sitter in Raleigh or one of the contractors cannot make their scheduled sit, the nearest pet sitter in Raleigh usually gets hit with last-minute requests to perform services. Always remember that service providers cannot just leave a cat or dog in an apartment or house for a few days when they are busy with other clients.

Must love canines

Okay, they also need to love cats. And possibly other animals like iguanas, birds, Llamas, Parakeets, and even different types of bugs, depending on what pets the company will agree to sit. A lot of people say that they love their job, but this work is one of the few professions in the world where workers need to love the job before they can be successful in this industry, and not because of the compensation.

Because sitters are taking care of a loving and sentient creatures, they will need to make a strong emotional commitment to this business and their furry charges. They will never make it a sitter if they enter this industry because they are interested in business owners and earning a lot of money.

In addition to the happiness of working with cute kitties and pups, service providers will also have the angst that comes from someone who is in pain or people who passes. They will need to work with their customers to resolve behavioral and health problems that usually arise. And when long-term pets that they have been caring for years pass, they will need to deal with the same sadness, loss, and pain as if it was their own.