Do you need insurance for your pet sitting business? If so, you’ll want to read this…

If you’ve read my books, you’ve read how I highly recommend Pet Sitters Associates. It’s great for those who are on a tight business budget and for those who need and want to get low-cost business insurance without joining a pet sitting membership.

I wanted to give Pet Sitters Associates an opportunity to share with you today who they are and what they do:

Q: What is Pet Sitters Associates?

A: We started Pet Sitters Associates in 1998. Our philosophy has always been to help individuals throughout the United States start up their pet care businesses at the most affordable rates possible. Pet Sitters Associates proudly offers membership benefits that include pet business insurance administered by RPS Scobie Group and underwritten by an AM Best rated: A (Excellent) Insurance Company.

Q: What is the cost of the basic membership, which includes liability insurance?

A: The cost is $185 for membership and insurance through Pet Sitters Associates. The membership and insurance is good for one full year from the time of joining and can be effective immediately at www.petsitllc.com.

 Q. What are the member benefits?

A. You will gain access to a library of resources including our customer checklist and archived newsletters, quarterly newsletters, and the option to be listed on one of the largest online pet business directories and pet business liability insurance.

Q. What is the cost if we have additional partners/spouse/employees?

A. The cost is $85 for each additional person on your policy.

Q. What type of pet care business does the basic liability cover?

A. It covers pet sitting in the pet owner’s home, pet transportation, pet walking, and pooper scooper services.

Q. What if I bring animals into my home?

A. Members need to purchase the optional pet daycare coverage to extend the liability insurance to cover incidents at their home or pet daycare operation. The cost for this additional coverage is $155 and can be added for up to 3 employees/ICs.

Q. Do you offer a bond?

A. Our Broadened Property Damage/Bond coverage costs an additional $100. This coverage provides $10,000 per occurrence or $25,000 of insurance coverage annually for the theft, breakage, and mysterious disappearance of the personal property of the pet owner while under the care of you, your employees, your independent contractors, or your incidental helpers. Please note if you do not purchase this additional coverage, there is no coverage under your basic membership policy for loss, damage, or theft of the owner’s personal property.

Q. What if I do any housesitting without animals?

A. You would then need to add the house sitting coverage for an additional $100. House sitting without pets present cannot exceed 45% of the total pet care business revenue.

Q. What about grooming?

A. Pet grooming coverage for an additional $50 would need to be added. This coverage provides basic insurance for individuals who cut hair or nails while pet sitting. If you are only bathing and brushing pets, there is no need for you to purchase this.

Thanks, Pet Sitters Associates, for sharing who you are and what you do! And pet sitters: if you don’t have insurance, you need it! Click the link to find out more about Pet Sitters Associates now.

Ever have the experience where you have to keep silent about something because it just isn’t the right time to reveal it?

We’ll, I’ve been having that experience for a couple of months now. And it’s been tough, let me tell you…

But finally…I can share!

Last year I had the idea to create an online conference for pet business owners. But not just any online conference…

A FREE online pet business conference. Yes, free!

One where pet business owners, and even those interested in starting a pet business, can attend from their home, office or even their car.

A conference for all service-based pet business owners including: dog trainers, pet groomers, pet sitters, dog walkers and doggy day care owners.

A pet business conference that has video interviews with top pet business experts like:

-Patti Moran of Pet Sitters International

-Paul Mann, creator of the world’s largest pet care franchise

-Ian Dunbar, renowned dog trainer, author and TED speaker

-Plus top social media experts, branding and marketing experts, and more!

And in addition to pet business experts: I wanted to include mind, body, and spirit experts because, to me, having a successful business includes nurturing our body and soul too.

Because what’s the point of a successful business and lots of money if we aren’t happy and healthy in all areas of our lives?

If you dream it, if you build it, it will happen. And then it will no longer be a dream. It will be reality.

I’m very excited to announce The Prosperous Pet Business Online Conference!

The conference will start on September 22, 2014.
Prepare to be amazed!

Click to find out more and to sign up now to attend the Prosperous Pet Business Online Conference.

Not able to attend the online pet business conference? No problem! You can purchase all 19 conference videos with expert pet business speakers for a very low price for a limited time and get immediate access NOW.

To your prosperity (on all levels),
Kristin Morrison

In my own pet care business as well as in my work with dog trainers, pet groomers, pet sitters and doggy day care owners, I’ve discovered some common traits that nurture happiness and six-figure+ success.

Here are five secrets for success (practice them and watch your pet business grow and thrive!):

1. Set office hours and keep them. Successful pet business owners know when to close up shop and when to leave the door closed until morning (even if it is their home office).

2. Don’t offer discounts before your clients ask. And even then only give discounts during very slow periods. Be sure to let clients know that this is a ‘one-time event’. Also let them know (with a smile) that you plan to do such a good job that they will want you back at whatever price you charge! Confidence is attractive in a service-based business.

3. Set boundaries in a clear and direct way with clients. Successful pet business owners enforce their policies and procedures with clients regardless of how uncomfortable it might be to do so. Feel the fear and do it anyway (in a loving way). It’ll save you time and money and also gain respect from your clients.

4. Hire a manager who can help run your business so you can have a life again. (One that doesn’t involve work 24/7.) Successful pet business owners know that hiring and having a manager, or even just a phone and email assistant to help them run the business, will help them make more money in the long run. (In addition to bringing more happiness, joy and ease in running the business when they ARE working.)

5. Go on vacation at least once a year. Successful pet business owners have their priorities straight and a vacation is part of their priority. They put the vacation date in their calendar and it’s as solid as a client appointment. And once the date is set, everything works out from there.

If you have a pet sitting and dog walking company and you’d like to experience #4 above: This month I’m offering a brand new webinar on how to hire a train the right pet sitting office manager.

In the last few years I had 5 managers running my own pet care business and because of that I was able to travel around the world for months at a time (while my business ran under their care). And when I wasn’t traveling I only worked 2-3 days a week in my business. That’s the power of hiring good managers! And I’ll show YOU how you can do that too.

The webinar is over but….if you are ready to take your pet sitting business to the next level by checking #4 off your list (hiring a manager), you can now purchase the How to Hire and Train the Right Pet Sitting Manager webinar.

For the past couple of years I’ve been hearing a 4-letter word that causes so much stress for pet sitters, dog walkers, dog trainers and pet groomers.

Here is the word: TEXT.

Texting from clients (at all hours of the day and night) and texting from staff (also at all hours of the day and night) infuriates many pet business owners.

And of course the pet owners expect an instant response because that pet care provider has responded at all hours of the day and night in the past. It’s hard not to. Can you really just sit there at 11pm and NOT respond to a text you’ve read? It’s tough.

But training your clients and staff is like training a dog: you have to train people on what works for you and what doesn’t. When you respond to client and staff texts at 11pm, it causes your clients and staff to send more texts at 11pm (or later, egads!)

Here’s the thing with the texting: Many pet business owners keep allowing it to happen, even though they dislike it so much.

They (mistakenly) assume their clients will leave them if they stop offering texting as a method of communication. They (mistakenly) assume that as a business they have to offer texting as a form of communication to their clients and staff.

Nope. You don’t.

And if you stop allowing your clients to text you, you will be AMAZED at how much more peace you feel.

I promise.

Here’s how to stop your clients and staff from texting you:

1. Alert your clients and staff via email that starting today, texting is no longer a viable form of communication. We’ve all had the experience of texts getting lost or not delivered to the right person so you can use that as an ‘excuse’ if you need one. Let them know you can be reached at your office phone number or email. Remind them of your office hours.

2. When clients or staff members do text you (and they probably will as it’ll be a habit especially if they’ve been texting you for years), don’t text a reply. That just reinforces the ‘bad behavior’. Call or email them to remind them that you no longer accept texts and to please email or call your office going forward.

3. If, after a few weeks, large amounts of your clients can’t seem to stop texting you then I recommend looking into changing your cell phone number and getting a business landline or a new cell phone. (They don’t need to know it’s a cell phone. In fact, if they know, you’ll be recreating what you just worked so hard to change.) Obviously, changing your business number is a last resort but one that will work very well if the texting is out of control and you see no light at the end of the tunnel even after you’ve done the steps above. You can then send out an email stating your new number and that it will not accept texts going forward. That will nip it in the bud.

4. If you feel that you simply must keep texting your clients and staff (and it annoys you that you must) then set firm office hours and put your cell phone in the closet during non-office hours.

5. If you do need to get a new phone line (or simply upgrade the one you have), I highly recommend this phone service: Ooma.com. It is fantastic! Here’s some of what I love about it: it’s super easy to set up, the Ooma box plugs right into your wall jack and Voila! You are ready to go.

The business phone service is under $20 per month (the personal phone service is only $4 a month!) There are too many great features that Ooma offers to mention here so I recommend that you check them out if your current business landline is too expensive (mine was over $100 a month before I switched to Ooma) and/or if you need to create a new phone line.

Wishing you a wonderful (and text-free!) weekend,

~Kristin

I’m so excited!

We’ve got hundreds of pet business owners (dog trainers, pet groomers, pet sitters, dog walkers, doggy day care owners) from around the WORLD signed up for this next Six-Figure Pet Business Academy webinar: “Create Your Exit Strategy: How to Prepare Your Pet Business For Sale”.

I sold my 18-year-old pet sitting business in 2013 and I’ve created a whole webinar on the ins and outs of how to prepare your pet business for sale and how to find the right buyer.

Even if you just started your pet sitting, dog walking, doggy day care, pet grooming, or dog training business or you don’t want to sell for another 10 years you’ll want to attend this webinar. In it I will go over what you can do now in order to create more ease and get top dollar later.

There are proven steps for selling your pet business. This webinar will take you through the process so you’ll have your eyes wide open when you are ready to sell (whether that be this year or ten years from now!)

You can visit the webinar page for more information and to register now for the How to Prepare Your Pet Sitting, Dog Training, Pet Grooming, Dog Walking or Doggy Day Care For Sale webinar.

Update: The webinar is over BUT good news! You can click now to get the How to Prepare Your Pet Sitting, Dog Training, Pet Grooming, Dog Walking or Doggy Care Business For Sale Webinar Recording.

The 2nd Annual Six-Figure Pet Business Book Photo Contest is back! 🙂

Here’s how it works (it’s easy):

1. Take a picture of your pet(s) with either on of the books Six-Figure Pet Sitting or Six-Figure Pet Business

2. Post your picture on our Six-Figure Pet Business Academy Facebook page or email it to me.

We’ll be picking the winners in June so submit your photo between now and May 31, 2014.