I. Coupons

Hardly anyone can resist a deal and that’s exactly what you should bet on when using coupons. Coupons can mean more pet sitting business and higher ad conversions even if it seems like you’re losing money on the surface. To run a successful coupon campaign, consider offering between a 20-25% discount on the initial pet sitting visits that are booked by your customers. Any lower than that percentage, and responses will likely be lackluster. Any higher and potential pet sitting customers may perceive that your pet sitting service has little value or that you don’t offer a reliable quality service.

Offer coupons after the finalization of a sale or in advertisements or marketing materials. You may also get a little creative by offering them on the back of your pet sitting business card, on your website or in your customer newsletters.

II. Giveaways

A great way to increase pet sitting business is to simply give your service away for free. Although it may sound backwards, the reality is that giveaways can give your pet sitting business a lot of exposure and good publicity. You may decide to randomly offer free services to someone who you’ve identified as a fence-sitter, or someone who hasn’t yet decided whether or not they want to try your services. If your customer is satisfied, it’s likely that they’ll spread the word about your pet sitting business. At the very least, the possibility of getting more free services may increase interest in your business. Your giveaways don’t have to be full services, either. You may just offer to walk a dog or check in on an animal during an owner’s lunch break to prove that your services are valuable and worth the investment.

III. Competitions

People like competing for items that they perceive to be valuable. Starting a competition for one of your “deluxe” services or packages may generate interest in people who would otherwise not be interested in your “general” pet sitting services. Requiring entrants to provide personal information to participate in the contest can also result in invaluable target market information that can help you deliver newsletters and marketing materials to people who have already shown interest in your pet sitting business.

III. Gift certificates

Making gift certificates available on your pet sitting website is a sure way to increase your chances of winning new clients. Gift certificates allow satisfied customers to share their positive experience of the service with their friends, family or associates by purchasing a voucher that can be redeemed for the same experience. While blank gift certificates can be purchased at office supply stores, it’s best to splurge on custom gift certificates, since they reduce the risk of forgery and give potential clients the impression that your business is professional. Make sure to make gift certificates visible during the holidays when customers are already searching for gifts to purchase.

Author: Danielle Chonody
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Cool mobile gadgets

photo credit: Will Pill

If you are a movie enthusiast, we are sure you have seen a lot of dogs in a lot of movies. Sometimes, they aren’t just there as a pet of a lead star or a supporting cast but they evens tar as the main character of a certain story. If you have a pet puppy, of course you would want your pet to be like that as well. Yes, it is indeed possible for puppy owners to have their pets become a star but you really should exert some effort – especially taking beautiful and catchy puppy pictures.

In most instances, you will need to bring your dog for an audition. Those who will need casts for a movie or a television show will check your pet’s health to make sure that your pet can meet the demands of a certain role plus they will want to do that to ensure the health of everyone in the set. Aside from that, you will also need to pass a resume of your pet outlining any special skills and/or special trainings that your pet has gone through in the past. Additionally, you could also include therein if your pet has ever joined any dog shows or other similar events. Of course, puppy pictures shouldn’t be left out as you pass this essential document that contains those important information we have told you about.

Puppy pictures are really vital and you should really make sure that they are taken properly since there are instances when you and your pet wouldn’t be able to meet with talent scouts and they will only look at the resume you give them. If you have submitted well-taken puppy pictures, then that could mean a higher chance of getting the desired role. On the other hand, even a dog with impressive skills most probably wouldn’t get the job if their puppy pictures do not attract those that look for a talent.

It would really help if you have trained and prepared your pet before you take their puppy pictures. As you would probably assume, you may not do this alone and you can ask the assistance of others so you could take effective puppy pictures. You can even approach professional dog trainers to help you with it because they are the ones who know a lot about these things.

If you do not have the money for that, then you could do it all on your own. Especially if you think you can teach your pet well, then taking puppy pictures wouldn’t be too hard at all. Just make sure that you have your camera prepared at all times so you could take even some candid shots so you could have a lot to choose from when you present the puppy pictures. If you and your pet are already ready with this, then the next step would be to approach appropriate agencies because they have a lot of ideas and connections so your pet could land that dream role in film and/or TV.

Eliza Maledevic writes for http://Jump2Top.com – SEO Company

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Statistically the following are true:

• 47% of all US households own more than one pet

• 40 million US households own at least one dog

• Americans spend $34 billion on their pets each year

Do you love dogs? Then a dog grooming business might be right for you. There are many dog owners who just don’t have the time to take proper care of their beloved pet. Taking care of a dog is a demand for some who just don’t have the time nor the inclination to maintain proper care, even though they understand and want to care for their canine. For dog owners there are such duties as taking the dog for a walk, giving the dog a bath, grooming the dog and other things.

When setting up an area for grooming dogs in your pet care business, select a quiet area inside the house. Of course you can set-up a grooming area outside of the house if you want to but grooming a dog inside the house is lot better. First, most dogs are less playful when they are inside the house than when they are in the yard, second, there are less distractions inside the house and third, it would be easier on your part to store all your grooming stuff. For grooming dogs, you will need the following materials; a table, towels, cotton, mineral oil, eye ointment, nails clippers and a brush. You can easily get all these stuff at your favorite pet shop. Of course if you have ample room in a garage area this is even more suitable for grooming the dog.

Certainly the pet care business, especially the dog business, is worthwhile getting into. Dog grooming and bathing is not the only way in which one can make a living taking care of pets, however it is a good example that even though it is not easy to take care of pets nevertheless a very worthwhile income can be made taking care of dogs or any other pet in a home pet business.

Amanda King is a work at home mum who provides resources to the internet marketing community. Her primary websites includes an internet resources site ask2profit.com
She also sells products for pets in her website jewelkingusa.com
Finally she can also make animal jewelry available through her website gemasking.com

According to the latest national pet owner’s survey, 63 percent of U.S. households have pets. There are 75 million dogs and 89 million cats in the United States. That’s a lot of potential pet sitting work! In the past, pet owners had to send their pets to a kennel or find a willing friend or relative to care for their pets. Today, with the help of a professional pet sitter, pets can stay in the familiar surroundings of their own home. No more stressful visits to the kennel. Pet sitting has grown from an unknown career two decades ago to a popular business today.

It doesn’t cost a lot to start a pet sitting business. If you have basic reliable transportation and a cell phone, you’re almost there. An insurance policy is essential, and most pet sitters are also bonded. A simple index card system is all you’ll need to keep track of your customers, although many pet sitters prefer to use a computer. Business cards are also a must, both to hand out to prospects and to post on bulletin boards and leave with pet care professionals, such as groomers and vets. Setting up an emergency bag, with essentials like a spare leash and collar, flashlight, doggie bags, treats and cleaning supplies costs under $100.

How much can you earn? According to a recent poll of professional pet sitters, the average full time pet sitter makes around $175 a day. The average national charge for a pet sitting visit is $16 – more in big cities and less in small towns and rural areas. Most dogs require two visits per day, while cats may only need one. Most pet sitters are happy to work solo, although some choose to hire employees and expand their business.

In addition to the low start up costs, you want to start your own pet sitting business because you can be your own boss and keep your schedule flexible. And of course, because you’re a pet lover. If you don’t love pets – especially dogs – choose another business! A pet sitter’s life is all about animals, and pet sitters that thrive do so because they love being around animals. As one pet sitter said, “I can’t believe people actually pay me to play with their pets. What a way to make a living.”

Author: Craig Wallin
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Canada duty tariff

Importance of Customer Referrals:
Referrals come from many sources vets, customers, and neighbors. Be sure to provide quality services to clients if you want them to refer you to other people. A happy customer will come back to you and use your pet grooming service at least 5 times a year. Multiply that by the number of years he will live in the area, and you get to understand the importance of keeping your customers happy.

If you offer good services, chances are that the local veterinarian will also recommend your pet grooming business to pet owners. Apart from providing quality services, you also need to work on customer relationships if you want them to refer your business to other people.

In addition, keep in mind that if the quality of service is bad, you won’t lose just the client but many other potential clients as well. This is because the unhappy client will tell others to stay away from your pet grooming business.

Therefore, you see how important referrals are to your pet grooming business.

Customer Referral Strategies:
How to get customers to recommend your pet grooming business to other people? Here are a few strategies.

1) Ask for it in the form of a survey. Put to them questions like “What did you like about our services?” or “How can we be of more help to you?” Then ask them if they know anyone else who might be interested in your service.

2) Draw up a mailing list of potential customers. Then send emails detailing your pet care services to them.

3) Ask new customers how they got to know about your pet grooming business. This will help you focus your referral strategies, keeping in mind where your market exists.

4) Send Thank-You notes or New Year greeting cards to vets, clients, and other people who referred new clients to you. A gift voucher or coupon is an excellent way to thank someone who has referred many customers to you. This also encourages them to refer more people to your pet grooming business, since it makes them feel appreciated.

The client referral strategies outlined above work well for any pet grooming business. You also need to provide superlative service, since that is the only way to ensure referrals. Customer relations and quality of grooming are both important factors when it comes to customer referrals.

If you want to know more about customer referrals and how you can use them to get more clients for your pet grooming business, you can hire the services of a business advisor or a professional dealing with marketing and promotion aspect of small businesses.

Alexander Gordon is a writer for http://www.smallbusinessconsulting.com – The Small Business Consulting Community. Sign-up for the free success steps newsletter and get our booklet valued at $24.95 for free as a special bonus. The newsletter provides daily strategies on starting and significantly growing a business.

Business Owners all across the country are joining “The Community of Small Business Owners” to receive and provide strategies, insight, tips, support and more on starting, managing, growing, and selling their businesses. As a member, you will have access to true Millionaire Business Owners who will provide strategies and tips from their real-life experiences.

The first thing that you should do is think about what types of animals you want to have in your pet store, and what types of supplies. The best thing to do is to make a list of all of the things you would like and then make an estimate about the costs of these things. Remember that when you open your store you want to have all of the animals and the products ready. So be sure you add them all into your costs.

Next, you want to look at other parts of the independent pet stores costs. This should include the space that you want to rent. Remember that you will need to be able to have the space to rent so that your store can make money – without space, your business will not work. So be sure that you count this as well. Also, you want to count in any utilities or things that you need to buy on a monthly basis for your place. Be sure that this is something that you count as well.

When it comes down to it, you pretty much need to make a budget to figure your opening up costs. However this can be good because then you will have a good idea about how much money you need to spend to get your pet store up and running. You will also know how much money you can expect to spend over the first year or so that you are in business. Your independent pet store start up costs is all going to be part of this.

Sandra Reynolds is a therapist in Chicago. Check out these great Online Pet Store articles and guides.

http://www.idealpetshop.com

It used to be that when pet owners go away on holiday, they would leave their pets with a neighbour, relative or friend, or with a kennel service. However, many families do not live close to each other and kennels can be quite expensive while not necessarily providing a happy atmosphere for pets. Thus, a new service business of pet sitting and pet walking is born.

Today, the pet sitting service has become a mature business. NAPPS, the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters provide publications, training videos, insurance information, and other business resources for its members. Canadian equivalent of such an association is the All Canadian Pet Service Network. Typical pet sitting fees are $15 for a one-to-one 15 minute pee break, $20 for a 20 minute pee break. Group walks are also available at lower rates. Clients are not limited to pet owners on vacations. Some stay-at-home pet owners book 2 to 3 services a week for extra relief from walking their pets. Typically, the owner would leave house keys to the pet sitting service, and the sitters would come to the house and take the pets out for a walk. Reputable pet sitting services run a criminal check on their pet sitter employees and provide insurance bonding. Some pet sitting service also offer dog obedience training and puppy potty training as well.

My husband and I had the unfortunate experience of having to care for a pet while her owners went away for a holiday. The first night, we both forgot that we had the dog, and left our front door open. It was not until four hours later than we remembered we were caring for the dog, and had to have a search party. Luckily, we found the dog. She had wandered away to the neighbour’s yard, and was crying. The dog felt so lonely while staying with us, and wouldn’t eat for the first two days. After our valiant efforts in entertaining her and giving her a lot of pats and talk, she finally warmed up and felt comfortable.

After this episode, I have learned not to take care of somebody’s dog and will gladly refer them to a pet sitting service. I am sure many non-pet owners felt the same way. In fact, many pet sitting services sell gift certificates which make ideal presents for all occasions.

Dogs are social animals, and love company. They also need daily walks and exercises at least once, and preferably twice a day. Without proper attention, dogs can be destructive and manifest behavioral problems. Older arthritic dogs who are not so agile, may not adjust well to new surroundings. If you are travelling and will be away from your pet, consider giving your pets quality care by using a pet sitting service.

If you love pets and want to start your own business, consider a pet sitting service. It can be run from home, and has low startup costs. Several add-on products such as dog accessories, and dog food can also bring in additional income. Here’s another plus! This type of jobs cannot be outsourced to a third world country.

Author: Trenna Young
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Canada duty rate

Put on your thinking cap and let’s start a pet sitting business!

Pet Sitting Business: Basic Guidelines

Consider the following before opening a pet sitting business.

1. Training – just because you’ve taken care of a friend’s Chihuahua or Bichon Fris as a teen, it doesn’t make you a dog care expert. With the numerous dog breeds out there, you may want to familiarize yourself with the different personalities of dogs; some are friendlier than others; some require more exercise than others. Be a voracious reader; keep a collection of books or encyclopedias that you can consult when the need arises.

2. Decide if you want your pet sitting business to be full time or part time. Pets need tender, loving care round the clock. If you can invest the time and effort and make it a labor of love, success comes more easily. Don’t run a pet sitting business for the purpose of making extra money on the side. There is no price tag for commitment and care.

3. If you’re planning on taking more than one pet at a time, check with your municipality if you’re allowed to do this. You may have a large piece of land but your city’s zoning laws prohibit a pet sitting business in your particular area. Your neighbours could complain and you might be endangering the health of others.

4. Do your homework. There must be other pet sitting business owners in your area. Find out discreetly how much they charge and what their fee structure is. You don’t want to price yourself out of the competition. Speak to pet sitters about problems they’ve encountered and how they solved those problems.

5. Because certain dogs need regular exercise, visit the dog parks in your community and take note of their opening hours.

6. Have the right equipment! If you’re taking in dogs only, you’ll need to give some thought as to dog collars and leashes, food bowls, toys and treats. You may need a dog cage if you plan on taking them to the country.

7. When you advertise your pet sitting business, you may want to specify what pets you’ll take, which breeds, and your price for each. You could charge an hourly fee or a fixed fee for the day. This is important because you wouldn’t like to take on a pet of which you know nothing about. How many would take in say, a boa constrictor?

8. Learn how to spot a sick pet. This is for safety, health and personal liability issues. You may not want the pet owner to accuse you of neglect. This is why you may want to screen both pet and owner. Ask owners about the eccentricities of their pets and what you need to watch out for.

9. Some pet owners would rather have you come to their homes instead of dropping their pets off at your place. Decide if this is something you might consider doing during certain days of the week. Going to the pet owner’s house might save you the trouble of fitting out your place. The only downside is it limits you as to the number of pets you’d like to care for in any given day.

10. Don’t stop marketing your business. Even if you have enough pets on your hands, pet owners can be fickle or economic conditions may force them to forego pet sitting. Ask your customers to refer you to other customers. Leave your business cards in vets’ offices.

Author: Lisa Paredes
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Mobile device news

photo credit: akk_rus

As I discuss in my article “Pets Are Big Business,” Americans are more eager than ever before to lavish their beloved “furry children” with products and services that were unavailable just a few years ago.

Here’s another trend that spells opportunity: a growing percentage of pets in America are cats. Yes, cats now outnumber dogs. This trend is driven by a number of factors:

–Americans have busier lifestyles, with fewer children in the family, and pets fill the void (with cats increasingly being the pet of choice).

–More homes are empty of people during the day (and cats are better than dogs at being left alone).

–Landlords who once would’ve forbidden all pets are more likely to accept cats.

–More pets are being kept indoors, and cats are more adaptable to an indoor lifestyle.

–As the human population ages, more older people are looking for furry companionship, and cats are easier for seniors to care for.

This is a trend with no end in sight, which presents an opportunity to put more emphasis on cat products and services. Consider just a few possibilities:

–Cat houses, trees, swings, and other elaborate cat play equipment. Some people have a family room or game room with a large amount of space devoted to such things. An entrepreneur with handy skills could provide ready-made products and/or plans for do-it-yourselfers. Good-quality cat toys will always be in demand.

–Cat photography and portraiture. Just as some photographers specialize in photographing, painting, and drawing children, an entrepreneur with a love of cats could carve out a niche in providing a photography service for cats. How about a mobile photography service? Most cats don’t like to ride in cars.

–Cat-decorated stuff. A spinoff of the photography service could be a selection of items adorned with the cats’ pictures-mugs, bags, shirts, calendars, etc.

–Cat treats for senior cats. Less-active cats have special dietary needs; some senior cats have trouble chewing. You can find (or create) a recipe, find molds in cute, cat-related shapes, and start your own cat-goodie bakery. You can sell them online as well as to pet shops, boutiques, and veterinary offices.

–Cat day care or in-home visitation for people who don’t want to leave their cats alone, but don’t want to remove them from their familiar surroundings either.

–Cat wearables. Cats generally aren’t as agreeable to wearing human-type clothing as dogs are, but many people buy fancy collars for their cats. Breakaway collars and glow-in-the-dark tags are evidence of cat owners’ concern for their pets’ safety.

–Cat breeding, if you’re passionate about a particular breed of cats. Just be sure to learn everything you can about breeding to make sure you raise healthy cats.

And when you’re ready to market your new “catty” business, be sure to work with a copywriter who shares your passion for cats. Best of success in your cat-pampering purr-suits!

Lisa J. Lehr is a freelance copywriter specializing in direct response and marketing collateral, with a special interest in the health, pets, specialty foods, and inspirational/motivational/self-help niches. She has a degree in biology, has worked in a variety of fields including pharmaceuticals and teaching, and has volunteered for many causes including special-needs kids and literacy. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading, art, music, outdoor exercise, and all things Celtic and Renaissance.

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The pet sitting exchange concept is new and very simple. If you love animals and can pet sit for others then you can find pet sitters who will sit for you and your pets in exchange. I am using the internet to create an online forum in a database that simply connects everyone who needs services and are also willing to provide those services in exchange. Its like a Yahoo group with the added ability to see who is in an area by searching users profiles. If you search by your area codes and find new people with pets like yours who are willing to pet sit for you while you are away, you just found a compatible set of people who can pet sit for each other. They can sit for you and your pets and you can do the same for them when they are away. There are thousand of people doing this so its catching on and becoming much easier to find that select group of people you need to help you when you have to leave your pets at home.

This new FREE community concept is not a business but it is saving people lots of money and lots of worry. One of the first examples of searchable databases is a pet community project developed and hosted by Petstouch.com. The goal of this service is to help people find pet sitters for their pets even in areas where there are no commercial services available. If you take a look you may be surprised who is already there. Talk to other members that are also looking for exchange services in your area. Your email is kept hidden when your messages are forwarded. It is Free Private and Secure ,and it REALLY works!

One of the problems encountered by pet lovers on the internet is also a problem with this kind of service. The problem is the fear of animal abuse that has lead to self appointed regulators who make it impossible to use places like Craigslist to find pets and pet services. Advertise on Craigslist for a bunny and experience the wrath of the pet police who even use their own website to immediately flag you ads and make sure you cant find what you want. The same happens with pet services. Service providers flag anything that looks like competition and this one really gets them going…..so we need another way to get the word out and that is through word of mouth and articles and anything you can do that make people aware. Our work in this area is not exclusive but we have one of the largest memberships as we started about a year ago.

If you like this concept let us know how to improve it and join our club.

Author: Mike Jane
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Netbook, Tablets and Mobile Computing