Relying on friends and family or choosing kennels when going on holiday, have historically been the most obvious choices when it come to making suitable arrangements for their canine companions, but what if these options are not available or suitable? How many of us actually admit to not going away when we’d like to for fear of leaving Fido? Research shows only 10% of dog owners use kennels and 28% are foisted onto friends and neighbours – 33% of whom would rather not have the responsibility!

Pet-sitting with a difference, home-from-home pet care, dog holidays, a welcome alternative to kennels. Home from Home Pet Care is designed to reduce stress for owners and pets alike. Home from Home is the revolutionary pet sitting concept that everyone’s talking about. Dogs stay in a loving home environment, when their owners are away on holiday.

Everything is designed to reduce stress for customer and pet. Customers are visited in their own homes with their dog(s) to find out about daily routines for exercising and feeding, likes, dislikes and healthcare needs. Obviously at the heart of the business are a dedicated team of host families. A host family is selected from a portfolio of trusted dog lovers. Accommodation is arranged in a warm, friendly home environment with one-to-one pet sitting; exercise and feeding routines (and house rules!) are maintained just as the dog would be used to. To make parting easier, our complete hassle-free service includes holiday transportation for the pet. All of the hosts are dog lovers who provide genuine affection and undivided attention for their canine visitors. Some are active retired people who have had dogs before and miss the routine and exercise. Others are at home during the day with children and can provide a busy family environment. Many have pets of their own for their guests to make friends with. All potential pet sitting hosts are interviewed in depth and visited at home to ensure that they meet with the strict criteria, they must be able to demonstrate a clear understanding of dog care, have somewhere warm and cosy for pets to sleep, continue home life routines for exercising and feeding, have a safe garden, and be at home during the day.

In three major media publications this week it was reported that the pet supplement industry is where the natural products industry was 15 years ago, and I agree.

From my perspective sitting a top a new business and website — I’ve looked at the markets and studied everything I could get my hands on and all indications are that the trend is solid and it makes perfect sense.

In the natural health business, all product categories are packed, jammed tight in which several major players dominate and penetration is tough, there are listing fees and branding is expensive.

At this juncture not so in the supplements business for animals. Herbal bladder control capsules for dogs, all natural anxiety formulations, urinary tract support, joint relief for horses — take a walk through any pet store, natural foods store or vet clinic and you will see a complimentary medicine revolution taking place. As a result many top guns such as Thorne, Heel, FoodScience Corp, Nordic Naturals and Flora Health USA are seizing the opportunity and moving into the business and using pet supplements as the tip of the spear to maneuver.

In the August 4th issue of Nutrition Business Journal, the title of which is Are Pet Supplements a Good Brand Extension for Human Supplement Firms, they reported the going is tough and this new territory has its own intrinsic set of challenges such as a convoluted regulatory environment and a veterinary field that is ultra cautious. But from 50,000 feet it makes perfect sense.

Whilst I was the CEO of Biomed International (Canada) and Terra Medica Natural Medicine (United States) we were looking for additional revenue streams where we could find them. The reason was simple. We were operating professional lines of German homeopathics and there were just so many accounts we could land and that meant a revenue ceiling and diminishing long run returns as our costs and overheads slowly rose.

So brand extension into new markets with formulations that could be tweaked to work in the pet busines made perfect sense to us at the time. But the article in the Journal also said something else smart too, and that is that there is no automatic guarantee that extending your reach into the pet world is going to work. You may have a signature brand but can it translate to the animal kingdom?

“It’s definitely a good time to get into the business, ” said Dale Metz, CEO of FoodScience Corp. and a founding member of the National Animal Supplements Council (NASC). “But if you are a human supplement company and you think you can just take your existing product line and put it in a capsule for an animal, that is not the case. Its complicated.”

In my view there are two amazing product lines (both of which we carry) called Nordic Naturals Cod Liver Oil and Udo’s Pet Essentials from Flora Health USA that will do brilliantly – and in fact already are proving to be top performers in our webstore.

We stock their pet supplements and oils and our sales are rising. Udo’s and Nordic — these guys are the best in the supplements biz so re-calibrating their formulations and moving into the pet business is one smart move.

However, I think all companies that are moving in this direction have one thing in common and that is branding. At this early stage its not so clear that Brand can affect sales in the pet market and the reason is I think is that consumer is different, or maybe we don’t really understand their behavior yet because its just too soon. Inotherwords will the Nordic brand in Whole Foods translate to Woofits Pet Store here on Cambie Street?

So for me the moment I can’t answer that question, however I realize the big BOOM opportunity! I love figuring out my customer and calibrating how to talk and discuss and appeal to them. For me starring into the abyss is fun and I relish the opportunity to figure this out. Right now for example allpetnaturals is running Facebook ads and from that we are gathering very rich information about about our customers, and where they live and the surprises keep coming at me everyday.

But back to the supplments business and pets for a minute or so more. I would say that we really don’t grasp brand power and how that translates to sales in this new frontier, we don’t really understand consumer behavior yet and the marketing is all different. For one thing, human behaviors around pets is highly emotive. As pet owners yourselves you are especially cautious and careful and in a funny sort of way more so than when you buy vitamins for your kids. Lets be honest about this right?

So this foggy triangle is what I think is one of the barriers to success in the category slipover into pet supplements. As more and more firms begin downloading their supplements and other herbal or biological medications into the pet world they will find themselves up against these three things.

Over the next few weeks I will be reporting how we are unraveling these questions and sharing these insights with you – which will make us both more savvy and aware. Thanks for reading and good health to you and your wonderful pet companions. Namaste.

wg.

Author: William Greenbaum
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Lowest Price Prototype PCB Assembly

Own Your Own Pet Sitting Business

More and more people have started to realize that starting a pet sitting business is a wonderful way to earn money and own your own business. It’s a perfect business for those who love animals. You’ll care for the pets, brush them, feed them and, of course, give them lots of love, hugs and companionship while their owners are away.

An added service you can offer is security for their home while they are gone: turning lights on and off, taking in mail and newspapers, and watering plants.

Even thought it’s a pet service, you must also be a people person. You may have wanted to try your hand at pet sitting because you love animals but having some basic business practices will help.

Your Time Commitment

If you are considering starting your own pet-sitting business, begin with a plan. Figure out exactly what time you have available to take care of pets. Add in driving time to and from their homes. Once you have determined this you will know how to market your services. Do not take on more than you can handle.

Calculate What Price To Charge

Next, find out if others in your area offer pet sitting services and find out how much they charge. You should also check kennels so that you can offer your clients competitive prices. Take into consideration how far you want to travel to pet sit. Too many miles away and the price of gas may be an issue.

Do you want to charge more on holidays? Many pet sitters charge extra fees for holidays, something to consider. And pet sitters are in such demand over the holidays they often find their time has been reserved months in advance. Consider hiring helpers during this busy time and add another profit boost. But be sure to introduce your assistants to the owners and pets well in advance of the scheduled pet sitting time. Get the owners go-ahead that your assistant is approved to take care of their pets.

As your business builds, YOU decide how many hours you want to work in a day, a week, a month. The Pet Sitting Business Start-Up Kit shows you how to calculate future income.

Which Pets Will You Sit?

The next thing to do is decide what kinds of pets you want to take care of in your pet sitting business. Some people find it best to work with just small dogs and cats since they require less work and time than larger animals. Some pet sitters take on all types of animals, and that can include everything from hamsters to horses including fish, birds, mice, rabbits and pigs. That’s the wonderful aspect to running your business: you have the freedom to choose exactly which pets you would like to care for.

Dog walking services are now very popular. You’ll exercise and feed the dogs while the owners are away for the day. Or you can start a doggy day care at your own home. Owners drop off their animals at your place so they can be watched over and excercised during the day. This is a great option if you have a big enough yard.

Forms Provide A Written Log of Your Visit

For the most part, those who use a pet sitting service think of their pets as their children, and small things matter a lot to them. You should provide the owners with a daily written report on exactly how you cared for the pets. The owner then sees evidence that you are putting in extra effort and truly caring for their loved family members.

Leave a Welcome Back form to remind the owners to give you a call to let you know they have arrived – make doubly sure not to leave an abandoned pet because the owner missed their flight home!

The Pet Business Is Booming

The pet sitting business is booming. It is a winning proposition for the business owner, the pet owner and the pet. The business owner gets to do what they love and the pet owner knows their pets will be well taken care of and they can go on a business trip or vacation without worry.

Announce Your Business

A professionally written press release can be a boon to your business. Submit it to your local newspapers and you may free advertising for your new pet business. Your area newspaper editor may receive your press release and decide to write a feature story about you and your pet business.

Author: Jane Ingraham
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Cellphone news

If there was any doubt that the sellers of wholesale pet products need never worry about the health of their industry — even in a poor economic climate where cheap closeouts outsell more expensive pet supplies – recent events have erased it. The widely awaited and controversial appointment in a historic new presidential administration has turned out to be a six month-old Portuguese Water Dog named Bo. The day the long-awaited young canine actually appeared on the White House lawn, the press swarmed and the story eclipsed an economic emergency, major foreign policy changes, and innumerable controversies across the political spectrum, eclipsed by fierce questions from the President’s critics about Bo Obama’s non-rescue dog status. For a time, journalists even stopped writing about Michelle Obama’s arms./

Let’s face it; this country is crazy for pets. Particularly on the Internet, it seems to induce a form of serene pet madness. The extremely popular blog I Can Haz Cheezburger consists of nothing but pictures and videos featuring cats, dogs, and assorted animals with captions in a dialect crafted to sound as if pets themselves were actually writing them. This vein of humor goes back at least as far as the 1980s and a classic Gary Larson cartoon in which some dogs try to tempt a feline cat enemy into a washing machine with a promise of “cat fud”.

On a somewhat more rarified level, for whatever reason, many American political bloggers across the political spectrum engage in the practice of “Friday catblogging” which is basically an excuse for blog proprietors to post pictures of their beloved cat felines, lazing about looking very unconcerned with the rages and disasters that so occupy the minds of their owners. And as for Facebook and other social media, pictures of dogs, cats, and anything else furry and cute, are regularly posted in bulk.

As for older media, it has always been the case you can’t leave a television set on for more than a few minutes without seeing cats, dogs, rodents and birds – and not only in ads for pet supplies. And, as the recent success of “Marly and Me” proved, dogs still rule the box office as much as they did in the movies’ early days – before “Old Yeller” and even 1939’s “Lassie Come Home” — when German Shepherd Rin Tin Tin’s tales of dog daring helped popularize the Shepherd dog breed in North America and saved Warner Brothers Studios from financial disaster.

We’re pet mad. Whether it really is because of urban alienation, or the fact that many of us are delaying childbearing (or putting it off entirely), Americans spent some $41 billion in 2008 on pets, including wholesale pet products, pet food, dog and cat toys, veterinary care, pet hotels and all the rest. And, while economic shifts might cause some of us to, say, resist the urge the buy the fancy cat toy and may slow down adoption rates and pet store closeout sales to some degree, the pet business isn’t going away, though cheap, bulk wholesale pet supplies will clearly be more popular for awhile. Woof.

Business at Home Jobs

Being self-employed often sounds exciting. The thought of not having to work for anyone else and being able to enjoy your freedom is appealing. Those who decide to take this route soon find out that this is often not the case and realize that they will actually be working long, hard hours for a few years as they try to get their business on its feet. The difference in being self-employed is that everything rests on your shoulders. When you were working for someone else, you had to deal with things you probably did not want to but the entire weight of the financial success of the company was not your concern – now it is. In this article, we will look at some types of businesses that you can have at home.

If you are a pet lover then consider a pet-based business from home. You may be one of those individuals that animals of all kinds are drawn to you and if so this type of business is perfectly suited to you. A pet-business can involve everything from pet sitting, to walking and training pets, and providing supplies and toys to the pet owners. More than 60 million American homes have pets and that is a huge market for a home based business on any level. Most pet owners will spoil the beloved animals with anything that they find is cute, fun, and practical.

Home improvement is an excellent business opportunity, as homeowners will pay to have items removed from their residence as well as fixing up much needed repairs. This is an excellent source of income for the person who is good at fixing things and loves to clean and clear items from one place to another. During the warmer seasons, this is a great way to make extra income. Obviously you cannot do this type of business with a car you will need a pick-up of some type of vehicle that is capable of carrying away a variety of items.

If you are good at typing and have knowledge of how to work a computer, you may want to consider medical transcription. Transcription can be done at home and if you do not have medical knowledge you can brush up on medical terminology or even through taking a quick course at your community college or other institute. This is a demand that will not slow down anytime soon. Doctor’s offices, dentists, and even veterinarians all need someone to transcribe their records. If you are good at typing and familiar with Word documents and formatting this is a good choice for you.

Home-based jobs are becoming very popular for many families who are looking to increase their income but not necessarily work outside of the home.

When pet owners purchase a pet they shop around at the various pet shops, breeders, pet rescues, and animal shelters until they find the dog, cat, or exotic pet that suits them, what very few pet owners do is consider the cost of veterinarian cost for their new pet. The oversight can prove financially devastating and emotionally heartbreaking.

The cost of veterinary cost is on the rise. Technology, liability insurance, medications, and medical research have forced veterinary clinics to raise their cost. Veterinary clinics in rural areas of the country (especially ones that combine their small animal practice with a large animal practice) find it difficult to attract young vets who are graduating from vet school to their clinics; they are forced to offer higher salaries in order to compete with clinics located closer to major cities. The increase in the payroll is then transferred to pet owners.

It was recently estimated that the average dog owner will spend about two hundred dollars a year at the vet’s office. Cats were a little cheaper; their owners only spent about a hundred and sixty dollars in veterinary bills. When you consider what the average life expectancy is for a pet, especially on kept inside, that’s a lot of money. And what if the pet isn’t your run of the mill dog or cat? What if the pet is something more exotic like a pot bellied pig, a ferret, a rabbit, a snake, or even a skunk? The more exotic the pet the more the pet owner is likely to spend on the veterinarian bills, especially if they have a pet such as a skunk which will probably require a vet with special skills. What happens to the pet if it suddenly gets sick or is injured in a freak accident? How much will it set the pet owner back if they have to take their family pet to a university’s veterinary school, will they be able to afford it or will they be forced to euthanize their pet for economic reasons?

Many pet owners try to keep the unexpected veterinary bills at bay by providing excellent care for their pets. They make sure that the pet is kept well groomed to prevent insects and skin disorders. They only feed their pets foods that are very carefully balanced with a proper blend of nutrients. They make sure the pet maintains a healthy weight, not to thin and not to fat. Some pet owners won’t let their pets out of the house, fearing a freak accident. While pet owners should take the best possible care of their pets and do everything in their power to keep their family pet safe, even the most careful, health conscious pet owner can not prevent everything.

Pet health insurance is one way to prevent veterinarian bills from becoming overwhelming. Pet health insurance is insurance pet owners purchase to help cover veterinarian bills similar to human medical insurance. The chances of a pet owner being able to purchase a pet health care at the same health insurance company where they purchase their human health insurance is slim. Most pet owners will find that they have to go to a separate insurance company that specializes in pet health insurance.

Some people like animals, and some are especially fond of the real exotic ones. Exotic animals are those not usually made as a pet. Exotic animals are usually found in jungles, forests, and the wild. Therefore, you have to consider it seriously before decided to have one at home. And now that you’re sure that you want to be an exotic pet owner, the following tips might be really useful for you.

Choosing the Best Exotic Pets for You

The first thing you need to do is choosing what exotic pet is best for you. When choosing an exotic pet, it is important to know the reasons for owning one and the responsibilities needed for keeping one. You should have a good knowledge of a particular kind of pet before buying, else, the purchase or adoption could end in disastrous results. You should also know what your motivation is to choose and exotic pet, because it involves a continuous commitment.

Don’t forget to consider the exotic pet’s adult size, and it is important to know the sociability of a particular exotic pet and to match it to your preference, whether you want a pet that needs much of your attention or one that would best live if left alone in its dwelling.

The point is, the best exotic pet for you is one that you can keep, find as much information as you can before you decide which best for you.

Best Places to Look for Exotic Pets

Now that you’ve decided which exotic pet is best for you, you need to find out where you can get it. Since exotic pets are special pets, you can’t buy them in a common pet shop or similar place. These are some places where you can get one.

The easiest way is by checking out the internet. Many exotic pet shops put their store online to get more customers. But beside that, you can also scout the specialty pet shops or veterinarian within you area. They might have an exotic pet or two. If, unfortunately they don’t have what you’re looking for, they might know someone else who does. Another interesting option to get an exotic pet is by joining on exotic pet auction. This could be a wise move, because for sure, you are going to see lots of wonderful species there.

Steps in Acquiring an Exotic Pet License

Suppose you’ve got your exotic pet now. What’s next? Acquire a license for your exotic pet. It’s optional, though, depends on the local goverment in your area. But some local governments require people, who intend to take care of these exotic pets within their yards or homes, to secure an exotic pet license. For one, in Illinois, it is illegal to own and take care of an exotic animal. In Georgia, you can take certain species of a skunk as pet without a permit.

But as a precaution, here are the steps you should do the moment you intend to take an exotic pet home.

First, you need to look for a listing of pets considered as exotic within your area, then check your local laws and see if there is a rule against owning exotic pets. If it’s allowed to own exotic pets as long as the exotic pet has an exotic pet license, then you have no choice but to comply and process the necessary papers. You should also see if there is any vaccines or removal of body parts like teeth is required because some exotic pets can be harmful, and some local state laws require owners to do something like these in order to protect the other people within the community. After making sure that you have all the papers and the requirements met and ready, you are now ready to make a trip to your local government office to file and secure the permit with them.

Goodluck, and have fun with your exotic pet!

Exotic pets are special pets. You can’t buy it in common pet shop or similar place. You can only find these in equally special places. These animals grow in the wild and the jungles, mostly.

If you are really bent on getting an exotic pet, maybe as a gift or as your personal preference, then you have to go to these places to find one.

1. Check out the internet. The internet is an online store for many things, exotic pets included. Specialty pet shops put their store online to get more customers. If you want to know where to get exotic pets fast and easy, check out your computer. The pet you wanted could be delivered with just a click of a button.

2. Local specialty pet shops. If you can’t find just the right one you are looking for online, you can scout the specialty pet shops within your area. They are sure to have an exotic pet or two. If, unfortunately, there are none like that in there, you can ask for references from them because for sure, they know of somebody, a competitor or otherwise, that are selling exotic species.

3. Veterinarians. Although not all veterinarians sell pets, but if you try to look hard enough, you can find one that has an exotic animal for a pet and is willing to sell it to you. Maybe he acquired it from his last trip to the Caribbean or to South America. Either the case, if he is willing to sell it, you are sure to have a good deal.

4. Rescues and Shelters. Rescues and pet shelter houses would likely have animals placed in their institution. Just in the U.S., there are many places where exotic and not so exotic animals need homes. They would be willing to screen you out and give you the pet that you wanted. These are mostly coming from other people who could have abandoned these pets or didn’t know how to take care of them properly.

These are the common places where you can see some exotic animals. Of course you can also go to an entirely different country to get one. But that shouldn’t be necessary. Common exotic pets such as guinea pigs, iguanas, and turtles should be easy to find. But if you go for snakes, spiders, and skunks, you might just find it a little harder to look for these.

In these tough economic times many jobs are uncertain. People are cutting back on spending and being more concerned with where their money is going. Some people are reluctant to start a new business. But one you shouldn’t be afraid to start is a pet sitting business. The pet sitting business has been steadily growing as more and more people have pets. These pets need someone to take them on a walk or feed them when their owners are away, and that’s where you come in. Simply put, pet sitting is a recession-proof business.

In a 2009 survey done by the APPM, 63 percent of households in the U.S.A. own pets, while 45% own multiple pets. There are 75 million dogs and 89 million cats. And let’s not forget all the other animals, such as birds, reptiles, and fish. So what does that mean? A lot of work for you as a pet sitter. The United States Bureau of Labor expects pet care jobs to grow by 22 percent a year.

Pet sitters make between $12 and $22 a visit, a national average of $16. Best of all, most pet sitting jobs take half an hour or less. It’s common to visit the same home twice in a day. You often will need to feed the pet, take it outside for a bathroom break and perhaps a walk, and then play with it for a little while. Just give it the love and attention you give your own pets. If you’re a pet owner yourself, you’ll find this work to be just like the care and attention you give your own pets everyday. But there’s a catch. This time you’ll get paid to do that work!

It’s very possible to do 10 visits a day in five or six hours. At $16 an hour that means you’d make $160 a day or $4,880 a month! There are expenses, but they are very modest, such as transportation, cell phone, and insurance.

One of the best perks of owning your own pet sitting business, besides enjoying time spent with a wonderful variety of animals, is that you’re the boss. You take the jobs you want, you set your prices. Simply put, you’re in charge. And did you know there are no certifications or classes required to become a pet sitter? Not at all. Start up expenses, usually less than $500.

Pets are all around you. Your friends have them. Your neighbors do too. And when those friends and neighbors are at work or will be out of town, they need someone to look after their pets, recession or not. That’s where you come in. Before long, you could be the pet sitter everyone calls on. To learn more about pet sitting, read Profitable Pet Sitting, available at: http://extraincomebulletin.com

Author: Craig Wallin
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Mobile device news

Exotic pets are special pets. You can’t buy it in common pet shop or similar place. You can only find these in equally special places. These animals grow in the wild and the jungles, mostly.

If you are really bent on getting an exotic pet, maybe as a gift or as your personal preference, then you have to go to these places to find one.

1. Check out the internet. The internet is an online store for many things, exotic pets included. Specialty pet shops put their store online to get more customers. If you want to know where to get exotic pets fast and easy, check out your computer. The pet you wanted could be delivered with just a click of a button.

2. Local specialty pet shops. If you can’t find just the right one you are looking for online, you can scout the specialty pet shops within your area. They are sure to have an exotic pet or two. If, unfortunately, there are none like that in there, you can ask for references from them because for sure, they know of somebody, a competitor or otherwise, that are selling exotic species.

3. Veterinarians. Although not all veterinarians sell pets, but if you try to look hard enough, you can find one that has an exotic animal for a pet and is willing to sell it to you. Maybe he acquired it from his last trip to the Caribbean or to South America. Either the case, if he is willing to sell it, you are sure to have a good deal.

4. Rescues and Shelters. Rescues and pet shelter houses would likely have animals placed in their institution. Just in the U.S., there are many places where exotic and not so exotic animals need homes. They would be willing to screen you out and give you the pet that you wanted. These are mostly coming from other people who could have abandoned these pets or didn’t know how to take care of them properly.

These are the common places where you can see some exotic animals. Of course you can also go to an entirely different country to get one. But that shouldn’t be necessary. Common exotic pets such as guinea pigs, iguanas, and turtles should be easy to find. But if you go for snakes, spiders, and skunks, you might just find it a little harder to look for these.