For Alitia’s Animals, we aim to take note of what’s working and what’s not at least once a year.  And it’s that time of year for us.

I started gathering the resources we use on a daily basis that all fit together to effectively run, manage and grow our pet sitting business.

These are everything from the intake form we use while taking that first new client phone call to the welcome home email we send to complete the job.

Do you have all your ducks in a row?

You need to consistently evaluate the tools you use day in and day out in your business to not only determine if they’re working, but to determine if they’re working the best that they can be.

All said and done, I gathered 8 pet sitting business tools we use to successfully perform each pet sitting job.  This list isn’t exhaustive but it is the bulk of it.

In the spirit of this blog, I want to continue helping as many pet sitters succeed as possible.  I will give away absolutely free the most requested resource on this page.

Read through each tool and cast your vote below.  The tool with the most votes becomes available for the taking.

Vote Here, Read Descriptions Below

Pet Sitting Service Agreement

This is our 5 page interactive document that we have all new clients fill out before service begins.  It is interactive, which simply means that we email it to the client, she fills it out on her computer using Microsoft Word, saves a copy on her computer and emails it back to us.

There is no printing, no pen, and no paper.  Instructions are also included at the end of the agreement that walk the client through exactly how to fill it out, save a copy and return it to us.

Client Intake Form

Whether it’s me, Kristina, Lisa or Alitia answering the phones, we needed a complete, and systematic form that allows us to get every piece of information we need from a potential new client.

Our one-page pet sitting client intake form works like a charm.  We have printed copies of this page nearby at all times and during the conversation, we make sure to cover each area.

Pet Sitter Phone Script

My amazing wife Alitia perfected her phone pitch seemingly out of thin air.  I’m pretty sure she created it on the go.  After hundreds of incoming phone calls, it was finally time to train others to give Alitia a much needed break!

Our phone script is word-for-word the complete dialogue we use for all new incoming calls (outside of any small talk, of course).

Each section is labeled so you can follow along with no problems.

Gift Certificate Template

Truth be told, I had no idea whether or not offering gift certificates on our website would even work.  I was thrilled to be wrong.

Our gift certificate template is a professionally designed graphic available in PDF format.  All you need to do is open up the file and enter the client’s information directly ON TO the image and send it off via email.

(Quick tip: Sell a gift certificate and you’re receiving money up front way before it’s usually redeemed.)

Recorded Incoming Client Phone Call

If you’ve ever been curious what other pet sitter client phone calls sound like, wonder no more.

We have some of Alitia’s best phone calls recorded ready to hand over.  Compare scripts, tone, persona, objections and more.

Pet Sitter Report Card

Ever hear the phrase “under promise and over deliver?”  Well, this is just one way to make that happen.

Your clients want to know at all times that their precious loved ones are doing OK.  Our pet sitter report card is left behind each visit so the client can rest easy reading the details of the entire visit.

Time of visit, eating habit and physical activity is all noted.

Follow Up Survey

If you don’t ask your clients how you’re doing, you’ll truly never really know.  It’s smart to check in every once in a while and ask for some feedback.

Our clients are most often more than happy to let us know the good and the not so good.  Getting honest feedback is one of the best ways you can grow your pet sitting business..

Welcome Home Email Template

For those clients who need to travel, the welcome home email accomplishes a few things.

First, it thanks the client for using our service and for trusting us with the care of the pet and property.

Next, it verifies that the client has returned home to find everything in satisfactory order (they will take this opportunity to communicate any issues, problems or concerns).

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, we directly ask for an online review at Google Maps and Yelp.  It’s so extremely important to not only ask for feedback and testimonials, but to ask specifically for online reviews at some of your more popular listings.

This email template is in plain text and HTML format and has worked like a charm for us.

Jump to the Voting Booth at the top of the page.

Share and Share Alike

After voting, please take a moment to let other pet sitters about this give-away. (Thanks!)

Related posts:

1. The Official Pet Sitter’s Guide To Making Google Happy [Free Download]
2. The Secret to a Successful Pet Sitting Business Revealed – The M Word
3. Your Pet Sitting Phone Pitch is Killing Your Business

No matter who you are, or what line of work you are in, most everyone suggests Facebook is the way to go.

Or at least part of the way to go.

But I’m not so sure…

Is Facebook Right for Pet Sitters?

The strangest thing happened to me on Facebook recently.

You know when you are on your profile and they “suggest” friends for you?

Well one of my suggestions the other day was my best friend David’s mother.

I know!

Facebook thought that I’d be interested in being FB friends with my friend’s mom.

Now don’t get me wrong, there’s surely nothing wrong with David’s mom, she’s a wonderful woman.

I’m just not sure if being in each others’ feeds will accomplish anything.  And we’re not even in the same part of the country.

Sure, it doesn’t cost anything to friend request people, but where does Facebook for personal life end and Facebook for business start?

I’m not sure of that line anymore.  Does it even exist?

Do You Have A Pet Sitter Account on Facebook?

So, I’m quite certain you have a Facebook personal profile, right?  But do you also have a Facebook Fan Page for your pet sitting business?

You know, that page that everyone swears will bring you heap of new clients.  Now I know there are pet sitters who swear by Facebook and have found new clients that way.

Yet the majority of pet sitters I speak to are struggling to make it work.

What’s your story?

Do you have a Facebook account for your pet sitting business?  Do you “use it?”  Is it working?  Can you share any tips or tricks to help bring in more clients?

Do you use it to keep in touch with and communicate with current pet sitting clients?  Or are you able to locate and attract new clients?

Also, feel free to list your Facebook links in the comments below.

Related posts:

1. Is Your Facebook Fan Page Hurting Your Pet Sitting Business?

Here’s a quick question for you…

How are you currently marketing your pet sitting website?

It seems like the biggest challenge on every pet sitter’s plate right now is “How in the world do I get more pet sitting clients?”

And the real question behind that is “How do I MARKET my pet sitting website,” right?

It’s tricky because there’s no one answer that will satisfy everyone.

Part of the answer depends on things like:

a) How is your website currently working for you (meaning how much traffic are you getting, what keywords are you ranking well for, how many phone call/emails do you receive each day, etc.)

b) What skills or ability do you have VS. What skills or ability are you completely in the dark with?

The answers to those questions help paint the complete picture so you know what to focus on next.

4 Steps to More Pet Sitting Clients

As you know, I’ve been building websites for many years and am a firm believer that any pet sitter can be (and SHOULD be) using their website as the majority of their marketing efforts.

However, in order to successfully gain more clients from your website is a 4-part process.

Many pet sitters falsely believe that simply showing up in the search engines is their biggest obstacle.

Unfortunately, that is only part 1 of the puzzle.

Here are the 4 steps you need to master in order to win a new client.

STEP 1: Land high in the search results when a potential client is searching for your service.

STEP 2: Make sure potential client CLICKS on your link in the search results and VISITS your site.

STEP 3: Provide potential client all the necessary info so they take ACTION and get in touch with you.

STEP 4: Be the life saver/hero on the phone and sell them on your service.

And that brings me to the main point of today’s email:

Help Me Help You!

I need to know what you know and what you don’t know.

I can sit here and rattle off a bunch of things that you can do to improve your website, but if you don’t know WHAT I’m talking about or HOW to make the adjustments, we’re both wasting our time, right?

So, help me help you.

Leave a note below and give me your biggest challenge or frustration when it comes to marketing your website.

I’ll take a bunch of the replies and answer them for you (either in a blog post, audio recording, video reply, etc).

Let me know what you need to know and I’ll make it happen.

[ad#Adsense 336x280 Bottom]

Related posts:

1. Easy Two Step Online Marketing for Pet Sitters You Can Do Today

Get Better Search Engine Rankings By Tomorrow!

The 3 Most Important Steps to Finally Landing in Google.

YOUR WEB HOST

Think your web host doesn’t play a major part of your search engine rankings? Think again!

You’ll quickly discover:

• What makes a good web host?
• How your web host may be holding you back from better Google results
• And why is a good web host so important, anyway?

Theme: How does a good web host help search engine rankings?

YOUR WEBSITE BUILDER

Ever spend time around someone that just seems to suck the life right out of you and drains your energy?

Well, your website builder could be causing you the same distress and you may not even realize it. (Scary, I know.)

You’ll see first hand how your own website builder can be your biggest problem. (And I’ll introduce you to better, free alternative builders.)

In this second part, you’ll discover:

• What makes a web builder NOT search engine friendly, and what you can do about it.
• How your web builder can actually prevent you from landing in Google.
• How Google ‘sees’ your page once you hit publish.

Theme: What you don’t see WILL hurt you.

HOW TO THINK LIKE YOUR VISITOR

Let me ask you this question…

Why do you have the current pages that you do on your pet sitting website? Why did you choose to create those exact pages?

And, are those the pages your visitor cares about or wants to see? Are those pages really helping you any?

In this third part, you’ll discover:

• How to give your visitor EXACTLY what they came to your site to find in the first place. (Hint: This has nothing to do with keyword research!)
• How to make certain your visitor doesn’t “tattle tale” on you to Google.
• How to put yourself miles ahead of your competition.
• Why your current pages (the most typical ones) are almost pointless.

Theme: Are You Thinking Like Your Visitor?

Download the Complete 30-Minute PODCAST and Workbook

In this easy-to-follow 30 minute podcast, you will:

1: Put yourself miles ahead of the competition and have the search engines fall in love with you.

2: Discover the “Big Secret” to making Google happy.

3: Find the one question to ask yourself that will put you down the road to success.

4: Understand why your current pages are hurting your search engine rankings and how to change that.

I’ve made it a no-brainer to get a hold of this… I’m offering the entire 30-minute podcast with 4-page workbook to PetSittingOlogy readers for $9.

Yep, that’s it… Really, just $9.

Related posts:

1. Video: How Do I Get My Pet Sitting Website In The Search Engines?
2. Getting Listed in The Major Local Search Directories
3. 5 Website Building Tools That Will Pamper Your Site Like It Deserves To Be Pampered

Naturally, there are plenty of listings for pet sitters trying to find their next pet sitting client.

Some listings are from established companies, while others, uh, are not.

I’d like to share with you a listing that caught my eye. Unfortunately, it was for the wrong reasons.

3 Ways to Make Your Pet Sitter Ads Better

Below is the exact ad (minus identifying pieces) followed by 3 easy, effective and free adjustments you could make that I guarantee will increase your response rate.

1: Grammar, Capitalization, Spelling

You may not think grammar, punctuation and capitalization matter, but they sure do.

There are a few misspelled words in the example post and for my money there’s no excuse for it. I personally am a terrible speller. But you know who’s a great speller? Microsoft Word!

There are so many spell checks around today that there’s no excuse for misspelled words. (I’m also not certain why the word ‘job’ in the title is plural.)

Example:

would u keep reading this post if i came right out an said hey i really need to make rent this month so please sign up as my next caoching client ASAP! No, for real, my rent is only $1200/month so i only need a few of you to sign up by next Friday at the very latest!

A Better Example:

Thanks so much for reading my blog. I hope it’s been helpful. If I can continue to help in any way, feel free to get in touch with me directly with any specific questions or issues you’re currently facing and we’ll see if we can’t work you through them together. (I know how frustrating and difficult finding new clients can sometimes be.)

Oh, and as a special thank you, I’m now offering a completely FREE 20-minute phone consultation. The first 10 pet sitters to Tweet this or Post on Facebook before next Friday are in!

Which example would you most respond to?

2: Desperation

Clients or customers do not respond to desperation. Wait… People in general rarely respond to desperation.

“Please buy from me” “I really need you to buy from me” or “I need the money quickly” will not work.

A better approach might be to toot your own horn a bit. If you have some testimonials from past happy clients, even better.

If not, start getting some. Then in the listing, come up with a few things that make you the most amazing pet sitter ever (and perfect choice).

Example:

“Does your cat seem to hide and run in the other room whenever a friend visits? Well, I don’t know what it is but cats seem to love me! Call me today and let’s set up a complimentary meet-n-greet and see for yourself why cats adore me!”

Or

“Wish you could get Cesar Millan the Dog Whisperer to care for your pooch? Well, I’ve been told that I’m like the Dog Silent Communicator! No whispering needed. Call me now and watch the wonderful relationship unfold before your eyes.”

3: Lack of Trust or Association Established

I couldn’t be a bigger advocate for getting a pet sitting website up and running. Whether you choose to build one yourself or hire someone to help is a completely separate topic, but you must go in one of those two directions.

Even if you do not build a pet sitting website for yourself, you must build some sort of web presence where a potential client can read more about you and the service you provide.

Create a free Google Profile, Facebook Fan Page or WordPress page. Period. You have now set yourself apart from those who have not and are a step closer to building the relationship and the trust with your target market.

(PS – I do recommend a self-hosted WordPress blog on your own website (IE. examplepetbiz.com/blog) rather than the hosted version from the WordPress link above, but either approach is better than no approach.)

What Do You Make of All This?

I hope it’s been clear that my goal is not to rip apart this seemingly innocent attempt by someone to make an honest dollar, but rather to show 3 specific ways you can make a listing even better and attract the very clients you are going after.

The suggestions I’ve presented are simple to implement and cost no money.

So, what do you think about the original listing and the suggestions I’ve presented? Will they work? What other suggestions would you have here?

Related posts:

1. Why Your Pet Sitting Logo Is So Gosh Darn Important And How To Make It Stand Out

Some pet sitters are already doing it, some have WordPress up and running but have not yet started writing, and others are not quite sure how to get going.

Whether you realize it or not, blogging on a regular basis will do you so much good that it’s not even funny. Seriously.

By simply writing once a day or once a week, you will be enhancing your search engine credibility and will find new visitors to your site on a regular basis.

You will also show your potential clients that you are an expert at what you do. You are saying, “I know what I’m talking about, I am a professional, and you can trust me with your pet.”

Think you don’t have anything to write about?

Think again. Take some time out and listen to this amazing interview I held with the very person responsible for search engine optimization (SEO) of the MSN.com website. (Be careful though, it’s very inspiring stuff.)

OK, after you have WordPress up and running and you know what to write about, it’s time to consider the title of your post (easily one of the most important factors when it comes to readership and SEO, alike).

Why is the blog title so important?

For two reasons.

1: Your blog title holds plenty of weight in the eyes of Google. So get it right, and they’ll drive lots o’ traffic your way.

2: Your blog title is what appears as the big blue link in Google and it’s what the user scans to make a split second decision as to whether or not they want to click through and read more.

You want your title to be so catchy, so powerful and so enticing that the majority of users who only get a chance to read your title click through to your site.

The Top Four Places To Find Blog Title Ideas

I’m not going to reinvent the wheel. There have been plenty of articles written about blog titles that work.

Here is a sampling of the best of the best.

10 Sure Fire Headline Formulas That Work
http://www.copyblogger.com/10-sure-fire-headline-formulas-that-work/

How To Optimize Blog Post Titles
http://www.marketingpilgrim.com/2008/03/optimize-blog-post-titles.html

How to Craft Post Titles that Draw Readers Into Your Blog
http://www.problogger.net/archives/2008/08/20/how-to-craft-post-titles-that-draw-readers-into-your-blog/

10 Blog Post Title Templates
http://blogbuildingu.com/articles/10-blog-post-title-templates

How Would You Like 102 Blog Headline Templates?

Those links above should put you heading in the right direction. But to take your blog writing truly to the next level, I got my hands on a powerful report…

Authority Blogger Chris Garrett released a special report that contains 102 proven headline formulas.

As he puts it: “Take these fill-in-the blanks templates and complete them to create your own compelling, click-getting headlines.”

I admit I’ve used many of the formulas for lots of my blog posts (including for the title of this very article).

If you want me to send you over a copy of the PDF report, just leave a comment below, and I’ll make sure you get a copy.

Now get writing on your blog!

Related posts:

1. 16 Steps To A Perfect Pet Sitting Job
2. The Secret To Choosing The Right Keywords For Your Pet Sitting Business Website
3. The Secret to a Successful Pet Sitting Business Revealed – The M Word

You know Facebook is all the rage today. We certainly continue to hear it all time:

“More than 400 million people are on Facebook…”

“If you’re not on Facebook, you’re missing out on this and that…”

“Go where your clients are…”

Sure, I can grasp and understand those concepts. Who wouldn’t want to be around their potential pet sitting clients all day?

The only issue I have had is what in the world do I do after I create a pet sitting business Facebook fan page?

How do I get more people to take notice (or care) about what I’m saying?

And, really, what am I supposed to say in the first place?

How Can You Get The Most Out of Facebook?

Slowly but surely, I’m getting the hang of some of the best ways to get your pet sitting business fan page heading in the right direction.

Here are 3 tips that Association of Pet Sitting Excellence Board Member Bella Vasta (of Jump Consulting) provides:

1 – PROMOTE yourself!

Don’t be afraid to post a few times each day, with a mix of fun, light-hearted posts and direct promotion for your pet sitting services. If you are always promoting others…. what’s the point of your page?

2 – Give them a REASON to interact with you.

Questions are better than comments. Asking everyday questions like, “Where does your pet sleep?” “What’s the best way to get rid of pet hair” , etc…. will get your community talking.

3 – Have a PURPOSE.

What is the reason for your fan page? What do you want to accomplish or achieve?

Is it to build community? To get the word out? For simple chitter chatter?

Give people a REASON to want to come check you out and you’ll have a thriving community ready to hop on as your newest clients.

Is Your Fan Page Helping or Hurting?

Take an honest look at where your Fan page is right now?

Does it put your pet sitting business in a positive light to your potential clients? Or does it leave a little to be desired?

Are you putting hours and hours of time and effort only to see little return?

If so, this could be hurting your business. (Your time is valuable, right? You need to spend it wisely.)

Want in on a little secret and discover the best way to enhance your fan’s user experience?

Create some interactive elements to your pet sitting fan page through FBML.

If you’ve never heard of FBML (or worse, have heard about it but have no idea how to make it work), you’re in luck.

Watch The 2-Part Video Series

You can view a complete 2-part video tutorial going through the process at the Association of Pet Sitting Excellence.

Imagine the reaction from your community of fans when they can see Youtube videos, images of pets, slideshows, and rotating testimonials directly on your Facebook page.

How about allowing them to sign up for your newsletter or taking a reservation request right then and there?

I recently discovered the true power of a pet sitting Facebook fan page and couldn’t be happier.

Thanks again to Bella for showing me the way.

Take the first step and watch these videos now…

Related posts:

1. Is It OK To Ignore Your Best Friend’s Mom on Facebook?
2. There’s A New Pet Sitting Association Causing A Stir
3. 4 More Ways To Drive New Clients To Your Pet Sitting Business

Some months ago, I received an email from fellow pet sitting business owner Danielle Chonody asking if we can set up a time to speak.

I already knew Danielle from the industry and was excited to hear what was on her mind.

Early into the conversation, Danielle cuts to the chase and says, “I want to start a pet sitting association!”

My immediate response was “Let’s do it! Count me in.”

Now, at the time, I had no real concept of what it would be or what would be involved, but just hearing those words – “I want to start a pet sitting association” – excited me. It felt right.

I knew that this was the thing to pursue and was something the industry desperately needed.

Our First Order of Business

As soon as we hung up the phone, I couldn’t stop thinking about this new venture we would be embarking on. I spent days scribbling notes and jotting down ideas.

Anything and everything I felt was missing from the industry went down on paper.

Because, really, our goal was not simply to rehash all the resources and tools currently available to pet sitters… We know you can find free forms, templates and tools with a Google search.

No. Our goal was to bring something new, unique and innovative to the pet sitting community. Something that would inspire and empower pet sitters to achieve excellence.

And little did I know (something I learned shortly into our first conversation), Danielle already had a name picked out, along with a clear mission and vision for the association. She was also well into the final draft of her pet sitting book “How To Create Excellence in Your Pet Sitting Business” (now available at Amazon.com). You can download a 33-page sample chapter too!

So instead of offering the same-old out dated tools and resources, we set out to provide pet sitters with some of the tools that big business use simply by harnessing the power of the Internet and modern technology.

The Pet Sitters Speak Out

We also began to elicit feedback from the pet sitting community. The pet sitters who are out there day in and day out trying to grow their businesses.

We discovered what was working, what was not working, and learned a thing or two about your current frustrations.

• How do I hire staff?
• Where in the world do I find new clients?
• My website is not the best it can be.
• Help – I need a day off!

And on and on…

The APSE is Born

On April 15, 2010 Danielle and I were thrilled to open the doors to the Association of Pet Sitting Excellence. And the response and support from the pet sitting industry has been amazing, to say the least.

As co-founder of the APSE, I could certainly go on and on about how wonderful it is and continue to gush like a new parent.

Instead, I invite you over to the APSE website to discover for yourself what our charter members are already utilizing and buzzing about.

Please also become a fan of ours on Facebook

Feel free to leave a comment with your thoughts or questions below, and I look forward to seeing you over at the APSE member forums!

Related posts:

1. Is Your Facebook Fan Page Hurting Your Pet Sitting Business?

Sarah’s pet sitting business was voted “Best Pet Sitting Company” in 2009 by Atlanta Magazine and with a roster of 13 independent contractors on board, the company must be doing most things right.

In this open and honest interview, Sarah walks us through the step-by-step process of finding, interviewing and hiring the perfect IC for your team.

Listen in and discover:

• The number one reason Sarah decided to hire her first IC
• The best (and worst) place to post an ad
• How to avoid getting overwhelmed with IC responses
• What to include in your ads
• What to look for during your first face-to-face interview
• Why putting yourself in the clients’ shoes is so crucial
• Whether it’s better to pay ICs a flat-rate or a percentage
• Sarah’s biggest concern when it comes to hiring ICs

Related posts:

1. Is Your Pet Sitter IC Sharing Your Secrets With Competitors?
2. Hiring Pet Sitters? The 12 Most Fun, Direct and Eye-Opening Questions You Must Ask.
3. Is That Pet Sitter You’re Hiring An Independent Contractor or Employee? Find Out Here.

And it’s no secret that I’m a big fan of hiring pet sitters to help your business grow.

Bringing on the right person can make you more money by helping to expand your services and your service area.

I received this question through the Ask Joshua page:

Question:

Dear Joshua,

How can I make sure the information I share with my IC is not used against me or shared with anyone else?  I don’t want my competition to know all my secrets, or the exact way I do things.

Help!

-Cindy Espers
Tampa, Florida.

Answer:

Hi Cindy,

As you know, the secret to a successful relationship with an IC is trust.

Without it, you won’t be able to bring out the best in your IC and she won’t bring out the best in you.

With a solid foundation of trust between you and your pet sitting IC, you’ll be certain the job is getting done up to your standards and that your IC is being open, honest and upfront with you at all times.

How Do You Build That Trust?

So, like you asked, how can you feel safe and secure disclosing all your business secrets and information to your IC while you strengthen the trust?

A non-disclosure agreement is a great way to start.

But, let’s back up for a moment…

When hiring and working with your IC, it’s only natural (and often quite necessary) to disclose a certain amount of information to the IC that will make her job go smoothly.

Certain information will be sensitive and must be kept confidential.

A few examples of things you may need to share with your IC include:

• Client or potential client personal details
• Payment fees and pay structure
• Marketing strategies
• Website statistics
• Client forms, contracts or agreements
• Company policies
• Login details
• Business practices

Clearly, in order to build a mutually beneficial and long lasting relationship with your IC, you will need to place a great deal of trust in each other from the get go.

You’ll want to make certain that every piece of information you share with your IC is held in confidence (and not shared with your closest competitor, for one thing).

Remember, by definition, your IC is legally entitled to provide the exact same pet sitting service for both you and your competition.  By law, you cannot prevent your IC from doing so.

Therefore, make sure you have the proper agreements and contracts in place to assure both you and your independent contractor are always on the same page, so you can feel comfortable confiding in her.

An IC and Friend for Life

Properly done, your IC can be a trusted partner and friend that you feel comfortable sharing business details, thoughts, and ideas with.

This will not only help your business grow, but will also strengthen the relationship you have with your IC.

You want to find an independent contractor that you can trust and begin to build a personal and business relationship that will last a lifetime.

When you and your IC have respect and admiration for each other, you both will always be looking out for the good of the company.

And that is a win-win for both of you.

If you haven’t already done so, check out my Pet Sitter Independent Contractor Tool Box, and see if it’s right for you.

For starters, it does contain a legal 4-page non-disclosure agreement that you can use.

Hope this gets you on the path to a successful relationship with your pet sitting IC.

Related posts:

1. Is That Pet Sitter You’re Hiring An Independent Contractor or Employee? Find Out Here.
2. Pet Sitter Independent Contractor Tool Box – See Full Video Here!
3. 6 Important Reasons To Hire A Pet Sitting Independent Contractor