How To Start And Operate A Dog Walking And Pet Sitting Business

Show Notes Here is the link that I referenced in the session. Independent Contractor (Self-Employed) or Employee? https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/independent-contractor-self-employed-or-employee   Publication 15, Employer’s Tax Guide https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p15.pdf   EFTPS https://www.eftps.com/eftps/   efile https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/e-file-form-940-941-or-944-for-small-businesses   authorized IRS e-file providers https://www.irs.gov/tax-professionals/e-file-providers-partners/94x-mef-providers      

Show Notes   Here is the link that I referenced in the session.   https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/independent-contractor-self-employed-or-employee     INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR AGREEMENT       This Agreement is between (hereafter referred to as “The Company”) whose mailing address is and __________________________    (hereafter referred to as “The Independent Contractor”), whose primary business address is ___________________________________  _____________________________________.    This Agreement shall commence as of _____/_____/_____   The Company engages in pet care services and the overall care and sitting for domestic animals. The Independent Contractor represents that he/she is a skilled professional or specialist in the area of pet sitting and pet care. The Company desires to engage The Independent Contractor for certain specific assignments. The Independent Contractor and The Company agree to the following:   RESPONSIBILITIES   The Independent Contractor shall provide

Taking on additional help to your solo operation will be a big deal, whether you take on one or two assistants who can help you when you’re ill or on a vacation, or whether you take on additional people to address a growing clientele. When considering taking on additional help, you’ll have to decide whether that help will be employees or individual contractors. Here are the links that I referenced in the session. https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/independent-contractor-self-employed-or-employee https://www.law.berkeley.edu/files/FAQ-IndepContractorsvsEmployees.pdf http://www.diffen.com/difference/Employee_vs_Independent_Contractor As always, I’d love to hear from you. Drop me an email at dogwalkerpodcast@gmail.com and ask your questions, offer your comments OR tell me that you’d like to be interviewed by me on an upcoming session. Ray, the Dog Walker  

On this Christmas Day Eve, I want to send to all you dog walkers and pet sitters … those of you who are established in business and those of you who are still thinking about it … a very Merry Christmas and a Happy Hanukkah, a Merry Quansa and a joyous Festivus. If you celebrate some other holiday at this time of the year, my wishes to you as well. If you’re already in business, you’ll surely be getting plenty of holiday gifts in the form of food and gift cards. Be sure to thank your customers. And for your customers who didn’t leave anything for you, send them a cheery holiday greeting as well. For those of you who are still planning on getting into this business, it’s time to get off your butts and get this show moving! There’s nothing better than a New Year’s Resolution to take your destiny into your own hands. Happy Holidays you wonderful, wonderful animal lovers!

In this session of “How To Start and Manage a Dog Walking and Pet Sitting Business,” I’m going to talk to Mary Oberdier, the owner of Chase’n Tails Pet Care, LLC in Manatee County, Florida.   If you’d like to get in touch with Mary, you can email her at: chasentails@yahoo.com   or go to her website: www.chasentailspetcare.com/   Finally, you can also catch her on her Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/ChasenTailsPetCareLlc   Chase’n Tails Pet Care’s business telephone number is: 941-447-9528   If you want to contact Mary, please be respectful of her time. She is a professional working hard at her business.   Drop me an email at dogwalkerpodcast@gmail.com and ask your questions, offer your comments OR tell me that you’d like to be interviewed by me on an upcoming session.  

I’ve been collecting these Random Thoughts since I started this podcast over a year ago. I kept them in my notes with the idea of incorporating them into their own sessions but I soon learned that they don’t carry enough weight on their own to warrant full sessions by themselves. They are important enough, however to be aired somewhere. That somewhere is here.

  Today I’ll be talking with two friends who over a period of time decided that they wanted to be in control of their own destinies. You’ll hear how Darrell Kelton and Javier Vega carefully planned their business, Leash Dog Care, how they then quit their regular jobs and how then jumped head first into this business without any regrets. Business: Leash Dog Care Owners: Darrell Kelton andJavier Vega Location: Boston, MA Bus Phone: 617-294-9455 Website: www.leashdogcare.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/leashdogcare Twitter @leashdogcare Instagram @leashdogcare  

When it comes to money, making it is only part of the problem. Retaining as much as you can, is the other part of it. I think that we all know this, but what we often don’t realize in time is that there are a number of financial obligations that we have to pay, whether we want to or not. Often those bills come at the most inopportune time.  That inopportune time when money is needed most for dog walkers and pet sitters is often during income tax time AND when our annual insurance and bonding payments are due.  Until you get more experience with your expenditures, set aside 22% of everything that you make. That should keep you out of trouble.

In this session of “How To Start and Manage a Dog Walking and Pet Sitting Business,” I’ll talk to you about how you can adjust your business to accommodate a shifting customer base, especially during the summer when many customers order a temporary service stoppage.

In this session of “How To Start and Manage a Dog Walking and Pet Sitting Business,” I’ll introduce you to your first dog walking job. Listen to how I suggest that you approach your first dog walking or pet sitting job. I’ll walk you through your initial preparations through the time that you close the door and leave for your next job. Comments, questions and critiques can be left at dogwalkerpodcast@gmail.com

In this session of “How To Start and Manage a Dog Walking and Pet Sitting Business,” I’m going to chat with Amanda Krom, the owner of Amanda’s Paw Pals in HIGGANUM, Connecticut.   Amanda’s Paw Pals at www.amandaspawpals.com Also look for Amanda’s Paw Pals on Facebook

Listen to how Ally Mayer, the owner of The Waggly Tail started her business. Great chat! If you’d like to get in touch with Ally or learn more about The Waggly Tail, please visit her website at www.thewagglytail.com. For your daily dose of cute pet pics, follow her on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/thewagglytail) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/thewagglytailllc/).

Customer Relations is the process of keeping your customers happy and keeping them from fleeing to your competition. Although Customer Relations is the third leg of the three-legged customer development process, after Marketing and Sales, in my opinion, it is THE most important leg. My six Principles of Customer Relations: Do your job well Be accessible Query your customers about how you’re doing IMMEDIATELY address any problems and make them good Offer extra, free services that your customer did not expect Clean up after yourself If you haven’t done so yet, please subscribe to this podcast and LIKE it. To do so, go to iTunes and look for this podcast by searching for “How To Start and Operate a Dog Walking and Pet Sitting Business.” Once you find it, please LIKE the podcast. Finally, would you like to talk to me about your plans or questions about this business? If so, please email me at dogwalkerpodcast@gmail.com. I’d like to talk to you over Skype and if you agree, put our talk on an upcoming session of

This is a short, special call to action session where I’m going to ask you for a favor. Whether you’ve been listening to this podcast with the possibility of one day starting this business, or whether you followed along and actually started your business, step by step, OR whether you’re already an established dog walker and pet sitter who’s looking to hear what another dog walker has to say, I’d love to hear from you.Send an email to dogwalkerpodcast@gmail.com and let me know a little bit about yourself … whether you’re an established dog walker; whether you’re still thinking about it … whether you have specific questions. Let me know whether you have Skype or ooVoo.

Session 11 – Sales   Sales is the process of convincing those people who know about your business through your marketing, to hire you.   Sales Literature: + Who Am I – A brief description of yourself + Services Offered – Discussion of your services and their prices + FAQs – Facts about your services and your business   Closing a sale is the process of getting a Prospect to agree to pay for your services and become your Customer.   Sales Principles Customers will always make decisions based on their self-interest. Customers prefer a good deal over a fair deal.   When making your presentation, explain, educate and answer questions.   The Presumptive Sales Technique pushes the meeting closer to an agreement by having you talk to your prospect as if he was already your customer.   Another principle of Sales is that you have to CLOSE a prospect at least THREE times, meaning that you have to ask for the job at least THREE times before it registers with the prospect.   If the Presumptive Sales Technique fails, Close

In this session of How To Start and Manage a Dog Walking and Pet Sitting Business, I’m going to introduce you to the very important topic of Marketing. Marketing is the process of letting the buying public … potentially your customers … know that you’re in business as well as what your business is all about. I recommend that you sign up with www.thumbtack.com. Go to https://www.craigslist.org/about/sites#US and find the particular craigs list that is closest to you. For quality printing at a reasonable price go to www.vistaprint.com Start a free website with Blogger at www.blogger.com Keep sending me your questions and comments to  dogwalkerpodcast@gmail.com or go to the dogwalkerpodcast facebook page at www.facebook.com/dogwalkerpodcast and leave your comments or questions there.  

In this session of How To Start and Manage a Dog Walking and Pet Sitting Business, I'm going to talk to you about book keeping and accounting. 1. Daily Service Calls Service Calendar     Monday, January 04, 2016 9:00 AM Customer 1 (M-F)   9:45 AM Customer 2 (M-F)   10:30 AM Customer 3 (M, W, F)   11:15 AM Customer 4 (M-F)   1:00 PM Customer 5 (Tu, Th)       Tuesday, January 05, 2016 9:00 AM Customer 1 (M-F)   9:45 AM Customer 2 (M-F)   11:15 AM Customer 4 (M-F)   1:00 PM Customer 5 (Tu, Th)       Wednesday, January 06, 2016 9:00 AM Customer 1 (M-F)   9:45 AM Customer 2 (M-F)   10:30 AM Customer 3 (M, W, F)   11:15 AM Customer 4 (M-F)       Thursday, January 07, 2016 9:00 AM Customer 1 (M-F)   9:45 AM Customer 2 (M-F)   1:00 PM Customer 5 (Tu, Th)       Friday, January 08, 2016 9:00 AM Customer 1 (M-F)   9:45 AM Customer 2 (M-F)

Veterinary Release Form Veterinarian Name: Address: Phone #: To the Veterinarian – Hospital has been contracted to pet sit for my pet(s) and has my permission to place them in your care in case of an emergency. will attempt to contact me as soon as medical care is deemed necessary. However, in the event I cannot be reached immediately, I authorize you to treat my pet(s) and will be responsible for payment of any fees as stated below. Please file this form with my records.   Pet Owner: Address: Phone – email: Pet(s): If above-named veterinarian is not available, I agree that another vet in his/her practice may care for my pets. If neither of these veterinarians are available, I give permission for to take my pet(s) to the nearest animal hospital or emergency clinic.   I give permission for to approve treatment up to $_______. (Initial ______)   I understand that assumes no responsibility for the loss of any pet and is released from all liability related to transportation, treatment and expense.   O