Posted on Thu, Dec 31, 2009 @ 03:05 PM
The pet sitting business has not been immune to the worst economy in 50 years. Businesses will react in two ways in this type of an economy. They will close their pet sitting business and return to the rat race of the corporate world or they will invest in their businesses and see this as an opportunity.
Use technology to differentiate your business and prepare for good times.
Project a more professional image - What better way to attract more customers than to be the most professional company in your market? An up to date website that allows your clients to schedule online will set you apart.
Don't be chained to the phone or a desk - The ability to service your customers, or better yet, prospects 24 by 7 is crucial. Instead of sitting by the phone waiting for your clients to call, let them schedule service online. By utilizing a pet sitting application, your customers and prospects can schedule or change appointments online, from work, at home or even from a smart phone. This allows you additional time to be prospecting new clients and marketing your business.
Utilize your existing information for your gain - There is no better way to prospect for new customers than to first understand your current customer base. Knowing where your current customers live, what vets they utilize, and what services they like the most will help you focus your marketing efforts. One example of this it to spend some time marketing to the veterinarians that the majority of your customer base frequent. Take some time to visit that vet office, drop off a business card and mention that several of the clients in that office are also your clients. Additionally, find the zip codes you do well in and the ones you don't, market accordingly.
Call your customers to action! You have worked hard to get your clients to your website. Now make the most of it and ask for their business. Have a button prominently positioned on your website that lets them "SHEDULE NOW" and let them schedule online.
Some of your competitors will go out of business but some will take full advantage of this time to utilize technology to their benefit. But this technology must be easy to maintain, simple for our staff and clients to utilize. Invest in your business today and reap the benefits of your preparedness tomorrow. Technology is just one easy way to make this happen. Now is the time to choose the tools to make 2010 your best year ever.
Power Pet Sitter is the industries leading pet sitting software company. Power Pet Sitter has clients in the US, Canada, England and Australia. Power Pet Sitter is owned and operated by the owners of the two largerst pet sitting companies in Atlanta, Georgia, Buckhead Pet Pals and Barking Up The Right Tree. These companies staff approximately 100 pet sitters and service over 3000 clients in the Atlanta metro area.
Posted on Tue, Dec 01, 2009 @ 06:06 PM
We all know and how important the holiday season is for our pet sitting businesses. Historically, November and December are two of the
most profitable months that can make or break our year. It is critical
that you have a plan to manage your business. The five things that
cause the most stress in my businesses during the busy season are:
- Quickly knowing the availability of any given sitter to accurately schedule sitters and to take advantage of new business opportunities
- Making
sure I have updated information on all of my clients ( alarm codes, vet
information, pet information, etc... ) to provide the best possible
customer care
- Missing a clients call for business and losing them to my competition
- Making sure we have fluid cash flow to make payroll and pay expenses
- Organizing my tax documentation in order to get 1099's out the door in January
All
of these challenges can be overcome by implementing Power Pet Sitter
software. Last year we scheduled over 39,000 visits for my businesses
and I could not have done it without the rich functionality of Power
Pet Sitter. Availability of sitters:
I
can quickly and accurately schedule sitters and accommodate last minute
clients looking for a pet sitter. Sitters can block themselves off for
specific dates or time frames and show how many pet sits they want for
each time block of the day. If a sitter is not available, the proper secondary sitter is automatically populated in, no more wondering who has cared for this client before. Power Pet Sitter is linked to Google maps for a quick search of where client lives and directions should the sitter need them.
The system also sends confirmation emails out at the time of booking
reservations to the sitter and client to assure accuracy and
availability of sitter. You can resend confirmations out to clients and
sitters for peace of mind.
Complete and accurate client data:
I
can allow my clients to quickly and accurately update their personal
and pet information online. Accurate client and pet information is the
key to providing quality care to your clients and pets. Backup sitters
can quickly come up to speed on newly assigned clients and you can rest
easy. Nothing is worse on a holiday weekend than to have to call a client to get a new alarm code because their house alarm keeps going off. Keeping up to date with client and pet information is critical to having peace of mind during the holidays.
Multi tasking:
Busy
walking pets?... Clients calling you when you are out and you are
taking notes on a scratch piece of paper, hoping you remember to enter
it in your date book. No more!
Link Power Pet Sitter to your web site and get your clients to schedule
their services online. All email confirmations can be personalized with
your name and company information. Clients feel like they know you and
feel more connected to you. New clients can find you on the web and request service allowing you to grow your business 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!
Managing cash flow:
Cash flow is always a critical issue and accepting credit cards is one of the best ways to get paid. Cash flow problems or problems getting checks from clients or sitters are a thing of the past! No more data entry of checks and going to the bank. With our cc processing it is easy! You can book clients reservations, approve, and
charge client's card 1-30 days prior to their service. Invoices are
created and and payments are recorded in QB online automatically.
Tax documentation:
After the holiday rush is over, it's tax time and time to get your books in order. Power
Pet Sitter is integrated with QuickBooks Online so you can do your own
1099's or pay your employees and determine the appropriate taxes. The
IRS requires you to file a 1099-MISC form for each vendor to whom you
make certain types of payments. You must mail these forms to vendors by
January 31 for payments made in the previous tax year. Currently I save
over $750 a year in accounting fees by using QuickBooks Online. My
accountant even has her own log in so she can do my taxes without me
having to haul all my paperwork into her office. Now that really reduces my holiday stress and makes time with friends and family during this special season more enjoyable.
Visit us at www.powerpetsitter.com for detailed information and a free 10 day trial.
Power Pet Sitter is the industries leading pet sitting software company. Power Pet Sitter has clients in the US, Canada, England and Australia. Power Pet Sitter is owned and operated by the owners of the two largerst pet sitting companies in Atlanta, Georgia, Buckhead Pet Pals and Barking Up The Right Tree. These companies staff approximately 100 pet sitters and service over 3000 clients in the Atlanta metro area.