The Balanced Pet Sitter- What You Wish You Knew Before Starting Your Pet Care Business

Everything you need to run a successful pet-sitting business without losing your mind.

In The Balanced Pet Sitter, Portland’s beloved pet sitter lets the cat out of the bag: You too can create a prosperous and fulfilling life with the people and animals you love. Pet care provides some of the most fulfilling jobs and Renée Stilson’s step-by-step guide will teach you how to start your own dog-walking business and expand your side hustle into a full-time pet-sitting career.

This compact, comprehensive handbook provides a complete set of practical tools that take you from startup to success with your peace of mind intact.

Table of Contents:

PART 1 HOW TO PLAN YOUR BUSINESS MINDFULLY
Chapter 1 So you want to be a pet sitter. But why?
Chapter 2 How to launch your new pet-sitting service
Chapter 3 Defining your boundaries
Chapter 4 Beginners’ branding
Chapter 5 Mindful networking
Chapter 6 Client materials
Chapter 7 Organizational tools for your business
Chapter 8 Your first client!

PART 2: RUNNING YOUR BUSINESS WITH INTENTION
Chapter 9 Mindful scheduling
Chapter 10 Working with people
Chapter 11 Other people’s energy
Chapter 12 Dealing with difficult clients
Chapter 13 Staying sane during crazy times

PART 3: CARING FOR OUR ANIMAL FRIENDS
Chapter 14 How to keep pets happy while their humans are away
Chapter 15 Dogs, dogs, dogs!
Chapter 16 Crate training
Chapter 17 The emotions of dogs
Chapter 18 Walking the dog
Chapter 19 Dog health
Chapter 20 The fantastic feline
Chapter 21 The emotions of cats
Chapter 22 Communing with cats
Chapter 23 Cat health
Chapter 24 Chicken care
Chapter 25 Bunny care—It’s not just about carrots
Chapter 26 The scope of our care doesn’t end there

PART 4: GETTING THE HELP YOU NEED
Chapter 27 Collaborating with colleagues
Chapter 28 How do you know when to hire staff?

PART 5: SAFETY FIRST
Chapter 29 Staying safe out there
Chapter 30 Taking others with you on visits
Chapter 31 Emergencies
Chapter 32 Runaway pets
Chapter 33 Disaster preparedness

PART 6: CARING THROUGH COMFORT
Chapter 34 Helping those sweet seniors
Chapter 35 End of life with our animal friends
Chapter 36 Emotional hazards for caregivers
Chapter 37 Self-care and time off

RECOMMENDED READING

Renée’s practical advice goes hand in hand with mindfulness skills that
are paired with helpful tips for finding work-life balance.

Even experienced pet sitters will learn that peace of mind in self-employment is not for the birds. It’s for you!