All tagged sitting

490: In a Slump but on the Way Up?

490: In a Slump but on the Way Up?

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How is your business doing? So far, 2024 has been a challenging economic landscape, marked by a significant downturn in both new and returning clients. The pet sitting industry has experienced a saturation of the market post-COVID-19 and now economic pressures have led pet owners to tighten their budgets. We share strategies for adapting services and specializing to meet changing customer needs while maintaining a resilient and optimistic business approach. We cover everything from building in-person relationships with business owners, to also the challenges of niching in lean times and prioritizing mental health during slow periods. 

487: Keeping it Simple with Scott Black

487: Keeping it Simple with Scott Black

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How do you keep things simple in your business? Scott Black, owner of Personal Touch Pet Sitting, discusses the importance of personalized communication, screening clients thoroughly, and managing risks in the industry. He also emphasizes the significance of continuing education and balancing growing a pet sitting business while prioritizing quality and safety. Scott shares his thoughts on liability and risk management, setting boundaries, and managing client relationships.

449: Letting the Client Be Heard with Natalie Spedden

449: Letting the Client Be Heard with Natalie Spedden

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What are the unique challenges your business faces? Our business is shaped by our own values and how we want things done. It’s also molded by the community we service. Everything from how we hire, the services we can offer, and the kind of marketing we do is influenced by where we are. Natalie Spedden, owner of Aggieland Pet Sitting, walks through how she runs and hires in a town heavily influenced by a large university. Natalie shares how to take off our rose colored glasses to make hard decisions. She also talks about how she is building a professional team focused on the client’s needs.

441: Focusing on the Big Picture with Tori Levitt

441: Focusing on the Big Picture with Tori Levitt

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Where is your focus on your business? Tori Levitt, owner of Doolittle's Dog House, discusses the importance of setting and communicating clear policies to clients, and how to balance expanding services while maintaining control of your business. Tori emphasizes the necessity of personal self-care and setting boundaries to prevent burnout in this demanding industry. She also highlights the value of continuous education and building strong referral networks with other professionals like veterinarians and groomers. This episode is a blend of practical business advice and personal growth insights.

411: Transitioning from International to Local Pet Care with Kelly Hayes-Raitt

411: Transitioning from International to Local Pet Care with Kelly Hayes-Raitt

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When making big decisions, it's important to gather new information and seek out novel experiences in order to fully understand the situation before moving forward. In this episode, Kelly Hayes-Raitt, known as the HouseSit Diva, shares her experience of using international travel house and pet sitting to find a new place to live. By experimenting across different cultures and lifestyles, Kelly emphasizes the importance of embracing each step as an opportunity to grow and learn. She also discusses how she transitioned from being a free house and pet sitter to offering a paid service in her new hometown, and how this change has affected client expectations. Whether you're planning a business shift or a major life change, new experiences can teach you a lot!

405: Thriving Through an Emergency with Amy Sparrow

405: Thriving Through an Emergency with Amy Sparrow

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What kind of emergencies are you prepared for? While we may focus on natural disasters, lost pets, or medical emergencies, what about you? After going through a severe medical emergency, Amy Sparrow had to make drastic changes to her business, Fur Kid Sitting & Services. Amy shares how having a multi-year business plan allowed her to accelerate a brand new business structure. From growing a network, to addressing your personal risks, Amy stresses the importance of getting a plan in place today. She also explains why it’s critical to give back to the community.

386: Embracing The Hard Work

386: Embracing The Hard Work

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Every day we do work that both directly and indirectly makes us money. The dog walks, grooming, pet sitting visits, and training are all pretty straightforward in that when we perform those tasks, we get paid for them. But what about the other work? How do we find the motivation to keep doing it, and doing it well, even when we don’t get paid directly for doing them?

261: F.I.R.E. with Jen Tserng

261: F.I.R.E. with Jen Tserng

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Jen Tserng joins the show again to discuss how to have an investing mindset and what it means to make saving money fun. From setting budgets to raising prices, taking a wholistic approach to our financial health is really what sets us up for success. Regardless of whether you want to retire in 10 years, or 30, it takes understanding your numbers and financial discipline to execute the plan.

216: Successful House Sitting with Kylie Fuad from Aussie House Sitters

216: Successful House Sitting with Kylie Fuad from Aussie House Sitters

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The house sitting industry continues to change and adapt to the world of Covid. With new lockdowns and vaccine rollouts across the globe, home owners and house sitters alike are trying to see where the industry will go. Kylie Fuad, co-owner of Aussie House Sitters and House Sitters America, joins the show to discuss the current state of house sitting. She gives us some great advice on preparing for life as a house sitter and how home owners expectations have changed. Kylie also shares her optimism on the future of travel and how we can be prepared to take advantage of new opportunities as staycations become more popular.

195: Large Animal and Farm Sitting with Ariah Transmeier

195: Large Animal and Farm Sitting with Ariah Transmeier

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Ariah Transmeier has been farm sitting for almost 18 years. As a horse owner and lover, she knows the needs of owners and how to communicate her experience into solving their problems. She describes what it’s like preparing and caring for 300 acres of farm, while making it worth her time, and still providing excellent care. Ariah shares what it means to know your strengths and weaknesses, and how it results in a higher quality of care. We also discuss some of her favorite resources and how to go about gaining experience as a farm sitter.

172: Nomadic House Sitting with Eden Rudin

172: Nomadic House Sitting with Eden Rudin

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Eden Rudin and her husband, Danny, have been nomadic house sitting across the globe for the last 6 years. Eden shares how to get started in house sitting, setting your expectations, and how the industry has changed. She also discusses how Covid has impacted the availability of sits, and the growing ways people are adapting. Eden also took a leap of faith and launched her own house sitting connection website, HouseSit Hawaii, as a way to solve the problem of connecting quality house sitters with home owners in Hawaii. We talk about what she’s learned from that experience and what makes a good house sit platform.

134: Back to Basics- House Sitting

134: Back to Basics- House Sitting

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What’s the difference between a value based house sit and a for-pay house sit? Should you eat their food? This Back to Basics episode is all about house sitting. From questions you should ask, to what house sitting looks like with Covid, house sitting is something you should consider if you love traveling. Also, Natasha O’Banion answers, “Is print advertising dead?”

091- Coping with the Unexpected, with the House Sit Diva

091- Coping with the Unexpected, with the House Sit Diva

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The House Sit Diva, Kelly Hayes-Raitt, joins us for her SIXTH appearance on the podcast. Kelly shares how, not surprisingly, not every pet sit or house sit goes according to plan. Even though we screen and ask all the questions, unforeseen things can and do happen. Kelly gives us some awesome tips for overcoming the unexpected and how to avoid becoming overwhelmed in the midst of the let down.

035- Housesitting in the Time of Covid-19

035- Housesitting in the Time of Covid-19

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Kelly Hayes-Raitt was expecting an extensive travel period over the next several months, but then Covid-19 happened. Stuck in London, on this episode she shares her experience of travel restrictions, quarantines, and her take on what’s happening.

027- Fostering Relationships

027- Fostering Relationships

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Relationships! Kelly joins us again to talk all about building, maintaining, and starting relationships with travel sitting. Whether you're flying around the world, or driving across town, we all need healthy relationships in our lives.

016- Connections with Kelly

016- Connections with Kelly

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What are ways to meet new people and interact with the community while housesitting?

Housesits are usually not in touristy areas (yay!), but that can make them a bit more isolating, as you're not among other travelers -- plus you have the pet-caring and house-caring responsibilities. Kelly gives us some great tips for making the most out of our stays!

012- House Sitting

012- House Sitting

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The main topic today is house sitting. When do you get their key? Can you eat their food? What do you do with your time? All that and so much more!

009- Interview with the House Sit Diva!

009- Interview with the House Sit Diva!

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On this episode we interview the House Sit Diva! Kelly Hayes-Raitt has been traveling to house and pet sit for 10 years and she has some things to share! From how the industry has changed over the last decade, to some of her best memories, you do not want to miss this one!

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