The Professional Pet Sitter: Your Guide to Starting and Operating a Successful Service Edition 2005 Newly-Revised Includes Business Forms [Paperback]

Lori and Scott Mangold (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1994

The Professional Pet Sitter teaches, step-by-step, how to organize a pet sitting business, price, market, run it day to day and provide consistent, disciplined perfect service. Business forms are included!

Husband and wife team, Lori and Scott Mangold, have been providing loving, in-home pet care since 1988. Their business was inspired by their love for animals and the desire to develop a fun, home-based business.

After seemingly endless requests that they teach others how to set up and conduct pet sitting businesses, they decided to package their experience and systems. They share their knowledge and experience completely with you in The Professional Pet Sitter.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

The pet sitter of the 1990s is no longer the neighborhood kid. Today's pet owners all want the best for their pets, and the Mangolds' guide is just the ticket for people wanting in on the growing professional pet-sitting business. Right from the start, the Mangolds stress the idea that for the prospective pet-care giver to succeed, he or she must love animals and also be capable of handling a great deal of responsibility. After explaining in straightforward style what is expected from a professional pet sitter, the authors present an extremely detailed guide on starting and operating a pet-sitting business. Everything from acquiring a business license and planning marketing strategies to keeping records and making service calls is detailed here. Forms are included for client file cards, service agreements, and more. (The only criticism is that nothing is said about keeping records on the computer.) Otherwise, this is a succinct, easy-to-use guide that will help all pet sitters make a great success of their business. Caroline Andrew

Review

As a training manual, The Professional Pet Sitter is one of the most thorough books I've had the pleasure of reading. -- Charles Fuller, Editor Books Products Division, Entrepreneur Magazine Group

Lori and Scott Mangold have been successfully operating their own pet sitting business since 1988. They've compiled this guide to help you get your pet sitting service off the ground in a professional, financially-sound manner so that it will last as long as you love the work. Running a pet sitting service is actually a lot more complicated than changing the occasional litter box. This book will teach you how to set up finances, filing, liability insurance; whether to hire employees; how to market yourself; and hundreds of other details. Presented in easy-to-understand terms, this is the best kind of resource -- written and prepared from people who love the business, have learned from their mistakes and can share their methods of success. --The Woman Source Catalog & Review

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 101 pages
• Publisher: Paws-itive Press; Revised edition (1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0963544217
• ISBN-13: 978-0963544216
• Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 8.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #802,676 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

54 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Professional Pet Sitter" was very helpful!, October 24, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Professional Pet Sitter: Your Guide to Starting and Operating a Successful Service Edition 2005 Newly-Revised Includes Business Forms (Paperback)

I have always dreaded the bookkeeping aspects of running a business, but the forms and accounting procedures in The Professional Pet Sitter make it all so easy. It's also a pleasure to find a learning guide that has been written with a little humor; I'm actually having fun reading it! My brother spent 30 years in the banking business helping people get their new businesses started. He was very impressed when he saw how thorough and orderly I had prepared to set up my new pet sitting business. I followed the advice quite closely and appreciate the Mangolds' wise counsel and simple common sense. Their step-by-step guide helped me set up my business in less than two months. I'm now my own boss and I've never been happier!

48 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A complete & quick read on operating a pet sitting business!, May 6, 2002

By 

South Bay Paws professional pet services (Hermosa Beach, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Professional Pet Sitter: Your Guide to Starting and Operating a Successful Service Edition 2005 Newly-Revised Includes Business Forms (Paperback)

I was anxious to begin my pet sitting business but apprehensive without a proper guide to the specifics of this field.
After reading reviews on this and other similar books, I purchased "The Professional Pet Sitter", and the price seemed reasonable.

The book is set up in an easy to read and understand manner with several illustrations. I gained valuable business information geared specifically for the pet sitter. The Mangold's take you through every step of conducting the daily business from bookkeeping, to the security of your clients information, to the love and care of pets necessary to succeed in this business. The last few pages are full size, duplicatable forms which further the success of a pet sitting business.

After reading this book (in just a few hours I might add) I find the information to be priceless and I am geared up to begin my new venture.

39 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent resource, August 28, 2005

By 

Margaret Arvidson "pegkd" (Alexandria, VA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Professional Pet Sitter: Your Guide to Starting and Operating a Successful Service Edition 2005 Newly-Revised Includes Business Forms (Paperback)

When I first started thinking about starting my business in the early-mid 90's I picked up this book and devoured it. Then, it sat on my shelf as I pursued my 'corporate ladder' and took care of pets part-time.

When I decided to open my business full-time I again referred to the book. It really kept me inspired and ready to move forward. However, I did find that many of the suggestions were somewhat outdated -- using paper to track clients and schedules was never part of my plan -- but the basics of what they recommend you track/keep were great -- and I adapted the info to my on-line database. Since then, I've switched to a third-party service for an on-line database for client info, but the info I learned from the Mangolds' book was great.

I did read this book before Patti Moran's and tend to refer to it as the original 'bible' in my mind. But both books cover the same territory and give you a good overview of wht to expect. Petsitters are generally GREAT with pets and like the idea of spending time with them, but often have a hard time with the business side...this book is a great guide and reminder that you are in it to make money.;

As my business grew (http://www.peggiespets.com), I started helping other pet-sitters start or enhance their own businesses, ([...]) and this is a book that I include on my reading list for clients.

It's a good book that should be part of your learning library to continue to provide outstanding service to pets and their people!

Peggie Arvidson-Dailey