Pet Sitting for Profit: A Complete Manual for Professional Success (Howell reference books) (Paperback)

~ (Author) "For all the strides we've made in professional pet sitting, as of this writing, you still will not find the word defined in any dictionary..." (more)
Key Phrases: other pet sitters, new pet sitters, professional pet sitter, Yellow Pages, Chamber of Commerce, Client Book (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Author and petsitter extraordinaire Patti Moran updates and expands the tremendously successful 1993 version for the growing field of pet sitting. Designed for people at all levels of experience—from the person just starting out to the person who has established a business and wants to make it more successful—the book also focuses on how to make setting up a business as easy as possible, so people can operate on whatever scale they feel comfortable with. Pet sitting continues to grow at an extraordinary rate, and this book is for everyone who wants a chance to work with animals.

From the Back Cover

The constant popularity of house pets and the highly mobile nature of a large segment of the population have given rise to a new facet of the pet-service field—professional pet sitting. For a rapidly growing number of people, pet sitting is a fulfilling way to augment their livelihood; some make it their primary source of income.

Pet Sitting for Profit was published to meet the demand for written, reliable instruction and professional advice. In the last decade, the pet-sitting industry has grown tremendously, facing new challenges and concerns for both novice and experienced pet sitters.

Pet Sitting for Profit, revised, addresses these new concerns, as well as the issues fundamental to the business. Pet-sitting services fill a need in the community, and Pet Sitting for Profit fills the changing needs of the growing industry it serves.
A Howell Book of Distinction

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Howell Book House; Revised edition (September 23, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 087605596X
• ISBN-13: 978-0876055960
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #268,997 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good, but general information, August 19, 2001

By A Customer

I bought this book with high expectations, since Patti is billed as the "guru" of pet sitting. The information provided in the book is extensive, but it seems to me that the book is actually an advertisement for the products Patti Moran sells on her website. I thought for the price of the book, we should expect at least one business form to start our business! If you want to buy those, the catalog is free! Overall, the book helps you decide if pet sitting is really for you, and how to go about setting up the business (insurance, bonding, office practices, etc). If that's all you expect from this book, you won't be disappointed.

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent advice on starting a pet sitting business, August 23, 1998

By A Customer

Patti Moran gives a complete overview of everything a potential pet sitter needs to consider before starting a business. I was particularly impressed with her comments regarding form of business (i.e., sole proprietorship, corporation, etc), tax considerations, and insurance, because other books about starting a pet sitting business gloss over or fail to cover these topics. Given the disasters which could occur if a business isn't properly insured or hasn't complied with tax laws, this advice is invaluable. My only complaint is that there are an awful lot of references to Patti Moran's new business; she is now engaged in supplying pet sitters with a variety of products, and she constantly refers prospective pet sitters to her catalog and excludes other sources of information and supplies. (However, her catalog does have a great variety of items.) By the way, that isn't Patti on the cover of the book -- I would have liked to see her on its jacket. In sum, you must read this book if you want to start a professional pet sitting business; it will eliminate a lot of the headaches and will point you toward valuable resources.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Sometimes right on, sometimes just silly, February 12, 2004

By A Customer

I have had some experience with walking/sitting for some time with an established agency and recently branched out on my own. I bought an earlier version of this book, so that was my mistake. I recommend getting the 1997 revised edition, as the 2nd one is not at all geared for today's computer literate individual. No type of e-mail, website or even detailed computer database info is addressed, which is understandable given the date of revised publication (1991). At that time, home computer use was in its infancy, unlike today, where owning a home computer is as common as having a television.

On the whole this book provided some very valuable information, even for someone with previous professional experience like me. However, there were some points that were just common sense...such as a rambling paragraph about dealing with a toilet overflowing (due to litter disposal). I enjoyed the business suggestions much more that the home repair tips!

I DO think this is a valuble tool for a starting-off sitter. Worthwhile, but a bit "cutsey". But take some of the filler with a grain of salt- and also, skip the numerous plugs for Moran's product line. I suggest that you call for info from others in your area and obtain their business forms so that you can base your info on real competitors, instead of shelling out for forms you'll use only as a general model.