Once again, Brenda will be teaching her popular course, Start Your Own Professional Dog Walking & Pet Sitting Service, at:

Cambridge Center for Adult Education
www.ccae.org
Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA

And privately by appointment only. Fee for private instruction ranges from $75 - $100 depending on location.

For more information, visit the CCAE web site or email fourpawsdogwalking@yahoo.com

Course Description

Start Your Own Professional Dog Walking & Pet Sitting Service

A dog walker visits dogs in their homes to feed and water, exercise and play with them when their owners are away. If you are a dog and animal lover looking to start and operate a small service business out of your home this one and a half hour workshop will provide you with all the basic introductory information you will need to start a professional dog walking service.

Course topics include:
an overview of the increasingly popular concept of pet sitting -- why growing numbers of pet owners are using professional pet care services; how to choose a name and create a distinctive logo for your business; structuring and licensing your business as a sole proprietorship, partnership, or corporation; establishing what your minimum start up costs and expenses will be; selecting your geographical and demographic service area; determining your range of pet care services and fee structure, including expanded services such as administering medication(s), servicing multiple pets at one location, household security (turning lights on and off, taking in newspapers and mail, opening and closing blinds, shades, curtains), offering overnight pet- and house sitting, transporting pets to the vet’s, etc.; how to successfully market your pet care services on a shoestring budget; what insurance and dishonesty bonds are all about; establishing pet sitting industry affiliations as a new professional; conducting the initial telephone interview and follow up in-home visit with a prospective new client; keeping daily logs and evaluation forms; acquiring and returning house keys; written service agreement contracts; the importance of making follow up calls; using customers as references.....