WHY JOIN THE APSE? - APSE Association of Pet Sitting Excellence

Transcription

APSE
QUARTERLY
Welcome to Our First APSE Virtual Magazine!
Our goal with this magazine is to
bring you great information and
helpful business tips, keep you
informed of the latest pet industry
trends, and to keep in touch to
let you know what is going on at
the APSE.
This month we have some super
articles for you that we hope you will
enjoy. A big thank you to all of our
contributors!
Please feel free to pass this
magazine along to any and all of your
friends and contacts.
January 2011
JANUARY
We are excited about the new
programs and events that we have
planned this year at the APSE. We are a
member driven organization and would
love to hear your suggestions - so let us
know what you need from us to enable
you to grow your business and provide
excellent pet care services. If you have
suggestions or would like to submit an
article for our next magazine please
email us at
[email protected].
We wish everyone a very successful
and prosperous 2011 Joshua Cary and Danielle Chonody
APSE Co-Founders
ARTICLES INSIDE
THIS ISSUE
Pet Care Professionalism in Your Decade
2
Where To - GET NOTICED - Jill Lublin 8
Are you Prepared? - Jan Brown
11
Ahead - Thom Somes
The Drugging of Our Pets - Dr Kim
Bloomer
14
4 Tips for Business Success - Veronica
Boutelle 16
Tips from “Making Your Own Luck: A
Practical Guide to Marketing Your Pet
Business” - Dara Turransky
18
Starting a Local Network Group - Beth
Fasnacht
10 Suggestions to Making a Killer
23
Facebook Page - Chris Tompkins
26
www.PetSittingExcellence.com
2011
© 2011 APSE Quarterly - January 2011
Association of Pet Sitting Excellence - http://www.petsittingexcellence.com
1
Thom Somes, "The Pet
Safety Guy" is the
President and Founder
of Pet Tech, the first
international training
center for pet CPR, first
aid & care for dogs and
cats. He encourages pet
owners and Pet Care
Professionals to learn
the skills and techniques
of pet CPR, first aid &
care and is an advocate
for adopting pets from
animal shelters and
rescue groups.
Having been in the
medical field for more
than 35 years, he has
trained more than
20,000 people in Basic
Life Support, First Aid,
and Pet CPR, First Aid &
Care. Thom is dedicated
to pet health, safety,
care and welfare,
emphasizing the
importance of spaying
and neutering,
establishing a good
relationship with
veterinarians, obedience
training and the early
socialization of all pets.
Pet Care Professionalism in Your Decade Ahead
Thom Somes, The Pet Safety Guy
I speak with pet lovers and Pet Care
Professionals every day. I define Pet
Care Professionals as pet sitters, dog
walkers, groomers, trainers, animal
massage practitioners, kennel operators,
Veterinarians, pet acupuncturists and
many other pet professions. Basically, if
you put your hand on fur in the course of
your work day…you are a Pet Care
Professional.
Since this is my first article for APSE,
I thought I would write about the big
picture of pet care professionalism. I
have discussed pieces of the following
with thousands of pet lovers over the
years.
As an Industry, Pet Businesses are
collectively approaching $50 Billion
annually in sales. This includes the
Medical, Pharmaceutical, Legal, Retail,
Technology and Pet Care Services. The
face of all these businesses have been
experiencing consistent growth even
during the past few years of economic
downturn. However, with growth comes
challenges and change. I am going to
give a kind of Pet Industry “State of the
Union Address”. Then I will discuss
where they may go in the future and
what role you can proactively play as a
Pet Care Professional to keep YOUR pet
business positioned for growth and
success.
The Medical Industry is primarily
considered to be Veterinarians and
Animal Hospitals. Currently we are at a
“tipping point” of massive change in our
cultural perception of animal health
care. The average demographic of a
veterinarian is a 55 year-old white male.
They went to school when the paradigm
of pet ownership was vaccinations,
annual check ups and you could only do
so much before you put them to sleep.
That is all changing with the new breed
of Veterinarian that is coming into
majority. Within the next 5-7 years the
average demographic will be a nonwhite, 30-ish female. This new breed will
be much more open to alternative
therapies, up to date on the latest
technologies and Optimal Pet Wellness.
Pharmaceutical companies have
taken the profitable lessons learned from
humans and started applying them in the
animal care world. They are playing a
much more direct role by spending
hundreds-of-millions of dollars to
advertise their drugs directly to the pet
owner. Veterinarians, in general, are a
conservative group and are slow to
adopt new drugs and protocols. These
marketing campaigns drive the caring
pet owner into the Vet’s office requesting
these treatments. Often the pet owner
comes into to their vet’s office more misinformed than the veterinarian is
informed.
Alternative therapies will continue to
be one of the fastest growing segments
of the pet industry. The trend for the past
several years of pet owners taking more
personal control and responsibility for
their own health and they are now doing
the same for their four-legged, family
members. These “non-traditional”
therapies include Acupuncture,
Knowing Your Pet's Health
A Guide for Optimal Wellness
from Snout-To-Tail
Since Pet Tech Pet First Aid Classes
are not yet available everywhere,
we have written this informative
book that will give you a jumpstart
in knowing your pet's health.
In this guide, you will find the
following:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Pet Emergency
Preparedness Tips
Poisoning/Plant &
Household Pet Poisons
Assessing Your Pet's Vitals
Knowing Your Pet's
Health Chart
The "Snout-To-Tail"
Assessment
The "Snout-To-Tail"
Assessment Worksheet
Pet Health Insurance Tips
Choosing A Pet Care
Professional
BONUS - The Pet Safety Guy will
sign copies for APSE members! Put
APSE in the notes section of your
order
BUY YOUR COPY NOW
2
Massage, Chiropractic, and
Homeopathy, just to name a
few. The growth of this
segment will parallel what
baby boomers pursued for
themselves.
The legal industry,
Government and laws, will
impact the pet owners and Pet
Care Professionals. Pets
(legally) are considered
property. Legally, property
has to have a value to be
replaced when lost or
damaged. Putting a monetary
value on Fido or Fluffy is like
putting a price tag on
Grandma! Pet Owner’s and
local communities are seeking
legal protections in the event
of abuse, survivorship and
custody (think divorce) rights.
BSL (Breed Specific
Legislation) is the one to watch
that could have the biggest
impact on your business.
The pet retail industry was the
first to experience big change.
Grocery stores for many years
had the majority of market
share on sales of dog/cat food
and pet toys. Superstores have
been steadily gaining market
share through aggressive
marketing, branding and
wider selection. Mom & Pop
operations have been feeling
this squeeze and have
survived (and thrived) by
providing extra customer
service. Independent Pet
Product Distributors such as
private/therapeutic pet foods
and supplements, fencing (pet
containment systems) and
multi-level marketing
companies have jumped onto
this gravy train too.
The technology industry has
had a huge impact on raising
the level of pet parenting and
professionalism. Pet parents
and professionals use the web
to research products, services
and service providers
(competition). Pet parents can
compare prices, features and
how other owners (satisfied
and dissatisfied) review the
product or service. Search
engines have allowed Pet
Parents to get what I call a
“Web Degree”. Web Degrees
are where someone has spent
hours researching a topic
becoming very knowledgeable
about it. Pet parents are doing
this for their pet’s health
including diseases and optimal
wellness. The trend has been
to research on the net and
then buy in a “brick-andmortar”. Purchases on the web
will continue to increase, as
consumers feel more secure
and comfortable making
purchases online. And as I
have said many times, “Free
shipping doesn’t hurt either!”
Pet industry agencies and
associations include nonprofits, Humane Societies,
Animal Control, Rescue
Groups and numerous other
local and regional groups for
the rights, protection and care
of pets. From a distance, they
seem to have a similar mission
and outcome but the reality is
that they are overall
disassociated from each other
with no one consistent or main
message or agenda.
Additionally, they tend to be
territorial and possessive of
their “pack.” Approach these
on a niche basis.
Wide ranges of new pet
industry services have boomed
in the last decade. Pet Services
that have gone main stream
include: Pet First Aid, Pet
Therapy, Pet Detectives, Pet
Insurance, Pet Portraits, Poop
Removal, Pet Taxi’s and Pet
Cemeteries & Crematories (to
name only a few).
Entrepreneurs have extended
the care and filled the void
that traditional “Vets” don’t
address. The trends are
toward improved lifestyle and
quality of health services.
Wow! That is a lot of
information and I am not even
half way through my article.
The question you must be
asking yourself is what does all
this mean to me? Additionally,
I would like to suggest you
add to that list:
“How will your business be
different in the future?
“What does this mean to your
business?”
“What can you do now?”
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Pet Tech offer a $100
discount on their 3-day
Instructor training to APSE
members
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Need Help With
Marketing?
Check out these great
free resources and
articles at the APSE
blog:
How To Attract More of the Pet Sitting
Clients You Want - Joshua Cary
It’s no secret that I’m a big proponent
of using your website to attract visitors,
so I’m going to focus on just that and
share with you a few steps that will
greatly increase your chances of
attracting those clients that you are
looking for.
Why You’re Not Scoring New Pet
Sitting Clients
Interview with Maribeth Kuzmeski, the
founder of Red Zone Marketing in the
Chicago area. This interview will get
your head spinning with a ton of ideas
on how to specifically grow your
business with your own personal
message.
Find Local Pet Sitting Clients with Laura
Roeder
Webinar with social media expert
Laura Roeder prepared exclusively for
the pet sitting industry. Learn how to
network and find more customers on
Facebook.
How to Market Your Pet Sitting
Business with Video
Online video is a hot topic!
You Tube viewers are now watching
100 million videos per day and
research has proven that your
potential clients are more than twice as
likely to watch a video that tells them
about your services than read the text
on your website.
Are you creating video content that
captures the attention of this audience?
Visit the APSE Blog today
to get these resources
and more!
The following are my prognostications of pet industry trends over the next several
years. As a Pet Care Professional you will need to set yourself apart AND above your
competition to earn a “professional income.”
As a Pet Care Professional, you and your business will need to create a personal
connection with your client. What I have been advocating for years is to become part of
your clients pack. Become a family member, listen to your clients, remember the pets’
birthdays and special days (i.e. anniversary of them becoming a client). Know the pets’
favorite treats, toys and which ear they like to be scratched behind. Really, treat them
like they are YOUR children. When you become a member of your client’s pack, you
have a client for life.
Of course, as a Pet Care Professional you need to be a Professional. This includes
being trained and current or even an Instructor in Pet CPR, First Aid & Care. You should
also be aware of the latest industry trends. Know the specifics of their breed, local things
that could affect the pet’s health.
This story I have told countless times. We were doing our 3-day Pet Tech Instructor
training. A bunch of us came back to the hotel and the woman at the front desk, after
hearing what we do, started talking to us about wanting to get a dog. She “thought” she
wanted to get a Bichon. One of our Instructors jumped right in and asked, “ What do
you know about that breed? Do you live in a home or an apartment? What is your
lifestyle like? How many hours a day would you be away?” Within a few very short
minutes he had educated and directionalized her away from the breed of pet she
“thought” she wanted because the dog was hard to house train, didn’t do well with long
hours alone and had a tendency to bark. All of which would not work with her living in
a small apartment and being away from home 12 hours a day. Think about it. Our
Instructor really saved some dog from getting adopted, getting a “bad beginning” and
getting returned to the shelter with “one strike” against it. Paws up to our Instructor!
This relates to my next point. You are the “Animal Advocate” for your clients. You
are a trusted resource for the health, care and well-being of your clients’ pets. They want
to know how to better care for their furry, four-legged, family members. Have an
opinion and by that I mean be knowledgeable! If your view of pet care does not match
theirs, then NEXT. I have asked at countless speaking engagements, “who has a pain in
the a%$ client?” Very few hands have stayed down in a room of hundreds of attendees.
Then I asked, “Why were they a pain?” Could it be that they didn’t have the same
beliefs and values of pet guardianship that you do? Get rid of the client. Like Trump
said…Your Fired! Business would be so much easier and enjoyable, if all of your clients
were like your favorite clients are right now. You can create that. The structure is that in
the beginning you take on every client you can because you are just starting out and
you don’t believe there is enough business. Be selective and create you own niche.
Joe Vitale, my friend and author of “Meet & Grow Rich,” states, “Succeeding at
work and life is not an easy task. Often it feels like it’s you against the world. But what
would it be like if you had a support group that could advise, encourage and inspire
you?” This is the biggest benefit of attending webinars, conventions and joining
professional groups and associations. It really isn’t just the agenda of speakers, it is that
magical mix of attendees you “NetWork and PetWork” with during and the days and
years to follow. Join local pet groups and agencies. This can put you in the know in
ways that you never imagined.
Tony Robbins has what he calls CANI. Which stands for Constant And Never-ending
Improvement. This principle should be applied to all areas of your life and business. Take
a class at your local community center on pet health or care. Find a Pet Tech Instructor in
your area and take our 8-hour PetSaver Training (if there is not an Instructor then
consider becoming one). Learn more about Pet Chiropractic, Pet Massage, Pet
Homeopathy or wherever your interests (our your clients interests) may take you.
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Attend pet related shows, events and fundraisers in your
area. Again, if they don’t have one, then create and host your
own.
An important part of “NetWorking & PetWorking” is
having a pre-qualified group of pet businesses that you can
refer to your clients when they ask you. Have 2-3 references for
each type of pet business, if possible. You can expand your
business by affiliation. Choose these alliances carefully. The
bottom line is that you can have longer client retention and
more income by forming a network (& PetWork) of like-minded
Pet Care Professional business owners.
What does the future hold for the Pet Care Industry and Pet
Care Professionals? Well my crystal ball sees that Veterinarians
over the next very few years will be more open to alternative
pet owner health choices and education. They are out there
now. You need to find and align yourself with Veterinarians
who have similar beliefs and values on pet health care that you
and your clients do.
Pets will be living longer. Pet owners will be more involved
in the health of their pet. They will be spending more money
providing a higher quality of life for their pets.
Medications may be required more than once a day. This
means you will need to make more than one visit per day (more
visits = more $). However, you need to be aware of adverse
drug reactions and should really monitor the pet for 15-30
minutes after administering the medication, as directed.
How may contacts would it take to double or triple your
business before the end of the year? I guarantee you that it is
not by doubling your number of clients! You are in the Pet
Industry at the best time ever! Never before has so much
opportunity existed to make a “Professional Income” in the pet
industry. You have the power and the choice to be successful!
Good luck and hope to see you in one of our trainings in 2011.
Pet Tech’s programs are recommended by APSE. Danielle
Chonody is an active Instructor teaching Pet Tech’s family of
programs.
Teaching pet first aid & care is a great way to increase
your bottom line, attract new clients and service your existing
clients with information they want and need to know! If you are
interested in becoming an instructor or looking for an instructor
in your area, visit www.PetTech.net, call (760) 930-0309 or email [email protected]. We give a $100 discount on all
Corporate Instructor Trainings for current APSE members in
good standing. Do pick up our PetSaver App for iPhone, iPod
Touches, Android & Windows (Windows available early 2011)
Wanna see how we did it and discover the
single element we put in place that became
our ace in the hole for continued success
so you can do the same?
Pet Retail outlets will be looking for ways to increase pet
owner traffic. So how can your service business reach within
the walls of a pet retail store? Consider doing an educational
presentation on what you do. A good example is what they
should look for in choosing a Pet Care Professional. I use and
recommend this book about becoming that local authority:
“Become a Recognized Authority in Your Field – In 60 Days or
Less” by Robert Bly. The ISBN-13 is 978-0028642833. This
provides some great strategies for becoming that “local
authority”. It has become harder to find over the years.
This new paradigm of Pet Care Professionalism in this New
Millennium includes becoming a member of your clients’ pack.
Use technology to have immediate contact with current and
potential clients. This includes cell phones, voicemail, pagers,
auto responders and web cams. The Baby Boom Generation is
demographically your biggest client (but don’t neglect the
young couple and the senior sector). This generation wants an
immediate response and instant gratification or they will move
on to the next business.
As much as we all love animals you need to have a written
business plan for your business. In other words, “Plan your
work and work your plan.” Positioning your business and
services are crucial to long term success and growth. Being a
Pet Care Professional is a REAL profession! Treat it like one and
you will be rewarded and treated like a professional.
Our free 23-page report is "The Secret To A Successful Pet
Sitting Business Revealed: The M Word" and reveals the
ins and outs of our personal journey.
In this quick and easy read, you'll get hold of:
Our one secret weapon responsible for all our success
The 5 steps that will catapult you to the top
10 things you'll need to know in order to succeed as a pet
sitter today
Grab your complimentary copy of "The M Word!"
5
APSE MEMBER SUCCESS SPOTLIGHT
NEIL - ROMP PET CARE, PHILADELPHIA USA
www.romppetcare.com
What did you business look like in April 2010?
I started Romp Pet Care in February of 2010. In April it was just me, several clients, and a part time job at a veterinary
hospital. April was when my schedule was becoming more difficult to juggle. I had to pass up a few dog walking jobs due
to my schedule at work. Taking the leap of faith to leave my job was very scary at first, but it was the best thing I ever did.
Not only did it free me up for more jobs, but it freed me up to focus on marketing to get those jobs.
What in your business has changed since you joined the APSE?
Pretty much everything! I left my part time job in May and have never looked back. I used the savings I had from my early
jobs to put into a marketing campaign through the city. It seemed like the phone never stopped ringing all summer!
We have grown exponentially since April. I now have a staff of walkers working for me, and my role has switched entirely.
I now spend much more of my time focusing on marketing, bookkeeping, and running the business itself. I of course end up
doing more walks than I would like to, but I try my hardest to keep myself running the business instead of the other way
around.
What were the biggest challenges you faced moving your business forward in the past 9 months?
I think my biggest obstacle was myself. I was so nervous in the beginning as to whether or not my business would “work”
that I never developed much of a plan as to how to run it when it did. As we grew quickly, I found myself trying to keep up
with things, constantly struggling to find a system that worked. Some of my policies worked great on paper, but not well in
the real world. As my key pile grew, so did my need for a system to manage them. Like everyone, I made mistakes, but I
also learned to adapt.
Being open to change is one of the greatest assets I have learned. When you start things on your own, you get very
possessive of how you want everything. You plan how much you will work, what your policies are, what you want things to
be. You need to be able to let go of that possessiveness and adapt. I found a niche in the industry I wasn’t expecting, but
have adapted to it, instead of trying to change it. Too many of us are afraid to try something new, or think outside of the
box. There are too many “pet sitting business kits” or pre-written contracts and letters that tell you how to be. I think in the
beginning we stick to these guides like they are rules afraid to stray too far out of fear of failing.
The best advice I can give to someone starting out is to can the elevator pitch, and listen to what people are telling you
instead. Hear what people want instead of telling them what you’re selling. What is it about your service they like? What
are they really buying? What is it about your service that separates yourself from everyone else? Not what YOU think
separates you, but what THEY think separates you.
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APSE MEMBER SUCCESS SPOTLIGHT - CONTINUED
NEIL - ROMP, PHILIDELPHIA USA
www.romppetcare.com
What APSE resources helped you move you past these challenges and helped your business to grow?
The APSE forums have been a great resource for me. No matter where I was in my business, I always felt like I
could go to the forums and find someone else going through the same thing. I went from meekly asking for
help with writing contracts to now giving advice on policies and marketing. No matter what point I was at,
from hiring my first employee to finding a good software recommendation, there was someone willing to help.
The support from the forums has been amazing and a real asset during the past year.
What would you tell another pet sitter about the APSE?
In a word...join. The APSE has a great feel for what is going on out there. I have gotten more out of my
membership than I ever thought I would. I have other logos on my website, I have joined other groups, but
APSE is the first one that makes me feel like a member.
Take the stress out of keeping in touch with your clients and your friends and family!
There is an easy way for you to send out personalized greeting cards that will :
Create marketing tools that set you apart from other pet sitters
Help you to build strong relationships with both clients and business contacts you meet through networking
Get more referrals for your business
Customized cards cost as little as 31 cents each and you save loads of time because you won’t have to shop for cards,
address or put stamps on the envelopes, or take them to the post office to send!
Sending greeting cards or postcards is a great way to build your pet sitting business. You can use them to:
Run a postcard marketing campaign to announce a new service or special offer
Send a follow-up card to a client that thanks them for using your service and reminds them of your referral
rewards program. You can even personalize their card with pictures of their pets.
Send a card to new business contacts that you meet at networking events to keep in touch and build an ongoing
relationship
Reward people who send you referrals by mailing a thank you card with a gift and or gift card.
Send birthday celebration cards to clients pets
Save time by sending out personalized holiday or seasonal cards to all your clients quickly and easily
Send invitations to the community events that you host
There are so many advantages to sending custom greeting cards!
A More Personal Touch, Save Time and Money, Build Stronger Business and Personal Relationships
Send two personalized greeting cards for free from our website now!
7
Praised as a modern-day Dale
Carnegie for how to be
influential, Jill Lublin has
empowered and inspired over
100,000 people through her
best-selling books, national and
international speaking tours,
and strategic consulting
engagements. Jill’s national
bestselling books include:
Networking Magic,
Guerrilla Publicity,Get
Noticed…Get Referrals: Build
Your Client Base and Your
Business by Making a Name for
Yourself.
An internationally renowned
speaker, Jill teaches powerful
publicity, networking, and howto- be-influential techniques. As
the CEO of the strategic
consulting firm, Promising
Promotion, Jill has trained
companies in innovative
methods to improve bottom line
results. Jill's clients range from
banks to software companies,
and include entrepreneurs,
national associations, non-profit
organizations, and franchises.
She has also created a
complete home study system for
how to “Be Influential.”
In the past twenty years, she has
worked with ABC, NBC, CBS,
and other national media, and
knows what the media wants.
Jill has been featured in The
New York Times, Women’s Day,
Fortune Small Business, Inc, and
Entrepreneur Magazine, and on
ABC and NBC radio TV.national
affiliates.
Deeply committed to public
service, Jill founded GoodNews
Media, Inc. and hosts the TV
program, Messages of Hope, as
well as the nationally
syndicated radio show, Do the
Dream.
Where to – GET NOTICED!
by Jill Lublin
In whatever you do, take that first,
essential step; dive into the water. You
may have developed the ideal solution
for a major problem or invented a
product that fills a critical void, but what
good are they if you never implement
your plans. Don’t waste your time sitting
around, thinking, planning, and tinkering
because you will never get your
businesses off the ground. Instead, get
started, do something, make a move. Put
yourself out there and see where you
land. Get wet; soaking wet.
Many people have little or no
business experience. They have never
taken business courses and don’t
understand business terms. Business
scares them; its alien territory, a place
where they feel they don’t belong.
When it comes to business, they don’t
know what to do, where to turn, or who
to ask for help. They are completely lost.
They want to go into business, but fear
that they will be devoured. Before long,
the fire that fueled their passion sputters
and dies.
You can’t succeed without trying.
Venturing out, taking chances, is the only
way to learn and to succeed. Many
people simply won’t try because they
are afraid to fail. They don’t try because
it’s easier for their fragile psyches to
accept that they didn’t try, than to admit
that they tried and failed. They would
rather not try than to try and not
succeed.
Get into the game
To me, standing around, spinning
my wheels and watching others pass me
by is not living life; it’s missing life. It’s
staying on the sidelines and watching
others play the game.
I love the game; the excitement,
learning; meeting and building
relationships with new and different
people. People fascinate me and their
stories amaze me. Frequently I want to
pinch myself because I work with and
meet an astonishing array of outstanding
people who constantly contribute
wonders to my life.
I prefer to be active, busy, and
expose myself to stimulating, new people
and experiences. This exposure has
introduced me to amazing opportunities,
remarkable individuals, and interests that
have changed my life. They have also
introduced me to talents, parts of myself,
which I never knew I possessed. They’ve
enabled me to continue to grow and
enjoy a rich, productive life.
Occasionally, we all get stuck. At
one time, most of us have had a
daunting paper to write and waited until
the last, possible moment. We did
everything to avoid the task until our
only choice was to start writing or flunk.
Finally, in total fear, we sat down to
write. The first few words were agony.
They may have even drawn blood.
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8
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“If your success is not
on your own terms, if
it looks good to the
world but does not
feel good in your
heart, it is not success
at all” - Anna
Quindlen
The initial paragraph had the grace of an armored tank and moved just as fast. But
then we found the rhythm, words broke loose, and sentences formed. Ideas emerged,
the momentum grew, and we got into a flow. Suddenly, we were immersed in our
writing, lost in our thoughts and were expressing them clearly, directly, and logically —
to our utter surprise.
How many people do you know who have the careers they initially planned or
began? I know very few. Years ago, people chose a business or career and stayed in
it for life. Today, that’s not the norm. People develop new interests, evolve, and
change careers. Some move from career to career and then back again. And experts
predict, that this trend will increase.
The most interesting and successful individuals I know have evolved from vastly
different careers than those they began. Somewhere in their trajectory, they came
across an interesting subject, person, insight, experience, or opportunity. Their
contacts, curiosity, or knowledge carried them into the unknown where they met with
kindred spirits who helped them along the way.
I went to school to study psychology and never thought about publicity. Before
Jay Conrad Levinson became the worlds’ largest selling business writer, he had a
career in advertising. Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi was
a housewife who didn’t run for public office until her children were grown.
Organizations
OK, now you know that you have to take action and begin. The question is where
do you start? Consider organizational events. They can be the ideal places to begin
making contacts because virtually everyone who attends these events is there to
network and make connections. Frequently, these events have been structured to
facilitate networking. Specific times have been set-aside for attendees to meet one
another, interact, and make connect.
The fact that these events are networking oriented can take the pressure off shy,
uncomfortable newcomers. Since everybody has the same agenda, to connect with
others, strangers will frequently approach you, introduce themselves, and engage you
in conversations. When you talk with others, it breaks the tension, and makes it less
frightening. You find that taking to the next person is easier and that you’re more
comfortable.
A dizzying number of organizations hold networking events, so the trick is to
attend those that could be most productive for you. Choosing the best events can take
a little investigation and although every group is a potential source of referrals, some
are clearly better than others. Therefore, it’s usually worth the time and effort to learn
which can be the most opportune for you. Or start your own group.
Groups serve different audiences and have different slants or purposes. Civic
organization support community projects, women’s groups work to promote women’s
causes, and industry associations serve the members of their particular fields. So I
always belong to a number of groups.
Before you join organizations:
Clarify your objectives for both the short and long term. List what you want to
accomplish and how long you realistically think it will take.
Precisely identify your target audience. Know exactly whom you want to meet:
travel writers, classic car restorers, or wine distributors. Then go to organizational
events that they would attend.
9
In identifying your targets, look for cross-promotional
opportunities. Members of certain groups may not use your
goods or services themselves, but they could give you entrée to
a large number of people that will.
Learn about each organization; investigate what you may
be getting into. Ask about its mission, agenda, membership
profile, events and causes, how often it meets, and the
commitment you will be expected to make. If you’re young and
new in business, do you want to join an established service
organization that has an older demographic? Perhaps you do.
Speak with your friends and business associates. Learn about
their experiences and what they would recommend for you. Be
their guests at meetings and events and experience them for
yourself.
Before you join an organization, speak with at least one
member. Get a general overview of the group, its strong points,
what it’s like to belong, how it could help you, and information
about its members. Specifically ask what they like best and least.
Usually, those you speak with will introduce you at your first
meeting or even sponsor you, which will help you make contacts
and gain credibility.
Join organizations in your field, but also venture out. If
you’re a publicist, join publicity associations, but also think
about going to authors groups because writers need publicity. If
you’re the only insurance salesperson who belongs to the
motorcycle club, it could help you sell policies. Joining
organizations outside of your own industry can also turn you on
to new and fascinating people and interests, which can stimulate
and add excitement to your life.
When you join organizations, decide how involved you
want to be. Devoting your time to causes, serving on
committees, and being an officer can dramatically increase your
profile. Ask yourself, can you afford the time, effort or expense
of leading a campaign or being a director? Is it worthwhile for
you? Or will your service be rewarding enough to justify the
time?
No matter how far you branch out or how successful you
become, I think it’s essential to remain closely connected to your
local community: your Chamber of Commerce, business, civic,
and community groups. These organizations will be your base;
their members will be the core advocates who will root for you,
support you, and spread your fame. When you try to expand
beyond your local area, they can give strong endorsements
when people in the new markets ask about you.
Become a star in your industry. Go against the grain.
Jill Lublin is the author of two national best selling books,
Guerrilla Publicity (which is considered the PR bible and is used
in university marketing courses), and Networking Magic (which
went to #1 at Barnes and Noble). She is a renowned strategist
and international speaker. As the CEO of the strategic
consulting firm, Promising Promotion, Jill has created successful
techniques that implement bottom line results. Jill is founder of
GoodNews Media, Inc., a company specializing in positive
news. She is currently the host of the nationally syndicated
radio show, Do the Dream, where she interviews celebrities who
have achieved their dreams. Jill has recently been featured in
the New York Times, Woman's Day, and Entrepreneur
Magazine, as well as on ABC, NBC, CBS radio and TV national
affiliates. Get Noticed…Get Referrals, Jill’s third book, will be
published by McGraw-Hill in June 2008.
“Think of yourself as on the threshold of
unparalleled success. A whole, clear,
glorious life lies before you. Achieve!
Achieve!” - Andrew Carnegie
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10
Ferhoncus de plub
Omare foremne
Lemacord Promwn
Jan Brown is the owner
of Jan’s Pet Sitting. She
started her pet sitting
business in 1997 and
currently has 5
employees. Since 2001
Jan has been a Pet
Tech Pet Fist Aid/CPR
instructor and regularly
teaches classes in her
community.
Jan also teaches
classes on "Starting
Your Own Pet Sitting
Business." She is a cofounder of Peninsula
Professional Pet Sitters,
a local network group
for pet sitters and
writes a monthly pet
column for a local
newspaper.
Jan is the newest
member of our
APSE Advisory
Board and is
available in our
member forums to
answer your
Are you Prepared?
by Jan Brown
It is no surprise to the pet sitters reading
this, we, as pet sitters, have a huge
responsibility for the welfare of the
animals entrusted in our care. Every pet
sitter I have ever met takes this
responsibility seriously.
You, the ever diligent pet sitter, have
met with the client. You take the
necessary steps to ensure you have all
the required information. You’ve
inquired about the animals’ likes/
dislikes, obtained your clients contact
information for when they are out of
town, and you have made sure they
gave you the contact information for a
local contact in case your client cannot
be reached. You have done your
“homework”. I commend you for
obtaining “one hundred and one ways
to reach the client”; but what if
something should happen to you?
Several years ago I heard a sad
story about a pet sitter who died
suddenly. It was at the height of the
Christmas rush no less. The daughter had
no knowledge of what jobs the mother
had booked, where the keys were or
where her mother had kept her
schedule. The daughter of the deceased
sitter contacted a sitter who was in her
mother’s local networking group for
help. Other pet sitters, who were
already booked to the max (this was the
Christmas holiday, remember!), stepped
in to help cover the deceased sitter’s
clients who were out of town. They did
this despite the fact they were already
fully booked with their own jobs.
Eventually most of the clients were
contacted, informed of the unfortunate
death of their pet sitter and told they
needed to return home as soon as
possible. As unfortunate as this situation
was, thank goodness the daughter was
able to call another sitter for help!
But, how prepared are you if you
suddenly had a situation such as
described above? What if you are in a
serious car accident, suddenly taken ill
and rushed to surgery or otherwise
become incapacitated? Would your
spouse, best friend, or significant other
know where to find things, much less
know what jobs you have scheduled?
And, even if you have someone
trustworthy who can step in, chances are
in the middle of an emergency, they will
not remember everything!
If you are a pet sitter and there are
no other humans living with you, it is
even more imperative you have a plan in
place. And, I recommend you let more
than one trusted person know where to
find things.
Every pet sitter needs to compile a
list of important information. Give it a
title that will get the reader’s attention.
For example, I titled mine “In Case
Something Happens to Me…”. It’s pretty
obvious to the person looking for that
critical information; they have found
what they need when they see “IN CASE
SOMETHING HAPPENS TO ME…”!
questions!
Join APSE as a
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recordings from our Fall
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11
Having this information written down is not enough. You need to also keep it in a place where it will be easy for someone to
find. I keep my information in a red folder and label it so the title will stand out. I make the title large and bold. I want to make sure
this folder is not hard to miss. This red folder sits on the top of my desk where it would be easy for someone to locate.
What to include in this folder? Everyone is different, but here are some of the more important things:
I begin with a short paragraph saying if they are reading this something has happened to me and the information that follows
will greatly assist the reader. I also make sure to tell the reader that there are animals in our care and we are responsible for their
welfare. I further state the reader needs to insure all active clients are contacted and visits are covered until the client can be
contacted and returns home.
I list names and contact information for my employees who are most familiar with how I run my business. The employees I list
also have the most knowledge about the majority of our clients and their animals. I also include contact information for a pet sitter
who lives outside of my area. Because she is a good friend and is familiar with pet sitting she would be able to help with some
logistics if needed. And, I include the names and contact information for a couple of my close, trusted friends.
Passwords:
I use an accounting program that is not stored on my computer. I also use a scheduling program that is on another server. I list
the names of these programs, with a short note stating what each of these programs is used for. I also include the web address for
each program, and I include my user ID and my password for each respective program. I also make sure I include my password so
they can log in to my computer!
Client Files:
Although one can access client information via my scheduling program, I also specify exactly where I keep “hard” copies of my
client files.
Telephones:
There is nothing worse when dealing with a sudden emergency to have clients calling and there is no way for your emergency
person to access those voice mails! I write down the phone number of my business line. If you have an answering machine or use a
messaging center, be sure to list your passwords as well as how to access your messages (a copy of the user manual might be
something you want to include in this folder). If you also use a cell phone, be sure to list the number and your passwords as well!
Emails:
Just like with telephones, the last thing you want for your emergency person to have to deal with is not being able to access
those ever important emails coming in from clients! Additionally, there may be some older emails from clients and these older emails
may include important information such as how to reach said client while they are out of town and may also indicate what part of
the world they are in. This could be very helpful information for your emergency person to have! I have more than one email
address. I list all my email addresses and explain what I primarily use each email address for. For example, I have one email
primarily for personal items, I have another email that is for clients, and I even have a third email I use on occasion when I’m in the
process of hiring. Again, make sure you include your passwords!
Keys:
"No one ever attains very
eminent success by simply
doing what is required of him;
it is the amount and
excellence of what is over and
above the required that
determines the greatness of
ultimate distinction." Charles
Kendall Adams
The last thing you want is for your emergency person to not be able to locate your
client keys! Can you imagine your emergency person trying to convince a
locksmith to let them into a client’s house? I make sure to explain how my keys are
filed and where they can be found.
I’m sure you will have some other items you want to include. The key is to get
things written down now, before someone needs this information. While I hope
nothing serious happens to any of us, you will have peace-of-mind knowing that in
the event of an emergency, someone will be able to step in and find the
information they need and handle things until you are able to once again take
over.
Jan Brown is the owner of Jan’s Pet Sitting located in Foster City, CA. Jan is also a
Pet Tech Pet First Aid/CPR instructor. Jan can be reached at
[email protected].
12
DAVE - SLEEPY PAWS, PENNSYLVANIA, USA
http://sleepy-paws.com
At that point, we were nearing our first anniversary. We had a few clients and were starting to build the business up but
were uncertain what the summer season would bring.
We have placed very well with Google, Yahoo and other search engines. Because of this we have many new clients as
well as steady income from regular dog walking clients. July and August were absolutely crazy and business has been
steady, even during the off-peak times. We have hired 2 IC's and are looking to grow the business even more in 2011.
I think the biggest challenge was time and resources. While I am the marketing arm of Sleepy Paws, my wife Kim does
95% of the petsits. Consequently, the business growing as fast as it did was a mixed blessing. While my marketing helped
gain more clients, it was stressful for my wife to run the business and raise our son while I worked my full-time job. The
growth also meant me getting more involved with the operational end of the business, which was difficult due to my time
constraints.
I believe learning more about IC's and how other petsitters have dealt with their business growth helped us determine the
direction we wanted to go with our business. In addition, APSE members (through the forums) and resources helped us to
not only understand the challenges that lay ahead but gave us a solid plan on how to overcome these challenges.
The APSE has proved to be an invaluable resource for Sleepy Paws. Unlike other professions, pet sitting is a unique
business in that the majority of work you do has little or no human interaction. That being said, running a pet sitting
business can get lonely at times and one can feel like they are on an island of their own. Utilizing the marketing and
operational resources of the APSE has helped bridge that social divide through interactions on the APSE Forums, member
conference calls and the APSE Virtual Conference. I would say to any pet sitter that one simple idea that you might have
not thought of on your own may be the one that propels your business to new heights. The APSE is like having a network of
business consultants helping you grow your business. The APSE and its members have provided valuable advice that has
more than paid for our membership. Without this extensive knowledge base, I doubt Sleepy Paws would have had as much
success in 2010 as it had. I am looking forward to partnering with the APSE for a happy, prosperous and fun 2011!
13
Dr. Kim Bloomer is a
veterinary naturopath
certified in small animal
nutrition, with years of
experience in animal health.
Having worked in veterinary
medicine as a veterinary
assistant for years, she later
went on to earn her
doctorate in veterinary
naturopathy from Kingdom
College Of Natural Health
where she is now an adjunct
professor.
Dr. Kim's articles have been
featured in various
publications such as Animal
Wellness Magazine, Natural
Horse Magazine, and Pet
Home Magazine. She the coauthor of Whole Health for
Happy Dogs, co-authored
with holistic veterinarian, Dr.
Jill Elliot. In addition Dr. Kim
has authored the book,
Animals Taught Me That — a
collection of short stories
about the animals who have
graced her life and the
important life lessons they
have taught her.
Dr. Kim is the host and
creator of Animal Talk
Naturally Radio show which
she hosts together with her
like-minded colleague and
friend, Dr. Jeannie
Thomason.
The Drugging of Our Pets
by Dr Kim Bloomer
There are an enormous amount of ads for pharmaceutical
drugs in every form of media these days for humans. But more
recently those ads and their suppliers are also popping up
everywhere for our pets. In fact pet owners are more than
likely mimicking what is happening in human medicine by
asking their veterinarians about possible drugs to help this,
that or the other before the veterinarians even know about the
available drugs due to heavy advertising of these drugs. The
public at large is therefore being brainwashed into believing
that the cure for anything wrong – behaviorally, physically,
mentally, emotionally, etc. - can be cured or prevented by a
magic bullet in some form of pharmaceutical drug.
And interestingly enough the same “dis-eases” that seem
to be plaguing the human race in increasing numbers seems to
also be plaguing our pets. I wonder as I write this if the
correlation has anything to do with the rise of drug use in pet
and human health?
Let's take a look a closer look at that.
Stuart Close, author of The Genius of Homeopathy would
say absolutely yes if he were alive today. This book is an in
depth look into the philosophy of homeopathy according to its
founder Dr. Samuel Hahnemann, disease, the whole premise
behind what creates dis-ease or disharmony within the body,
and how applied homeopathy works to resolve those disharmonies. He states in the book that many of the so-called
dis-eases today are a product of drugs. When you understand
that homeopathy works upon the principle of like curing like –
a bit of the hair of the dog that bit you cures you – then it
stands to reason that when we try and treat imbalances in the
body with an abnormal, synthetic ingredient in the form of
drugs that follow the law of opposites, that they will only
create more dis-ease within the body or imbalance. In other
words, the more drugs that are used the more dis-ease that is
created within the body. The majority of the modern diseases
are drug-induced disease.
Modern medicine, however, doesn't view things in terms
of laws of cure or any other law, rather denying the existence
of these laws. Their focus is instead on killing the germ even if
it ultimately kills the patient. Their goal is to always suppress
or deny the symptoms their outlet believing the suppression of
the symptom IS the cure. That translates into more and more
drugs being needed for the many symptoms that begin to
show up as the body fights to bring itself back into balance
against all odds until it finally surrenders to the various
“cures” and dies. But no one is recognizing this for what it is,
least of all the majority of pet owners. That's because we think
of symptoms as the dis-ease instead of the body's alarm
system warning of a root cause which is what should be being
addressed.
But why?
Most people have no idea what health really is any longer.
They do not understand the laws of health for themselves and
certainly not for their pets because they have surrendered all
responsibility for their health and that of their pets to the
medical industry.
So what is health? Dictionary.com gives these definitions
that go well with a holistic viewpoint:
1. the general condition of the body or mind with
reference to soundness and vigor: good health; poor health.
2. soundness of body or mind; freedom from disease or
ailment: to have one's health; to lose one's health.
3. vigor; vitality
I'd add that the body is always seeking to remain in
balance (homeostasis). The definition of homeostasis is:
the tendency of a system, esp. the
physiological system of higher animals, to maintain internal
stability, owing to the coordinated response of its parts to
any situation or stimulus tending to disturb its normal
condition or function.
14
By constantly giving more and more drugs to our pets, we
keep the body permanently out of balance forcing the body to
work all the harder to try and maintain its internal stability.
This eventually does wear out the entire innate immune system
leaving the body completely vulnerable.
So the drugs we are all seeking out to help our pets be
well are instead actually the catalysts to further illness.
Drugs (which also include any of the flea, tick and
heartworm medications and vaccines) are all abnormal
substances, synthetic in many cases, which the body
recognizes only as toxins which need to be removed. Plus
these substances upset the normal and proper alkaline/acid
balance in the body; higher acid levels contributes to
increased imbalance. As the definition of the word
homeostasis points out, the body works to maintain internal
stability and if we constantly keep it imbalanced with all these
drugs, vaccines, and pesticides it's no wonder our pets are not
thriving and that the incidence of dis-ease has so greatly
increased.
So what can a pet owner do?
First and foremost become informed about how to keep your
pet healthy naturally following the laws of health which
include species appropriate nutrition, fresh air, sunshine sans
sunscreen daily if possible, pure water that is free of chlorine
and fluoride, exercise daily, proper good rest, and
temperance. And if that seems too daunting then work with an
animal naturopath to help guide you so that you can make
informed decisions for your pets.
Secondly whenever a drug, vaccine, or parasite control
product is recommended for your pet by a veterinarian ask for
the material data sheet and/or an informed consent sheet so
you will have all the facts before deciding to subject your pet
to something that may hinder good health rather than promote
it.
Lastly, after you've taken the initiative to learn about what
health really is and have weighed all the odds, you can make
an informed decision based on those facts for your pet. You
may decide the risk of the drug is worth it in helping your pet,
or you may decide that a slower, more sure natural way is the
route you'd rather go.
No matter what you decide, make sure you are informed
FIRST. Here are some articles and material data sheets on
some common drugs prescribed for pets. Do your research it is
available for you to find:
Most Arthritic Dogs Do Very Well on Rimadyl, Except the
Ones That Die
http://www.thewholedog.org/id4.html
Pet Deaths Prompt Warning on Flea Meds
http://rss.msnbc.msn.com/id/35914331/ns/healthpet_health/?ns=health-pet_health
Fipronil: The Main Ingredient in Frontline
http://www.sailhome.org/Concerns/BodyBurden/
Sources3/Fipronil.html
http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/fipronil.pdf
Atopica
ttp://www.drugs.com/sfx/atopica-side-effects.html
Steroid Use with Pets
http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/
archive/2010/08/17/stop-using-pet-steroids-until-you-readthese-disturbing-truths.aspx
Pet Resources Page
http://aspenbloompetcare.com/pet-resources
Remember the best offense is a good defense!
15
Veronica Boutelle, MA
Ed., CTC, is the founder
of dogTEC and former
Director of Behavior &
Training at the San
Francisco SPCA.
Through dogTEC, she
and her team have been
helping dog
professionals create their
dream businesses for
nearly ten years.
Veronica is the author of
How to Run a Dog
Business and co-author
of Minding Your Dog
Business, writes business
columns for APDT's
Chronicle of the Dog
and the Canadian
APDT's Forum, and is
regularly contributes
business articles to many
industry journals,
including The Pet Care
Services Journal. She is
a sought-after speaker at
dog conferences and
seminars across the
country.
Veronica co-created the
dogTEC Dog Walking
Academy — the only
comprehensive, hands-on
certification program for
dog walkers. The DWA is
now taught at five
locations across the
country.
4 Tips For Business Success
by Veronica Boutelle
We’re asked often by clients and
workshop attendees as we lecture across
the country for the secrets to success in
this industry. Here’s what we tell them.
1. Get and keep yourself educated
Whether you are already or wish to
become a dog trainer, walker, sitter, or
daycare or boarding facility owner, you
owe it to yourself, your clients, and the
dogs in your care to know everything
you can about dog behavior. We have
an unfortunate habit of assuming we
understand dogs because we’ve lived
with them all our lives. The truth is we
suffer from a host of often damaging
misconceptions and pieces of
conventional wisdom about why dogs do
what they do. Ridding yourself of these
myths will make you a more effective
dog pro.
Start by attending a scientificallysound program based on positive
reinforcement, then keep up your
education through seminars, reading,
DVDs, and professional conferences.
2. Learn how to market yourself
A lack of or poor marketing is the
number one reason for failure in our
industry. Too many dog pros rely on a
“build it and they will come” approach,
or a few brochures or fliers spread
around town. This rarely gets the job
done, especially in a busy market. I also
see dog pros waste precious money on
passive advertising that rarely works—
Google ads, yellow pages ads, direct
mailers, etc. Marketing doesn’t have to
be expensive or stressful, but it needs to
be done and done smart.
My focus when working with clients
is to develop inexpensive communitybased marketing plans that play to
personal strengths—good writers can
write an ongoing column or newsletter,
for example. I also recommend finding a
way to stand out. Look around at other
service providers in your area. What can
you do differently, better? There are lots
of pet sitters—is anyone focusing on
animals with special health or behavioral
needs? Anyone sending video report
cards to clients on vacation? There are
lots of dog walkers—is anyone focusing
on small dogs? There are lots of
daycares—what will make yours special?
Small playgroups and a well-crafted
daily itinerary? Special monthly event
days?
3. Work ON the business, not just in it
I can’t stress this enough. To be a
successful pet pro, you have to do more
than see clients and care for the animals.
You have to be your own secretary
promptly returning phone calls and
emails, your own admin assistant
handling paperwork, your own
accountant managing your books, your
own marketing manager executing your
marketing plan, and so on.
APSE Pet Sitter
Website School
The 12-Part Video Tutorial
Shows You EXACTLY How
To Use Your Current Pet
Sitting Website To Win
More Clients!
“I created this course as my
way of helping pet sitters like
yourself make simple, yet
significant, changes to your
current website.
I created the Alitia's Animals
website for my wife and it's
become our only form of
advertising. Our website alone
is literally responsible for the
success of our pet sitting
business.”
Joshua Cary - Creator Pet
Sitter Website School
See full lesson plan and watch
Preview lesson 5 video today
16
Though you can (and should) get help with many of these
tasks, the reality remains: You have to actually run the business.
It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day demands of client
needs, but if you don’t work on the business itself it won’t grow.
4. Keep to a master schedule
Working on and in the business demands efficient use of time. I
teach my clients how to create a smart work schedule that
allows them to effectively run their businesses while also
enjoying plenty of down time and flexibility. After all, there are
supposed to be perks to working for yourself. Whether you’re
the type to flounder under a lack of structure, getting little done
without the external pressures of a job and boss, or the type to
work yourself to the bone when there’s no one to tell you to
knock off for the day, a master schedule creates a sustainable
balance.
This approach to scheduling involves setting aside specific
days and times for each business activity, as well as protected
personal downtime. When there’s a specific task to be done,
it’s assigned to its logical spot in the weekly schedule, rather
than relegated to a post-it note, intimidating to-do list, or a
hopeful “I’d like to get to this someday when I have time.” A
master schedule operates on the concept of “do dates,” listing
when something will actually be accomplished, instead of “due
dates” that simply cause stress. When everything has its place
things get done—and that means success and peace of mind,
too.
Though running your own business can be challenging, few
who do it will tell you they’d rather do something else. Working
with animals and animal lovers is a great way to make a living,
especially when combined with the freedom that comes with
owning a well run business. So be bold. If you already own a
dog business, take it to a new level. If it’s been a long-standing
dream, give yourself permission to pursue it.
Veronica Boutelle is the founder of dog*tec and author of
How to Run a Dog Business: Putting Your Career Where Your
Heart Is and co-author of Minding Your Dog Business. She
writes columns and articles for multiple dog industry journals
and is a sought-after speaker at seminars and conferences
across the country. Veronica has 10 years’ experience through
dog*tec helping dog professionals start or grow their
businesses. Learn more at www.dogtec.org or email Veronica
at [email protected]
.
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At the point where you can use a little help in your pet sitting
business?
Are you a self-proclaimed ‘control freak’ and wondering how to
make it all work?
Relax and take a deep breathe…
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17
Dara Turransky is
founder and Creative
Director of 7 Lucky
Dogs Creative, a pet
lifestyle brand and
marketing agency.
We help smaller
businesses engage
and persuade pet
parents to buy from
them. My 15 years of
graphic design
experience blended
with marketing smarts
gives me a strong
foundation in helping
you develop and
execute campaigns
that engage pet
parents living an
active, natural, and
healthy lifestyle. We
do this by using
research, strategy,
and compelling
graphic design. Have
a question? She may
be reached at: (425)
337-6634,
[email protected]
om, through
Facebook: http://
ht.ly/20pIK or
Twitter:
@7luckydogs.
Tips from "Making Your Own Luck: A Practical Guide to
Marketing Your Pet Business”, book due out December 2011
Your marketing toolkit is more valuable
to you when it saves you time, draws
customers to your business, and helps
you “close the deal”. Unless you’re the
only pet sitter in town, you need to
stand apart from your competitors to
attract new customers, create a system
that automates your marketing efforts,
and obtain exposure within your local
community. When used cohesively, these
efforts create a synergy to increase your
bottom line. This article will guide you
and provide resources for your
marketing efforts this year. Remember,
the importance of having a marketing
toolkit is to project trust and
professionalism, increase customer
awareness, and drive sales.
Is your business identity or logo
outdated?
While your logo is just one part of
your marketing toolkit, it’s a very
important one. You only have on
average three seconds to attract the
attention of a potential new customer, so
use it wisely. A company’s identity
should uniquely communicate a single
cohesive vision of your organization’s
purpose and personality within a blink of
an eye. Use a professional designer with
a foundation in design and business
strategy to help bring your logo to life.
He or she can develop for you an
identity that will set you apart from other
pet sitters to give your business a lasting
competitive edge. Your designer should
also provide you with a branding sheet.
This sheet will contain guidelines on font
and color usage as well as proper logo
placement to help you with future
marketing projects.
Helpful tip: keep this sheet handy for
reference when you go to order
promotional products.
Do you have a professional business
card?
Your business card is a mini
billboard for your business. Be sure your
card looks like it belongs with the rest of
your marketing materials. Include your
name, contact information, Web site,
Facebook page, and Twitter account (if
you have one) on the card. You may
want to also include a list of benefits and
services on your card as a mini ad for
your business. Also, have your cards
professionally printed. There are several
affordable online printers that can print
your cards using earth friendly inks and
papers. One of my favorites is
www.UPrinting.com, but there is also
www.GreenerPrinterOnline.com and
www.GreenerPrinter.com. I joined
UPrinting’s email list so they can send me
coupons and specials to save money on
their products. Sweet!
ADVERTISE HERE!
Purchase advertising
space in future issues of
the APSE Quarterly
Our next issue will
be released April 15th
2011
If you want to reach
pet professionals with
your service or product
please contact us at
[email protected]
A new way to reach
your target market!
Helpful tip: Always keep business
cards on you. No exceptions.
18
The APSE
recommends :
Do all of your marketing materials look consistent?
All of your points of customer contact should be consistent with your guidelines found
on your branding sheet. business cards, invoices, pet behavior report cards,
promotional materials, uniforms, vehicle signs, and Web site need to look like they
belong to the same company. This means all points of customer contact need to be
visually consistent to ensure your are maximizing opportunities to create brand
recognition. A well-designed brand projects a consistent, clean, and professional
appearance that prevents consumer confusion.
Helpful tip: Be sure to give your branding sheet to any designer that creates
marketing materials for you.
Do you tell your own story consistency and repeatedly?
Mourer-Foster Kennel
Pro Insurance for Pet
Sitters
Great coverage, service,
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and to learn more contact :
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NO ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIP
REQUIRED
We as humans have a rich history of storytelling and as such, love to hear a good
story. Tell your unique story in as many different ways as possible to support your
efforts in distinguishing you apart from competitors. Why did you start pet sitting? Do
you specialize in a certain pet service like hospice or cancer care? Do you pet sit only
small dogs? Be sure to tell your prospects and customers anything special about your
services and your love of pets in your marketing materials and public relations
spotlights. You can do some public relations work on your own, however, it’s best to
hire a local professional. Your chosen PR professional should know your local area
and understand how best to reach pet parents.
Free publicity resources include:
www.PublicityHound.com
www.MainStreetMediaSavvy.com
www.HelpaReporter.com
www.BloggerLinkUp.com
Photography, illustration, copywriting in addition to market research all play an
important roles in creating in a foundation for your marketing toolkit. Hire a creative
agency that utilizes current pet market research to drive fresh creative solutions. These
are the ones with a foundation in related market research and will bring the most
competency in creating marketing messages with a sustainable edge.
Helpful tip: Sign up for the free newsletters offered by the resources sited here to
receive DIY publicity tips and opportunities.
Do you attend local pet related events to promote your business?
Local events are great places to gain public exposure while demonstrating the
benefits of using professional pet sitter. For example, demonstrate pet CPR on a canine
or feline dummy, dental cleaning or behavior modification techniques. The
demonstration should culminate with the distribution of your promotional materials
and/or coupons to attendees. The result is feedback from interaction with your
customers and an opportunity to obtain positive testimonials and word-of-mouth
referrals that drive your sales upward. I always recommend to my clients to raffle
some product or an abbreviated form of their service at the trade show as a method
of collecting prospect information for their database.
Helpful tip: Use the database later for promotional mailings based on specific
criteria.
Is your Web site working hard to market your business?
A professionally designed and produced Web site will utilized the industry’s “best
practices” in order to enhance the user’s experience while fulfilling business
objectives.
19
Such best practices in the internet industry include; intuitive navigation, pleasing aesthetics, succinct copy for your target market(s)
and search engine optimization of the site which should include image alternate tags within the site’s code for the visually
impaired. For clients that wish to include FLASH technology into their site, I recommend limited usage to ensure all users may
access their information.
Content I suggest for your Web site include:
Contact Information
Introduction, including your “story” and a photo of yourself
Quotes and photos from happy clients
Policies and procedures
Downloadable client forms
A la carte prices and service bundle pricing
Calendar for appointment making
Logos from products you use, if any
Logos from professional pet sitting associations, CPR certified training, PayPal, VISA, MC,
Instructions on how to make payment
Bond and insurance information
Links to veterinarians, hospitals, groomers, walkers, behaviorists, and pet stores that you recommend.
Link to your blog, Facebook, and Twitter accounts.
Helpful tip: Stop paying someone money to update your Web site. Make easy text and photo changes yourself using a content
management systems or CMS. These management systems use a simple editor that you can easily learn in a couple of hours if you
have basic computer skills. Our clients use PostLaunch from www.Solertium.com, but there are other solutions such as Wordpress or
Drupal.
Do you have a Facebook page for your business?
Facebook is an affordable marketing platform for small business. You can start your page for free, grow your audience
through the “Like” button, and then notify your customers of specials and new services through Facebook messages. Continual
growth can happen through Facebooks ads, promotions, and contests. You can test marketing messages by choosing who receives
which message and then track their response through Facebook insights before launching an annual campaign. This social medium
can also help you automate some of your marketing efforts. How? There are hundreds of applications for you to choose from to
add to your Facebook page to help you automate your marketing efforts. For example, there is a Twitter application that allows
you to push out content from your Facebook wall to your Twitter account automatically. How cool is that? You can also take
Facebook marketing to a whole other level by customizing the landing page for your customers for sweepstakes, giveaways, and
other promotional activities using Facebook markup language or FBML. Helpful tip: Before you begin a Facebook campaign, first
write down what you want to accomplish. Do you want more exposure for your business by getting more “likes”? Do you want to
increase the number of subscriptions on your email list?
Helpful tip: Inside CRM has a comprehensive list of Facebook resources for those do-it-yourself folks: http://ht.ly/3Byl5.
20
Do you have a Biznik profile?
marketing tool to promote your product or service to a prequalified audience.
Biznik is another low-cost tool for your marketing kit. Look
for the closest metro area near you and sign up for a free
profile to start. As you build your business, then upgrade to a
full membership so you can add your business logo, video,
client testimonials, and more categories. This would be
especially helpful if you offer pet sitting and dog walking. The
search engines (like Google) really like Biznik, and having a
profile on the site will help you with your online visibility and
organic rankings.
Helpful tip: Be sure that you are wearing business attire in
your Biznik profile photo. You need to look trustworthy,
friendly, and professional to pet parents.
Helpful tip: Join business mix and mingles in your area to
practice speaking with other people (or better yet, start your
own). The more you practice speaking, the more comfortable
you will begin to feel at events. The purpose of speaking is to
network and establish yourself as a pet sitting expert, giving
pet parents a reason to think of your business first before your
competitors.
Do you regularly send out email newsletters?
Everyone is buying. It’s only a matter of when. Your
current customer base is a pre-qualified buyer since they
already purchase services from you. It’s easier to sell other
beneficial products or services to current customers because
you already have an existing relationship. The best method of
utilizing this relationship to further sales is to capture and store
their information in a database for email newsletters and other
marketing activity. This data should be stored in a database
program such as FileMaker or Excel. Have fun. I like to include
a client’s pet name(s) and breed(s) as part of my information
so that I can include them on the holiday card and send them
treats. Your efforts in this endeavor will result in custom mailing
lists that fit specific criteria for promotional purposes. A
targeted, permissive eMail campaign is a cost effective
Helpful tip: You can get started for free at
www.MailChimp.com. Be sure that you have a professional
designer create an email template for you that matches your
business’s logo and brand guidelines.
Connect with other non-competing pet related businesses &
begin a referral network.
Independent pet stores, groomers, veterinarians, dog
daycare centers and other independent pet businesses are all
good sources to begin a referral network. It can be simple as
leaving business cards with a storeowner or a brochure with a
veterinarian detailing your services. Co-operative advertising,
where more than one business shares the cost, is also another
option. For example, Person A is a pet sitter and Person B is a
mobile groomer and there is a new housing development near
both businesses. They could together advertise to the new
homeowners using a door hanger and split the cost. The same
could be said for two manufacturers whose non-competing
products would benefit the same target audience. The more
people you know in your industry, the more connections you
have in your referral network.
Helpful tip: Connect with others on Facebook, Biznik, and
your local community to develop your network. As your
customers for referrals, and then reward them with a special
service or discount.
Your marketing success mostly depends on the amount of
time and money you are willing to invest in its future. A holistic
marketing approach, interacting with your customer utilizing
multiple touch points as opposed to one or two, gives you
many opportunities to tell your unique story. Tell it in as many
different ways as possible by utilizing some of the tactics from
this checklist. Remember, frequency is the key for your
customer to remember your business instead of your
competitors so make their experience memorable.
"Desire is the key to motivation, but
it's the determination and
commitment to an unrelenting pursuit
of your goal - a commitment to
excellence - that will enable you to
attain the success you seek." Mario
Andretti
21
VANESSA - GOLD COAST PETS, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA
http://goldcoastpets.com.au
I've become more clear-er on the "heirachy of services" for my own business: LIVE IN HOUSE SITTING >
OVERNIGHT STAYS > PET SITTING > DOG WALKING Where the strengths of my business lies (emotional care
of the animals and security of the home compared to "medical" care like a vet nurse would do). Whom my
clientele is etc (they care about the emotional sometimes more than the physical needs of their animals).
Where to focus my energies as I can clearly see which service(s) are popular and where etc. I'm still also the
most visible (active) pet sitting business on social media. Others have Facebook pages (one has a group)
however they update so sporadically !
Hiring. It still is my biggest challenge. It's because it is still not profitable enough for me to "employ" (have
employees) versus contract people. Since I have to use sub-contractors, they have to have their own insurance,
police check, etc all that they pay for up-front before I can give them any work (legally) ... and finding people
who can do this "for the love of it" (see the money as a bonus) whilst also having to fork out up-front money is
hard.
The forum. Input from everyone members as well as "the experts". The forum has been priceless and
invaluable ! Member challenges are also great to help me focus myself. The conference was great too... I've
still yet to listen to all the recordings I wanted to listen too. I couldn't attend live due to time differences.
To join it if they want to do this full time. If they want to be serious about turning their passion into profit.
22
Beth Fasnacht is the
founder of the "Georgia
Network of Professional
Pet Sitters" started in
1996 with a
membership of 8
owners. Today, the "GA
Network" has grown to
approx. 65 sitters.
Pet Watch, Inc. is Beth's
company and was
elected the "Best Pet
Sitting Company" in the
North Georgia/Lake
Lanier Area. Beth is also
a Pet Tech Pet First Aid/
CPR instructor and
regularly teaches in her
community. She is also a
published author.
Beth is also a "business
coach" helping other pet
sitters learn how to start
their pet sitting business
Starting a Local Network Group
What are the key foundations to starting up a
successful, local network group? At first, it
takes a lot of work and dedication on the
organizer’s part. But once you have a plan
of action and get past the first few meetings,
then it is a breeze to keep the group growing.
Hi! I’m Beth, founder of GA Network of
Professional Pet Sitters. Today our network
has approximately 75 active members in the
Atlanta, GA area. We are a strong group
and value the friendship of everyone that is a
member. So let’s get started on how to
create your local network/organization
group.
The first task is to gather information
about your local area pet sitters and who
would be interested in participating. Then
you must show them why they need to be part
of your group. This can be difficult. Most
people will come the first time because they
are curious. This is your chance to show them
the benefits! Each member has to benefit in
some way, or they will not retain their
membership.
Next you must decide on “a mission
statement” for the network/organization. In
the network I created our mission is: To bring
current skills and/or education to the
professional pet sitter and to help each other
in a time of need and/or emergency.
Create topics that you believe the group
will enjoy. Learning new skills and expanding
ideas to improve one’s pet sitting businesses is
one of the major ingredients to a healthy
network group. You may have speakers,
open discussions, or vendors with new
products. Whatever brings interest to
the group is what you need to
present.
Find a location that is central to
all pet sitters in your area. It could
be a local restaurant, library, hotel
meeting room, chamber of commerce
meeting room, or a local business
that has a community room that you
could use for free. You are looking
for a FREE room to use on a monthly
basis for about a 2 hour block. (The
time is: 30 minutes to setup the room,
an hour for the program, and 30
minutes to break down.)
You must create rules, known as
“By-laws”, for the network/
organization. These are the basic
guidelines for the group to follow.
They can be simple at first. But as the
network grows, you can always
change them to fit the growth of the
organization. You will need to elect
officers for your group. Basic
positions include: President, VP,
Secretary, Treasurer, and
Membership Coordinator.
One of the major problems that
most network groups encounter is
“competition between members”. This
is a hard problem to overcome but if
you structure your organization to
focus on education and helping each
other then (most of the time) this will
eliminate most of the un-wanted
members that are out strictly for
themselves.
and how to expand
their business. She will
give you nuggets of
information that you can
implement immediately
in your business. She is
always looking for new
and proven ways of
expanding her business
along with her other
investment businesses.
If you received this
newsletter from a
friend or colleague
- don’t forget to
jump over to our
website to
subscribe and
ensure you get our
free weekly pet
sitting tips and the
next issue of the
APSE magazine!
Subscribe now don’t miss out!
23
Last is creating an advertising campaign for the network group. NEVER use a
phone number to refer to the group. Get a website, and drive the traffic and the
general public to that site. See www.georgiapetsitters.com for an example. It is the
key to your membership benefits. To get listed on the website, the member has to be
current, be in good standing with the network group, and be a member of a national
organization (these give creditably to the network/organization). This is a must!
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1. Vivamus est ipsum vehicula nec.
elementum. Vestibulum ante ipsum
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senectus et netus et malesuada fames
ac turpis egestas. Fusce consequat
porttitor arcu. Vestibulum ut nunc. Sed
dictum ante vel lacus.
To support your group’s advertising campaign, you must decide on how much you
are going to charge for membership dues. This includes promotions at dog and cat
shows, dog parades, humane society events, and other community events where you
will want to have a booth to promote your member’s pet sitting businesses. Also
advertise your network in local papers, magazines, or other sport related events.
Whatever your community offers, you want to get your “network group” name out
there to the general public. Usually as a courtesy to the network, member’s who
display booths at public events will provide network/organization promotional
materials to promote the group and the pet sitting industry.
The above tasks are a framework to a successful network/organization group.
With these guidelines, you now can get started creating your own thriving group.
Good luck and best wishes to everyone who wants to create a professional pet sitting
network group in 2011. You can do it!
COMING SOON!
The APSE Virtual Conference - Spring 2011
6 days of Live Webinars with Expert Speakers
Tickets on Sale February!
APSE Members Receive Exclusive Ticket Discounts
What Attendees Said About Our Fall Inaugural Virtual Conference Event:
“The seminar was great and I LOVED the format. I have been listening to all of the conferences on my ipod in my
car between walks. This is what I've been waiting for! PERFECT!”
“I loved the virtual conference. It was a great value and the topics were spot on! Everything was on schedule and
best of all is the ability to tune in later to hear and see the presentations on our own time as many times as needed.
So much material was presented, it takes time to absorb it all and this format works perfectly for that! Can't wait for
next year's conference!!”
“APSE's Virtual Conference was a wonderful experience. I learned so much from the knowledgeable and
passionate speakers on a variety of subjects and sharing idea's with fellow pet sitters. It's an event you don't want
to miss.”
“I think you did an excellent job on the conference and it can only get better from here. Keep up the great work
Josh and Danielle”
Stay Tuned for More Details!
24
SANDRA - PIPERS PET SITTING SERVICE, FLORIDA USA
www.piperspetsittingservice.com
Piper's Pet Sitting Service, which I started in July '07, was not doing as well as I had hoped so when the
opportunity came up in March '10 to purchase another existing service I jumped at the opportunity. April ,
2010 was filled with meeting my new clients of The Pet Nanny of Trinity and establishing a relationship with
them where I could prove they would be as happy with me and my quality service as they were with the
previous owner. I went from having a typical 1 or 2 sits per day to having 10+ and it was a little daunting but
I thrive on being busy so it was quite a welcome change.
Backing it up to February, 2010 if I can, my business increased approximately 400% over the previous year. I
am still meeting clients who had used The Pet Nanny before I purchased it so I do a lot of Meet & Greets with
people who are new to me but not new to the business. I hired 2 employees to help me which had provided
me a much needed break. They are terrific employees who I trust to do things the way I do and I was able to
take 8 days off with no access to email or phone and feel confident that things were running smoothly back
home. I met a couple people who actively network in the community who have in turn introduced me to others
which will help my business grow and help me personally.
Without a doubt, being able to manage such a huge increase in business and balancing it with my personal
life.
Nothing specific has helped me with the challenges I've faced but simply knowing that there are many
experienced pet sitting service business owners available to ask questions to and seek advice from is
comforting. There will always be someone who knows more than you who can guide you in the right direction.
I dislike the phrase"working ON the business instead of IN it" but have learned that APSE is a valuable tool to
sitters who are business minded and want to learn more about running a successful business. Many of the
things I have learned from APSE can be done with many other types of small businesses and it has taught me
to broaden my horizons and think outside the box more.
25
With a passion for culture,
marketing and online networking,
Chris Tompkins founded Go!
Media International to help you
understand how to gain
astounding online success.
Chris has been described as
'driven', 'competitive', even
'obsessed with marketing'. But
what a great benefit this is for his
happy, successful clients, who
have referred to Chris as
"forward thinking, "boundlessly
creative", and "technically
savvy." Chris' marketing and
technology chops were honed
over the past 10+ years, gaining
international experience and
global proficiency in the UK,
USA, South Africa and China,
among other countries.
Chris successfully executed online
marketing campaigns, developed
and launched aggressive
national and international print
and radio advertising
campaigns, worked extensively
in the UK music industry, and
served as Executive Producer for
the national XM radio show "The
Family Roundtable", where he
secured the appearances of
celebrities like Augusten
Burroughs, Mo’Nique, Steve
Doocy, Ed Begley Jr, Scott
Hamilton, Faith Evans, Vicki
Lawrence and Patti Davis.
A fundamental supporter of
online marketing education, Chris
regularly speaks at national and
international conferences (most
recently sharing the dais with
executives from Google and
YouTube as well as covering the
2010 Social Media World Forum
Europe).
Despite these accomplishments,
Chris’ goals and desires have
never wavered. He continues to
devote himself to helping people
understand how to leverage the
power of social media to
enhance Internet business.
10 Suggestions to Making a Killer Facebook Page
So...do you need Facebook pages?
Here are some reasons why:
Branding: These pages are a
wonderful way to develop your
professional brand on Facebook without
taking away from your own PERSONAL
profile. This allows you to have the best
of both worlds without hurting your
brand positioning.
Target Market Communications: You
are able to connect and speak directly
with your target consumers right on your
page!
Feedback: It is a wonderful place to
post items that you want to receive
feedback on, survey or just have your
audience kick around an idea to see if it
would work.
Newsfeed Visibility: Again, this is a
main reason why these are powerful.
Anyone who connects to (or "likes") your
page, when they log into Facebook on
the main screen they will see your
updates. This is very powerful!
Professional Promotions Hub: This
creates a main hub where you can direct
people that are interested in your
product/service. It is also great to put on
your email signature, email blast,
suggest to friends and much more.
And that is just the beginning! But
instead of persuading you to jump
in....how about I just give you some
ideas of how to do it yourself.
Here is my list of the 10 things that
you can do to launch your page
effectively:
1. When you are asked for a
picture, make sure to use your logo or
you logo incorporated with your product
or service.
2. In the blank box underneath your
photo that says "Write something about
yourself", include your company contact
information, website, Twitter address,
blog and more. Whatever you want
people to have instant access to
purchasing and learning more about
your product/service.
Visit us at the APSE
Facebook Page
Today!
Meet and Network with
Other Sitters at :
WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/
PETSITTINGEXCELLENCE
3. Fill out the "Info" tab to the full
extent, packing it with information,
keywords and website links.
4. If you have a range of products,
in the "Photo" tab, create photo albums
around your product ranges and in the
caption portion give links to click and
purchase.
5. Use the "Discussions" tab to
create questions that you want your
target consumer to answer. This is good
for customer feedback, development of
new products and much more.
26
6. Make sure that your blog feed is connected to your page so that all new entries will be automatically sent there. If you don't
want to automate that, every time you update your blog, post a link on your Facebook Page wall.
7. Do not link it with Twitter! Not all of your "tweets" will be suitable for your Facebook Page wall, and sometimes you will forget
they are linked. I suggest staying away from this. Also, it can look lazy.
8. When you are posting to the page, don't constantly "sell" or "push" things are your audience. Make sure your posts contain
something that is either educational, engaging or entertaining.
9. When you are happy with how the page looks (and all of the information is COMPLETELY filled out) suggest it to ALL of your
Facebook connections. Even ask your friends to suggest it to their network.
10. Consistently monitor and update the page. A good solid page should have at least one update per day and all comments
responded to.
And there you go! Hopefully this will help you get started on your way to being a Facebook Page success story!
WHY JOIN THE APSE?
At the APSE we are focused on helping pet sitters like you grow their business and be
successful!
Some of our unique member benefits include:
Surrounding yourself with a group of successful and experienced pet sitters
Shortcut the business learning curve, reach your business goals faster and with less
frustration
Get your questions answered and brainstorm on our forums to find creative ways to market your
business for low or no cost
Learn how to optimize your website to gain visitors trust immediately and convert more visitors to
clients (our 12 part video Pet Sitter Website School)
Place your business in our pet sitter locator directory (highly customizable and web optimized)
Access to 14 free pet sitting business forms, over 100 articles that you can use on your blog or in
your newsletter, and library of educational business reports
Access to over 11 hours of downloadable mp3 teleseminars and interviews in our media library
Personal access to co-founders Danielle and Joshua through member forums and email
Access to 22 hours of video webinars from our October 2010 virtual conference (upgraded
membership)
and most importantly we proactively seek feedback from members to find out what you want us to
provide you as an APSE member to help you grow your pet sitting business. Just tell us what you want
to see in our membership - and we'll make it happen!
Check out our behind the scenes video tour of the APSE members area
27
Thank you for joining us for our first issue of
the APSE Quarterly!
We hope you have enjoyed the articles and content
of this quarters issue.
To make sure that you receive the next edition of our
virtual magazine please subscribe at our APSE
homepage www.petsittingexcellence.com. As a bonus
when you subscribe we’ll also send you email weekly
with our short and to the point weekly pet sitting tips.
If you have any questions about APSE membership or
any suggestions for this magazine please contact us at
[email protected]
Warm Regards!
Danielle Chonody and Joshua Cary
APSE Co-Founders
APSE QUARTERLY EDITOR : DANIELLE CHONODY
COPYRIGHT © 2011. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. NO PART OF THIS MAGAZINE MAY BE REPRODUCED IN ANY FORM
WITHOUT THE WRITTEN CONSENT OF THE AUTHOR. THE ARTICLES IN THIS MAGAZINE ARE FOR EDUCATIONAL
PURPOSES ONLY. THE DECISION TO USE, OR NOT TO USE, ANY INFORMATION IS THE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE
READER.
January 2011
JANUARY
2011
28

WHY JOIN THE APSE? - APSE Association of Pet Sitting Excellence

Transcription

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