When you think back to your childhood memories, do they often
include a furry, four-legged animal? Is it difficult for you to walk
past a dog without reaching down to rub it’s ears or engage in a
“conversation” that features “You’re a good boy! Yes you are!” half a
dozen times? Do you drive by a dog tied-up outside in the winter and
instinctively want to cover it in a blanket? The answer to each of
these questions for me was and is a resounding “yes!” I am a pet lover,
plain and simple. I am also a 20 year US Army veteran and recently
retired government contractor. I had worked for or in support of the US
Federal government for the vast majority of my life and I had come to a
crossroads of sorts. I knew that I wanted to do something that I truly
loved that also provided me with the ability to grow something from the
ground-up. Naturally, for me, a business servicing animals was first
and foremost in my mind. During my Army career I saw first hand the
stress on both pet owners and pets alike when folks were forced to
travel, in some instances for weeks. The travel dynamic didn’t lessen
much in the private sector and the same stresses for pet owners and pets
still existed. I was asked regularly by friends, co-workers, and
neighbors to watch their pets, with time periods ranging from several
days to several weeks. One thread ran consistent through all of the pet
owners, “Do you love animals and can I trust you?” A few months ago I
began thinking more seriously about the feasibility of opening a pet
sitting/services company. I recently moved into a very large, still
expanding neighborhood. Like most neighborhoods there were lots of
pets. The largest city near me, Frederick, Maryland, is a dog friendly
city. The addressable market (or at least the closest thing I could
find for pet services) for pets in 2004 according to the American Pet
Product Manufacturers Association (APPMA) was $34.5 billion. That’s
right, BILLION! The same organization expected that figure to jump by
another $1.4 billion in 2005. Using straight-line math that puts the
Total Addressable Market (TAM) for pet products/services at right around
$50 billion. Taking all of those factors into consideration as well as
my love of animals, my dream of starting a pet services business became
a reality in July 2015.
According to Entrepreneur magazine pet sitting and dog walking service businesses are still in their infancy. According to Pet Age magazine, more than 6 out of 10 households own a pet, representing over 64 million homes. Only roughly 3-4% of homes in the United States utilize similar services. That said, that still represents upwards of 50-60 million visits annually and that number continues to rise. The number of pet sitters nationally is pegged at roughly 10,000 with that number representing a mix of actual businesses and folks in your neighborhood that provide a service but don’t hold some of the commonplace fixtures of an actual business (ie, website, background checks, membership affiliation with nationally recognized pet care organizations, etc…). Again, it was the right time for me to make my dream a reality.
So, where is my business at today and what are some of the challenges I continue to face? I have a company logo, a very nice website, business cards and I have started to make a dent in the massive world of social media. I have my first “official” client under the Paws & Claws Urbana business moniker and I have started to receive positive feedback from the local community and even local government that supports new businesses. The challenges? There are plenty as you can imagine. Running a pet services company is akin to being a hairdresser or a bar tender. Why do I say that? Because you aren’t really considered critical on the surface and the “bar tender/patron trust credo” doesn’t really exist, BUT it may as well. It is an unwritten rule for either profession. My business is no different. People are trusting me with a furry member of their family. They are trusting me with their home, and with their privacy. They are buying my professionalism, morals, and my love and dedication of animals. As the old saying goes, it takes a lifetime to build trust (hopefully not that long) and a second to wreck it. My old clients and my new clients are becoming trusted advisors to me. I have had several good recommendations for my website and suggestions on ways to get my business name out in the local market. Many have current and former clients have written testimonials for my website. The challenge is getting the thousands of potential clients that are starting to see my business name to take that leap of faith and trust in me, my professionalism, and my profession. The reality is this… it is a profession and it is a business. Like many area businesses in Frederick County, Maryland, I am not only dedicated to growing my company but perhaps more importantly to becoming a well regarded, trusted colleague to other area businesses and a friend to my clients.
I love my job and that is something few people can say with a straight face!
According to Entrepreneur magazine pet sitting and dog walking service businesses are still in their infancy. According to Pet Age magazine, more than 6 out of 10 households own a pet, representing over 64 million homes. Only roughly 3-4% of homes in the United States utilize similar services. That said, that still represents upwards of 50-60 million visits annually and that number continues to rise. The number of pet sitters nationally is pegged at roughly 10,000 with that number representing a mix of actual businesses and folks in your neighborhood that provide a service but don’t hold some of the commonplace fixtures of an actual business (ie, website, background checks, membership affiliation with nationally recognized pet care organizations, etc…). Again, it was the right time for me to make my dream a reality.
So, where is my business at today and what are some of the challenges I continue to face? I have a company logo, a very nice website, business cards and I have started to make a dent in the massive world of social media. I have my first “official” client under the Paws & Claws Urbana business moniker and I have started to receive positive feedback from the local community and even local government that supports new businesses. The challenges? There are plenty as you can imagine. Running a pet services company is akin to being a hairdresser or a bar tender. Why do I say that? Because you aren’t really considered critical on the surface and the “bar tender/patron trust credo” doesn’t really exist, BUT it may as well. It is an unwritten rule for either profession. My business is no different. People are trusting me with a furry member of their family. They are trusting me with their home, and with their privacy. They are buying my professionalism, morals, and my love and dedication of animals. As the old saying goes, it takes a lifetime to build trust (hopefully not that long) and a second to wreck it. My old clients and my new clients are becoming trusted advisors to me. I have had several good recommendations for my website and suggestions on ways to get my business name out in the local market. Many have current and former clients have written testimonials for my website. The challenge is getting the thousands of potential clients that are starting to see my business name to take that leap of faith and trust in me, my professionalism, and my profession. The reality is this… it is a profession and it is a business. Like many area businesses in Frederick County, Maryland, I am not only dedicated to growing my company but perhaps more importantly to becoming a well regarded, trusted colleague to other area businesses and a friend to my clients.
I love my job and that is something few people can say with a straight face!
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