How do you book your first clients and get started?

Hi, Marielle! Welcome to Rover! This question has been asked here many times before, you may want to read through several threads. For now, here are my suggestions for getting started: It does take time to receive your first client. I would suggest taking the Rover 101 course, as the completion badge will help in your search ranking. Plus, once completed, you can use the code FREE100 in the Rover store to receive 100 free business cards! You can use these to hang on community bulletin boards (such as at dog parks, pet stores, or even places like Starbucks) and share them with friends/family/past non-Rover clients to hand out as a referral. You can also consider sharing your profile on sites like Facebook, Craigslist, and Nextdoor. As a new sitter, you should get a boost in the rankings initially to help you get started. There are a lot of factors that play into getting clients, though. These include how many other sitters are in your immediate area, the demand for the services you provide, your availability, and even the timing. Since the holidays have past, you may not receive as many clients during this time. I think that word of mouth is key, so if you have others that can brag about you and attest to your responsibility and ability to care for their pets, you should be able to get going from there. I highly recommend sending out testimonial requests so that you can have a few reviews visible on your profile. I would also try to add more information to your page, as your profile right now looks a little bare. From the drop-down menu at the top of the main Rover.com page, select "Profile," then go to"details" in the white box titled Sitter Profile. If you scroll down some here, there is a blue hyperlink at the bottom that says "+ Show Additional Profile Details (optional)". I would fill these extra information parts out so that your profile is well-rounded and clients are able to get a better idea of you/your experience. After you get your first Verified Stay with a great review, I think you will have an increase in requests. Good luck!

Hillary gave great advise. Check out other sitter profiles in your area to get an idea of what to include. We each offer something different. I started out with taking puppies through large dogs but now don't take puppies and large (over 40lbs). Connect with rescue organizations, go to their Adoption Events. I know a local rescue that does refer a sitter that use to be a "foster". If you have the private neighborhood internet site "Nextdoor" sign up (it's free) to connect with neighbors and advertise. Welcome and be patient. It does take time.

Clients browse our listings. This seems to work well. Instead of clients being inundated with offers, most likely starting bidding wars, they can search Sitter profiles and reach out to a few which interest them. This is why it is essential to make yourself stand out. :) All the best!

Check out your dashboard for ways to market your services. There are also many posts on here about how to market and get new clients. I believe you can get 100 free business cards from the Rover store. Hand them out to your family and friends too. Good luck, and welcome to Rover!