I am eager to get some dog sitting jobs, but I feel either I must be missing something, or it isn't very clear how I start contacting owners and lining up jobs. Or does it only work where the owners only can contact you?
Any information about my profile would be appreciated, Id really like to set up some jobs for the upcoming holidays!
Thank you!
Emma, the most important things to do to get yourself started is:
1) write a great profile detailing your experience and what makes you stand out/ what is special about your skills, what sets you apart, or what you can offer that is above and beyond.
2)set a competitive rate. People on rover charge usually upwards of $20 a night. Think of setting your rate a little lower to gain interest. Once you start getting reviews and clients, you can increase your price little by little depending how in demand you are,
3) have people write some testimonials for your profile, it will help potential clients when they can read what other people have said about your services.
4) for the meet and greets, have your house clean, organized, and be ready to answer and ask questions about your potential client.
5) respond to requests promptly within an hour. Always send pictures to your clients and updates IF they want you to.
Anyway, I hope these tips help, these are just the things I have done to get started and I feel,like they have really helped me. Lately I have been booked constantly, business has been good so I think these little tips have definitely worked :-) feel free to check out my page if you want example. Allison s. In antelope, ca.
Emma -
Most of the good tips have already been given, but I'll try to help.
PROFILE: Definitely pay attention to your profile and highlight what sets you apart from others in your area. Do you work from home and have a lot of time? Do you have extensive training or experience? Do you love to hike or take your dogs to the beach?
PICTURES: Put high quality pictures of you, your home, your pets, and your neighborhood on your profile. I also include pictures from past stays and from hikes with my dogs, from the Humane Society events we've been to, etc. Make people think "my dog would LOVE to do that!" and they'll want to book with you.
REVIEWS: Have friends/family write testimonials for your profile. If possible, have people you know with dogs book stays with you through Rover. You can always discount your price for them as needed, and then they can write about the fun stuff you did with their dog during their stay.
PRICE: Start low. Look at the average for your area, then beat it. Once you have a few 5 star reviews you can move it up.
BADGES: There are a variety of badges available to put on your account, showing your skills, experience and donations. You can have a Rover run a background check so that clients know you're legit; you can link your other social media accounts and get your Trust Cloud certification. If you have first aid or vet tech certifications, you can have badges showing that as well. There are badges showing you volunteer with or donate to local rescues, and there are badges for those who choose to donate a portion of their earnings to animal welfare. These will help with your search ranking and show clients that you're serious about their animals.
SPREAD THE WORD: Tell friends, family members, coworkers, etc about your new business and have them recommend you. Post a link to your profile on your social media accounts or craigslist (if it's allowed in your area... anything with Rover links is disabled here). See if you can post fliers at local pet shops. The more you advertise, the better.
Finally, don't be discouraged if it takes a while for your first requests. It can be slow going at first while you build a client base. Good luck!
Hi Emma -
I pulled some articles from out blog that might have some good advice for you while you are waiting for some responses here. I work on the blog so of course that's the first thing I thought of, lol!
Hope this helps and welcome to Rover!
How to maximize your profile's potential http://www.rover.com/blog/sample-rove...
Home sitter training guide http://www.rover.com/blog/sitter-trai...
Travelling sitter guide http://www.rover.com/blog/get-the-boo...
Sitter best practices http://www.rover.com/blog/sitter-best...
How to be a great sitter video guides http://www.rover.com/blog/sitter-reso...
Cheaper fee, and offer deals are a great way to attract clients! Also, background check and protection package will also build you business! When I first started a few months ago, I set my rate the lowest out of anyone in my area. I offered free pick up/drop off services, and made sure to have a lot of pictures! Before you know it, you'll be having bookings left and right! :)
For my profile, after I set up a profile to "get my name out there" I went through the top sitters in my area based on rating/# of reviews, and looked to see what type of information they included. I ended up with a more transparent, fleshed out profile. Almost immediately I started receiving more inquiries because I was able to show who I was/am as a person and an animal lover.
I think a catchy headline helps too!
Honestly, I've pretty much given up on Rover. I joined Rover and Wag! the same week. I have 77 completed walks on Wag! with 23 different dogs. I have only had three requests on Rover: one for dogboarding; another in which an owner contacted too many people; and a third had schedule conflicts.