Help fellow walkers?

I created a separate Instagram account and I post pictures every few days of my client's dogs having fun with me in my home. I look up hashtags for dogs in my city (like #dogsofcityname or #citynamedogs) or even look up places like local dog parks and I like all the pictures and follow everyone who has a dog. I haven't got a ton of clients from this, but it has definitely helped me gain a few more clients and it also helps with potential future clients as many of them have followed me back (which I hope is because they plan on using my services sometimes in the future!) If you want to check out some of the stuff I post you can view my Instagram page @kelsie_dogsitter . I also just bought the business cards offered from the Rover site and I plan on dropping some off at the pet friendly stores/cafes near me!

Be careful of setting your rates too low. A dollar or two below average is fine but with the cost of gas and mileage, you could hurt yourself or other Sitters.

Be confident in your service and set your rates accordingly avoiding extremes (think: Dollar Store vs Nordstrom's).

Advertise. I've heard Walt mention the Rover t-shirt and hats. While I don't personally wear Rover apparel, I can see the value in it. Just recently while walking a cute little pup, someone stopped to ask me about him. I told the person that I was a Rover sitter and they asked for a card, which I gave.

Just by walking a pup you become more approachable, so having a shirt or hat would help even more as a great conversation starter.

And, one of the most important things is to keep your profile up. Responding promptly, booking repeats, all of these things ensure more viability for people visiting the site. Quite a few of my clients found me by doing a search, finding Rover and seeing me near the top.

It takes a little time but you'll be surprised. I'm much busier than I thought I wanted to be but it's nice.

All the best!

Aside from being on top of your metrics (ex: Response Time, Booking Rate, etc), a good way to meet clients is at your local dog park! I find it's easy to mention that I offer dog sitting/walking services when my pup is getting along great with another dog. I usually bring small business cards that have my email and Rover sitter profile.

But to Dawn's point, make sure that your rates are competitive. I.e. Take a look at your neighborhood, and price lower than a well-established sitter. When I first started, I charged ~$5 cheaper than my nearest host. As I built a bigger customer base, I increased my price to match my services and market equivalent.

I’m happy to help you with ideas in promoting your Rover. I will share some ideas that I have done to launch my Rover business.

You can ask your friends and family for testimonials. Testimonials show up on your profile as a review would but no stars, here is a link to help:

https://www.rover.com/account/profile/testimonials/ (https://www.rover.com/account/profile...)

Purchase business cards and place them in businesses such as: Vet Clinics, Dog Kennels, Rescues, Human Societies, or gas stations. When you go for walks or dog park, bring cards with you in case of a conversation on whose dogs your taking care of and what you do with Rover. These are somethings that I do to promote my business and it has been very effective.

Also, you can click this link:

https://www.rover.com/account/?ref=header (https://www.rover.com/account/?ref=he...)

Scroll to ‘Earn More, Play More’ and request your ‘Promo Code.’ Great thing about promo code is that it is a win-win situation. A client saves $20 toward their first stay if they are a first-time user and you still get paid your full earning amount. If they decide to use your promo code for another sitter, you still get $10. Here is a link if you do not already have your own unique promo code:

https://support.rover.com/hc/en-us/articles/206005376-How-do-I-get-my-personalized-promo-code- (https://support.rover.com/hc/en-us/ar...)

On the right side of the promo code click ‘Share Your Profile.’ Here is where you will find different sites to share your business-like Facebook, Twitter, Craigslist, and Nextdoor.

Also, here is a link in ideas and steps for promoting your services:

https://support.rover.com/hc/en-us/articles/203063400-How-can-I-promote-my-business- (https://support.rover.com/hc/en-us/ar...)

https://www.rover.com/blog/sitter-resources/how-to-make-profile-shine/ (https://www.rover.com/blog/sitter-res...)

https://www.rover.com/blog/sitter-resources/promote-rover-business/ (https://www.rover.com/blog/sitter-res...)

Here is how to improve your position in search results:

https://support.rover.com/hc/en-us/articles/202838454-How-do-I-improve-my-position-in-search-results- (https://support.rover.com/hc/en-us/ar...)

Make sure you complete the quiz for your Rover 101 Badge, if you haven't yet:

With each question, there's the option for you to select "Check My Answer" to confirm you've entered the correct answer before proceeding with the quiz. You must click on "Check My Answer" at the completion of each question. If this isn’t selected, the quiz won’t be scored correctly.

Here is a link for the quiz:

https://www.rover.com/rover-101/

Don’t give up, you will do great!