According to industry reports, pet sitting services should plan to charge between $25 and $100 per day. However, note that the exact fee you charge will vary based on numerous factors peculiar to your business. Without doubts, price is a deciding factor when potential clients are looking to hire a pet sitter at any time.
As a pet sitter, if you set your prices too low, you might end up getting plenty of work but less income to cover the expenses necessary to run the business. When your prices are too low, you may find it challenging to get substantial cash flow to hire people to help you conduct visits and dog walks.
Additionally, setting low prices will entail that you are a budget brand, and this will only attract stingy customers that are more interested in getting the most benefit out of the least amount possible.
In the same vein, if you decide to set your prices too high, you may have issues attracting sales calls and attaining the volume of visits necessary to make a substantial income and grow your company. If you realize that you are losing more than 20% of your sales calls owing to your business price, then it simply entails that your prices are high.
In this line of business, your aim should be to set your price high enough that you are not selling yourself cheap but still low enough to ensure you attain the number of sales necessary to keep the business going. The barriers to entry in pet sitting are usually low. While this might be bad for business, it is also great because it can foster competition and innovation.
Factors That Determine How Much You Should Charge for Pet Sitting Services
Just as was noted above, numerous factors will determine how much you charge for petting sitting services. These factors include;
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Your location and average pet sitting rates in your area
Your business location and the average pet sitting rates in the area will surely influence what you charge. Note that if you live in an area with a higher cost of living, you will without doubts command a higher rate for pet sitting than if you’re in a location with a lower cost of living.
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Time spent caring for pet(s)
Note that the time spent caring for a pet will surely influence or dictate what you charge. Whether it’s a trip to the vet, a one-hour walk, or an overnight stay, each job and payment must correlate to time. In addition, if you are pet sitting on a holiday, there should be a slight increase in your price that day.
If pets require medication or have other time-consuming special needs, pet owners will have to be charged more for those services; even if it’s not something entirely critical, like a pet who requires lots of social contact and interaction.
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Duties and tasks
The sort of tasks a pet owner requires while they’re gone will also influence what you charge. If, for example, an owner wants you to come in and feed the dogs and cats and leave, that’s less work when compared to a pet owner who wants you to stay at the house all day.
When setting your pricing structure, the tasks you are expected to carry out must reflect on the payment you get. Don’t forget that it’s more work for sitters to take a dog on a long walk every day, compared to a quick jaunt around the block. If a pet owner requests that you also house sit while caring for their pet, that also entails more charge.
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Experience and reputation
Another factor that will influence what you charge in this line of business is your reputation and experience in caring for pets.
Have it in mind that getting certified as a pet sitter from a well-recognized organization, like the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters (NAPPS) or Pet Sitters International (PSI), will show clients that you’re good with what you do and also that you are the right choice at your price.
Just as with any other business, you can charge higher prices as you improve your skills. In addition, you can also niche into a specific breed or type of care, and this entails you’ll also be able to charge a premium.
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Type of animal(s)
According to industry experts, in terms of pet sitting, dogs are the most high maintenance of all common pets, with bigger dogs well known to be more work than smaller dogs. Have it in mind that it takes a lot of time and energy to wear out an unflinching fetch addict than it does to make sure a senior cat that sleeps 90% of the time still has food, water, and a clean litter box.
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Number of animals
Depending on the number of animals and what their care entails, you may be able to charge a higher rate. Howbeit, note that this is not an easy to comprehend rule. For instance, note that the amount of time and energy necessary to care for one fish in one tank is also the same as caring for twenty fish.
Also, two or even three cats may not be more work than one, as long as no one has special needs. Same way, two dogs can be as easy as they can be walked together, but once you start taking care of three or more dogs, there’s no argument that it’s more work and, in turn, you should charge a higher rate.
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Expenses
If you have any employees or workers other than yourself, you must account for their pay. Ensure you factor in labor, insurance, gas, marketing, materials, and any other miscellaneous expenses. Also, note that your profit is not what you make from each event, rather it is your revenue minus your expenses.
Always ensure that your rates cover your business expenses with something left over for profit. In addition, remember that even though a visit might be short, it is still important to include travel time and resources that take you away from other clients.
Conclusion
Indeed, there is no exact science that tells you precisely how much to charge for pet sitting. Regardless of the type of services you offer, you should regularly reevaluate your prices as it will help ensure that your rates are always in line with your business goals.
In addition, ensure you identify how much money you want to make per hour (let’s say $40/hour). Then work backward on how much you need to charge for events.
When setting your rates, it should be a combination of what you intend to rake in per hour and what the typical rates are for your area. Have it in mind that you can’t price yourself out of the market but you also need to be certain that you are compensated adequately.