Pet Sitter Spotlight: Eric Reyes, Metro Pup SA Dog Walking & Pet Sitting
There’s great truth to the statement, “There’s strength in numbers.” Pet sitting can be lonely. And whether you are just starting your pet-sitting business or are a pet-care veteran, you have questions—and there’s no one better to help answer your questions and share in your daily challenges and joys than a fellow pet sitter.
PSI members have a network of nearly 7,000 fellow PSI members and pet-sitting business owners, and PSI is always looking for ways to help our members connect with one another. From PSI’s annual conference to the private Facebook chat group, PSI is always seeking out new avenues to allow our members to find support, advice and new ideas from fellow pet sitters.
PSI’s Pet Sitter Spotlight series has that same goal. Each month, we’ll feature a different PSI member and share his or her answers to our pet-sitting survey. The responses will help you get to “know” this pet sitter and provide you with some tips and advice for your own pet-sitting business. You can view past Pet Sitter Spotlights here.
Meet Eric Reyes, owner of Metro Pup SA Dog Walking & Pet Sitting in San Antonio, Texas
Your Name: Eric Reyes
Business Name: Metro Pup SA Dog Walking & Pet Sitting
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Year you started your pet-sitting business: 2012
What was your previous job/profession? Account Executive in Advertising
What is your current business structure? (sole proprietor, LLC, etc.) Sole proprietor
Number of current clients: 65
How many visits do you typically do per day? 15
Is your service area urban, suburban or rural? Urban
Is your pet-sitting business insured? Yes
Is your pet-sitting business bonded? No
Do you provide clients with proof of your clear criminal history (background check)? Yes
Briefly describe any educational opportunities you have taken advantage of since you became a pet sitter.
- Pet CPR and First Aid trained through Pet Tech
- Currently pursuing Masters in Organizational Development
How long did it take you to build up your clientele? Approximately 4-6 months
Do you use staff sitters? Yes, ICs
Do you offer any services besides basic in the client's home pet sitting and dog walking? (pet taxi, etc.)
- Dog Walking using GPS Technology
- In-home overnight pet care (The Slumber Party - my home)
- In-home overnight pet care (The Watchdog - client's home)
- Pet Taxi service
Which advertising methods worked best when you were a new business?
- Yelp
- Building relationship with upscale apartment communities and planning Yappy Hour event for their residents.
- (All organic and not paid)
Do you still use the same advertising methods? If not, what do you do differently now? Yes, I use the same.
What's one mistake you've made as a professional pet sitter (when you were just starting out or at any time during your career)? What did you learn/what do you do differently now? Paying to be listed on Care.com - as a professional pet sitter, I don't want to be associated with the hobby sitter.
What advice would you give to new pet sitters? Be patient, think outside the box, hit the ground running, and do NOT be afraid.
Are there any must-have business tools your business could not do without?
- Smartphone
- Facebook page
- Yelp and Google
- First aid kit
- Backup plan
- Business plan
- Marketing plan
Do you schedule vacation time and/or days off? If so, how often? I have scheduled a vacation since I've started my business and took 2 days off. I will probably schedule a vacation once a year, but I want to ensure that I have more ICs first.
Are there any tips you would share for establishing a healthy work/life balance? Create a weekly schedule that is listed out hour by hour....and stick to it.
Is there any other information about your business and/or what has helped you create a successful pet-sitting business that you'd like to share? I am pet-centric and believe in being completely transparent. I don't sweat the little things....I deal with them quickly and concisely, then move on to my business.
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