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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. The blog post 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.

PSI members, if you are interested in being considered for a PSI Pet Sitter Spotlight, send an email to meghannevans@petsit.com.

Meet Jerry Koons, owner of The Pet Nanny, Concord, California.

Jerry Koons (pictured above with his wife, Alison) enjoys working with animals and meeting new people, so in 2013, he started his pet-sitting business, The Pet Nanny, in Concord, California.

Jerry had been a groundskeeper and maintenance man for an apartment management company for 13 years. That opened his eyes to dog-walking services.

“Back when the dot com was big, there were several dog walkers on the property,” Jerry recalls. “I just started asking questions, and I would always talk to the residents and their dogs.”

But he didn’t really know how to break into the pet-care industry. One of the residents of the apartments that Jerry serviced was a business mentor, and he kept talking to Jerry about opening his own business—a scary concept to Jerry at the time. He finally agreed to let the man create a website for him.

Jerry needed a career change, and the timing was right for him to start his pet-sitting company. Jerry and his wife, Alison, had pet sit for people before.

Now, they offer pet-sitting and dog-walking services through The Pet Nanny, as well as pet-taxi services. Jerry and Alison also offer overnight stays to current dog-walking clients. Jerry says they have served dogs, cats, birds, rabbits, turtles and horses. The business is insured and bonded, he says.

Building up the business

It took Jerry three years to build up his clientele in his suburban service area. Now his business has 32 clients, and they typically do eight to 14 visits per day.

An advertising method that was important for Jerry starting out was leaving cards at apartment complexes. Other means of getting his name out included referrals, Craigslist, and the PSI Locator.

One learning curve was with the website. Jerry recalls that his first website was not mobile friendly, and no calls were coming in, so they built another website. It took a little while to build momentum, but now most of his calls come from the website or Yelp.

Jerry says his proudest moment as a business owner was in the third year when his wife, Alison, was able to quit her job and work in the business full time.

“Be patient getting things going and getting customers,” Jerry advises new pet sitters. “Always keep a good line of communication with customers.”

“Take lots of pictures,” he adds. “Customers really appreciate this.”

Pursuing education

Jerry joined Pet Sitters International to learn about the industry and to have ongoing support. The developer of Jerry’s website had created a website for someone else that had a link to PSI, and that is how Jerry discovered PSI.

Getting started in the business, Jerry did not know how to go about getting the proper insurance and bonding, then he found out that PSI members had access to insurance and bonding, as well as a private Facebook group and other resources. That made a huge difference, he says.

“I have benefitted tremendously from private Facebook groups in the industry,” Jerry says. “The members have been very supportive and I have learned a lot.”

Since becoming a pet sitter, Jerry has taken advantage of pet first aid training, educational webinars and Dog Walking Academy certification.

“Continuing education is crucial for growth,” he explains.

As a business owner, Jerry has found one tool his business could not do without: a computer invoicing system.

He also advises pet sitters to get professional websites built and to have all of their branding consistent.

Evolving over time

Over time, Jerry’s business has evolved. When he first started, he would accept pet-sitting assignments from a large area, so he was driving a lot.

“When you’re first starting out, really focus on your geographical area so you’re not driving here, there and everywhere,” he advises.

Initially, pet sitting was the primary service in demand. Now, Jerry focuses on promoting his dog-walking services and maintaining his current pet-sitting clients. He likes the balanced schedule and steady income that come with dog walking.

One of the difficult things about running his business has been maintaining a balance between work and personal life. Jerry says he and his wife are starting to schedule regular time off, and they have learned to plan ahead before the schedule fills up.

Another thing Jerry had to learn about was proper screening of clients.

A lot of times when you are starting out, you may be willing to take any paying customer, Jerry says. Now, he is trying to be more selective.

“Don’t be afraid to say no to difficult situations that are not in the animal’s best interest,” Jerry says.

Looking back, Jerry is happy with his decision to launch his business and couldn’t see himself going back to his former career. The pay is rewarding, but he says it’s just nice to meet different people and pets—and see the change in the behavior of dogs that they work with.