Create a dog business – how to establish dog sitting rates
No matter how established a dog business is owners are constantly having trouble establishing dog sitting rates
. The reason establishing dog sitting rates is so difficult is because all dogs are different. Some dogs are big, some are small, some are wild, and some are calm. What most businesses do is price depending on the size of the dog and for how long they will be dog sitting, but the problem is there are many big dogs that aren't very energetic and don't require much dog sitting.
Here is how I suggest establishing dog sitting rates:
First you need to see the dog in order to get an idea, so what I would tell a client is that you have a going rate for 1 hour so you can watch the dog and determine an exact price for the dog. After you watch the dog for one hour you should be able to give the owner a rate for dog sitting.
The next thing you need to do is figure out how long you are going to be dog sitting for and then since a dog sitter doesn't actually have to be with the pet the entire time you need to ask the owner how often they want you to check up on the dog. Once you determine these two things you will be able to calculate how much time you will actually spend at the clients home. A good was to determine the exact rate is to add up the time it will take to clean up the dogs mess, put food and water in the pets bowls and play with the pet for at least 20 minutes. When you have that time you need to multiply that by how many times the client wants you to check on the pet. Also if they house is a longer drive then normal you would want to charge for the extra mileage that you are driving just to get there.
Finally the last thing you need to know in order to get the most accurate dog sitting rate is to figure out if the owner is needing you there because of a vacation or do they need you every day to make sure that the pet doesn't ruin the house while they are at work. Figuring this out is very important because repeat clients always deserve to have a discount since they are giving you repeat work.