How To Start and Operate a Dog Walking and Pet Sitting Business

Show Notes Here is the link that I referenced in the session. Independent Contractor (Self-Employed) or Employee? https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/independent-contractor-self-employed-or-employee   Publication 15, Employer’s Tax Guide https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p15.pdf   EFTPS https://www.eftps.com/eftps/   efile https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/e-file-form-940-941-or-944-for-small-businesses   authorized IRS e-file providers https://www.irs.gov/tax-professionals/e-file-providers-partners/94x-mef-providers      

Show Notes   Here is the link that I referenced in the session.   https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/independent-contractor-self-employed-or-employee     INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR AGREEMENT       This Agreement is between (hereafter referred to as “The Company”) whose mailing address is and <Name of Independent Contractor>__________________________    (hereafter referred to as “The Independent Contractor”), whose primary business address is ___________________________________  _____________________________________.    This Agreement shall commence as of _____/_____/_____   The Company engages in pet care services and the overall care and sitting for domestic animals. The Independent Contractor represents that he/she is a skilled professional or specialist in the area of pet sitting and pet care. The Company desires to engage The Independent Contractor for certain specific assignments. The Independent Contractor and The Company agree to the following:   RESPONSIBILITIES   The Independent Contractor shall provide the following services for The Company on a non-exclusive basis, including but not limited to:   Dog Walking Cat Sitting Key Pick-up and Drop Off Meet and Greets   The Independent Contractor shall complete all assignments in a timely professional manner consistent with accepted industry standards, and within time frames and fee structures as agreed to for each project.   The Independent Contractor acknowledges The Company’s proprietary interest in any of its clients and agrees that neither The Independent Contractor nor his/her agents or employees shall disclose any information regarding any clients or business practices of The Company gained through its work with The Company, to any third party, during the term of this Agreement. This Agreement applies to all information presented to The Independent Contractor by The Company or its clients, whether by oral, written, facsimile or material disclosure or electronic transmission, or by any other means.   The Independent Contractor agrees that all assignments produced for The Company shall be considered work-for-hire.   The Independent Contractor shall not obligate The Company at any time by Agreement with any third party in any way.   The Independent Contractor is not an employee of The Company, and may provide services for other clients, and maintains a separate principal place of business.   The Independent Contractor will determine the method, details, and the means of performing the above services. The Company shall have no right to, and shall not control the manner or determine the method of accomplishing The Independent Contractor’s   The Independent Contractor shall perform the services required by this Agreement at any place or location and at such times as The Independent Contractor and The Company have agreed upon. COMPENSATION AND FEES The Independent Contractor shall be paid an agreed-upon fee on an agreed-upon day of the week:  Compensation will be by: Company Check or b: Paypal Transfer All expenses shall be borne by The Independent Contractor except as agreed to in advance, in writing. The Independent Contractor agrees to submit written or emailed invoices for all work performed for The Company, if required by The Company, prior to payment. The Independent Contractor is not entitled to workers’ compensation benefits or unemployment benefits. The Independent Contractor is obligated and assumes full responsibility for payment of any and all federal and state taxes on any monies earned pursuant to this independent contractor Agreement.         Independent Contractor Initials: _______        PERIOD OF SERVICE AND TERMINATION This Agreement shall be in effect for a period of thirty days from the date of its execution. This Agreement will automatically renew if The Independent Contractor continues to do work for The Company after the expiration date. This Agreement may be terminated by either party, Without Cause, upon five (5) days written or emailed notice to the other party, or With Cause, immediately upon material breach of any terms of this Agreement by either of the parties. The Independent Contractor may, at his/her sole discretion, decline to provide services to The Company’s Clients or potential Clients. If The Independent Contractor declines to provide services to any of The Company’s Client, The Company, at its own discretion, may terminate this Agreement at will.   MISCELLANEOUS 1.       All work produced for The Company by The Independent Contractor shall be considered work-for-hire, and the exclusive property of The Company. When final payment for contract work is made to The Independent Contractor, all rights in all forms are the sole property of The Company in perpetuity. The Independent Contractor will not solicit, contract with, or join in with The Company’s clients, for a period of one (1) year from the date of expiration or termination of this Agreement, without the express written consent of The Company. The Independent Contractor agrees that he/she will not impair the business relationship between The Company and its Clients or prospective clients, in any way.   This Agreement shall constitute the complete Agreement between The Independent Contractor and The Company, and no representations or promises, oral or written, have been made except as agreed to in writing.   If any part of this Agreement shall become invalid, such portion shall be severed and the remainder of this Agreement shall continue in full force and effect. Neither this Agreement nor any duties or obligations under this Agreement may be assigned by either party without prior written consent of both parties to this Agreement. INDEMNIFICATION The Company and The Independent Contractor agree to defend and indemnify each other and their agents for all damages they may suffer, including legal fees and expenses, resulting acts of or from representations based upon any information, either written or oral, provided by the other or by the omission of any material information. JURISDICTION AND ATTORNEYS’ FEES Each party hereto consents to the jurisdiction of the Courts of the State of and the terms and provisions of the Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of .  If any provision in this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, void, or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will nevertheless continue in full force without being impaired or invalidated in any way.   If any action at law or in equity, including an action for declaratory relief, is brought to enforce or interpret the provisions of this Agreement, the prevailing party will be entitled to reasonable attorneys’ fees, which may be set by the court in the same action or in a separate action brought for that purpose, in addition to any other relief to which that party may be entitled.   Agreed on this date: ______________________________ __________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ Signature: _____________________________________________________________   _________________________________________ Signature: _____

Taking on additional help to your solo operation will be a big deal, whether you take on one or two assistants who can help you when you’re ill or on a vacation, or whether you take on additional people to address a growing clientele. When considering taking on additional help, you’ll have to decide whether that help will be employees or individual contractors. Here are the links that I referenced in the session. https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/independent-contractor-self-employed-or-employee https://www.law.berkeley.edu/files/FAQ-IndepContractorsvsEmployees.pdf http://www.diffen.com/difference/Employee_vs_Independent_Contractor As always, I’d love to hear from you. Drop me an email at dogwalkerpodcast@gmail.com and ask your questions, offer your comments OR tell me that you’d like to be interviewed by me on an upcoming session. Ray, the Dog Walker  

On this Christmas Day Eve, I want to send to all you dog walkers and pet sitters … those of you who are established in business and those of you who are still thinking about it … a very Merry Christmas and a Happy Hanukkah, a Merry Quansa and a joyous Festivus. If you celebrate some other holiday at this time of the year, my wishes to you as well. If you’re already in business, you’ll surely be getting plenty of holiday gifts in the form of food and gift cards. Be sure to thank your customers. And for your customers who didn’t leave anything for you, send them a cheery holiday greeting as well. For those of you who are still planning on getting into this business, it’s time to get off your butts and get this show moving! There’s nothing better than a New Year’s Resolution to take your destiny into your own hands. Happy Holidays you wonderful, wonderful animal lovers!

In this session of “How To Start and Manage a Dog Walking and Pet Sitting Business,” I’m going to talk to Mary Oberdier, the owner of Chase’n Tails Pet Care, LLC in Manatee County, Florida.   If you’d like to get in touch with Mary, you can email her at: chasentails@yahoo.com   or go to her website: www.chasentailspetcare.com/   Finally, you can also catch her on her Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/ChasenTailsPetCareLlc   Chase’n Tails Pet Care’s business telephone number is: 941-447-9528   If you want to contact Mary, please be respectful of her time. She is a professional working hard at her business.   Drop me an email at dogwalkerpodcast@gmail.com and ask your questions, offer your comments OR tell me that you’d like to be interviewed by me on an upcoming session.  

I’ve been collecting these Random Thoughts since I started this podcast over a year ago. I kept them in my notes with the idea of incorporating them into their own sessions but I soon learned that they don’t carry enough weight on their own to warrant full sessions by themselves. They are important enough, however to be aired somewhere. That somewhere is here.

  Today I’ll be talking with two friends who over a period of time decided that they wanted to be in control of their own destinies. You’ll hear how Darrell Kelton and Javier Vega carefully planned their business, Leash Dog Care, how they then quit their regular jobs and how then jumped head first into this business without any regrets. Business: Leash Dog Care Owners: Darrell Kelton andJavier Vega Location: Boston, MA Bus Phone: 617-294-9455 Website: www.leashdogcare.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/leashdogcare Twitter @leashdogcare Instagram @leashdogcare  

When it comes to money, making it is only part of the problem. Retaining as much as you can, is the other part of it. I think that we all know this, but what we often don’t realize in time is that there are a number of financial obligations that we have to pay, whether we want to or not. Often those bills come at the most inopportune time.  That inopportune time when money is needed most for dog walkers and pet sitters is often during income tax time AND when our annual insurance and bonding payments are due.  Until you get more experience with your expenditures, set aside 22% of everything that you make. That should keep you out of trouble.

In this session of “How To Start and Manage a Dog Walking and Pet Sitting Business,” I’ll talk to you about how you can adjust your business to accommodate a shifting customer base, especially during the summer when many customers order a temporary service stoppage.

In this session of “How To Start and Manage a Dog Walking and Pet Sitting Business,” I’ll introduce you to your first dog walking job. Listen to how I suggest that you approach your first dog walking or pet sitting job. I’ll walk you through your initial preparations through the time that you close the door and leave for your next job. Comments, questions and critiques can be left at dogwalkerpodcast@gmail.com

In this session of “How To Start and Manage a Dog Walking and Pet Sitting Business,” I’m going to chat with Amanda Krom, the owner of Amanda’s Paw Pals in HIGGANUM, Connecticut.   Amanda’s Paw Pals at www.amandaspawpals.com Also look for Amanda’s Paw Pals on Facebook

Listen to how Ally Mayer, the owner of The Waggly Tail started her business. Great chat! If you’d like to get in touch with Ally or learn more about The Waggly Tail, please visit her website at www.thewagglytail.com. For your daily dose of cute pet pics, follow her on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/thewagglytail) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/thewagglytailllc/).

Customer Relations is the process of keeping your customers happy and keeping them from fleeing to your competition. Although Customer Relations is the third leg of the three-legged customer development process, after Marketing and Sales, in my opinion, it is THE most important leg. My six Principles of Customer Relations: Do your job well Be accessible Query your customers about how you’re doing IMMEDIATELY address any problems and make them good Offer extra, free services that your customer did not expect Clean up after yourself If you haven’t done so yet, please subscribe to this podcast and LIKE it. To do so, go to iTunes and look for this podcast by searching for “How To Start and Operate a Dog Walking and Pet Sitting Business.” Once you find it, please LIKE the podcast. Finally, would you like to talk to me about your plans or questions about this business? If so, please email me at dogwalkerpodcast@gmail.com. I’d like to talk to you over Skype and if you agree, put our talk on an upcoming session of “How To Start and Operate a Dog Walking and Pet Sitting Business.” I think it’ll be a blast for both of us. Don’t worry if you haven’t done anything to start your business yet. As long as you’re interested in it and you have some questions or comments, I’d like to talk to you. Ray

This is a short, special call to action session where I’m going to ask you for a favor. Whether you’ve been listening to this podcast with the possibility of one day starting this business, or whether you followed along and actually started your business, step by step, OR whether you’re already an established dog walker and pet sitter who’s looking to hear what another dog walker has to say, I’d love to hear from you.Send an email to dogwalkerpodcast@gmail.com and let me know a little bit about yourself … whether you’re an established dog walker; whether you’re still thinking about it … whether you have specific questions. Let me know whether you have Skype or ooVoo.

Session 11 – Sales   Sales is the process of convincing those people who know about your business through your marketing, to hire you.   Sales Literature: + Who Am I – A brief description of yourself + Services Offered – Discussion of your services and their prices + FAQs – Facts about your services and your business   Closing a sale is the process of getting a Prospect to agree to pay for your services and become your Customer.   Sales Principles Customers will always make decisions based on their self-interest. Customers prefer a good deal over a fair deal.   When making your presentation, explain, educate and answer questions.   The Presumptive Sales Technique pushes the meeting closer to an agreement by having you talk to your prospect as if he was already your customer.   Another principle of Sales is that you have to CLOSE a prospect at least THREE times, meaning that you have to ask for the job at least THREE times before it registers with the prospect.   If the Presumptive Sales Technique fails, Close your prospect by Asking for the Job.   Don’t fear rejection … remember, it’s not personal if it comes; it’s just business, and even if you do your presentations correctly, you will loose a few jobs.   Advanced Sales Techniques: + MIRROR your prospect’s speech tempo; do NOT imitate your prospects dialect or accent. + Include both parties in your presentation. + Determine who the dominant person in the decision-making team is by placing your business card equidistant between both parties. The dominant person will pick up the card. + Determine if your prospect is an A-Type or B-Type Person and adjust your presentation accordingly           ++ A-Type wants the Big Picture; just the facts, please           ++ B-Type wants all the facts; detail oriented   Preparing for your Meet-And-Greet: + DO NOT BE LATE; arrive 3 to 5 minutes early + Memorize your prospect’s name as well as that of the pet + Dress appropriately; clean dog walking attire + Wear Clean Shoes + Pull the prospect towards you by stepping backwards as the door opens + Pay attention to the pet + Bring treats for the pet; ask first + Take notes + After the Meet-And-Greet, immediate email a Thank You note.   Good luck!

In this session of How To Start and Manage a Dog Walking and Pet Sitting Business, I’m going to introduce you to the very important topic of Marketing. Marketing is the process of letting the buying public … potentially your customers … know that you’re in business as well as what your business is all about. I recommend that you sign up with www.thumbtack.com. Go to https://www.craigslist.org/about/sites#US and find the particular craigs list that is closest to you. For quality printing at a reasonable price go to www.vistaprint.com Start a free website with Blogger at www.blogger.com Keep sending me your questions and comments to  dogwalkerpodcast@gmail.com or go to the dogwalkerpodcast facebook page at www.facebook.com/dogwalkerpodcast and leave your comments or questions there.  

In this session of How To Start and Manage a Dog Walking and Pet Sitting Business, I'm going to talk to you about book keeping and accounting. 1. Daily Service Calls Service Calendar     Monday, January 04, 2016 9:00 AM Customer 1 (M-F)   9:45 AM Customer 2 (M-F)   10:30 AM Customer 3 (M, W, F)   11:15 AM Customer 4 (M-F)   1:00 PM Customer 5 (Tu, Th)       Tuesday, January 05, 2016 9:00 AM Customer 1 (M-F)   9:45 AM Customer 2 (M-F)   11:15 AM Customer 4 (M-F)   1:00 PM Customer 5 (Tu, Th)       Wednesday, January 06, 2016 9:00 AM Customer 1 (M-F)   9:45 AM Customer 2 (M-F)   10:30 AM Customer 3 (M, W, F)   11:15 AM Customer 4 (M-F)       Thursday, January 07, 2016 9:00 AM Customer 1 (M-F)   9:45 AM Customer 2 (M-F)   1:00 PM Customer 5 (Tu, Th)       Friday, January 08, 2016 9:00 AM Customer 1 (M-F)   9:45 AM Customer 2 (M-F)   10:30 AM Customer 3 (M, W, F)   11:15 AM Customer 4 (M-F)   2. Customer Payments   Client Rec'vd Check # Amount Tot Earn Jan Customer 1 01/04/16 #2778 $100.00 $100.00   Customer 2 01/04/16 #2031 $100.00 $200.00   Customer 3 01/04/16 #154 $60.00 $260.00   Customer 4 01/04/16 #1713 $100.00 $360.00   Customer 5 01/04/16 #3654 $40.00 $400.00     Balance Forward $0.00       Ch # 2778 $100.00   Fee Customer 1 (M-F) Total Credit $100.00   $20.00   Monday, January 11, 2016 $80.00 √ $20.00   Tuesday, January 12, 2016 $60.00 √ $20.00   Wednesday, January 13, 2016 $40.00   $20.00   Thursday, January 14, 2016 $20.00   $20.00   Friday, January 15, 2016 $0.00   $20.00   3. Running Totals of Customer Payments Client 2016 Cum Customer 1 $100.00 Customer 2 $100.00 Customer 3 $60.00 Customer 4 $100.00 Customer 5 $40.00   Then next time Customer 1 pays you another $100 for the following week’s of walks, add that $100 to the existing $100 to make it $200 in the 2016 Cum (for Cumulative) column. Do that for every customer and you’ll see how much each one of your customers pays you over time.   4. Monthly Income   Jan (1) Feb (2) Mar (3) Apr (4) May (5) Jun (6) Sub-Total 2016 $400.00           $400.00                   Jul (7) Aug (8) Sep (9) Oct (10) Nov (11) Dec (12) Total 2016             $400.00   Using our example of 5 customers who pay you a total of $400 per month, you can use this simple set-up to track your monthly income as well as your 6-month midpoint income as well as your annual income. As your business grows, your monthly income will grow along with it.   5. Running Total Income and Tax burden Tot Earn 32% Taxes Taxes $100.00 $32.00 $32.00 $200.00 $32.00 $32.00 $260.00 $19.20 $51.20 $360.00 $32.00 $83.20 $400.00 $12.80 $96.00   These cells should be added at the end of the cells of 2. Customer Payments above. I’m using the formula that you will have to pay around 32% of your income to State and Federal tax agencies. This will allow you to set aside in your savings account the amount of money that you should pay quarterly. If you pay your taxes on April 15, the IRS will charge you an interest rate for not having paid your quarterly taxes on time. 6. Expenses by Category   Expenses                         Date Vendor Purpose Account Amount Sls Tax Totals 1/4/2016 Vendor 1 2 leashes 20b Equip $25.00 $1.50 $26.50 1/6/2016 Vendor 2 Off Supplies 18 Off Supp $43.64 $2.62 $46.26 In this example I’m noting that I’ve made two business expenditures. I’ve noted the actual amounts with a separate notation for the Sales Tax which you’ll be able to deduct from your income taxes. Note that I’ve used the IRS 1040, Schedule C designations in the Account column, namely 20b and 18. You can do this if you have a Schedule C in your files for a reference. This will make it easier at tax time to itemize your deductions. You’ll add up all of your #20b expenses and then your #18 expenses as well as all of your other expenses and include those sums in your Schedule C. It’s much simpler than it sounds, really!  Internet sources cited in this session … dogwalkerpodcast@gmail.com www.facebook.com/dogwalkerpodcast Google “free basic accounting and bookkeeping courses online” https://www.irs.gov/ http://www.gnucash.org/ www.turbotax.com/  

Veterinary Release Form Veterinarian Name: Address: Phone #: To the Veterinarian – Hospital has been contracted to pet sit for my pet(s) and has my permission to place them in your care in case of an emergency. will attempt to contact me as soon as medical care is deemed necessary. However, in the event I cannot be reached immediately, I authorize you to treat my pet(s) and will be responsible for payment of any fees as stated below. Please file this form with my records.   Pet Owner: Address: Phone – email: Pet(s): If above-named veterinarian is not available, I agree that another vet in his/her practice may care for my pets. If neither of these veterinarians are available, I give permission for to take my pet(s) to the nearest animal hospital or emergency clinic.   I give permission for to approve treatment up to $_______. (Initial ______)   I understand that assumes no responsibility for the loss of any pet and is released from all liability related to transportation, treatment and expense.   Other conditions, if any:   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   Tools of the Trade   Shoes Sole inserts Clothing White for summer Darker for colder weather Shorts T-Shirt or short-sleeve shirt Hat with sun visor Sweatband Sunglasses Long Pants Long sleeve shirt Jacket with hood Stocking hat Ear muffs Gloves Scarf Handkerchief Towel for self Fanny Pack Carabiner with cord for keys Smart phone Storage clip board Extra blank forms Dog treats Extra pens Binder for daily forms & keys Brief case Pens Business cards Poopie bags Leashes Double Leashes Extra collars Facemask Shoe Covers Towel for pets Portable vacuum cleaner Rug shampoo Garbage bags Pet poop spray Air freshener Dog and cat treats in containers Lunch on ice in Igloo Camping cutlery More than enough to drink, preferably water Thermos of coffee or tea Baby Wipes, non alcohol Tissues Umbrella or poncho Bucket for wet umbrella or poncho Small bucket with plastic bag for trash Various plastic bins to store equipment Knife or scissors Bicycle rear-view clip-on mirror for glasses First aid kit Can of wasp spray for protection Automobile needs Plastic signs for car Computer with printer and internet connection Email Word processor Spreadsheet Filing cabinet Hanging files with manila folders Calculator Label maker