Start a Pet Sitting and Dog Walking Business

It gets dismissed as a kid's gig, but recurring walk and boarding clients add up to a real local income.

1. 1

   Define services and service area

   Pick from walks, drop-in visits, and overnight boarding, and draw a tight radius around your home. Drive time is the silent killer of per-walk profit.

2. 2

   Price against your local market

   Check what the top Rover sitters in your zip code charge, then price just under them to start, for example $20 to $25 per 30 minute walk.

3. 3

   Launch a Rover profile

   Clear photos of you with animals, every pet you have ever cared for in the bio, and the background check completed. The platform brings strangers while you build your own book.

4. 4

   Tell 20 neighbors directly

   Post on Nextdoor and pin a card at the vet clinic and groomer. Neighbors skip the platform fee and become your first repeat clients.

5. 5

   Overdeliver on early bookings

   Do a free meet and greet first, send a photo update every visit, and ask happy owners for a review. Five 5-star reviews change your booking rate.

6. 6

   Move regulars to direct booking

   Once someone books three times, invite them to book direct with an app like Time To Pet and add pet sitter insurance for about $15 to $30 a month. You keep the roughly 20 percent platform cut.