If you have been a housesitter for a while and you think you could do this professionally read on. Starting a professional housesitting business on your own is like starting any business. It will take time and effort. In this article we offer some top tips and remind you of some key points to consider.

Starting a professional housesitting business: What to consider

Many people like to hire someone to take care of their houses, pets, or plants when they are away from home. As a result, this might be a viable business opportunity for people who would like this type of job. This is especially true if you have been housesitting for a while and are thinking of starting a professional housesitting business. Moreover, starting such a business allows you to travel the world on a budget or even just make some extra cash. However, even if you want your house sitting business to be just something on the side, it’s still important to be organised and ensure everything is in order. Today we will take a closer look at how you can set up a house sitting business and what you need to consider to achieve success.

Learn more about professional house sitting

Firstly, it’s essential to be aware of what a housesitter does and top 10 responsibilities. In general, house sitting may refer to taking care of people’s houses for an extended period of time if they decide to leave their homes for a year or more. However, in some cases, this might also be a short time while they are away on a business trip or on holiday. The duties that need to be performed include light cleaning, taking care of pets, mowing the lawn, watering house plants and others.

If you are a housesitter with Housesitmatch then you will know that no money changes hands. However, some people after a few years decide that they love this kind of work and want to become professionals. And so they consider starting as a professional housesitter.

Get Your Business Documentation In Order

Before starting a business, you will need to ensure you have the most fundamental documents ready. For example, it’s important to prepare employment contracts and compile a business plan. However, organising large files of PDFs can affect your workflow, so it might be better to utilise this tool, which lets you compress PDF files from your browser. Therefore, this will make them smaller and easier to attach in emails that you will need to send to your stakeholders. Also, this will save you storage space and help you create a more effective file management system.

Obtain References

As a new business, it’s important to build credibility and demonstrate your expertise to your target audience. It’s possible that you may not have any references when you are starting out. In this case, you can ask previous employers, landlords, or other people that know you to speak about your character and qualities. Keep in mind that references from family members might not be the best option, as clients might think they are biased. However, if you are a volunteer or member of any community group, you may ask your supervisor for a reference.

Promote Your Business

You should promote your services to people who need your help during the time that you are available. For example, if you can only spare a few hours a week to look after someone else’s property, you should focus on clients that only need house sitting from time to time.

However, if you prefer a longer arrangement, search for people who often split their time between two properties or two cities.

As a result, you may end up spending an entire summer working as a house sitter. It might be beneficial to create online ads and include photos with quotes from previous clients who were happy with your service.

Create A Website

Building a business website will allow you to attract even more clients and achieve brand awareness. Establishing a strong online presence is crucial, especially in the early days of your business.

It’s important to include a clear description of your business to let people know who you are and share more about your experience and skills.

When designing your website, be sure to use beautiful graphics and easy-to-understand fonts.

For more information, you can research your competitors’ websites to find out how they made the most of their online presence.

Establish Your Social Media Presence

Social media marketing is another great way to promote your services to a wider audience. For instance, it might be useful to set up a Facebook page that is separate from your personal account. As a result, you can post about your services there and let people know more about your prices and availability. You may also want to share blogs or articles about house sitting and how people can benefit from these services. Also, remember to identify the locations where you are open to house sitting to ensure you are targeting the right audience.

Analyse Your Competition

If you want to ensure business success, you will need to stand out from the competition. However, this requires some knowledge of your competitors and their services.

You may want to start by identifying your competitors and gathering as much information about them as possible. For example, you can review their websites, social media pages, and online ads. Think about how they compare to yours, determining what you can do to improve your marketing plan. Moreover, experienced house sitters in other regions might be able to give you some advice and support.

Manage Your Finances

Another crucial aspect to consider is your financial plan, which will get your business up and running. Whether you are running a professional housesitting service or a copy writing service keep your finances in order.

You will need to decide how much you are going to charge for your house sitting services. This will depend on your clients and the amount of your time that will be required to take care of their properties. It might be helpful to look at other house sitters’ services and how much they charge so that you can get a better understanding of the average price on the market. Usually the more responsibilities you will have, the more you can charge.

Consider Networking

Although many times you might be competing with other house sitters, on other occasions you may be able to help each other by networking.

It might be beneficial to look for house sitters who offer services that you don’t. You will likely find that it is rare for a professional housesitting service to attend professional networking events so you will stand out.

As a result, if you get clients whose requirements you can’t fulfil, you can simply refer them to other house sitters. They are likely to appreciate this gesture and return the favour to you in the future. This way, you can make an agreement with other house sitters so that everyone’s business grows.

Buy Business Insurance

Similar to other permits and licenses that are necessary to obtain, having business insurance is essential to operating lawfully. It can protect your business and your financial wellbeing in case of unexpected issues. As a house sitter, you will be responsible for other people’s homes and possessions.

Therefore, you may need to obtain public liability insurance if you accidentally damage something, such as spilling a glass of wine on a carpet. This type of insurance may also help you if an injury is caused due to falls or slips as a result of the work you were doing, such as hoovering or mopping a floor.

Go The Extra Mile

Last but not least, earning a good reputation is another important factor when it comes to starting a house sitting business. Consequently, it can be helpful to look for ways of going the extra mile for your clients. This means that they will be more likely to recommend your services to their friends and family, which will increase your customer base.

Starting a professional housesitting business – In summary

There are many things you can do to deliver quality service. Whether you start with a great deal of experience looking after friends or relatives pets, or you find new customers through networking always try to do your best. Top tips from us at Housesitmatch include ensuring the fridge is stocked before the owners return home. Clean the house and ensure the pets accessories are clean and put away safely.  Or make sure all the house plants and garden pots are well watered and looked after in the owners absence. As a result, you will keep the momentum going, they will recommend you and this will help you grow a successful and profitable business.

Further reading for housesitters

At Housesitmatch.com we like to share useful blogs and practical advice about housesitters, housesitting and pet sitting. We hope you find this small selection of our blogs on house sitters useful.

What makes an ideal petsitter

Housesitters keep pets safe at home and save money

Defined – The housesitters essential skills

Preparing a home for a house or pet sitter