October already?!!

 

Wow! Is it really October already?! I can’t believe how fast this year is flying by. I hope you all had a lovely summer. I was working for most of it. A lot of my clients took long vacations this year. My vacation will come later…I hope :) Anyway I wanted to use this blog post to update you all on some changes I’m thinking about for Jenn’s Pet TLC and an update about Pet Sparkle.

For Jenn’s Pet TLC:

1.   I have changed how I do the daily dog walks. Up until this week, I did individual walks and went from house to house to walk dogs in their neighborhood. And in the beginning, when I didn’t have many stops to make, it was a great way to utilize my time. However, 5 years later and many more dog walks later, the individual model is not really working anymore. It’s tough to get everyone out before the heat of the day, especially in the summer and in the winter it’s hard to get everyone out in the day light hours. So, I am starting pack walks instead of the individual walks. I won’t completely be quitting the individual walks (I know some dogs don’t get along with others) and I believe most of my dogs can handle the pack walk. With the pack walk, the dogs get the socialization they need along with the exercise they need and it takes less of a toll on me. Group dog park visits are also going to be an option.  

2.  I will also be starting contracts at the beginning of the year. I want to make absolutely sure that everyone (me, my contractors and owners) is on the same page and have the same understanding about the expectations regarding pet sitting and/or dog walking. Please don’t take offense to the contract; I am simply taking out all the guess work in caring for your pet. I have had a few instances of miscommunication and misunderstanding between myself and/or a contractors and owners. I want to avoid this in the future by having everything in writing. I will probably mail them in December to current clients and I will start now for new clients. Please sign and return by mail to P.O. Box 4070 San Jose, CA 95150.
  
3. I will also soon be uploading my policies to my website. You all are great! I just want to make sure we are all on the same page again and ensure that no one is unclear about what is to be expected. I will not be publishing my prices online, but I will be creating a hard copy price chart that is available upon request.

      4. I would also like to add a “testimonials” page to my website. I would love for those of you who have used my services to share your experiences with others who happen upon my site. In my experience, word of mouth is the best way to get great service providers.

 

      5. And one final thing I will be starting at the beginning of the year is a quarterly newsletter sent via email. It won’t be very long or annoying; it will include things like my days off, pet tips, pictures, upcoming events, etc.

So Pet Sparkle had a nice little bump in sales over the summer, which was really awesome! It was really fun creating the key chains for all the orders and mailing them off. Making them was a nice break from the crazy of pet sits all summer. I’ve added pictures of all the orders (well all but one, I forgot to take a picture before I sent it) on my Facebook page and on my shop page. All the profits from the sales are going towards the down payment of a manufactured home we are hoping to get.   

Well no post would be complete without a tip from your friendly neighborhood pet sitter, so here it is. With school back in swing and schedules getting crazy, don’t forget to make sure your pet gets its exercise. If you simply have no time between work, kids, sports/scouts/clubs etc, hire someone like me to take them out, or take them to doggie day care. You can do just a few hours or all day. 

Heads up...Halloween is coming. Be on the lookout for a Halloween tips blog soon.

Happy Fall!!