Are you looking to build your own pet sitting or dog walking business? Congratulations on your decision to become a pet care professional. Many people have made the choice to work with our furry friends and find this career interesting, rewarding and very fulfilling. As you being your new business venture, there are a few things you’ll want to look at. 1. Business Name Registration Business Registration is essential if you’ll want to charge GST or have employees. The Canada Revenue Agency has information on Business Registration here: http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tax/business/topics/bn/bro/menu-e.html From the web site, you can also register your business online at http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tax/business/topics/bn/bro/restrictions-e.html . This system will act as a portal to your local provincial system as well. Most people will register their new business as a sole proprietorship (meaning only you operate the business), or a partnership (if more than one of you are equally involved). The cost of registration for a sole proprietorship or partnership is generally about $60.00, though this amount may vary by province. 2. Goods and Services Tax Most small businesses do not have to register for a GST account if their sales are less than $30,000 per year. However, you may still benefit from having a GST account by claiming the ITC’s (Input Tax Credits) on purchases you make in order to provide services. Information on registering for a GST/HST account is here: http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tax/business/topics/gst/soleprop/registering/menu-e.html 3. Municipal Licensing Some municipalities require that all businesses be licensed in the area in which they are providing service. In British Columbia, for example, businesses require a Master Business License, and application for your Business Number or Business Identification Number coincides with this registration. In Ontario, only certain types of businesses require municipal licensing. Check with your local City Hall for information on licensing where you live. 4. Professional Liability Insurance Professional Liability Insurance protects you, the service provider, in the event of an injury or illness occurring as a result of negligence on the part of you, your employees or your company. Pet Sitter’s Insurance plans are specifically designed for the pet sitter in this regard, and contain “care, custody & control” coverage for the pets in your care, as well as additional, standard insurance for your and your clients’ property. While many insurance companies do not provide policies specifically designed for pet sitters, they may be inclined to create a custom program for you. Pet Sitter Insurance plans are available through membership with the All Canadian Pet Services Network (with Horizon Insurance) and other professional organizations. Verge Insurance Group also offers a long standing pet sitter’s insurance plan. Plan premiums and coverage varies with each company. 5. Professional Association When starting a new pet care business, membership in a professional association can be an invaluable tool for you. Membership defines your business as one who provides professional service and indicates that you are committed to your clients and their pets. An organization is an excellent resource for tips in the pet care industry, connections to other service providers locally or nationally, and usually offers additional programs and services to members. In addition, a professional association can help you grow your business through advertising, online exposure and marketing tips. The All Canadian Pet Services Network offers many benefits of membership, as outlined at www.acpsn.com/join.htm . 6. Forms & Contracts A key element to starting your business is to have your necessary business forms in hand before obtaining your first client. The All Canadian Pet Services Network provides templates for many forms and contracts, and all are customizable to your requirements. There are other resources on the internet for business forms for pet sitting, and each company offers slightly different packages. The cost for these forms is free through ACPSN, or ranges from $10 - $100 through other companies. Developing your own forms for your business is essential. Many different companies offer many different services – do not “steal” or “borrow” forms from other companies in your area as they will not reflect your business. 7. Advertising Advertising opportunities vary by location, and the success of these advertisements can also range from widely successful to barely worthwhile. Local establishments such as pet food stores, veterinary clinics etc. are an excellent source of referrals, and polite, knowledgeable networking is essential. Local newspapers, free neighborhood publications, the Yellow Pages and online classifieds are other common sources of inexpensive advertising. Internet advertising is of growing popularity, and submitting your web site or listing to online search engines, pet care directories and links pages can also help generate traffic. One benefit to membership with ACPSN is a vibrant listing on a popular web site, increasing your exposure to visitors from your area. 8. Web Sites Many business these days have found their web site to be invaluable. Your web site can be your ever-changing always-growing advertisement of your services, and you can offer a whole host of information designed to increase traffic and establish readership. Building a web site can be a simple or as complicated as you like. Programs such as Netscape Composer, Macromedia Dreamweaver or Microsoft Frontpage can have your web site up and running in no time, with little knowledge of “writing” html code required. Online user hosts offer templates to create your web site from. Register a web domain that is simple and easy to remember and accurately reflects your business. There are many companies available who can register your web site, but it is generally a good idea to choose your registration and hosting package in one place. Domain name registration can be found at www.selectmydomain.com, an excellent Canadian company. Web Site Hosting can be found at www.stormweb.ca (the same company). The domain name is what your visitors will type to find you: for example: www.ilovemypets.com. The web host is where the files are stored so that they get your page when they type the address. A web site can be as simple and cost effective as you like, or as elaborate as you think you might need. For only a small amount of money, most web hosts offer very large packages. Through Stormweb, for example, domain name registration is only $20.00 per year (approximately), and web hosting is as little as $2.99 per month, or $36 per year. 9. Online Resources There are many free online resources for pet care professionals. Hundreds of members, from experienced pet sitters to new companies such as yourself, can be found at the click of a link. 2 valuable resources for Canadian Professionals are the Yahoo Groups CDNPetsit and AboutPetSitting. http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/Cdnpetsit/ http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/AboutPetSitting/ 10. Education While there are no formal education requirements for a career in pet sitting or dog walking, there are pet care courses available that will assist you in your ventures. In addition to distance education courses provided in Animal Services (Thompson Education Direct), you may find local seminars and courses available to you from nearby agencies, such as the Humane Society or animal rescues. Volunteer work is an excellent learning opportunity. Pet Sitter’s International, though largely an American Organization, offers access to courses and seminars. Oakland Educational Services offers Pet First Aid programs, as do some outlets of St. John’s Ambulance. Check with other local businesses for mentoring programs available with them. I hope you find this information useful, and best of luck in your future endeavors as a pet care professional. Should you require more information on becoming a member of the All Canadian Pet Services Network, please join us at www.acpsn.com. **the information contained in this guide is meant as a guideline only. While all measures have been taken to ensure the accuracy, we are not responsible for any incorrect information provided**
All Canadian Pet Services Network is Toronto-based company (Ontario, Canada) with a phone number 6474057387. Our data show that the company is located at the address: 345 Bloor St E Unit 5. The company has a web site: www.acpsn.com.
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