T IPS O F T H E T R A D E
and freeze in one portion quantities for quick warm ups. Find your crock pot (everyone has one somewhere). It is so nice to come home to a meal that is ready to eat after a long day. SCHEDULE a lunch break and/or dinner break on your daily calendar. It might be just 15 minutes, but take time to stop and eat. Pack a lunch/dinner so you can eat in the car. Or find a park with a picnic table. Remember to bring a cold or hot drink, too. And dessert. It will make you happy. If you are able to stop at home, even better. Always have snacks in the car for the times when you are ready to eat the steering wheel. This will help you avoid the fast food drive-through. The high calories and the money you spend will add up. Pack a lunch box with energy bars, nuts, trail mix, candy, dried fruit, etc. Cut up bite-size portions of fruit or vegetables. Dip them in peanut butter or yogurt.
WATER Always have bottled water in your car. Even when it is cold, you can get dehydrated. Unlike hunger, you may not feel thirsty until you are dehydrated, which can cause physical and mental fatigue.
OFFICE HOURS/HOURS OF OPERATION Establish office hours as though you are a brick-and-mortar business. This gives you the right to have personal time every day. When do you want to start answering the phone and responding to voice mails, emails and texts? 7AM? 8AM? 9AM?
Professional Pet Sitter · Winter 2016
Time Out to Take Care of YOU, By Linda Beatty
When do you want to “shut off the lights and lock the door” for the day? 5PM? 7PM? 9PM? Post your office hours on your website, your email signature and your voice mail. Then be very firm with yourself about keeping to them. Unless it is a current client with an emergency, whatever it is can wait until the office is open. Very few service businesses are open 24 hours a day. If you WANT to have a 24-hour business, and respond to texts, emails and calls at midnight, then skip this suggestion. It is your business. It is your choice. Hours of Operation are the days/times you offer pet sitting and dog walking services. This is entirely up to you. A pet sitter who only takes care of cats will have different hours than a sitter who takes care of dogs. Maybe you only want to work on the weekend. Maybe you don’t want to work on the weekend at all. It is your business. It is your choice.
DAY OFF/TIME OFF How can you have a day off every week? Two ways: Have someone else work for you on that day OR have the business closed on that day. NOTE: if you are a solopreneur, it is always good to have a back-up person, so giving them a steady day of work each week keeps them interested and current on your routine.
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If a weekly day off just won’t work, what about an hour once a week to visit a bookstore, sit in a coffee shop, go to that new place to look around or… (fill in the blank). At least plan something once a month to get away for a few hours or the whole day or evening and have some FUN and RELAX. All work and no play…well, you know. Maybe not just dull, but crank, too.
YOUR MOBILE OFFICE We spend a lot of time driving. Have you counted how many times you get in and out of your car in a day? That in itself can be tiring after 10 hours. Your car is your mobile office, and is equipped with everything you need to do your job, handle emergencies, food, and water. What about entertainment? I have found that during busy holiday times, listening to an audio book keeps me alert and wanting to get back into the car and happily go to the next job. And to look forward to the next day’s schedule to continue the book. Some people enjoy TED talks, interesting Podcasts, instructional or inspirational CDs, and of course music. Keep your mind engaged and enjoy your workday. It will make you a better pet care provider. n Linda Beatty is the owner of Ask Linda Pet Sitting based in Indianapolis, IN. She is also an instructor in pet first aid and personal puppy training. Linda is also an active member of the Pet Parent Resources Committee. Learn more by visiting www.lindapetsitting.com.
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