If you are a professional pet sitter you don’t have holidays. There, I’ve said it, it’s out there. It’s the ugly truth that no one talks about. I remember when I worked in the corporate office. I would anxiously await Thanksgiving and Christmas because it meant I got two days off from work. Often, I would take a few more days around them and make it a full week off. It was great! It was a chance to unwind, spend time with family and enjoy the holidays.
The caveat to that though was that come Monday morning I had to go back to my office job and start the grind all over again. I’m not saying I didn’t like my corporate career, I did, but anyone will tell you, especially my husband, that I’m a much happier person running my own professional pet sitting business.
The fact is though that, as professional pet sitters, holidays are our busiest time. Whether you’re a solopreneur or have staff, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and burnt out during this time. Here’s a few tips to ensure that you keep your sanity during the holiday season so you can continue to bring your best to your furry clients.
Tip #1 – Carve out time on the day of the holiday
There’s nothing more stressful than watching your friends and family enjoying Thanksgiving or Christmas Day while you’re running from client to client to fit everyone in. The day of the holiday is usually just one of many the client has taken and you still need to get the dog out for a walk and feed the cats. Even as a business owner with staff you will have a lot of things to do on the day.
The truth is that having the entire day off is unrealistic. So don’t try and don’t stress out because you can’t make it happen. Instead aim for shorter quality time off. Do pet visits in the morning but be there in the afternoon for the Christmas dinner. If you’re worried that you can’t arrange to do this, talk to your clients. Most clients who usually insist on a 3pm visit for their kitty will be more flexible with their requests on the holiday to allow you to finish your schedule a little earlier than normal to spend a few hours with your family.
Tip #2 – Celebrate the holiday on a different day
My father-in-law, ever since he retired and started spending winters in Florida, celebrates Christmas in early November. He loves spending time with his grandchildren and wants to see the look on their faces when they open their Christmas gifts. So the gift opening day and big family dinner happen before he hits the road for sunnier regions.
You don’t have to do a full-fledged family gathering months before the holiday but you can have your own traditions at any time before the actual holiday. This is a great way to have your cake (or turkey in this case) and eat it too. This mini pre-holiday holiday celebration allows you to focus on your pet sitting clients during the actual holiday.
Tip #3 – Make sure you have time off planned for after the holidays
This is a must! Every year I have a few days off planned for the second week in January. I may go out of town during this time off but more often than not, I’m at home just chilling and spending quality time with my goats (and my husband of course).
This time, and looking forward to this time, literally keeps me from going postal during the extreme holiday craziness with the business. Even when there are a hundred people, clients and employees, making demands on your time during the holiday season you can take comfort that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
In the beginning, when it was just me, I would get to January 1 and be completely drained. Worse than that I would be bitter that everyone else had gotten a holiday and I hadn’t. These negative feelings stayed with me for weeks and weren’t good for my business or my mental health. I was at a low point and exhausted at a time where I should have been excited about and planning for the new year.
It took me a couple of miserable holiday seasons to realize that if I didn’t find a way to be part of the holidays with my family, my business wasn’t going to last. Luckily, I found some balance. Today I have a staff of 11 pet sitters and dog walkers and am largely out of the field. My priority has shifted to making sure my employees have this time as well to spend with their families during the holidays. It’s a lot of juggling but preventing burn out and keeping them happy is good for them, good for our clients and good for me.
Another great article you might enjoy
I told you this would happen! Advice you wish you’d gotten.
https://www.thepetbusinesscoach.dog/advice/
About Eliza
Eliza is the owner of two successful pet related businesses; Preferred Pet Partners, a pet sitting and dog walking company, and The Pet Business Coach, offering coaching and resources to aspiring or current pet related business entrepreneurs. She maintains two awesome blogs. One for pet parents https://preferredpetpartners.com/blog/ and one for pet business owners https://thepetbusinesscoach.dog/blog-page/. Eliza also supports various animal rescue and shelter organizations. Eliza and her husband have a growing animal family including kitties, goats and chickens. Visit her websites: www.preferredpetpartners.com or www.thepetbusinesscoach.dog.
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