Hi Everyone!
My name is Eliza and I’d like to tell you about Preferred Pet Partners and how all of this started. PPP was born in 2017 following a series of life changing events.
I graduated in 1990 with a degree in zoology and a dream of working with animals. All was on track then, as often happens in life, my path took a different turn. I accepted a job offer that had nothing to do with animals. That first job led to another and another and before I knew it I was off and running down a career path. I started climbing the corporate ladder holding positions of increasing responsibility and traveling to lots of different places. It was exciting and I loved seeing and experiencing new places. Over the years we lived in 4 different countries and a dozen different states. I enjoyed my job but even then I was becoming more aware that there was something missing. In 2013 I reached what I thought was the pinnacle of my career when I accepted a position as vice president of operations. I finally had what I’d worked so hard for; over 500 people under me, the corner office, the title, the money…or so I thought. Then in 2014 something wonderful happened. I lost my job.
Of course it didn’t seem wonderful at the time, I was devastated. My career had defined who I was and I was left floundering. After I found my footing again I accepted a position in Omaha, NE. I enjoyed the work and the people I worked with but I couldn’t shake a growing realization that I was in the wrong place.
I had stayed close to animals over the years volunteering in various humane societies. After some reflection I realized that the times I was most happy was when I was working with animals. I am lucky to have two amazing women in life that are professional pet sitters and they were and have been great mentors for me. I started classes to become certified as a professional pet care giver and, in 2017, started PPP. In June of 2018 I left the corporate world for good to run PPP full time. It was scary and exciting at the same time but now I wake up each morning grateful and excited about what I do.
Today PPP is a small team of dedicated pet caregivers. We come to your home and care for all kinds of pets. For our furry clients we provide a stress free experience by allowing them to stay safe and sound in their own home. For our human clients we provide peace of mind that their homes and pets are in good hands and are receiving the personal love and attention they deserve.
Owning Your Own Business Stinks!
As I sit down to put my thoughts on paper it’s all I can do to remember why I started a pet care business in the first place. Most of us are coming off an incredibly busy couple of months. For pet sitters in particular November and December are the months that can...
Behind the Scenes at PPP – Part 2
In part 1 of this two-part article, I took you behind the scenes at my own pet business, Preferred Pet Partners. We focused on processes and what I do to insure everything runs smoothly day to day. Today we’ll be taking another look behind the scenes but with a focus...
Behind the Scenes at PPP – Part 1
I run a successful 6 figure Pet Sitting and Dog Walking business in Omaha, Nebraska. I live in North Carolina. You’re probably wondering how I pull this off without constant travel back and forth between states (which I don’t do). I thought I’d spend some time today...
How to Reward Your Employees
Every year I have the same dilemma. I want to recognize employees for a year of great work but I don’t know how to best go about it. I want it to be affordable but also have meaning to the employee, (i.e. no one wants another coffee mug). Here are some things to...
How to Avoid Losing Your Mind this Season
Let's talk about losing your mind. 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...
How to pay your pet sitter and dog walker employees
Before you hire on that first pet sitting or dog walking employee one thing you need to decide is how are you going to pay them? I’m not talking about how you will physically get them the money; direct deposit, live checks, cash, etc. And I’m also not talking about on...
How to set your Pet Business Pricing
You’ve decided to become a pet care business owner. That’s great news! Let’s also assume you know broadly what type of pet care service you want to provide. That’s also great news! There are a ton of things to get to on your to do list but one of the most important is...
We are NOT hiring – How to keep employees long term
You’ve found and hired a new employee, good job! Maybe it’s your first one, maybe you’ve hired several this go round. You might have had an easy road of it with tons of responses of really qualified candidates responding to your job posting. Chances are, though, this...
Dos and Don’ts for your business this holiday season
It’s that time of year again. The crazy busy period between October and January when pet sitting businesses collect a large portion of their annual income. Or is it? This year is going to be a little bit different. Many pet sitters had an amazing summer with more...
Starting Employees Off Right to Keep Them
Your pet care business is humming along tickety boo and you’ve hired your first employee. In Part I of this training series we focusing on field training, popularly known as shadowing. In this BLOG, Part II, we’ll go a little deeper into our training journey to learn...