Today we’d like to introduce you to Sharon Boatwright
Hi Sharon , it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I started my business about seven years ago. When I first started, I not only did pet sitting but also elderly care, transport, etc. It didn’t take long to realize that my true passion lay with pet care and I decided to focus all of my attention on that portion of my business. I wanted people to be able to travel and relax knowing that their beloved pets were being cared for as they would care for them themselves. A lot of my inspiration for that was my heart dog, Marley. I want all pets in our care to be as loved and spoiled as my Marley was for 17 years.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Of course the biggest obstacle in the pet sitting industry was the pandemic of 2020. It was an incredibly difficult year. We were blessed to have some amazing clients who still used, or paid for, our services.
Another obstacle is a saturated market. There are a lot of “hobbyist” sitters in the area. We pride ourselves on being full-time professionals and Certified Professional Pet Sitters by Pet Sitters International. This, our reliability, and our commitment to going above and beyond for our clients makes us stand apart from the rest.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
We are a professional pet sitting service that provides services in the clients home so pets can stay in their own environment and maintain their normal routine. We provide overnight stays, drop-in visits, dog walks, SNIFF-ARI’s, and more for household pets, exotics, and farm animals.
We truly care about animals and their well-being. This isn’t something we do just for money but for a love of animals. We continually strive to stay up to date on industry practices and we prioritize continuing education.
We are also Insured and Bonded. I believe it is vitally important to give our clients that peace of mind. In my opinion, it is another thing that sets us apart from the “hobbyists”.
We have a team of sitters. Our “team” concept allows us to have more consistent availability. It also eliminates that possibility of someone contacting us at the last minute saying their sitter backed out, stopped communication, or is sick, which we get requests for frequently.
All of our sitters are background checked, have to provide three references, drivers license, have experience with animal care, take our First Aid and CPR courses, and do ride alongs and extensive training prior to taking their first sit.
We have monthly team meetings where we give “kudos” for a job well done, a sitter going above and beyond, or recognizing a small detail, like a pet’s behavior being “off”. We review some “housekeeping”, if necessary, and have monthly contests for extra incentives and bonuses. I believe this gives the team a healthy camaraderie.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
I have owned horses for 30 years. Including, owning a 72-horse boarding and training facility in Illinois. We did large animal rescue and rehabilitation for many years. We hosted world renowned horse training clinicians, hosted programs for special needs children through SMILES, and worked with the Make a Wish Foundation.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.youx2petsittingservice.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/youx2petsitting?igsh=YXl4NGdvczFkYWlj
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Youx2petsittingservices?mibextid=ZbWKwL
