Today we’d like to introduce you to Meredith Greene.
Hi Meredith, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started pet sitting after my last dog passed. She passed in the summer of 2021 and I started pet sitting in winter of 2021. I realized when my dog passed that I really missed being around animals. I started out on the pet sitting apps, Rover and Wag, but pretty quickly realized that I wanted to make my own business out of it. So I came up with a business name (The Fluff Brigade), made a contract and took it to a lawyer to make sure it was solid, built my own website, purchased business insurance, got my pet first aid certification, and started advertising on social media. It took about a year and a half to get steady business and now I have a hard time taking time off because of how busy I am! I think pet sitting/dog walking is one of the best jobs in the world. I get paid to hang out with my animal friends! Animals are naturally pretty silly so there is never a dull moment. I also do animal art on the side which I think is a good tie in with my pet sitting business.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I think the hardest struggle with any animal care business, or even any small business, is work/life balance. When you own your own business you feel the need to be available all the time for your clients. My goal this past year has been figuring out work/life balance and I think I am now at a good place with it.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I am a pet sitter/dog walker located in Oak Ridge, TN. I walk dogs regularly (or let them out to potty) every week and have vacation clients that I watch when their parents are out of town that currently include the following: dogs, cats, a bunny, a turtle, and a guinea pig. I also do animal art, including pet portraits, under the name Pawadise Studio. I’m most proud of the fact that I built my businesses all on my own, from designing the logos/branding, buildings my websites, to the day to day operations.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
The person I am most appreciative of is another pet sitter in Oak Ridge who has been in the game for a lot longer than I have. Her name is Susan Todd. When I first started out she reached out to me and gave me advice. Now we cover each others clients if one of us is unavailable. She also still gives me advice from time to time if I have a question. I am also thankful for my family supporting me and being proud of the success I have had.
Pricing:
- My services start out at $20 for 30 minutes for one pet, each additional pet is $5 extra.
Contact Info:
- Website: thefluffbrigade.com & pawadisestudio.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.fluff.brigade/ & https://www.instagram.com/pawadisestudio/
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/thefluffbrigade/ & https://facebook.com/pawadisestudio/
