Run Your Pet-Sitting Business From Your iPhone 6

As the owner of your own pet sitting business, you probably spend most of your working days on the go. Rather than working from a desk in a home office, your clients are four-legged beings who need to be walked, fed and loved.

While the majority of your work is done at your clients’ homes, as a business owner you still have plenty of things to keep track of. Fortunately, thanks to smartphone technology and a handful of apps, you can be an organized and effective pet sitter.

MapMyDogwalk

As a professional pet sitter, a big part of your job includes exercising all of those lovable pups. To keep track of this, try an app like MapMyDogwalk that uses the built-in GPS in your iPhone. It records metrics like your duration, distance, pace, speed and elevation. Then, you can view this data afterward to see if this was an effective route or you can email or tweet it to any curious puppy parents. Even better, this app can sync with your iPod, so you are sure to have plenty of tunes to keep you entertained on your walk.

First Aid App

In order to be an effective and responsible pet sitter, you must have a good handle on basic first aid for animals. But, instead of lugging around a heavy textbook filled with information, download the Red Cross Pet First Aid app to your smartphone. The app features reputable and thorough advice by veterinarians as well as videos that can guide you step by step when helping your four-legged clients.

Smartphone Camera

For any new clients or worried puppy parents, you might want to consider taking pictures or videos of your dog having a great time and send them to the owner. You can use the improved camera of the iPhone 6 to take clear and crisp shots of you and your dog on a walk or playing at home and then send them directly to your client. Or, if you really want to go all out, use the iPhone’s 1080p iSight camera to take a video at the dog park or a time-lapse of you playing fetch. This can help nervous parents know that their fur baby is safe and in good hands.

Payment App

Instead of printing and mailing or emailing invoices to your clients for payment, transform your smartphone into a one-stop payment shop. Take advantage of the large, bright screen of the iPhone 6 with the PayPal app, which lets your clients send you payments directly with only an email address. Or, for customers who want to pay you with a regular debit or credit card, purchase a swiper like the ROAMpay Swiper that plugs into your phone’s headphone jack. Or, if your clients are more traditional, you can always arrange for in-person payments when returning house keys after a job is over.

Overall, running your pet-sitting business is a breeze from your smartphone. You can keep everything organized and with you at all times so you never miss an opportunity.