I had a very thought provoking conversation with one of my friends earlier this week. She started a pet sitting company, got busy, had a great momentum, but then suddenly her business plateaued. We chatted over coffee, and I asked her who did she think her ideal pet sitting client is.
I’d like to first back track to my strong belief that knowing your customer is the foundation of choosing the right direction of your marketing campaign. You can’t start spending time and money on your pet sitting marketing unless you know exactly who you are marketing to. I see so many new businesses every day that don’t take time to outline who their customers are….
My friend admitted that she didn’t really take a time to create the profile for her ideal pet sitting customer. She knew loosely who they are, but couldn’t define outright who she was targeting… She knew the customers were out there… Come on, everyone has got a pet, right? That part was easy… But the main question is who is her client….
We spent 2 hours on my patio discussing how to identify her ideal customer. I asked her a million of questions, and at the end, she not only knew who she was targeting, but she had a much better defined marketing strategy and branding technique. She was very excited.
If you find yourself at a point where your pet sitting business needs a little tune up, I strongly encourage you to take your time and identify who your ideal client is. If you aren’t sure where to start, here are some questions that should help you to get your thoughts moving:
Where does your ideal client live? Specify zip codes or subdivisions or cities… Be specific.
What is your client’s income?
How does your client spend her/his time? What are the things the client will do during their free time, with or without pets?
What is the marital status of your client? Do they have kids?
How would your client find you if they needed a pet sitter?
I asked my friend 25 questions to help her figure out who her ideal pet sitting client is.
I encourage you to spend time to get to know the person you are going to service. Remember, you are unique, and your qualities will suit specific people. Identify those people, talk to them, reach out to them, and get them to know you so that they are comfortable hiring you and leaving you with their pets while they are away. Sign them up!!! You got this!