Our next Client Spotlight is shining on Mary Nellum and her team at Conway’s Pet Nana! Located in Conway, AR — owning a pet sitting company is truly a dream come true for Mary. Their mission is to reduce the stress associated with their clients being gone for both themselves and their pets. You can tell they do just that based on all of their Rave Reviews. Be sure to check them out on their website and like them on Facebook too!
What caused you to get into pet sitting?
When I was 4 years old I decided I wanted to be a vet and I kept that idea all the way to college. But then I met my husband and had a baby, and that dream went to the sidelines. But I’ve always wanted to work with animals in some capacity. Back in 2006, I was a restaurant manager and had to stop that type of work because of some physical issues that I developed, making it hard to walk. It took a year of very limited physical activity before I was able to start walking again.
While I was incapacitated, I met a friend online who had a pet sitting business. I was fascinated with the idea and wondered if there was a demand for it in our community. So as I slowly got better, I decided to get a dog so that I would be more motivated to go out and walk. One of the things I did was take her out into the community to socialize her and teach her to be a great “go-with” gal. So we met a lot of people :)
I also get bored very easily, and need to be challenged. As I got better, I decided I would go for it and at least try. I set up a website, bought some business cards, and put them in one of our local pet supply stores. They all knew me very well, and started recommending me to people who came in asking if they knew any pet sitters. Once my name started getting out there, I was amazed at the response.
I wanted to make sure that I was giving the best service and care I could, so I am always reading, studying, and talking with more experienced people to learn as much as I can about the animals we take care of.
What is the most fulfilling part of owning a pet sitting business?
When my clients tell me that knowing we are there for them gives them peace of mind. Nothing tops that :)
What is the most challenging?
Growing pains!
Where do you see your business in 5 years?
As the top pet sitting business in my area, with a full complement of sitters who consistently give excellent customer service to both my human clients and my animal clients.
What has Time To Pet changed the most about how you run your business?
It has made running all aspects of the business much easier! I’m a huge proponent of having everything I need in one place, and Time To Pet does that with clients, scheduling, payments, and sitters. My clients enjoy how easy it is to use, and that’s important to me too. One of the many things I love is how responsive Mike and Kyle are to our questions and suggestions, and I look forward to every update!
