We are very excited to feature Samantha Bergeron and Twin Cities Dog Walking & Pet Sitting in this week's Client Spotlight! As you may have guessed - Samantha services the twin cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis, MN (along with the surrounding suburbs). As with all of the truly great pet care companies - Twin Cities Dog Walking & Pet Sitting is based on Samantha's love for animals. With 20+ years of experience caring for dogs, Samantha provide a fantastic service not just to the pets in her care but also to the pet owners. Twin Cities does more than just dog walking and pet sitting. They provide an array of services that also include dog jogging,dog park visits, brushing, bathing, yard clean up, overnight sitting and more. To learn more about Samantha and her company, check out the Twin Cities Dog Walking & Pet Sitting website and like them on Facebook!
What caused you to get into pet sitting/dog walking?
For me it's not so much getting into dog walking/sitting as it is coming back to it. Dogs, cats and other pets have been a constant fixture in my life for as far back as I can remember. You know that kid that runs across the street to pet every dog they see and knows the pets in the neighborhood better than the people? That's me. I first started sitting for people in the neighborhood when I was about 10. I did it for extra money until I was old enough to drive. For the next 7 years I worked at a boarding facility where I not only learned the ins and outs of this sort of business; but, came to appreciate how much work actually goes into doing this full time. After college I dabbled in working in customer service, a science lab, a medical examiners office, working at a non-profit, even at a wild life sanctuary. In all that time I knew that walking and sitting was what I really wanted to do with my life. I'm fortunate enough to finally be in a place where I'm able to start pursuing this career.
What is the most fulfilling part of owning a pet sitting/dog walking business?
There's no way to say this without it sounding incredibly corny, but it's the fact that I'm doing my true dream job. I've never been the ambitious sort. Back in the day when people would ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up my answer was always something along the lines of: "take care of dogs". Working with and around animals makes me truly happy and that's what keeps me going when things get crazy.
What is the most challenging?
Honestly, the fact that I'm running my own business. This is something I didn't think I'd ever be able to really do, it's all new and every day bring a new challenge.
Where do you see your business in 5 years?
Hopefully I'll be able to be running my business full time, I'd like to expand my services into grooming and overnight boarding in my home. My dream house has a giant fenced in yard and small boarding facility in the basement!
What has Time To Pet changed the most about how you run your business?
Time To Pet has been nothing short of game changing for me. It enables me to keep my customers organized, communicate with them effectively, and given me a more professional image. I'd recommend it to anyone who is in this sort of business.
