Author Archives: schatzi

Tips for Travelling With Pets – Choosing Pet Friendly Pit Stops

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All trips include pit stops, and travelling with your pet is no exception. In fact, your pet will generally need more breaks than you will. Whether you are making a dash to you parents’ for the holidays or taking a trip cross country, you’re going to have to stop at some point to fuel up, eat, use the restroom, or just take a break. In any case, the facility you choose will greatly affect whether or not your pet will be able to take a necessary break, too. Here are a few tips to choosing the best pet friendly pit stop options.

1. Food. We all need to eat. Your pet can eat anywhere you stop or even on the road as long as you bring their food along for the trip. Restaurant or fast food stops are a different story. If you haven’t packed food for the trip and need to stop to grab a bite to eat, planning ahead will prove invaluable for choosing restaurants or cafes that will allow your pet to eat along side you. Choose a place to eat that has outside seating that is accessible without going through the restaurant. Take out is also a great option; sitting on a street or park bench is a perfect way for your pet to enjoy your food break with you.

2. Fuel. Unless you have a vehicle that is completely electric, stopping for fuel is probably going to be one of your pit stops. Fuel stops can be a great time to stretch your legs, get some fresh air, and use the restroom. Your pet on the other hand, generally won’t get the same privileges. Most towns have more than one station to choose from. Use your judgment and choose a station that has an area your pet can get out safely and away from general traffic to relieve themselves or just stretch their legs, too. If there isn’t anywhere safe, it never hurts to make another stop just for your pet’s sake.

3. Restrooms. Sometimes nature calls when we aren’t expecting to stop for fuel, food, or fresh air. When this happens, stop somewhere away from the road and general traffic where your pet can relieve themselves as well without unnecessary pressure or stress. It can also take some time for your pet to find the right spot or get comfortable enough to get to business. Have patience and don’t forget to always use a leash and clean up after your pet. If you’re at a rest area, bring your pet inside with you if need be. They won’t mind and will appreciate the break, too.

4. Exercise. After a long haul it can be nice to just stop and stretch your legs. Your pet feels the same way only far more so. Keep your pet’s leash handy for pit stops. Stopping at locations where your pet can wander a trail or run on the beach with you is a great way for both of you to get some much-desired exercise. They’ll enjoy getting out and about to stretch their limbs just as much as you will.

Enough can’t be said for planning ahead. When you travel with your pet, plan for a longer trip and more pit stops. Pit stops take time and energy, but they are an essential and invigorating part of every trip. Researching pet friendly options will also help make your trip more enjoyable. All in all, regardless of where or when you stop, think about your pet’s needs before your own and you’ll be sure to have a successful venture.

Your House Cleaning Business – Additional Services to Offer For More Profit

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If you own a house cleaning business, then you know that the low start up cost is an attractive feature of the particular business. That being the case, you may have some competition in your local area for house cleaning business. If you have been in business for a while or are looking to attract new customers, then you might consider offering additional services to your current house cleaning menu of services. This may work well if your clients have been working with you for a while and trust you with their home.

* Pet-sitting
If your clients own pets, then you might consider offering a pet-sitting service for when they go on long vacations and need someone to make sure their little friend is fed and given water. This can especially easy for your clients, because you likely already have a key to their home and are familiar with their pet. If you would like to offer this service, then you should do some research on a questionnaire that you develop to answer any pertinent questions regarding the care of each particular pet. This will make your job of pet sitting much easier and your clients will feel more secure about having you take care of their pet.

Often pet sitting services charge per visit or per pet, so consider how you are planning to charge for your pet sitting services and create a price sheet that your clients can consider when the opportunity comes up. This may be an especially profitable niche to offer during the holidays, but remember, if you often travel and go on vacation, then offering a pet sitting service may not work with your own schedule.

* Specialty Cleaning
Cleaning residential houses typically involves vacuuming, dusting, sweeping, and other household chores. If you want to expand your services, then you may want to offer specialty cleaning – such as steam cleaning or rug cleaning. These specialty services often require special tools and learned skills. So before offering your clients additional services, you should do some research on what types of equipment you may need to obtain and what types of skills you need to acquire before offering the services.

* House Sitting
House sitting is a great and easy service to offer. House sitting involves watering the plants and lawn, taking in the mail, and other small tasks that need to be done when someone is on vacation. House sitting gives a home the ‘lived-in’ look and deters house burglaries because would-be thieves will think that the resident is home. Because you have a key, this should be a relatively easy service to offer, especially if you work in the local area and do not have to drive out of your way to make a stop at the empty house.

* Pool Maintenance
Many homeowners who have a pool hire a pool maintenance company to come in and clean their pool. If you had the right equipment, then pool cleaning service can be another type of service that you can offer to your clients. Make sure to do your research because the equipment might be expensive and difficult to carry around if you do not have a large vehicle. If a full-service pool cleaning option seems a little beyond the scope of services that you can offer, then you may just offer light cleaning to your clients’ pools. Light cleaning may require simply skimming the pool. By offering light cleaning services, your clients may not have to have their pool company come in as often to take care of their pool – making it a win-win situation for you and your client.