Why You Shoud Accept Paypal For Pet Sitting Payments

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Pay Pal is an online financial liaison which transfers money between people and business.  Accepting money from anyone, anywhere, and taking credit card payments could not be easier.  It makes it possible to securely accept credit card payments, e-checks, and instant bank transfers instantly.  Pay Pal is free to set up, but charges a small fee once transactions are completed.  Here is a step by step guide on how to set up your Pay Pal account. 

       I.            Go to www.paypal.com and click sign up now.  You will need to enter the email address you want to use for this account.

    II.            Read all the merchant info to make sure you understand how everything works.

 III.            Complete the registration process and choose which account fits best for your needs.

 

1.       Personal account - has no transaction fees on payments received, however you can only receive a limited number of credit card payments, only $500.00 per month.

2.      Premier account - has toll free customer service and accepts unlimited credit card payments.  You can also be eligible to apply for the Pay Pal ATM debit card.  This account has small transaction fees when money is received.

3.      Business account - is basically the same as the premier, except this account gives you the ability to have multiple users access the same account and use your business name. Transaction fees also apply on this account.  Another feature of this account is the balance is FDIC insured up to 1000,000, and you can even sign up for the Pay Pal money market to get a generous amount of interest on your balance.

 

  IV.            Write down your entire log-in information and keep it in a safe place.  Now you can log in.

     V.            Now you need to increase your spending and receiving limit.  Do this by clicking on status “not verified”.  After that it will ask you to type in your social security number.  Then you will have unlimited spending and receiving funds.

  VI.            If you want a buy now button on your blog or website, you can do this by clicking on merchant tools under accepting website payments.  Click on buy now button.  Now just enter the product info like “one hour pet sitting” and so on.  Pay Pal will explain how to place this on your site.  Now that you know how to create a button, you can create as many as you need.

I personally use Pay Pal because there are no setup fees like other merchant accounts.  Pay Pal will make it easier for you to get paid right away.  No waiting for checks to clear or cashing money orders.  With a click of a button you can transfer all the money from your Pay Pal account right into your checking account.  You never have to give anyone your personal information to get paid.  Everything is locked safely in your Pay Pal account.  Pay Pal can insure that you will always get paid without the worry of a bounced check, because the money is already in your account.

How to Find Pet Sitting Employees in 3 Easy Steps

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This post is a guest article by Joshua Cary the creator of PetSittingOlogy.com

It’s perhaps a pet sitter’s worst nightmare.

The time has come to bring on additional pet sitters who you must trust 100%.  You must figure out where to find the potential candidates, what to write as the job description, how to properly interview them and, most importantly, decide who is the best for your team.

 

Frightening, exciting and a challenge, no doubt.

 

Let’s break down each component into smaller, less frightening chunks.

 

In order to attract the best pet sitting employees to join your team, ask yourself these 3 questions:

 

-What am I posting?

-Where am I posting?

-How am I qualifying each applicant?

 

1) What am I posting?

 

The very words you use to write up your job offer makes all the difference in the world.  If you find yourself attracting the less than ideal, and those wasting your time or unqualified, go back to your job listing.

 

What you say and how you say it will determine who applies.

 

Think of it like a two way street.  If I am searching for a new job, for example, I will only be applying to the jobs that seem to fit my lifestyle, personality and goals.

 

If I read a job posting that is not exciting, or is confusing, or has spelling and grammatical errors in it, I’ll continue looking.

 

If you want to get the attention of the excellent candidates, your job posting must be excellent.

 

2) Where are you posting?

 

Are you hanging up fliers around town?  Are you posting on Craigslist?  On other suitable websites?

 

The only place I’ve ever posted to find pet sitting employees has been on Craigslist.  Some have had mixed luck with posting there, but coupled with a nicely written offer and a good weeding out process, you should get your fair share of solid submissions to work with.

 

When choosing a physical location or online website to list your job offer, consider what crowd is most likely to respond.

 

Think about who your absolute ideal candidate would be (what type of person) and search for forums or job listing sites where that person is likely to spend time.

 

Are you searching for work from home moms looking for extra income, college students to work part time, or creative artists needing extra cash?

 

Define your ideal candidate and post where they are going to see your ad.

 

3) How are you receiving potential applicant submissions?

 

No matter where you post your search for pet sitting employees, you can easily find yourself bombarded with hundreds of applicants.

 

This will quickly prove to be a waste of everyone’s time.  If you are asking interested folks to email a cover letter and a resume along with why they are perfect for the job, you will find yourself drowning in work.

 

Plus, how can you distinguish the good from the not so good?  You’ll need a quick and easy system in place that can do some of the weeding out process for you upfront.

 

Targeting The Best

 

Here’s a story about how one company implements a perfect weeding out process.

 

A cousin of mine was recently on the hunt for a new job.  He went from store to store filling out applications and was stopped short when he arrived at Target.

 

After asking for an application, he was lead to a computer terminal where he could submit his application electronically.

 

The catch?  The application process takes 45 minutes just to fill out.  Think that’s crazy?  It’s brilliant, actually.

 

Target understands that they are looking for a certain level of commitment from their employees, and how better to test ones commitment than upfront during the application process?

 

If a potential employee takes the 45 minutes to apply for the job, do you think they’ll also exhibit additional character traits that would become an asset to the Target team?  Certainly.

 

Now think about how many would-be applicants see that 45-minute process and run the other way.  Saves time for both parties involved, doesn’t it?

 

A Similar Approach For The Pet Sitting World

 

To me, personality is an important element when looking to hire pet sitters to join my team.  The first step in my application process begins with a short questionnaire that I developed specifically to determine one’s personality.

 

I don’t ask for a resume and I don’t ask for a cover letter.

 

Questions like “How would you feel if you were a goldfish?” and “What constitutes the perfect Sunday morning?” tell me all I need to know upfront.

 

If you received a bunch of one and two word answers, for example, would that tell you plenty about someone?

 

I then have a much more manageable number of applicants to take through the hiring process (which is followed up by a phone interview, background check and in-home interview).

 

You can read the pet sitter hiring questionnaire I created along with some of my favorite responses at http://petsittingology.com/blog/hiring-pet-sitters-the-12-most-fun-direct-and-eye-opening-questions-you-must-ask/

 

Getting It Right

 

As you can see, the hiring process is a two-way street.  Potential applicants are going to decide if they want to work with you just as much as you are considering them for your team.

 

It all starts with the content and style of your job offer, followed by the places you are searching for your next superstar pet sitter.

 

Finally, make your life easier by implementing a good weeding out process so you do not become overwhelmed with applicants.

 

Once you have a good system in place, you’ll have no problem finding the perfect pet sitter employees to join you on the road to success.

 

Joshua Cary is the creator of PetSittingOlogy, an online training course dedicated to all aspects of running a successful pet sitting business.  He is available for private coaching – including crafting your job posting, fielding job submissions and interviewing potential employees while you listen in.  Contact him through http://petsittingology.com/blog

Pet First Aid Application for IPhone and IPod Touch

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Hi Everyone - vacation in Australia is over. I’m now in Tanggu China working and have better internet access at the hotel. I will post some pictures here at the blog - unfortunately the Chinese government have Facebook blocked and I can’t get there to put my Australia pictures up!

I just found this new Pet First Aid IPod/Iphone application online and wanted to let you know about it as it is developed by a fellow Pet Tech instructor.  If you have attended a Pet Tech class or have yet to make it to one but have an Ipod or IPhone try out this application and let me know what you think.  Unfortunately my Iphone is still in the hands of my sitter Tina who is taking pet sitting calls so I can’t try it myself.  Here is all the info from the Live Jive website:

Pet First Aid for the iPhone and iTouch!

INTRODUCING THE PET FIRST AID MOBILE APPLICATION, YOUR FIRST STOP FOR CRITICALLY IMPORTANT PET INFORMATION.

Pet First Aid is at your fingertips with detailed articles, video, and illustrations to help you care for your dog or cat. Record your pet’s vital medical information to ensure their veterinarian is never more than a touch away, and your pet will never miss another vaccination. 

 

In addition, Pet First Aid allows you to save vital medical information for all your pets. Easily record their vaccinations, identifications, veterinarian contact info, medications, allergies & conditions, and any other notes for reference when visiting the veterinarian

Your four-legged family members rely on you for their care, so be prepared 24/7 for a medical emergency. From cuts and impalement, to choking and CPR, Pet First Aid is at your fingertips with detailed articles, video, and illustrations to help you care for your dog or cat. Record your pet’s vital medical information to ensure their veterinarian is never more than a touch away, and your pet will never miss another vaccination.

Pet First Aid is loaded with detailed videos and step-by-step illustrations so you’ll know exactly what to do when caring for your pet. Videos include: restraint, muzzling, CPR, bandaging, and many more. All articles, videos, and illustrations are bundled with the application for offline or wilderness access.

Featuring dozens of articles, including:

  • Bleeding
  • Poisoning
  • Drowning
  • Rescue Breathing & CPR
  • Giving Medicine
  • Muzzling
  • Restraining
  • Disaster Preparedness
  • Bites & Stings
  • Burns
  • Fractures & Sprains
  • Heat & Cold Injuries
  • and many more…

All content developed by PetTech of Vacaville, experts in Pet First Aid and Pet Emergency Preparedness training.

You can find the application online and download through Itunes :

http://jive.me/petfirstaid/

 

Leave a comment and let me know what you think!