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Lisa Gold was a dedicated veterinary nurse for 35 years, until she decided that the financial rewards simply didn’t reflect the experience and care she put into the job.
Voluntary work with animal charities led to private requests for Lisa to care for people’s pets, and her London-based solo venture, Lisa The Pet Vet Sitter, was born.
Lisa loves both the hands-on aspect of caring for animals and the admin and marketing that come with being a solopreneur. She has honed her skills in social media, photography and website design.
Three years later, Lisa’s brand reputation and online following have grown, and she is fully booked for the year ahead, putting her in a comfortable financial position. Here, Lisa shares the lessons she’s learned about pricing as a solopreneur.
Lesson 1: Understand your costs
Working out your pricing strategy can be tricky for any new business owner. But when you’ve built your business around your passion, asking for more money can feel particularly awkward.
When she first started her business, Lisa was offered cat-sitting jobs for as little as £6 a visit. “If I’m taking two buses to get there, that’s not going to work for me,” she explains.
Travelling between clients’ homes is not the only major expense for Lisa. On top of treats and toys she buys to keep pets fed, exercised, and happy, business insurance and professional fees are a major expense.
Lisa knows that being underinsured could lead to an expensive legal battle. Having heard horror stories about court proceedings, she is not prepared to take that risk.
“If anything happens to an animal, that’s on me, so my level of insurance is incredibly high, says Lisa. “Getting an enhanced DBS check is something I need to spend money on every 18 months.”
» MORE: Pet business insurance
Solopreneur tip: Add up your expenses
Before setting your rates, calculate all your hidden costs like insurance, travel, and training. Ensure your pricing reflects not just your time but also the overheads of running your business.
Many solopreneurs can do their own accounts, and this is one business expense that Lisa doesn’t have to worry about, as she does all her own bookkeeping and tax returns.
“The technology to do things is so much easier now that as long as you keep on top of it and do your admin, it’s very manageable,” she says. “I don’t start freaking out about my Self Assessment.”
Lesson 2: Happy customers will pay more
Lisa personalises her service by creating gifts for her clients’ pets, so her business stands out. This helped to keep customers onside when Lisa increased her prices in September to keep up with rising costs. “Everything’s becoming more expensive. All my regulars were like, ‘we completely understand,’” Lisa explains.
Solopreneur tip: Add something extra
Look for low-cost ways to add value for your customers and give them a memorable experience. Extra touches help with recommendations and referrals, and a high level of repeat business.
“It’s now got to the stage where I’m getting referrals and word of mouth recommendations,” says Lisa. “I’m not chasing down every lead and I’m spending less money on advertising because more people are referring me,” she explains.
Lesson 3: Spend your time and money where it counts
Social media has been key to building Lisa’s brand, including Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and WhatsApp. She adjusts her social strategy according to her current priorities, whether that’s attracting new customers, raising brand awareness or expanding her reach.
“I look at everything towards the end of the month and assess all my figures,” Lisa explains. “I can see where I need to spend more money or less money [on paid social advertising] based on what’s worked and what hasn’t.”
Solopreneur tip: Measure the impact
If you’re planning to advertise on social media, there’s a lot you can do for free. For example, websites like Canva can make it easy to design eye-catching posts for any platform, without spending a penny.
However, the time you spend crafting engaging social content is time you’re not spending on other aspects of your business. It’s therefore important to look at how engagement on social media translates to profit to see whether it’s worth your time.
Lisa found that while her TikTok videos were very popular, they didn’t bring in any new clients. However, she had a lot of success attracting customers through free advertising on Facebook.
Lesson 4: Don’t accept less than you’re worth
Pet sitting is a job that almost anyone can do, but very few have Lisa’s knowledge or professional credentials. She knows she’s “charging the right amount” because pet owners are willing to pay for peace of mind.
Lisa’s medical training means she’s competent to care for pets through illness or injury, and she’s always prepared for emergencies.
“I always check where an owner keeps their carrier, just in case I ever need to rush their pet to the vet,” says Lisa. It’s little things like this that show you care—and that you’re thinking ahead, she explains.
Solopreneur tip: Set a clear payment structure
Lisa charges 50% beforehand and 50% at the end of the booking, a policy she explains to new clients during a ‘meet and greet’, followed by a written contract.
“Some people haven’t done that and then haven’t been paid – I’ve never had an issue,” Lisa explains.
Once the price is agreed and the paperwork is done, Lisa’s aim with all of the pets she cares for is to become a part of the family. “When you go away, your pets love being with me, and we have our own holiday.”
You can find Lisa online at Lisathevetnurse.com and follow her on Instagram @lisathepetsitter.
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by Ceri RobertsImage Credit: Lisa the Pet Vet Sitter