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 Angela
had been laid off from her job in a Pittsburgh bakery and was collecting
unemployment. She thought about starting her own business, but wasn’t sure
where to start. She saw an opportunity one day when her neighbor Julie,
who owns a black Labrador named Jack, told her what had just happened to
the wall in her apartment. Ever since Julie started working at a new job
she has been putting in more hours. That means Jack has been home alone a
lot longer than usual. Two days earlier Julie came home to find out that
Jack had chewed and clawed his way through the living room wall and into
the next apartment. Obviously, the landlord and Julie’s neighbor were not
happy, but Jack was glad she was home because he really wanted to go for a
walk!
Angela knew that Julie represented one of the
20% of Americans who work
over 49 hours per week. Even with all the work hours, Julie
wanted to enjoy her life and having Jack around made her happy, although
caring for Jack while on her new work schedule was difficult. Angela saw
that and offered to let Jack out once a day, take him for a short walk and
play with him for a little bit. Angela would give Jack a treat and even
bring in Julie’s mail and newspaper. Julie was delighted with the
arrangement and paid Angela $5.00 a day for the help.
Over the next several weeks everyone was happy. Jack got a little break
and a yummy treat during the day, Julie rested easy knowing that Jack was
ok, and Angela made $25.00 a week. Julie told her co-workers about Angela.
One of Julie’s dog owning co-workers contacted Angela and asked if she
could get help as well. Angela agreed and now had her 2nd customer (and
$50.00 per week). At this point Angela decided to turn pet sitting into a
small business.
One year later Angela has 21 customers and they each pay her $5.00 per
visit. She generally makes $340.00 per week. She loves what she does and
sees plenty of opportunities to earn even more. When asked the secret to
her success Angela stated that her successes generally fall under good
customer service:
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Timeliness – Angela shows up on time and doesn’t miss any
appointments. |
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Extra mile – she has no problem doing little extras for her
customers like bringing in the mail or picking up the newspaper. |
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Respect – she is careful to respect her customers’ property,
time, and privacy. |
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Quality Service – she realizes that her customers will refer
new business to her, but the pets themselves are her best
supporters. When a customer sees her dog wagging its tail when
Angela arrives the owner feels good about the care Angela provides.
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http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1995-07-11/news/1995192183_1_long-hours-baby-boomers-middle-class
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 Owning
your own micro or small business is the best way to reduce your taxes and
generate additional income for yourself even if you are still working for
someone else. Do you have a skill or idea that could be a business?
Getting started and knowing how to keep the business running are hurdles
many people need help with. The profiles provided in this section of
BowmansMoneyCollege.com give advice and lessons from small business
owners, some of them still employees of someone else, on the things they
believe will make your small business venture more successful. Read more small business
profiles
here.
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