5 BEST REASONS TO CHOOSE A LOCAL, LOVING, PROFESSIONAL CAT SITTER
Our 5 Best Reasons to choose a LOCAL Pet Sitter
As we get closer to Small Business Saturday, we thought it would be a good idea to highlight again WHY choosing a small local, loving cat sitting business (over a cattery, cat hotel, or a larger/international cat sit agency perhaps) is best!
Small Business Saturday by the way was created in 2010 by American Express, and is celebrated to encourage consumers to support their local small businesses. This year – 2024 – SBS will fall on November 30th and we will have more exciting news and deals upcoming then…watch this space!
While the growing demand for pet sitters seems to have prompted the likes of tech companies and venture capitalists to enter the industry, and launch large pet-sitter directories, we urge you to not let the click-and-select convenience of the online sites and apps overshadow the benefits of selecting and supporting your local, professional businesses, born and established in your community.
WHY? Well there are many benefits of using a local, professional cat sitter:
1. You avoid the middleman When you use your local professional cat sitter, you can contact the business owner directly and book your services through them. For Love Cats Croydon – booking links are directly from our website for new customers – your email drops directly to my inbox for me to check availabilities and find the best suited sitter for your requirements (www.loveacatscroydon.co.uk/services)
2. You also handle payment directly through the business (versus a third-party site), so this gives you more flexibility in payment options. We currently offer bank transfer or cash payment options and your upfront costs are always confirmed and a full breakdown given via your initial invoice.
3. You don’t pay fees (to a third-party) The amount due on your invoice is the amount you pay and this covers the visits themselves. We don’t charge for the time taken to arrange the visits, route the journeys, the travel time or costs incurred. The only additional fees with Love Cats Croydon – The Croydon Cat Sitter are fully explained on the booking terms (and via the services page here additional costs? Just scroll to the bottom of this page where we are 100% transparent with our charges)
4. Your cat care provider will have insurance customised to their specific business needs Yes, we have liability insurance specific to our industry, covering myself and the other sitters who may visit (if you would like more info on the insurance we provide, please see our provider “protectivity”)
5. You put more money into your local economy While apps and online pet-sitter booking sites may offer a convenient online payment option, most sites and apps keep a portion of the payment, or charge more in fees, with the pet sitters actually attending the visits only keeping around 70% (or less) of what you as the client pays. Therefore booking directly with your local cat sitter allows you to fully contribute to your local economy, with your entire payment for pet-sitting fees going to a local business owner - who in turn, is likely supporting other local businesses. It’s a win-win! (*note most of this goes into the local coffee shops as you might note from our Instagram posts – local coffee shops defo benefit from us!)