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Dahli
Member
11-27-2000
| Thursday, January 17, 2008 - 8:29 pm
Very cool. I remember when my sister was thinking about this - it was going to be called "Creature Comforts" and I loved the logo, been trying to find it in case you liked it but it must have been on my other computer This is so exciting HP!
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Twinkie
Member
09-24-2002
| Thursday, January 17, 2008 - 9:39 pm
I'm another liking Pet Nanny and love Spy's advice! Very cool!
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Herckleperckle
Member
11-20-2003
| Thursday, January 17, 2008 - 10:46 pm
This IS exciting! I am thrilled. 1. Tomorrow morning, open a checking account for my business. 2. Buy an appt book just for business. 3. Tomorrow at 2, sign for my liability insurance. Meet my broker face-to-face for the first time. 4. Next Thursday at 9:30, meet my SCORE mentor, to have him review all my plans/understandings, etc, to ensure I am proceeding correctly. After meeting, complete registration online and apply for EIN number. In between those two dates, finish up my: Business plans (1 yr and 5 yr) Website copy Flyer copy Business card copy Brochure copy Thank You For Your Business! postcard copy and rough art/layout on pic side Get cost estimates for magnetic panel signs for my car. If affordable, get estimates in writing. When logo is complete, incorporate into all of the above and finalize/proof/approve layouts. Make a final list of areas for distribution of flyers and business cards. Include: (My own neighborhood, my vet's office, other local vet offices, shopping center bulletin boards, businesses, etc) Purchase Dog First Aid book and T-Touch Pet Massage Book. Call Red Cross about Pet CPR and First Aid classes they may provide. Join a petsitters' association and provide information and link to my site--with a specific 'turn on' date confirmed. Call Verizon to discuss (as Spy recommended) having any 'dead' pet sitter numbers activated under my phone number. Ask about cost. Send broadcast email to relatives, friends and old associates. Mail/hand-deliver business cards to these folks. Work on going live with website Proceed with printing --cards, flyers, brochures and magnetic car panels Manage distribution of above when complete; affix car signs Buy 2 tins of the special treats our old vet sells--one for cats and another for dogs. Buy doggie bags and a catnip toy. What am I forgetting?
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Herckleperckle
Member
11-20-2003
| Thursday, January 17, 2008 - 11:25 pm
Well, I went online to Red Cross (in my area) and found a link for a Pet First Aid class--which includes pet CPR. It isn't held til April, but I suppose there is nothing I can do about that. Cost: $40; class length: 1 evening/4 hours. I will get a certificate at the end. So I will sign up for it!
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Hypermom
Member
08-13-2001
| Thursday, January 17, 2008 - 11:34 pm
Breathe, HP, breathe! 
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Herckleperckle
Member
11-20-2003
| Thursday, January 17, 2008 - 11:35 pm
I just signed up and paid for it! I can cancel if necessary if I give them 5 days advance notice. So if we ever do move out of state by mid-April, I will not forfeit the money.
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Herckleperckle
Member
11-20-2003
| Thursday, January 17, 2008 - 11:36 pm
Hi, Hypermom! I'm trying! Gasp, gasp! 
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Wargod
Moderator
07-16-2001
| Friday, January 18, 2008 - 12:05 am
HP when we go out of town, we usually pay the neighbor's son (he's 17 now) to come over and feed and water Harvey and the turtles, take Harv for walks, play with him, etc or ask my sis if she'll do it for us. If I didn't have the trusty neighbor kid (and his parents) or my sister and had to find a pet sitter, the one thing that would really catch my attention and would lead me to hiring any particular one over others would be the pet first aid/cpr certification! I think that's such a wonderful thing, is that something all pet sitters and dog walkers have to have or is it a choice? Stuff does happen. When my mil and her hubby go on vacation we take care of their dogs. Not this past December but the one before while they were gone Darren had gone out to feed them. Luckily, the night before I'd heard what sounded like water running and called him out to check it out and he found out they'd had a cooler line freeze and break. He'd turned the water off but it was too dark to do anything about it (except shut off all the water) then so he'd planned to take care of it the next day when he went to take care of the dogs. He fed them and then went out to get the ladder and was about half way up when he said he heard a horrible noise and came flying down and found one of his moms dogs on laying on the floor choking. He doesn't know anything about pet cpr but he was able to pick her up and squeeze and squeeze til the little dog got that food up and was ok. Up til then I'd never given it much thought except to tell the neighbor boy if something happened to one of our pets (sick or hurt) to call my sister and she'd take them to the vet. Never gave any thought to a real emergency where quick thinking would be needed to save a life. So yep, if I had to hire a pet sitter, that would be a huge, huge plus for me!
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Hukdonreality
Member
09-29-2003
| Friday, January 18, 2008 - 7:31 am
Wow, this thread is HOT! You sure have planned things out, Herck! Glad you are happy with the name you finally decided on. Even if you called it "I hate animals pet services" you would be a success. 
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Herckleperckle
Member
11-20-2003
| Friday, January 18, 2008 - 9:10 am
Oh, guys, Hercky is suddenly much worse. Will talk later.
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Mameblanche
Member
08-24-2002
| Friday, January 18, 2008 - 9:17 am
((((HP & Herkiepoochie)))) Crossing my fingers for luck and sending loving, positive thoughts your way, that Herkiepoochie will recover quickly.
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Costacat
Member
07-15-2000
| Friday, January 18, 2008 - 9:31 am
I like Pet Nanny (of course, it's so close to my own Pet Granny that I'd have to, yes? <wink>). Herk, don't forget contracts. These are especially important for those whom you are pet sitting (you'll get important info from the folks such as who the vet is, what to do in dire emergencies -- my pet sitter has full rights to do whatever is necessary -- and so on). Also, something you may want to consider. My pet sitter leaves a "diary page". In it, each day she comes, she adds a little note. Something like "Kassie waited impatiently for treats. Costa didn't want to play with the bird today." and "They are waiting impatiently for you to come home!" It's always fun to come home from a trip and read the little entries.
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Whoami
Member
08-03-2001
| Friday, January 18, 2008 - 10:19 am
What a sneaky and smart trick to try and land one of the disconnected pet sitter numbers. Just make sure they didn't go out of business due to poor business practices. You wouldn't want to inherit a bad reputation along with the number! I know, most would probably remember a bad pet sitting experience with the name, not the number. But, you never know. Someone might see the number and think, "oh, that jerk is back in business, do they really think changing their name is going to make a difference? Look, they even have the same number as before!" Love the "diary page" idea!! In our one and only pet sitting experience, I made the pet sitter call my cell from the house, just to let me know how the Boys were. Quite honestly, that was mostly to make sure she was actually IN my house (which I could verify with my cell's caller ID), and there to take care of them. I think I'd heard horror stories of hired sitters never showing up while the owners were away. She only called me once. I asked her to call again on the last day (since we were due in late that evening), she agreed but never called. Got home that night and the Boy's water was bone dry. It was one of those ones with a reservoir, and when filled it took 24 hours for them to empty it. She swore she filled it that morning. To this day I question if she even showed up that day, given she didn't call, and the water was not only bone dry, but the poor Boys frantically went over and lapped up a long drink when I filled it. Is that a picture of Herckie above? You should use it as a background for your website, maybe even your business cards. {{{{Hugs to the HerckiePoochie!}}}}
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Cinnamongirl
Member
01-10-2001
| Friday, January 18, 2008 - 10:29 am
Yeah, I was wondering that too...is that Herckle?
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Herckleperckle
Member
11-20-2003
| Friday, January 18, 2008 - 10:45 am
No, it just reminds me of him. Here's my Hercky:

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Herckleperckle
Member
11-20-2003
| Friday, January 18, 2008 - 10:49 am
In his sunglasses
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Beekindpleez
Member
07-18-2006
| Friday, January 18, 2008 - 10:49 am
That diary page is a fantastic idea. Herky looks like a love. Good sport, too. Love those crossed paws.
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Vacanick
Member
07-12-2004
| Friday, January 18, 2008 - 10:57 am
Ahhhhh love the Herckie pictures!!! He is a very loved dog and you are a very good dog-mommy HP! It's too bad you couldn't think of a way to incorporate Herckie's name into your new business ... hummmmm???
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Mameblanche
Member
08-24-2002
| Friday, January 18, 2008 - 1:03 pm
Herky Perky Pet Perks!  
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Citruscitygal
Member
08-07-2003
| Friday, January 18, 2008 - 1:30 pm
Concerned about Hercky & HP. Sending positive thoughts and hoping for a updated report soon. Hugs, CCG
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Citruscitygal
Member
08-07-2003
| Friday, January 18, 2008 - 1:42 pm
Found Hecky update in HP's folder. Sounds like they could use some positive healing vibes sent their way.
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Herckleperckle
Member
11-20-2003
| Wednesday, January 23, 2008 - 2:31 pm
Thanks, MB, for the image of me as Mary Poppins! Hahahaha! And thanks, too, for your comforting words about Hercky. He is going to the vet's on Monday so we can nail down whether this is neurological or muscular/skeletal. Dahli, Creature Comforts is a great name! Think she'll ever give that idea a second chance? Don't give away a good logo--you never know what may unfold in the future! Thanks for weighing in, Twinks! And thanks for the breathing lessons, Hypermom! LOL!! War, thanks for that post and your support of the additional training I hope to offer. Before I can advertise it, I have to actually take the class. It won't be available til April. In the meantime, I purchased two books-- 1. The Pet Lover's Guide to First Aid & Emergencies 2. The Pet Lover's Guide to Natural Healing for Cats & Dogs I've started reading them and found they are quite good! I'll be ready for that training when April rolls around. Here's 2 tidbits I learned: Capillary Refill Time An increase in the time it takes to return the gums to normal color, after you have blanched them (by applying pressure to them with your thumb and finger) indicates poor blood flow. If the capillary refill time is greater than 2 seconds, your pet should be examined by a veterinarian. (As an increase in capillary refill time is usually associated with either a high or an extremely low heart rate. When your pet's mucous membranes are very pale or white, indicating poor blood flow, you may not be able to determine capillary refill time. The capillary refill time can be shorter than normal in dogs with bright or brick red mucous membranes. A capillary refill time less than 1 second in a dog with bright red mucous membranes indicates an abnormality. Mucous Membranes Pale, gray or white mucous membranes (the gums and inside the lips) can also indicate a decrease in the number of red blood cells. When the mucous membranes are blue (cyanosis), it indicates your pet is not getting enough oxygen. Brown mucous membranes in cats are usually a sign of acetaminophen (Tylenol) poisoning. Yellow mucous membranes (jaundice) indicate either a liver disorder or a red blood cell problem. Mucous membranes can also be too pink. Bright red or brick red mucous membranes can tell you that there is either infection somewhere in your pet's body. Costa, that is the funniest thing about Pet Granny. Here's why: I went into the insurance broker's office to sign for the liability insurance. We added the name 'Pet Nanny' to the contract. Then I wrote out the check and didn't realize it, but wrote 'Pet Granny' in the note line at the bottom left of the check. Have no idea why, of course. I was driving home from that appt when the broker called and told me she thought maybe she had misunderstood me and the company name on the contract (I had a copy with me) was wrong. After unknotting what she meant, I was able to reassure her the name on the contract was correct --and that I am a space captain and have no clue why I wrote that on the check! LOL! I asked her to fix that for me on the check. OH, WOW! Contracts. Of course! Thank you SOOOOO much for mentioning that. Very important, of course. And terrific idea about the diaries! I love it, and it is just how I want to run my business. I want to make it personal and I want to be able to reassure owners that their pets are getting more than cursory care. Who, thanks for the excellent caution about the phone numbers. I will see if I can verify that kind of information. That's awful about your pet sitter. That is not only dishonest, but it is cruel. How could someone do that? There will be none of that here! I love animals so much, I wouldn't think to leave them in that kind of position. Hi, Cinn!! Thanks for stopping in and caring! Beek, he is a good boy. He really is. I love him to pieces! Hi, Nic! I tried. I really did. But no one liked the name but me!!! That's how brainstorming works--the bad ones fall away and the good ones remain. I liked Pet Nanny as soon as I heard it cuz it captured exactly what I will be doing. (Whereas, 'Herckleperckle Pet Care' didn't.) MB, that Pet Perks thing sounds adorable but leads one to think it is something other than the care I would be providing. So cuteness lost! CCG, love you, friend. You're always quietly there in my corner. Mwah! UPDATE on Pet Nanny I learned from my bank that I have to have my EIN number before I can open a business checking account. (Got the liabilty insurance yesterday.) Meeting with my SCORE guy tomorrow. Then I can get registered online with the State of Delaware and get moving on things.
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Justavice
Member
11-22-2005
| Wednesday, January 23, 2008 - 3:25 pm
Do you have a plan in place for what happens when you are sick or there is an emergency? As a pet owner, I would definitely want to know what would be happening in my home if you were not available for whatever reason and how I would be notified. Just something else to think about...
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Mameblanche
Member
08-24-2002
| Wednesday, January 23, 2008 - 4:05 pm
... and if you'll also babysit Owls.... Hootenanny. 
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Herckleperckle
Member
11-20-2003
| Wednesday, January 23, 2008 - 7:54 pm
Justavice, an excellent question. I did think of that and do have a plan, believe it or not. Just am not ready to execute it yet. One of the sites I found (when researching the competition) ASKS other businesses to coordinate with them. It looks very good--and they have a number of pet sitters on staff, but I will want to visit first just so I can be comfortable with my recommendation. [It's the one called Fetch.] I am thinking that I will supply that information in client packets once they have signed a contract with me. That way they will know ahead of time that there will be no real emergencies when it comes to reliable care. Cute, MB!!! Very cute!
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