I set up Sitter4pets in 2004. I come from a corporate background, working in The Law Courts and an Insolvency firm dealing with Individual Voluntary Arrangements and Bankruptcies.
I was involved in a road traffic accident in 2002 which damaged my hip causing me to have 7 years off work on long term sick and in constant pain. Following lots of scans, tests and operations, I finally had an operation to repair my hip. While I was convalescing, I was asked to look after my cousin’s two dogs and three cats while they went on holiday for two weeks.
I found that I really enjoyed this work and that’s how Sitter4pets came to be.
I have put all my energy into building this business up from scratch and now enjoy looking after a long list of loyal clients and their pets.

I am a self-confessed control freak and I am very organised with how the business operates. I have designed and created this Sitter4pets SharePortal and my partner, Martin, is the one that does the programming side. This SharePortal helps me with the administrative side of things and make things even easier for my sitters to access what they need.

I have two sitters, David and Sue and they have been with me for the last 5 years. Our little team works really well. Whenever a booking comes in and I am available, I will take it on. If I am not available, I will offer the booking to all my sitters who have a choice whether to accept it or not.

When they do accept a booking, the sitter is provided with everything they need to look after the client’s property and pets via this Sitter4pets SharePortal. The sitter monitors the pet’s wellbeing by noting their meal times, walking times and any medications etc. The SharePortal also allows the sitter to note when they have taken the bins out, watered the plants and completed house security checks. The client can then log in whenever they like to see the sitters report and know that everything is being taken care of.

This business is my baby and my main focus is to make sure each client’s home and pets are looked after to our highest standards which encourages them to come back to us time and time again.
My plan is to have about 8 sitters who will take on more of my work thus freeing up more of my time so that I don’t have to work every day of the year. I would like to take a step back one day and become a manager of the business, allowing my sitters to cover the bookings and for me to continue making sure that everything runs smoothly.