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Why business owners are turning to homesitters when they go away
Posted on 1 January, 2018
![Travers Nettleton with Archie and Bruno](/assets/cache_image/assets/img/net018_700x0_c36.jpg)
The UK is a nation of small business owners and according to the National Federation of Self Employed and Small Businesses (FSB)[i] small businesses accounted for 99.3% of all private sector businesses at the start of 2017.
Many small business owners worry about taking time off and a report earlier this year by retail bank Aldermore[ii] suggested bosses in more than half (52 per cent) of all small businesses say they only took five days holiday or less last year.
When they do go away for work or pleasure, we are finding that many business owners are turning to homesitters to keep their home secure and look after any pets. A growing number of our clients are small business owners and they often need to travel for business. Therefore they need a reliable way to get hold of someone to look after their pets.
Most are reluctant to put their much loved pets in kennels or catteries, which they feel would be too distressing pets. For the increasing number of people who are self-employed and work at home this can be even more of an issue as their pets are rarely left alone in the day and used to having company around all the time.
For some business owners their home is also their work place. Employing a homesitter can therefore be the ideal solution. Not only are pets cared for in their home environment with minimal disruption, but there is the extra reassurance that their home looks occupied and should anything happen there is someone on hand to deal with an emergency.
Regular homesitters also get to know the home and pets well, so it’s one less thing for clients to have to worry about.
One couple who have been using Homesitters Ltd for three years to look after their two dogs, Archie and Bruno are business owners Travers and Katie Nettleton of Marlborough who run Garden Art Plus in Hungerford, a business which specialises in antique garden ornaments and statues and garden design.
The company exhibits at Chelsea Flower Show every year and the Nettletons find it greatly reassuring that Archie and Bruno are well looked after by Homesitters while they’re away. The couple take pride in their own garden, so when they travel in the summer they’re glad to have someone staying in the house that can water the plants while they’re away.
They are also keen skiers and appreciate having someone reliable staying in the house when they holiday during the winter months to keep an eye on things. If there were ever any problems such as frozen pipes, power cuts or flooding they know that there is someone in the house that can deal with it.
They find the service very reassuring as they get to meet the homesitters before the assignment begins which takes away any worries they may have. They are always delighted to return to an immaculate home, with happy dogs and even some milk and bread left by their homesitter.
Another couple, Oxfordshire based Gwen Lawler and her husband work in entertainment and run a production company from their home. They find the service a real lifeline as they are frequent business travellers and use homesitters to look after their pet dog and cat, Bilbo and Baggins.
As they work from home their pets are used to them being there all day, so companionship is very important for them when they are away. They wouldn’t put them in a kennel and cattery as it would be too much of a disruption – for Bilbo especially as he prefers the company of humans to other dogs.
They say that using our services is money well spent to give the pets stability, and they can always rely on us to provide a homesitter at the eleventh hour if needed. They also feel reassured to know that the house is occupied as there have been several burglaries in the local area recently.
If you regularly travel on business or pleasure and want to ensure your home and pets are looked after by a professional, reliable and caring homesitter, please get in touch on 01296 630 730 or make a booking online at https://www.homesitters.co.uk/booking-form/.
[ i ] http://www.fsb.org.uk/media-centre/small-business-...
[ ii ] https://www.aldermore.co.uk/media/3813/sme-future-...
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