Meet Angela Ramirez

Today we’d like to introduce you to Angela Ramirez.

Hi Angela, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I started pet sitting during my last semester of college on a website called Rover. Shortly after I graduated from Kansas State University with a Bachelors in Animal Science, I moved to Kansas City, where I continued pet sitting through Rover. I would get quite a few requests when I first moved here and it was from there that I had gained a few regular clients. It wasn’t until a few years later that I would get inspired to start my own pet sitting business. My sisters would make comments about how I needed my own business cards and I thought it wouldn’t be a bad idea to market myself, Kansas City is very dog friendly and it seemed like almost everyone had a dog.

I started looking into how I could professionalize pet sitting. I researched what steps I needed to take to establish a legitimate business. Fortunately, for me, it was fairly easy to get started and from my search, I found an organization called Pet Sitters International. They provided me the resources I needed to get started, such as contract samples, best practices, and even provided a discount for insurance needed to protect myself and my business. They also connected me to their network of other professional sitters. I then hired my friend, who is a graphic designer, to create my logos, and I invested in a professional camera so that I could take better quality photos of the pets. I was really invested in creating something I could be proud of and present to Kansas City pet owners.

This past June, I had my one-year anniversary of the launch my website. Despite the limitations of the global pandemic, I would say I had a pretty successful first year. I couldn’t be happier with my decision to put myself out there and take those first steps on being my own boss and having built something on my own.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The biggest obstacle I had was COVID-19; last year, around March, I was ready to go live with my website and announce on social media that I was starting my own pet sitting business. But then COVID had shut down just about everything, places were closing and travel was halted. A huge part of my business depends on people traveling and needing someone to watch their pets while they go on vacations or work trips, so it seemed pointless to follow through with the launch. I was fortunate enough to be able to take the “delay” as a positive and took the time to fine-tune my website and was able to give my graphic designer some work, as some of her other projects were put on hold.

I also work full-time during the week so I often have to communicate with clients during my breaks and schedule meet and greets after work or on the weekends. I feel like a lot of small business owners and entrepreneurs can agree that we do a lot from; marketing, social media, accounting, scheduling and managing. It can be a lot a work to keep up with at times.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Angela’s Pet Sitting KC specializes in personalized care of your pets in the comfort of their own home or in the comfort of my apartment. Oftentimes regular boarding environments can cause stress to the pets and they often spend most of their time in a kennel. While in my care, I aim to keep them engaged, whether it’s going on a walk or a trip to the dog park, and provide them the care and attention they deserve. I love every pet as if they were my own!

I offer overnight stays; this is where I stay overnight at the client’s home and essentially live there for the duration of the scheduled visit. I would recommend this service if you have multiple dogs/large dogs, senior pets, or cats; they are more likely to thrive in their original environment while you are away. I also offer boarding at my apartment, you just bring their food/toys/treats and we’re set. I can accommodate pets up to 50lbs, however, I recommend this service for small/medium-sized dogs. Additionally, I offer drop-in visits, starting at 15 minutes, during drop in’s I take care of their basic needs (food/water & potty break). I would recommend this service for cats or low-maintenance dogs/senior pets.

I do have a full-time day job, so if you have an active puppy or high-energy pet, I may not be the best fit and that’s ok! However, I am most proud of my dedication to my clients and their pets when I am not at work. I specialize in the care for dogs & cats, but I also have some experience in care for exotics/other animals (ferrets, reptiles, chickens, fish). I can also administer medications (injections, pills, or topicals).

So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
Happiness matters the most to me because I felt unhappy for a long time, mainly from feeling a bit lost with not knowing exactly what I wanted to do after college. I didn’t think I was capable of creating and running a business because I’m naturally shy and introverted, so the thought of being the “face” of anything seemed impossible to me. But once I put those self-limiting beliefs away, I felt like I was finally going in the right direction to finding what would make me happy. Creating Angela’s Pet Sitting KC, caring for all kinds of pets and having their owners trust me with them has made me very happy!

Pricing:

• Boarding- Starting at $40/Day
• Overnights- Starting at $40/Day
• Drop In- $15/15 min
• Drop In- $20/30 min

Contact Info:

• Email: angelaspetsittingkc@gmail.com
• Website: www.angelaspetsittingkc.com
• Instagram: @APSKansascity
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APSkansascity

Image Credits
Feature photo and self-portrait taken by Hayla Demel.