Choose the service
Dog walks, home visits, feeding and overnight pet sitting require different amounts of time and responsibility. Start with the service you can reliably deliver and check whether local rules or licences apply to the activity you plan to offer.
Meet owners and pets first
Discuss routines, behaviour, medical needs, emergency contacts, keys and what should happen if a pet becomes ill. Do not accept an animal you cannot safely handle.
Check insurance and platform terms
Understand what cover you have, whether through your own policy or a platform, and what is excluded. If driving pets, check that your vehicle and insurance arrangements are suitable.
Set a workable service area
Travel can destroy the hourly return. Cluster bookings geographically and include travel, handovers and messages when calculating your time.
Build trust slowly
Reliability, clear communication and honest updates matter. Ask satisfied clients for reviews where appropriate, but never publish personal details or pet/home information without permission.
Income and records
HMRC specifically lists services such as dog walking among activities that can produce trading income. Keep records of payments and relevant costs and check the current trading-allowance and Self Assessment rules.