What do you get when you buy a pet sitting business?
You usually get the client relationships, the pet care notes, the booking system, the sitter roster, the website and the reviews, plus the name. You do not get the trust clients placed in the previous owner, so plan how keys are handed over and how clients meet you.
A pet sitting business that works in clients’ homes has no premises and few assets you can touch. What you buy is mostly information and goodwill. Both are fragile in a business where clients let someone into their home while they are away. Know exactly what is being transferred, and how, before you agree to anything.
What is actually transferred
List the items in the agreement: the client list and booking history, each pet’s care notes, the scheduling and payment software, the sitter roster, the website, the phone number and the social accounts. Check that the seller owns each one. A reviews page on a platform may belong to the platform rather than the seller.
Keys and access codes
Home keys and alarm codes are the most sensitive part of the handover. Ask how they are stored and labelled, who holds copies and what happens when a sitter leaves. Each client should agree to the change in writing, and the seller should return or destroy copies once they have. Privacy rules may apply to the client list, so ask your lawyer.
Keeping clients who chose the owner
Many clients picked the person, not the company. Ask the seller to introduce you personally and to stay on for an agreed period. A short letter from the seller to clients, before you appear, helps. Do I have to stay on after I sell shows this from the seller’s side.
The seller-side view of pet services is in selling a pet services business in Canada. Read it to see what a prepared seller can hand over.
Related reading
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Sources
This answer is checked against primary sources. Links were last confirmed on the dates shown.
- 01Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentHow to conduct due diligence when buying a business
- 02Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentWhat are the steps to buying a business?
- 03Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentMajor pitfalls to avoid when negotiating a purchase agreement
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