Renee Flott, a local business owner, gives pet owners peace of mind when they are out of town or simply at work, and that peace of mind has earned her an award from the Kansas Small Business Development Center.
Flott owns Pet Sitting Pal, a pet-sitting business that allows owners to keep their pets in their home instead of having them boarded when away. Flott will receiving an award at the Kansas Small Business of the Year recognition in Topeka on March 10.
Flott started her business in 2004, she said. She decided to start a pet-sitting business after doing some research and after taking a class from the Emporia State University Small Business Development Center. Flott is a member of Pet Sitters International and is insured and bonded.
Flott, who is a member of the board of the H. Dale Buck Fund, provides in-home pet sitting for her clients, she said. But her services don’t stop at that. She also brings in the mail and newspapers, puts out trash if needed and rotates lights and blinds to give the home a lived-in look. She also provides a pet taxi service, taking pets back and forth to grooming and veterinary appointments for people who are unable to do so. She also is certified in Red Cross First Aid and CPR.
Earlier this week, Flott was visiting Hatley, a Labrador retriever owned by Spence and Jen Nowinsky. Hatley gets daily walks while his owners are at work.
“I try to make it as normal a routine as possible,” Flott said on the way to walk Hatley.
To make that routine as close to normal as possible, Flott has an 11-page questionnaire that she fills out on each client prior to beginning services. The questionnaire provides Flott with all the information she needs on the pet, the pet’s medications, where the pet food is located, the pet’s routine and information about the home. Flott also gets contact and vacation information on the pet’s owners.
Flott’s job takes her all over Emporia as she sees an average of 14 pets a day. She also has some clients in towns surrounding Emporia. This led her to purchasing a Toyota Prius hybrid that gets 40 to 50 miles per gallon. Before that, she was driving a SUV that got a fraction of that mileage, she said.
“If it wasn’t for my hybrid Prius I wouldn’t be in business,” she said, adding that before purchasing her car, her profits were going into the gas tank.
“It’s the best business decision I ever made,” she said.
Flott said she enjoys her job.
“I get to spend all day long with pets,” she said as she walked Hatley. “I love it.”
And the pets Flott takes care of aren’t just cats and dogs. She takes care of anything, from fish to chinchillas.
The biggest challenge of having a pet-sitting business is the administration of medications, Flott added.
“There are several pets that are on medications,” she said. “I try to be so careful because I don’t want there to be problems.”
Flott said she has about 150 clients right now and is not taking new ones at this time.
For more information on Flott’s business, go to www.petsittingpal.com.
gazette_reader (anonymous) says...
Renee Flott is an incredible, caring pet sitter. I'm so glad to see she's being recognized for her work.
October 18, 2008 at 4:30 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Free4all (anonymous) says...
What a great idea for a business in Emporia. Good job
October 18, 2008 at 9:33 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
YaHooSis48 (anonymous) says...
RENEE: Talk about customer service, Renee knows how to provide peace of mind and excellent pet care. You are a blessing for Emporia and the pet owners here. Thanks, for a job well done!
October 19, 2008 at 7:40 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )