Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Amber Bergman. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Amber, thanks for joining us today. Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea

I was working at a busy veterinary hospital and boarding facility. We used to get quite a few calls from clients asking if we knew someone who would come into their home to care for their pets. There are a lot of dogs and especially cats that do not do well in a boarding facility. I had a lot of responsibilities while working at the vet, my favorite was working in the kennel taking care of the dogs and cats. While walking a dog outside I was just thinking about how happy I was in that moment caring for someone’s fur baby. I then started thinking about how many phone calls we receive asking for recommendations on pet sitters. I came home from work that night and had a discussion with my husband about how I think I would really enjoy being a pet sitter and that I might be great at it! He completely supported me, so I started doing research on how to start my own business. It seems like it didn’t take long before I was up and running! It is one of the best decisions I have ever made!

Amber, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I have always loved working with animals and knew it was what I was meant to do. For a long time, I struggled trying to find the right job for me. I worked at a veterinary hospital and really did enjoy it but felt like something was missing. When I would speak with my mom about how I wanted to find a career that I would thoroughly enjoy, she would ask me what it is I really wanted. My answer was always that I wanted to be hands on with animals but also wanted to be able to help people. I wasnt really sure where that would lead me until a couple of years later. When I made the decision to start my own pet sitting business I was very nervous but it just felt like it was the perfect thing for me! I have come pretty far since 2017 when I started and am learning everyday how to be a good business owner. There have been quite a few challenges and obstacles, like covid, gas prices, and inflation, but we are going strong! I love going to meet and greets and starting another great relationship with the clients and their pets. I am very proud to say that my business keeps growing every year and that I have added people to my team who share my love for animals. We strive to make it easy and stress free for both the clients and pets while on vacations or working a full time job. This is truly the best job, if you can even call it that!

Fuuriends Forever does pet sitting and dog walks. Every visit or “drop in” is 30 minutes long. We do a number of things while in the clients homes. We feed pets, give medications, clean litter boxes or waste in the yard, we go for walks, playtime, and of course our favorite, snuggle time! We follow the routine that is given by the clients and want to keep everything the same so it is less stress on the pets. It is the best feeling to walk into a home and the dogs are so excited or the cats immediately start rubbing on your legs. We love each and every pet like they are our own!

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

Since I worked at a veterinary hospital for a little over four years, I was able to build a lot of great relationships with my coworkers, administrators, and even clients. I am so thankful that I have been able to keep that close relationship with them. They refer me to their clients who have pets that do not do well in the boarding facility or the more elderly pets who would do better in the comfort of their own home. Another great way to gain clients is by word of mouth, whether it be by a neighbor or on a social media platform.

Has your business ever had a near-death moment? Would you mind sharing the story?

My business has had to overcome many obstacles. One of them being COVID19. I, like many other businesses got hit hard by the pandemic. I went from having a booked spring break in 2020 to having only one client for quite some time. I honestly did not think that I was going to be able to come back from it but once people were allowed to travel again things picked up right where they left off. I am still running into issues with getting back our daily and weekly dog walks since a lot of people still work from home. I also was very nervous when gas prices increased drastically. Since we go to clients homes a lot of this business is driving. I was afraid I was going to lose a lot of business when I had to increase my prices to make up for it. I am lucky to have amazing clients who all understand. This year we are noticing a little bit of decrease in traveling, when listening to other business owners in my industry they are experiencing the same thing, We are thankful for our clients and that we are still gaining new clients each month. It has been challenging here and there but I learn from every speedbump in the road.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.fuuriendsforeverllc.com
• Instagram: #fuuriendsforever
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/fuuriendsforeverllc
• Other: email: [email protected]