Like so many New Yorkers, Stephanie Riversato spent a decade in Long Island, but her heart was in Brooklyn, where she started her pet care business in 2018, Bushwick Pet Care. 🐾
Having seen so many businesses where walkers seemed to have impersonal relationships with the pets and pet parents they worked with, Stephanie set out to start something better.
“I wanted to make sure we were creating a personal business. With so many bigger dog walking companies, there isn’t a lot of consistency in who the walker is. People need to trust their dog walkers and that means creating a real relationship.”
Building relationships is more than just between people and dogs. It is also how they make up their packs. While location and timing are one way to group dogs together, finding the right personality match is just as important in having a well-mannered and enjoyable experience.
And when things go really well, Stephanie has seen dogs become friends outside of their group walks. In fact, some families have turned post-group walk puppy play dates into strong human & canine friendships, earning her the nickname of “the puppy matchmaker.” ❤️
Staying in Business During COVID
While things were booming in 2018-2019, like most pet care professionals 2020-21 has been tough for the whole team (she employs two full-time walkers, Greg and Adam.)
The key to staying afloat has been expanding what Bushwick Pet Care offers.
As clients started working from home or leaving Brooklyn altogether, Stephanie knew she needed to extend beyond the small area they served. Now, they are willing to go further out of the neighborhood. They also started offering more solo walks than ever before to stay safe.
In addition, Stephanie has added grooming to the services that Bushwick provides in an effort to be more of a one-stop-shop for clients. (It’s nice to have a roommate who is a groomer!)
So far, it is working. While many of the other pet care businesses in the area have closed, Bushwick has survived.
Finding the Right Software at the Right Price
With more services being offered and less income, Stephanie needed to manage her scheduling, invoicing, and client information in a way that worked for her situation, so she turned to PetPocketbook.
“I had been using Time to Pet, but we needed to manage our costs and it was too expensive to have our part-time walkers on there. Because PetPocketbook doesn’t charge based on how big my team is, I was able to save money and get everything I needed and more.”
“Today, PetPocketbook makes everything easier for me and my clients. It’s mobile-friendly (and really cute) and instead of spending my time figuring out billing and pay, I can spend more time in the field doing what I love.”
We’re happy we’ve played a small part in keeping Bushwick Pet Care afloat through the last year and are looking forward to an even better future for Stephanie and her team!