by Valynne | Aug 27, 2012 | Travel |
Pre Isaac View From our Lanai in Sanibel - Day 1
Paul had business in Orlando this past week, so we did something we haven’t done before. We planned a vacation, mainly in Key West, during hurricane season. I flew to Orlando and met him there this past Thursday. I finally got to meet Paul’s boss and most of his co-workers from around the world (Croatia, Brazil, Switzerland, and Australia). This alone was worth the trip out for me. We had a lovely meal at Moonfish that night and headed south to Sanibel Island the next day. Our plan was to spend two nights here in Sanibel, but we have extended it to four, owing to Isaac.
The View From our Lanai in Sanibel on Day 2
Paul and I are having way more fun than a couple whose plans have been derailed by a hurricane should. Our digs at Casa Ybel are perfect for storm viewing. We can see miles out to sea from our sheltered lanai and the sounds of the wind and the waves are intoxicating (along with the hurricane party drinks). So, while we would rather be in the pool (me) or at the bar next to the pool (Paul) at present, we continue to enjoy ourselves. It will be a relief to see the end of Isaac but in the meantime we are hunkered in with plenty of food, water, candles, etc. So far, so good here on Sanibel.
The View From our Lanai in Sanibel on Day 3 - (Almost) Post Isaac
The resort has taken all necessary precautions and I am shocked and delighted at the fact that we haven’t lost power, like so many of our Florida neighbors have. We were upgraded upon arrival and have a full kitchen and a full bath, which means we were able to stock up on groceries and fill the tub with extra water, just in case. If you are going to be stuck-in, this is the place for it!
Candle Lit Dinners at Thistle Lodge
I cannot seem to get a shot of the Atlantic that does it any kind of justice. We both love being on the ocean and to see miles out from our quarters during a storm is pretty awe inspiring. Below is a mediocre (sorry) zoom shot from the deck. I am trying to figure out how to post a short video, which gives a better idea of what the storm is really like.
A Close Up From the Sanibel Lanai Today
Thank you, friends and family for checking in on us. We are doing just fine and are hopeful that Isaac will decide to go easy on the Gulf Coast and everywhere else in the coming days. And for those of you in its path, please continue to keep us posted, either here or on facebook.
PS I will be sharing some big news here on the blog in the next day or so *** teaser alert *** we are VERY close to making our next sit official…
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by Valynne | Jul 16, 2012 | Caretaking / House and Pet Sitting |
Most of you know that Paul and I have been caring for properties and pets across the US for just about three years now. We sold Paul’s house in Colorado, along with most of our belongings in 2009 . Since then, our sits have consisted of a year in Cape Cod, MA, two weeks in Cambridge, MA, six months on Signal Mountain, TN, three weeks in Lake Charles, LA, and three months in Portland, OR. We liked Portland so much that we ended up renting a small house and have done several short-term local sits since then (October marks one year of living here on NE Wygant Street).
Hiking in Sedona, AZ Between Sits
As Caretaking Couple, we have had a total of (almost) four months off between/during sits. The majority of that time has been spent on the road (visiting over thirty states), with the exception of one delightful month in an old Victorian just seconds from the Atlantic Ocean in Provincetown, MA. I have posted just about all of our travels in the past three years right here on this blog. You can enter a place in the “Search” box to the right and if we have been there, there will most likely be a blog post about it.
A lot of people ask us where we find these sits and how we end up being chosen for the job. This has been mentioned before here on the blog, but since it is such a popular question I figured I would bring it up again and go into more detail. The following is a list of my top ten suggestions on finding house and/or pet sits:
1. Subscribe to a couple of websites that match people who need help caring for their properties and/or pets with people looking for properties and/or pets to care for. The two sites I chose were Caretaker Gazette and Housecarers. Since then, I have tried different sites, but these are the two that I keep going back to (I do the research and then run the interesting opportunities by Paul).
2. After spending some time perusing opportunities on the sites listed above, come up with an ad (Caretaker Gazette), or profile (Housecarers), of your own. I made sure ours conveyed our personalities and let people know the basics about us and what we have to offer. It doesn’t have to be long ~ a paragraph or two at the most. Be sure to add a picture as well if that is an option.
3. Compile a list of references. You will be asked for one 100% of the time. When we were just starting out, I included sits I had done on my own over the years and personal references that could vouch for our character (friends, business associates, and neighbors). A written reference is great ~ ask for one. We haven’t received written references from everyone we asked, (some people are busy, some aren’t big into writing) but all have given permission to be contacted via phone/e-mail.
4. Go after interesting opportunities instead of waiting for them to find you. Especially in the beginning (like any business, it can take a little while to get established). Let everyone know what you are up to – word of mouth works wonders : ) Try not to take it personally if you aren’t given each and every sit you go after…just keep looking for that perfect (sit) fit. And don’t just take anything that comes along…if you are afraid of Chihuahuas, don’t commit to a sit that includes them just because you have been offered it.
5. Start a blog and post on it on a consistent basis. This is a great way to get a name for yourself in cyberspace. You can get a free account with WordPress. This will make you so much easier to find, connect you with like-minded people all over the world, and establish you as an expert (just be sure to post relevant information).
6. Answer all inquiries, whether interested or not. Sits come and go constantly and matching sits with sitters can be tricky. Communication is key (i.e. nobody likes to be left hanging).
7. Print up some business cards. We are currently using Moo and get compliments on our cards all of the time. Most people are online these days, but cards serve to remind potential clients where to find you.
8. Let everyone know what you are looking for. For example, we are now interested in finding a long-term sit in Northern California, and I am putting out an APB (All Points Bulletin). You never know who might know someone who is looking for someone just like you!
9. Join a professional house and pet sitter organization. We recommend National Association of Professional Pet Sitters. Establishing a rapport with other sitters is interesting and fun, and you will learn about your field ten times faster than going it on your own.
10. Get bonded and insured. I suggest you do this through a professional organization like NAPPS. Most homeowners will make sure you are covered in their policy but it is worth the $ to have that extra piece of mind. We have had no problems and you probably won’t either but I have heard a few horror stories and am not willing to risk it.
*Bonus Suggestion* Go old-school and place ads in local papers where you want to live. Disclaimer – we are doing this for the first time. We just placed an ad in the Carmel Pine Cone as we are both hoping to find something in that part of California (the Oregon/California coast is calling to us both).
If you would like me to go into more detail on any of the above suggestions, just leave a comment here on this post. Best of luck in finding your next sit, and be sure to keep us posted on your progress!
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by Valynne | Jul 5, 2012 | A Quick Question |
Front Porch Decor Brought to you by Wildflowers and Neighbor Cat
Paul and I have been in NE Portland a little over a year now. Initially, we came here on a three month sit. Next thing you know, we are renting a sweet little Craftsman smack dab in the heart of the Alberta Arts District and close to just about everything we love about Portland. We have had a great time furnishing it and making it homey. The garden has been a highlight of our summer and I often wonder how we ever got on without a front porch.
From 2009 to 2011 Caretaking Couple was simply the two of us, traveling around the States and taking care of people’s properties and pets. Each sit has been a bit different than the one before and we have learned so much along the way. As I have said before, we aren’t going anywhere until the fall, as summer in Portland is absolutely divine (and well-earned after a long, wet winter)…but now that fall is just around the corner we find ourselves at a crossroads.
Do we stay here in Portland, because we are happy here, or do we continue on our adventures, because we love adventures?
Of course, I have given some thought to the pros and cons of staying put…
Pros:
We have a comfortable place to stay. Our neighbors are nice. The landlords are great. We have room for guests. We have privacy. We don’t have to worry about other people’s things. We are able to enjoy our things. I have built up a decent little pet sitting business here in the neighborhood. We can walk or bus to our favorite places. Our garden is awesome. We are in an urban area with lots to do. This community suits the both of us.
Cons:
The rent is high for two people, especially when we can be long-term sitting for $0. The landlords would like to sell. We are in one place (I like to travel more, but most of our sits here are on weekends ~ the only time Paul is able to get away). Work is hard to come by…twice I have been offered jobs, spent my own time and money preparing for them only to find out that they weren’t really jobs after all (super frustrating). There are urban issues like gentrification and crime. And with this beautiful home comes maintenance (time that could be spent wandering). And it is true what they say about the rain…
So, what would you do if you were in our situation? We are curious!
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by Valynne | Jun 3, 2012 | Causes We Believe In, Friends of Caretaking Couple, Technology, Travel, Writers and Readers |
The $100 Startup
A couple of weeks ago, I won a copy of Chris Guillebeau’s latest book, The $100 Startup via his facebook page. I have read it twice since. If you would like to “Reinvent the way you make a living, do what you love, and create a new future”, then this book is for you. I did a lot of highlighting and thought I would give all of you kindred spirits out there a teaser…
1. “Two years ago in Minneapolis, Lisa Sellman attracted my attention by telling me about her dog care business. At first, I didn’t think much of it. How profitable could a dog business be? But then Lisa told me how much money she made: $88,000 the previous year and on track to clear six figures the next.”
This one appeals to me for obvious reasons : ) Pick something you love and pursue it.
2. “To succeed in a business project, especially one you’re excited about, it helps to think carefully about all the skills you have that could be helpful to others and particularly about the combination of those skills.”
What are your skills? Write them down and brainstorm. Some of the entrepreneurs featured in this book are doing things I never would have guessed there would be a market for. Good for them!
3. “The basics of starting a business are very simple; you don’t need an MBA (keep the $60,00 tuition), venture capital, or even a detailed plan. You just need a product or service, a group of people willing to pay for it, and a way to get paid.”
Having a diploma doesn’t guarantee success and not having one certainly doesn’t equal failure. More startup capital would have been nice when it came to my businesses, but it wasn’t a necessity and less important than my goal of becoming debt-free.
4. He kept waiting for it to be perfect…and then he kept waiting. “I finally just had to give up on perfection and get the thing out the door,” he said later.
Odds are you do not have to wait until you finish taking those classes or writing that business plan to get going on that exciting project. I struggle with this one and am really trying to just learn as I go versus reaching ‘perfection’ before even trying something new. Obviously, this is relative. I am not performing surgery on anyone, after all. Odds are you aren’t either.
5. “The point is to do what makes sense to you. Get up in the morning and get to work.”
It is hard to work at something that doesn’t feel right. So many of us complain about our jobs over and over, all of the time. If this is you, please ask yourself what it is you would rather be doing and brainstorm ways of making that happen. You will be doing yourself and everyone around you a huge favor.
6. “Low paying buyers are the worst,” one business owner who sold a broad range of products at different prices told me. “We have far more complaints from people who pay $10 and expect the world than from those who pay $1,000.”
Some people will appreciate you and your services and some won’t. It does not behoove you to take it personally; those people are most likely treating everyone around them the way they have treated you. Let them and their $10 go. Seriously.
7. “My rule of thumb is that a successful partnership (or any type of collaboration) should create a combined business which is at least 33 percent larger than the sum of what the two individuals can achieve on their own.” Ralf Hildebrandt
I hadn’t looked at Caretaking Couple like that before, but it is absolutely true for us. We can say yes to more opportunities as a team. While we split a lot of CC down the middle, I enjoy promoting our biz via networking and social media, while Paul is really good at packing up the 4Runner and mapping our routes when it comes time for our next sit. We save a lot of time & money this way.
8. “All the bad days have two things in common: You know the right thing to do, but you let somebody talk you out of doing it.” Tom Bihn.
Tune out those that think they know what is best for you when it comes to your business and your personal life. You know what is best for you. Respect to the intuition.
9. “Without a doubt, the smartest decision I made was to set a specific intention to not grow the business. Growing up as the daughter of an entrepreneur, I watched my father’s creativity and inventor mind-set get sapped as the business grew from just him to over fifty employees.” Cherie Ve Ard
Go with what feels right to you and your business model. Again, don’t listen to what everyone else says (especially those that have never owned and operated a business). By the way, if you are a fan of location independence, you owe it to yourself to check out technomadia.
10. “There’s no rehab program for being addicted to freedom. Once you’ve seen what it’s like on the other side, good luck trying to follow someone else’s rules ever again.”
Amen.
Chris Guillebeau will be at Powell’s Books in Portland, OR on Wednesday. Click here if you would like to catch him on tour!
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by Valynne | May 26, 2012 | A Quick Question, Caretaking / House and Pet Sitting, CC Contests!, Travel |
Paul and Valynne at The Smallest Bar in Key West ~ 2008
Paul and I aren’t wandering much farther than Portland this summer, aside from an occasional drive to the Pacific or train ride to Seattle. This is because Portland is absolutely gorgeous in the summer and we have local pet sits lined up through August. In late August, Paul is spending a week in Orlando, Florida with his boss and co-workers from around the globe. I will meet him there the first week of September (yay!). Yes, this is a hot time to be in Florida. That is why we are renting a convertible and heading for the Florida Keys … Key West, to be exact. But not before visiting The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando. Cannot wait and am actually wearing a Muggle shirt as I type this. Feel free to call me a nerd. Don’t care.
I'm a Muggle
OK, back to Key West. Key West is one of our favorite places here in the US. Nothing is set in stone, but I will be keeping an eye out for a potential long-term sit of the island variety beginning in late fall/early winter. Both Key West and Northern California are on our radar at present. We love Portland and would be happy to stay here, as well…it is just that yours truly has a serious case of Wanderlust (by the way, have you seen the movie yet? I got a total kick out of it) and it is true what they say about Portland being a bit…soggy for a good several months of the year. And the tagline for Caretaking Couple is “Caring For Properties and Pets Across the US”, after all.
Have you been to Key West? If so, tell us about it. If not, where have you been that you would love to get back to? Or, where haven’t you been that you would really, really like to visit? Leave a comment on this post or any other for a chance to win a prize (details here) and I will draw a name on Monday, 5/28. Thanks for keeping in touch!
