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The pressure of managing a small pet sitting business, combined with my Type A personality, has taken a toll on my health.

Elaine Varelas provides potential solutions, such as hiring a co-manager, scaling back operations, or focusing on a smaller team to regain control and reduce stress for small business owners.

Ask the Job Doc. Boston.com

November 20, 2024

2 minutes to read

Q. I run a small and successful pet sitting business. I have a team of four employees and business is booming. The problem? The stress of running a small business and my Type A personality has negatively impacted my health. I’ve had countless discussions with my husband about this, but I just don’t know what to do.

A. Running a successful pet sitting business can be incredibly rewarding, but it also comes with significant challenges that can impact your health and well-being. As most pet owners know, especially post-COVID, pet sitters who are trustworthy and are really invested in the health and happiness of your pets can have a very successful business. They are in demand and are paid well. And finding good pet sitters, whether through an online platform like Rover or through word of mouth in your neighborhood, is not something people want to take chances on. Fur babies are just as important as children to people who have them.

Knowing that, the fact that you take the success of your business, and the professionalism of your employees so seriously is certainly valued by your clients. The downside is that it is clearly impacting you in a negative way. As any small business owner knows, regardless of the type of business, employees are the most important part of your business and are often the biggest challenge. No one values your business as much as you do. Possessing a Type A personality may lead you to be concerned that everything meets your high standards and that can be difficult when managing employees.

If you find that it’s impacting you and your health so negatively that you are seeking support from your husband and maybe others, it is probably becoming clear that you need to make some significant changes. Taking things less seriously doesn’t sound like it’s in your DNA. What people typically do when faced with similar situations is they either hire a co-manager or co-owner who they believe feels as strongly about the success of the business as they do, or they scale back to something that they can manage much more easily, and on their own, on a day-to-day basis. You may find that you may find that having no employees suits your personality better, or just one employee that you can trust and feel confident in.

Many business owners initially make decisions based primarily on financial considerations. However, when these decisions begin to impact their health, they often start to incorporate different perspectives into their decision-making process regarding the future size of their business. I encourage you to try out different options. If you can find a partner and partnership is something that you are capable of, that might be a great option. If you can find a manager that you feel strongly about, that might be a great second option. And the third option again, is to control what you can control, which is only you. That’s the reality. Scaling is all about losing control and needing to have confidence in your employees.

Don’t let burnout impact your health. Have open and honest discussions with your husband to explore options such as temporarily scaling back the business, bringing on a partner, or even considering an exit strategy if that aligns with your long-term objectives. If you do decide to go back to a solo business, select the clients you want to retain carefully. Ensure that they are individuals who enrich your life and genuinely appreciate the quality of your pet sitting services.