Tamworth’s newest small business has hit the ground running, with The Rural Sitter quickly becoming an essential service for locals juggling the demands of animals, property and the realities of rural life.
Launched only in October, the business is already booked out months ahead, and founder Emily Hardman-Bate says the response has been nothing short of astonishing.
“It just exploded,” she said. “Within two weeks, I had bookings up until June next year.”
But the business, which specialises in pet sitting, rural property checks and high level equine care, began in circumstances Emily never expected.
“I had an accident where I broke both of my hips, and I could no longer work full time in racing,” she said. “So I needed something to do to generate an income that was not going to be physically demanding.”
With qualifications as an equine vet nurse, experience in small animal nursing and a lifetime spent on rural properties, Emily wondered if others might need short term help with their animals.
“I thought, I wonder if people need people to feed their dogs and cats, but not just that, but their horses and cattle,” she said. “Sort of a pet sitter, but very much geared towards rural and small agricultural.”
The service has attracted a wide variety of clients, from owners of stud bulls to pampered poodles, but the strongest demand has come from the region’s equine community. Emily has found her niche in the high performance horses often require detailed, specialised daily care that cannot be left to neighbours or teenagers earning pocket money.
“Most professionals who have the skill set are busy. They work full time or they have their own,” Emily said. “It is really tricky for equine people to get away.”
One client told Emily she had not had a Christmas away in 19 years. Others have been unable to attend funerals because they could not organise skilled care at short notice.
“My clients are just so grateful that I can help them to get away and spend time with their families,” she said.
She now oversees everything from twice daily visits to longer term arrangements where clients are overseas or completely off grid. The business has also uncovered a gap in short term management support for larger rural and equine operations. Emily is increasingly providing temporary oversight for commercial setups, stepping in to keep staff and routines on track when owners travel.
Growth has been swift, and Emily says her biggest challenge has been resisting the temptation to expand too quickly.
“My biggest challenge has been trying not to go too broad, because I am getting so excited,” she said. “The need surpasses what I can offer as one person at the moment.”
After the initial unexpected boom, she went back to the books and drew up a solid business plan and realistic strategies on how to throttle her growth, while not turning away paying customers. It’s a fine line for any new business to manage, but Emily has the reins firmly in hand.
She is already booked out for next year’s April school holidays and expects to explore hiring staff in future seasons, though she wants to be thoughtful and fair to anyone she brings on. For now, the work fits well with her ongoing recovery. After months in a recliner, unable to move far, just getting up and going to feed animals daily has been transformative.
“This brain fart business idea was the best thing that ever happened,” she said with a laugh.
For those thinking of starting a business, whether intentionally or by accident, Emily has simple advice.
“Believe in yourself. ”
Having battled imposter syndrome in the past business ventures, she says backing herself made all the difference this time.
“Do not self limit. We really can do anything, and if you are authentic and you have really good intentions, your market will naturally find you.”
In this series New England Times Investigates is unpacking some of the dynamics and forces driving our new business boom, and meeting some of the new business owners having a go. Read all the stories in this series here.
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