ANGELA Fagan set up Trust My Pet Sitter in 2018 after she nearly had to cancel a family holiday because she couldn’t find a suitable solution for her pets. She launched the website and app in November 2019 and has already attracted sign ups from across 15 countries.

Name: Angela Fagan

Age: 52

Position: Founder

WHAT IS THE BUSINESS CALLED?

Trust My Pet Sitter

WHERE IS IT BASED?

Edinburgh

WHY DID YOU SET UP THE BUSINESS?

I HAVE dogs and cats and when I went on holiday there was always the question of who will look after the pets. Kennels were not an option. I thought of a pet sitter and the dogs loved it and were so happy when I got back. I’ve been running my own business since I had my daughter Sinead who is now 17. Previously I helped other people set up businesses. In 2006 I launched Net Nanny internet filtering software into the UK online and retail marketplaces. It was stocked in Tesco, Staples, Amazon and major mobile network providers. I always liked being in the background but my passion for pets encouraged me to go for it.

I have a pre-seed round of investment coming up with family and friends contributing and we’re going to launch a crowdfunding campaign. The cash will go towards setting up an office base in Glasgow, marketing and staff. There’s only three of us just now.

My daughter works with me and she’s an exceptionally good help with social media and makes graphics. We’re a mother and daughter team and both have the same objective to bring a solution out there to people. I was inspired by the story of Debbie Wosskow, who founded Love Home Swap after spotting a gap in the home swapping market. Often by taking your own personal experiences into account you can spot a way of disrupting the established players – and that’s exactly what Debbie did. I also can’t ignore the phenomenal success of the home-sharing platform Airbnb and how they disrupted the short-term holiday market. What started out as an idea from three ordinary guys to provide air mattresses for one-night stays turned into the largest provider of accommodation in the world.

WHAT IS YOUR TARGET MARKET?

WE’RE different to most competitors because they are primarily for dogs. We’re for all pets. You can search for pet type on the site. People love it. A chap from Canada came to Scotland to pet sit and he played golf and lived like a local. It’s a mixture of home swap and Airbnb. I always miss my dog when I’m on holiday so it’s great to receive updates.

HOW IS IT DIFFERENT FROM COMPETING BUSINESSES?

WE don’t have a direct competitor. You could travel the world looking after other people’s pets while getting paid for it. We don’t have an exact match out there.

IS SCOTLAND A GOOD PLACE FOR THIS TYPE OF BUSINESS?

ABSOLUTELY. The great thing about this business is that it is online so you can do it anywhere but we’ve had great support from the Scottish entrepreneurial network. Americans love Scottishness so we can use that to our advantage. We’re hoping to attend the New York Kiltwalk parade and promote Scottishness there.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT RUNNING THE BUSINESS?

I LOVE the free reign you have to do your very best. You get to speak to interesting people and different pet parents. There’s enthusiasm behind it. To young kids out there I would say if you are good at something and have passion for it you could set up your own business. You have a community of like-minded people around you. Having an online business means you don’t all need to be in the same place at the same time.

WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE IN RUNNING THE BUSINESS?

TRYING to do everything with no money means you are wearing lots of hats as a small business. It’s about making sure you concentrate on the right things. It’s always challenging.

WHERE DO YOU HOPE THE BUSINESS WILL BE IN 10 YEARS’ TIME?

UP there with all the great Scottish tech companies and challenging the way pet parents think about travel. Who would have thought Love Home Swap would work? You never know, Trust My Pet Sitter could be as big.