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An animal caretaker can invoice their work as a light entrepreneur without setting up a company. You agree on the care and prices with the client, and Truster handles the invoices, withholding tax according to your tax card, and the required reports to the authorities. The account is free and you only pay when you invoice, so you can start out with just a few regular clients alongside your studies or a day job.

#What kind of animal care work does a light entrepreneur do?

The most requested services are dog walking during workdays, pet sitting while the owner is on holiday — either visiting the client's home or hosting the pet at the caretaker's own place — and grooming and coat care for dogs and cats. Holiday seasons like summer and Christmas are peak demand periods for care services, when calendars fill up fast.

On the equine side, there's plenty of work at stables: stable shifts, feeding and turnout, and standing in as a substitute while the stable owner is off. Animal-care businesses such as pet spas and grooming salons also use freelance help during busy periods. As a light entrepreneur, you can invoice both private owners and businesses through the same app.

#Pricing and costs in animal care

Dog walking is typically priced per visit based on walk length, and regular clients are often sold weekly or monthly packages. Holiday pet sitting is priced per day of care, and grooming according to the dog's size and coat condition. Stable work is usually agreed as a per-shift or hourly rate. Make sure your price covers travel and supplies.

Typical costs include grooming tools and their sharpening, shampoos and coat-care products, leashes and other equipment, and travel between clients and stables. Costs and mileage are logged in the Truster app and are automatically factored into your pay.

Animal care clients can be found in pet-related Facebook groups, on caretaker-matching platforms and on notice boards, but the best channel is a happy client: pet owners are quick to recommend a trustworthy caretaker to one another. Introduce yourself and your experience clearly, mention your insurance, and ask for reviews to display, since the owner is entrusting you with a family member.

#Invoicing and pay with Truster

Regular dog-walking and stable-work clients are most conveniently invoiced with a combined invoice once a month, while holiday pet sitting and grooming are invoiced right after the job is done. It's worth invoicing even small amounts straight away, since creating an invoice only takes a moment. Maksuvahti tracks your receivables and follows up with the client on your behalf for 1.99 € per invoice.

If you need the money quickly, HetiPalkka pays out your wages even before the invoice due date, for a fee of 5% of the invoice amount. For monthly plan users, Truster Turva is included in the price, so you're insured while working in clients' homes and at stables.

Trust is everything in animal care, and many client relationships start through a personal connection or a recommendation. Light entrepreneurship makes your work credible: the client gets a proper invoice and receipt, and you handle your income correctly with the tax authorities right from the start.

Light entrepreneurship makes animal care a flexible source of income: you can take on clients only when you have time, and you pay nothing for quiet weeks. For students and shift workers, dog walking and holiday pet sitting fit around a schedule perfectly. If your business grows, you can expand into services like grooming without any new invoicing arrangements.

Outside peak seasons, it's worth staying in touch with regular clients: remind them about booking summer holiday care well in advance in spring, so your calendar fills up before your competitors'. Long-term care relationships are the industry's most valuable asset, since a familiar and trustworthy caretaker is invaluable to an owner.

#How much do you actually take home?

Truster's service fee is 3.99% of invoicing, or a flat 55 €/month, which suits high-volume invoicing. The service fee and statutory contributions are deducted from the invoice amount, and withholding tax is applied to your pay according to your own tax card. VAT is generally added to animal care invoices at the standard rate of 25.5%, and small-scale activity may fall outside VAT liability altogether — check the details at vero.fi (the Finnish Tax Administration's website).

Of the service fee options, the percentage-based 3.99% suits smaller-scale care work, while the flat 55 €/month suits a fully booked calendar. Price your visits so the fee covers travel and supplies, not just the time spent on the walk or at the stable.

The amount you take home depends on how much you invoice, your costs and your tax rate. On our Calculators page, you can try out your own prices and see straight away how much lands in your account.