May 29, 2017
By Jill Nelson, owner of hot diggity! dog walking + pet sitting.
I am the proud owner of Hot Diggity! Dog Walking and Pet Sitting in Seattle, but walking dogs for a living was never one of my aspirations growing up. As early as high school I knew I wanted to be in business. That said, I have always loved animals. Growing up we had dogs, cats, goats, chickens and ducks on our 10-acre home in Iowa.
After earning both an undergraduate degree in Business Management and an MBA I built my career running several different types of retail businesses and then working for a while as a business consultant. Buying Hot Diggity a couple years ago brought me back to the many of my roots, it gave me the opportunity to work with animals and actively running a business instead of advising other business owners and I am loving it!
Hot Diggity! was started in Portland OR in 2001 and has expanded to Vancouver, WA, and Seattle, WA, over the last 5 years. The company offers a wide range of services, most provided in the clients home where their pets enjoy familiar surroundings and reduced stress. From dog walking, to drop-in and overnight pet care, and even taxi services, Hot Diggity! Provides premium service at an affordable rate. We pride ourselves on great service to all our clients, two-legged and four-legged! I have a great team of around a dozen walkers who cover most of the Seattle Metro area. A list of all the zip codes we cover is on our website. We also offer an availability guarantee for our regular clients, which is above and beyond in this industry.
As soon as I acquired the Seattle location I knew I needed to join the GSBA. I have long been active in the Portland OR Chamber, PABA, and Hot Diggity! Seattle is an LGBTBE certified business. When running a consulting company a majority of my referrals came through my chamber and NGLCC connections. As a small business owner I know the value of networking and building relationships. I also know how much the LGBT communities love their pets, so joining was a no-brainer. Being a part of GSBA has already had a positive impact on my business both from the people I have met and the marketing opportunities has provided. I also appreciate the voice in the community that the chamber give to its members. Especially in this political climate we need to work together and make sure our voices are heard. As far as I am concerned, if you are an LGBT business owner, being a member of GSBA is just good business!
