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As small business owners we have a lot of perks:  if you work from home you can answer email in your slippers, you don’t get stuck in traffic, and nobody steals the “real” coffee from your desk.

But there is one more perk that is often forgotten.  Small business owners can have workplace pets without needing approval from management.  They can have a dog, cat, pet rat, parrot or all of the above.  And research shows over and over that pets in a stressful work environment lower the blood pressure of those around them.

Most people respond surprisingly well to pets.  Basic Orange has a studio cat called Selena, and some clients insist they see her every time they visit.  She greets them with enthusiasm, makes them feel special and just adds that extra bit of personal touch to the whole business.  Another business owner I know has his dog meet and greet clients at the gate, and on the odd occasion carries their bags for them.

Pets have the ability to add humour to a workplace.  They are the ones who will send an embarrassing half finished email by putting their big paw on the “enter” button, or the ones who sit on the scanner and manage to press that button too.  They want to play when all you want to do is finish that last sentence on your letter, or wave their eager tails over that pile of paperwork you spent hours sorting out.  And when the business stresses you out pets are there to remind you there are more important things in life.  Things like playing, sleeping and eating.

So how can clients see you have a workplace pet?

• They will think you have small children due to the number of toys lying around
• Socks appear in unusual places
• Fur or feathers may be floating around on a windy day
• Half chewed wires
• You hope your client has a sense of humour when the office cat decides to show off her latest catch
• Your timesheet includes 10 minutes per day allocated to administration.  In reality this is you searching for missing pens or chewed up pencils
• Wet paw prints and a trail of mud lead the way to your office