Finding the Right Pet-Sitting or Grooming Company?

It could be just me, but I get extremely cautious and weary when I send off my pets to a groomers or pet-sitting company that I've never gone to before. The concept of trusting other people that I don't know to take care of my babies is scary to me but sometimes I just have to do it in order to live a certain life (business outings for a couple days at a time or to give my pet a chance to feel pampered).

I guess for me, I'm just so clingy to my pets and I usually take care of them on a daily basis, but to have someone else take care of them for a bit is almost like giving up time. I guess the best analogy is when you have a newborn and you have to go to work, so you hire a babysitter or you take them to a sitters company for the day 5 days a week. You'd feel alarmed, right? That is exactly how I feel when I do this to my pets!

Does anyone else feel the same way? In addition, when you found a company for grooming or pet-sitting, how did you know that that was the company you were going to choose? How long until you found a company that was worth it for your pet and perhaps even your wallet?