How To Start A Dog Care Business – A complete guide with all the resources you need to start your own dog walking business – updated for 2022!
Starting a new dog walking business can be very exciting and a little overwhelming. There’s no denying running your own business, being your own boss, and spending your days enjoying the company of dogs and pets. Deciding to start your own dog walking business is a big step in itself, but follow through is critical when starting your new pet care company.
How To Start A Dog Care Business
There are many iterations of dog walkers in the industry today. They range from large online companies that offer on-demand services through a mobile application, from gig workers, to companies with large teams operating in multiple states, to local pet sitting and dog walking companies that specialize in one city. Have, and even teenagers on the street. who walks the dog after school.
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This guide is for anyone interested in starting their own dog walking or pet sitting business. It includes all the resources you need to get up and running. The guide contains practical knowledge that we have gathered from years of working in the pet care industry, and thousands of dog walking and pet sitting businesses. This is the most comprehensive guide to starting a dog walking business you will find online, so feel free to jump around and find the articles and tutorials that are most helpful to you. Also, remember to check back, because just like the dog walking and pet care industry, this guide will always be evolving.
Knowing how to run a professional dog walker and run a business is invaluable when planning your company. Here is a list of some key ideas that you should familiarize yourself with as you plan how to start your own dog walking business.
1. What do dog walkers and pet sitters do? 2. What services will you provide, where will you provide them, and how much will you charge? 3. Startup Costs for Your Dog Walking Business 4. Setting Up Your Business: Name, Logo, and Website 5. Setting Up Your Business: Contracts, Procedures, and Policies 6. Software and Tools for Your Business
You probably already have a good idea of what a professional dog walker does, but many other considerations may not be obvious. Above all else, a professional dog walker is responsible for the safety and well-being of every animal in their care. This means being insured and covered by a reputable insurance company. It also means knowing how to administer animal first aid and emergency situations.
Top Ways To Advertise Your Dog Daycare And Dog Boarding Business
You might think that taking care of pets for a living is a dream job, and it absolutely is, but there can also be many challenges that come with starting a dog walking business. As a dog walker, you will always have a changing schedule and work in different places. On any given day, you may walk many long routes, visit different houses in the city, and handle phone calls and bookings from customers. Each day will look different and present new and exciting challenges.
No matter what you do on a daily basis, it’s important to remain professional. This means always showing up on time and professionally completing agreed upon services. You will be like a lightning conductor, rain or shine; Work must be done! Owning a pet care company will also involve working irregular hours and taking frequent vacations. The holidays are usually the busiest times of the year for pet sitters and dog walkers.
There’s definitely a reason why people prefer having a local, trusted dog walker over using a new cell phone app. After all, pet parents trust you with their favorite family members and expect professional and responsible pet care.
What pet care services you offer, where you offer them, and how much you charge are key components of how your business will operate and make money.
How To Launch A Pet Care Business In 7 Simple Steps
Deciding what services you will offer is an essential part of starting and growing your dog walking or pet sitting business. It really comes down to what kind of pet you want to care for and what resources you have available. Do you want to walk the dog alone? Can you stay overnight at the client’s home? Will you take care of cats?
We recommend keeping the services as simple as possible. It can be easy to get too excited and offer all sorts of services like cat sitting, dog walking, dog walking, pet sitting, evening sitting, early morning walks, night walks, etc. You can add more services later. Focus on being selective about what you have to offer.
While it’s always best to keep it simple, you should still offer services that fit your business and your goals. Here are some ideas for offering services:
Deciding where you will offer your services is an important element when starting your dog walking business. Where you live is an important part of deciding where to provide your dog walking services. If you live in a big city like Los Angeles or New York, it wouldn’t make sense to try and serve the entire city. You want to spend your time taking care of the animals, not driving around the city all day. Most dog walking companies will take any client who wants to hire them when just starting their business. Spending too much of yourself will only leave you tired and too thin. The best way to grow your service area is organically. Start small and grow with your customers’ needs and your capabilities. You may soon realize that it is time to hire additional walkers.
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If you live in a more rural location or a small town, this may mean serving multiple areas and zip codes. Always make sure you factor in travel time and additional costs when taking on new customers. It may be a good idea to accept any job you can get when you’re starting out, but as we mentioned above, it may be draining you and your ability to provide exceptional service to your clients. affect what you already have.
You will consider your competition and where they provide services. Market research will be helpful in deciding on your service area. If you live in a densely populated area with lots of demand (and little competition) for pet sitting or dog walking – you might want to serve a smaller area like your neighborhood. If you see demand decrease and supply (competition) increase, you may need to expand your service area. Please do your research to see what the competition is like and what areas they serve. Perhaps there is an underserved area nearby that has a high demand for pet care services. Knowing what other companies provide can help you decide which services to offer.
How much should you charge for dog walking and pet sitting? Price is often the deciding factor when a customer is looking to hire a pet sitter or dog walker. It is also likely to be one of the first things potential customers will see when they visit your website. That’s why you need an easy to understand pricing structure. Make sure your prices are clearly stated on your website and are easy to understand. You will be more confident, and the customer will know what to expect, which will lead to fewer misunderstandings about prices.
Time for a Pet has created several free calculators to help you calculate your rates based on where you live and what services you offer.
Hiring A Professional Pet Care Business Is Better For Your Pets
How much does it cost to start your own dog walking business? Fortunately, starting a dog walking business is relatively cheaper than starting other businesses such as opening a restaurant. It’s possible to get started for less than $500 if you’re really working on a shoestring budget.
When starting out, you need to decide what type of legal structure your dog walking business will be. The two most regularly used structures are the LLC (Limited Liability Company) and the DBA (“Doing Business As”). Both structures allow you to operate your business under a name other than your legal name. You can also open a bank account in your business name. Legalzoom has more information on both types of business structures — after a little research, you’ll be able to decide which one is right for you. The cost will depend on the type of business structure you choose and where you live. An LLC will be more expensive, but it will also provide more liability protection.
It is probably a good idea to have a separate bank account for your dog walking business. This will help you track expenses and keep track of your taxes at the end of the year. NerdWallet has some helpful information on choosing the right bank account. The Small Business Administration also has a lot of helpful information on the topic.
Depending on where you live, you may or may not need a business license. The Small Business Administration has helpful resources for what you need in your state. You will also need an Employer Identification Number (EIN). Registering for an EIN on the IRS website is free.
Steps To Starting Your Own Pet Care Business
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