How to Start a Doggie Day Care Business
Published by Nanni on Thursday, July 12, 2012
Dog sitting is a great way to make some money. With so many home requiring both adults to work in order to make a living, no one is home to take care of the household pet. If you put together the right type of approach, there is a good chance you can build a loyal clientele that will provide a steady income for many years. Here are some things to consider as you put your doggie day care business together.
First, educate yourself on what is involved with the day to day operation of a dog day care business. How should you design the space so that the pets in your charge have room to play and sleep? Have you provided space outside for them to enjoy the sunshine and to take care of bodily functions without creating a sanitation issue? Do you want to be able to provide day care for puppies, or dogs of all ages? Knowing what you want to do and how to do it will make it much easier to design the layout of your facility and attract the type of clients you want.
Check with the local municipality on such matters as zoning laws and business licenses. While pet day care is not usually regulated on federal or state levels, your city or town may very well have some laws that apply. This will often help you get an idea of what needs to be provided in the way of physical facilities, as well as how many clients you can accept with the amount of space you have for the day care operation. Make sure that you comply with every one of the regulations before actually launching the business.
Taking some time to visit any existing doggie day care businesses in the area will go a long way toward helping you see what works, as well as get some ideas of what you definitely do not want to do. In talking with those who work in the day care centers, you can ask questions that help you understand what customers expect, little precautions to take, even some ideas of what type of food to provide your doggie clients while they are in your care. You can also pick up some tips on how to set your pricing, including what to charge for over time doggie care.
Design your contracts, making sure that they spell out the rights and responsibilities that both you and the customer will enjoy. The more specific you can make the contract, the less chance of problems arising later due to miscommunications. Have an attorney check out the verbiage of the contract to make sure everything is in order, and that you have not overlooked something important.
Once you have the proper training, all the licenses you need, and have the facility ready to go, you can begin building your client base. This means advertising in the local media. Make ample use of community bulletin boards in laundromats, supermarkets, and washeterias. If there are online classified web sites for your city or town, post ads there as well. If you can afford it, radio advertising that is aired during morning and evening commuting times will likely be a good investment.
Owning your own doggie day care business can be a great career move. People often want their beloved pets to be looked after while they are at work, making your type of service a natural. Assuming you can provide safe and pleasant surroundings, are trustworthy, and offer terms and conditions that are acceptable to the clients, you’ll soon have more business than you can handle.
First, educate yourself on what is involved with the day to day operation of a dog day care business. How should you design the space so that the pets in your charge have room to play and sleep? Have you provided space outside for them to enjoy the sunshine and to take care of bodily functions without creating a sanitation issue? Do you want to be able to provide day care for puppies, or dogs of all ages? Knowing what you want to do and how to do it will make it much easier to design the layout of your facility and attract the type of clients you want.
Check with the local municipality on such matters as zoning laws and business licenses. While pet day care is not usually regulated on federal or state levels, your city or town may very well have some laws that apply. This will often help you get an idea of what needs to be provided in the way of physical facilities, as well as how many clients you can accept with the amount of space you have for the day care operation. Make sure that you comply with every one of the regulations before actually launching the business.
Taking some time to visit any existing doggie day care businesses in the area will go a long way toward helping you see what works, as well as get some ideas of what you definitely do not want to do. In talking with those who work in the day care centers, you can ask questions that help you understand what customers expect, little precautions to take, even some ideas of what type of food to provide your doggie clients while they are in your care. You can also pick up some tips on how to set your pricing, including what to charge for over time doggie care.
Design your contracts, making sure that they spell out the rights and responsibilities that both you and the customer will enjoy. The more specific you can make the contract, the less chance of problems arising later due to miscommunications. Have an attorney check out the verbiage of the contract to make sure everything is in order, and that you have not overlooked something important.
Once you have the proper training, all the licenses you need, and have the facility ready to go, you can begin building your client base. This means advertising in the local media. Make ample use of community bulletin boards in laundromats, supermarkets, and washeterias. If there are online classified web sites for your city or town, post ads there as well. If you can afford it, radio advertising that is aired during morning and evening commuting times will likely be a good investment.
Owning your own doggie day care business can be a great career move. People often want their beloved pets to be looked after while they are at work, making your type of service a natural. Assuming you can provide safe and pleasant surroundings, are trustworthy, and offer terms and conditions that are acceptable to the clients, you’ll soon have more business than you can handle.
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