While it will be difficult at times to launch and grow a profitable dog walking or pet sitting business, there are more options than ever to get started in this field.
In this article, we'll discuss how to diversify your business beyond dog walking and pet sitting to attract a wider range of customers.
- Increase the number of services you provide
- If you have dog expertise, here are some things that pet owners frequently require:
- Grooming
- Pet taxi service for trips to the groomer or vet
- Obedience training
Those aren't even all of the potential possibilities. The good news is that your business will suffer minimal extra expenses per service for the vast majority of the items on that list. Typically, your investment will be time and maybe some materials. The true expense is in your own training and the additional tools you may need to carry out the service. Not all of your clients will be interested in embracing your new offerings, but a portion of them will.
Promotion and Product Selling
Another growth strategy is to become a reseller of things that current customers would be interested in. Many people who work in the pet industry become distributors for a particular brand of leash or collar, shampoo, or dietary supplement because they personally use and recommend it. Sincere excitement about the thing you're selling can go a long way toward closing a sale. It's also possible that you'll discover a common need among your customers for a product that you can supply. In addition to making life easier for your customers, this also generates income for your business.
Some things to consider when selling products:
- The initial investment in a product is not cheap. In order to preserve their dealer status and receive the discount necessary to turn a profit, several businesses mandate that their dealers purchase a minimum amount of product each month.
- Storage space for your materials is required. In the case of food, this storage can be customized to ensure the safety of its contents from pests.
- Find a specific market or a technique to customize the products rather than trying to please everyone. They probably have a million pictures of their dog on their phone, so you could sell them personalized frames and print some of those.
Overnight or Off-Hour Feeding
There will always be animals that require care, even after places like animal hospitals and pet stores are closed. You might be able to make a living providing after-hours services if you live in a densely populated location with multiple pet stores or veterinary clinics. One aspect of this work could be serving as the weekday nighttime caretaker. You could also serve as a substitute for the regular personnel in times of absence. The animals are likely fed, have their cages cleaned, and get some exercise as part of their care. It unquestionably includes checking on each animal and notifying the right person if any of them appear ill.
Day-Care Service
Dog daycare is a relatively new but rapidly expanding service. Dog daycare services are seeing an increase in demand from working dog owners. It's like having several pets looked after at once at the location of your choice. Dropping off a working dog in the morning and picking it up again at the end of the day is the main purpose of these establishments. Several factors must be taken into account for this to go off without a hitch:
- The dogs will need places to run around. If you plan on taking in a large number of dogs at once, you may need more than one play space. Not all dogs get along, thus it's important to divide them up into compatible social groupings.
- When the dogs have finished playing with their pals, it's time for them to take a break and chill out. There must be designated sleeping areas that provide year-round comfort, be it warmth in the winter or coolness in the summer.
- If you want to run the best doggy daycare, you'll need to provide a protected space for dogs to run around in no matter the weather.
You probably won't want to start this in your spare bedroom. For anything more than two or three dogs, it's impracticable due to liabilities, zoning rules, and other issues. Rent a pen and observe the herd from a safe distance. Then you need to consider whether you can attract enough consistent business to cover the lease. Count the cost of expanding too quickly; adopting more than three dogs at once may be too much at first.
Offer Pet Classes
Providing training courses like pet care, pet first aid, basic obedience, and other types of training could help you grow your business at least a little. Locate a location that welcomes pet-friendly classes. As a side gig, instructing can be rewarding and even profitable for your business. Preparation and practice are key, as is displaying genuine interest in both the topic at hand and pets. To learn the ropes, you should volunteer to train some dogs for free on behalf of your clients. Once you've established your competence, you can charge new clients a small fee to assist them in training their dogs. Having the owner and dog work together in a one-on-one setting is highly recommended. You can teach individuals or a group, but your proficiency should be high. A lot of money can be made if you establish yourself as a reliable dog trainer. Dog training classes can fetch anything from $30 to $80 per session, so it pays to polish your abilities.
Other Home Services
Fees might increase and the appeal of your services can grow if you offer more than just the basics, such as feeding, cleaning the litter box, and letting the dog out. In addition, they can help bring in new business. Homeowners who hire a pet sitter appreciate it when the sitter also does things like check the mail and water the plants, switch on and off a few lights, and generally make it seem like someone is at home.