There is a lot more to running your own dog walking business than just putting a lead on and walking the dog so consider taking a Dog Walking Business Course taking an accredited course and holding a certificate or qualification will not only inform you of everything you need to know about running your dog walking business but also install confidence in your future clients. To do that, you need to educate yourself on all things dog walking. There are a million things that can go wrong. Did all the keys get returned? -Let Your Website Talk About Your Dog Walking Business At first, you may completely neglect the idea of building a fine website for your business, but after a while, you may feel the need to create one. Her business incorporates dog walking and pet minding and she came up with the idea whilst working as a veterinary nurse. “This provided the edge over other pet minders because we knew how to provide medical care and give medication correctly.”. To start a business is not an easy walk in the park. The following are a few strategies other dog walking professionals have implemented to ensure a more profitable business: Offer dog running for those high energy dogs. You will then receive an email that helps you regain access. Dog Walking Prices and Services. This allows the dog walking business to serve a greater number of clients and potentially expand their service area. “Do it for the love and not the money.”. “I have repeat customers and the owners of the dogs I look after are always happy when I get back in touch,” he says. “From there I made sure I was insured, police checked, and those that worked with me as an ‘Aunty’ were also veterinary nurses,” she says. “You can't go wrong if you’re spending time with animals and getting paid,” she says. The pet industry is a burgeoning industry with an average yearly growth of 5% and, in 2016, was valued at nearly $3 billion. Open Colleges Pty Ltd ABN 61 000 011 692 Provider Number 90796 | Integrated Care & Management Training Pty Ltd ABN 82 003 899 527 Provider Number 90197 | YourLife Health & Learning Inc t/a Open Colleges School of Health ABN 39 742 730 429 RTO 40049 CRICOS Provider 03733E Ugh. During the early stages of setting up her dog walking and pet minding business, Kylie researched what other similar services were offered in the area, what their prices were and how she could highlight her point of difference. A great way to advertise while your work is to wear clothing customized with your business logo and phone number. You can hand them out and post them in areas that have a lot of “dog traffic,” such as at veterinarians’ offices and dog parks. Some dog walkers also choose to offer additional services such as … The growth of the business has also led to other services being added. “We’ve also been lucky enough to feature in an array of media outlets from radio stations, TV and newspapers,” she adds. They are not relegated to animal shelters and services who love and support dogs. Introduction: Managing your dog day care at the highest level is about so much more than merely managing a business. Dog walks are usually Monday through Friday in the middle of the day. We try to get two sets of keys from the pet owner, but it doesn’t always work out that way. Did the pet owner test the keys before giving them to us? “But the only way to get things done or resolved is to put your head down and figure it out.”, “With a healthy amount of encouragement from people around you, you can do it and should never be afraid to ask for help.”. “I had a friend ask me to assist her in surprising her husband at their wedding by walking their three dogs down the aisle before she arrived,” says Kylie. The owner of this site is using Wordfence to manage access to their site. Sole Proprietorship. Similarly, you need to be committed to always having your phone on you, and be prepared for not always being able to go to that party or attend an event on time. “Then another friend asked and another, so now we’re bringing extra joy to a lot of brides and grooms on their very special day with our pet wedding chauffeur service!”. So let's discuss how to start a dog walking business and how to do it right. Make a business plan Before you start your dog walking business, you need to make a business plan. Access from your area has been temporarily limited for security reasons. Think not? Her animal care career started with a traineeship as a veterinary nurse. There are two common ways that dog walkers organize their businesses: sole proprietorships and LLCs. Dog owners want to be confident that their pets are happy with you, so make it a point to be cheerful and upbeat. Continue Reading. As the business took off, she advertised her services by flyers within veterinary clinics and pet shops, direct marketing in mailboxes, social media and at pet and wedding expos. Find out what other dog walkers charge for their service. Tice launched her dog walking business, Boston for the Dogs, four years ago. If you are a WordPress user with administrative privileges on this site, please enter your email address in the box below and click "Send". This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your access to this service has been limited. Understandably, most dog walkers give short shrift to the business part of owning a dog walking business. According to Tailster, UK owners spend around £1.5bn on dog walking services each year.Setting up a dog walking business could therefore be the key to launching a successful start up. Building a loyal client base takes time. “Nothing beats a big sloppy kiss from a happy fur baby or the praise of a client who has finally been able to take that holiday or work longer hours knowing that their fur baby is in good hands.”. Both my grandfather and stepfather owned their own businesses, and my mother currently runs a very large one, so they were good resources to tap into for advice.”. “You will hit times where you don’t know what you’re doing,” he says. Basic commands for … “Really, the barriers to dog walking are quite low,” Flynn said. We noted in the previous section that dog walking as a whole is usually around £10 per half hour per dog. Start a website for your dog walking business and open accounts on Facebook and Twitter to promote yourself. Dog walking is becoming a serious business proposition that many dog lovers are starting to take up. In larger cities, walkers are able to charge $30 for a 30 minute run, or $200 for 5 45-minute runs per week. How to Make a Business Plan for a Dog Walking Business? Enter your details below to receive a free course guide and a consultation with an Education Advisor. We’ll start with key Dog Walking industry fundamentals like how big the market is, what the key segments are, and how revenues and profits are generated. He also constantly has business cards on him and talks to everyone he sees walking their dogs in the local area. By downloading the Course Guide, you agree to our Privacy Policy and receiving email and other forms of communication from us. It is about relationships, working within a community, making connections with other businesses, the local government and customers, development of employees, and maintenance of your facility for the present and the future. “I spoke to a lot of people around me about the idea and they were all very encouraging. And then, when I was double booked, I’d get one of the nurses I worked with to cover the other booking,” she says. When writing a dog walking business plan, it's also a good time to decide how you're going to incorporate your new venture and what type of business this dog walking service will be. Choose and apply these striking marketing ideas for your dog walking business and raise profits. If you’re a pro dog walker who’s ready to feel more organized and in control of your dog walking business, try out these four tips. Having grown up with animals, Kylie’s always had a connection to them and always wanted to work with them. 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