• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Dog's Best Life

Dog's Best Life

The information you need to keep your dog happy, healthy, playful and loyal.

  • Top Stories
  • Blog
  • What We Do
  • About Us
  • Contact Us

Want to start a doggy daycare? Here’s how

Posted January 4, 2019

 

doggy daycare graphic Have you ever thought about starting your own dog boarding business but you weren’t sure where to start? It is easy to feel overwhelmed when starting any business, even when it is one that you are passionate about like a doggy daycare.

Pet boarding is a growing industry with many opportunities for newcomers and innovation.

If you love caring for others’ pets, consider starting on the adventure of entrepreneurship.

Doggy daycare: Initial questions

You may have already done a personal inventory and feel like you are ready to get the ball rolling towards your new business venture. However, you may want to consider the following:

  • Do you have enough canine experience to feel comfortable leading others in this venture?
  • Is there a need for dog boarding in your area?
  • Do you have the financial capacity to open your own business and cushion to get you through your first year?
  • What is your end goal?
    • Financial freedom?
    • To be your boss?

Doggy daycare: Business plan

Putting together a detailed business plan will help you to answer many of the questions about starting a doggy daycare. As with many things in the business realm, figuring out your finances should be a top priority. You’ll also need to be realistic about the operating costs of starting a business to ensure your business is sustainable.

If you are not confident in managing your finances, it may be worthwhile to hire a financial advisor while you focus on other areas of importance. Outlining how many employees that you expect to keep, what your annual salary will be, and day-to-day costs will be beneficial for your financial advisor to know to enable them to make the best decision about your finances. A business plan will also help you to dive deeper into issues that you may not have yet invested time into assessing — include items such as whether you will provide dog training or grooming in addition to boarding.

Doggy daycare: Dedicated space

Assessing where you live, and the location for your doggy daycare is a must-do in your initial planning. If you are in an urban setting, begin vetting places that are close to the business hubs of your community. Choosing an easily accessible location to those that spend long hours at the office may be just what you need to keep your company thriving.

If you live in remote or rural space, your clients may have dogs used to having more room to run.  Investing in a large, open area that allows the dogs to run themselves ragged could be an appeal for some pet owners. I

t may also be a good idea to invest in a dedicated space for dogs to stay and enjoy other activities and amenities, such as a barn designed as a dog kennel — this may also provide a safe space for dogs that are prone to anxiety.

Doggy daycare: Personal protection

Although it’s easy to focus on the fun parts of running a doggy daycare, it’s essential to acknowledge critical steps in creating a small business, including getting proper insurance to protect your business. Insurance will do more than protect your building it also protects your company name, your finances, and other unforeseen issues.

Some dogs may act aggressively, and it’s important to consider this to protect yourself, your clients and the other dogs. For instance, the likelihood of boarding an aggressive dog is high and could provide you with some different liability issues. You want to make sure that your policy will cover medical care of your staff in the event of a dog bite or cover the cost of legal fees if you are sued because the aggressive dog attacked another client’s pet.

Doggy daycare: Spread the word

Consider how you are going to spread the word about your services. Will you hire a marketer to do the work for you? Perhaps you have an extensive social media following that you could use to help spread the word about your new doggy daycare business. Be wary about depending too much on loved ones and friends to help in this effort, as they can quickly be burnt out by seeing your advertisements repeatedly in their social media feeds.

Start locally with your messaging to reach your closest potential client base before going widespread with your message. Design a clear and concise message about your offerings and pricing to catch your intended audience’s attention — the more questions that you can answer in your advertisements, the better.

Creating a space that you would want for your dog when you go on vacation is your doggy daycare goal. Make sure that you have crossed your T’s and dotted your I’s before setting off into the world of entrepreneurship.

Doggy daycare: Conclusion

Owning your own business can be very rewarding when done well. If you feel you have laid out a well-designed plan, seek out the new adventure of owning a doggy daycare!

– Noah Rue

 
 

Related Posts

  • Pet-care business. Consider starting a business walking multiple dogs
    Love dogs? Consider starting a pet-care business

    Starting a pet-care business is a great way to your…

  • dog-friendly travel cities
    3 dog-friendly travel cities: Plan your next adventure

    Take an adventure to one of these dog-friendly travel cities…

  • Dog sits in suitcase before trip. Common dog travel mistakes include picking the wrong time to travel, failing to properly restrain your dog and forgetting to update your dog's microchip.
    6 common dog travel mistakes

    Common dog travel mistakes include picking the wrong time to…

  • grooming
    Dog grooming: DIY vs. professional groomer

    Weigh the pros and cons before deciding whether to do…

Share this post:

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Pinterest Share on Email Share on Reddit

Filed Under: Dog Travel, Home Page Tagged With: Dog business

« Previous Post
Next Post »

Primary Sidebar

Follow Us

Categories

  • Adoption
  • Dog Breeds
  • Dog Facts
  • Dog Fun
  • Dog Grooming
  • Dog Health
  • Dog Inspirations
  • Dog Training
  • Dog Travel
  • Holidays
  • Home Page
  • Puppies
  • Top Stories

Featured Posts

  • puppy 101

    Puppy training 101: 7 tips to start your dog off right

  • Small brown and white dog wears a mask. Dogs and coronavirus: Canines unlikely to catch or transmit the virus to people or other animals, World Small Animal Veterinary Association says.

    Coronavirus and dogs: Can canines get COVID-19?

  • Dogs and other pets on a video conference call. Dog home alone again? If you're preparing to go back to work, get your dog ready. To prevent separation anxiety, use training, treats, and a safe space.

    Ready to go back to work? Prepare your dog to be home alone

Tags

Pit bull Canine exercise Dependent dog breeds dog age labsky Dog safety snap French bulldog Dog walks Bichon frisé Two dogs Emotional support dogs Dog training tips Cats Socialization Rescue dog Vacation dog care Service dogs German shepherd Chasing Chihuahua Dog food Environment Aggression Jack Russell terrier Boxer High-tech dog gadgets Jumping Hiking Old dogs

Footer

Quick Links

  • Home
  • Top Stories
  • Blog
  • What We Do
  • About Us
  • Contact Us

Recent Posts

  • What you need to know about the benefits of dog kennels
    Using dog kennels helps boost your dog's physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Boarding your dog helps improve socialization skills. […]
  • Is a Japanese Chin the right dog for you?
    The Japanese Chin is a perfect dog for apartment dwellers. The breed needs minimal exercise and loves to cuddle with its owners. […]
  • Understand and work with your dog’s temperament
    A dog’s temperament is indicative of its attitude towards people and other animals and plays a major role in training. […]
  • Is a Weimaraner the right dog for you?
    The Weimaraner has a kind and patient disposition. The breed is active and playful, which makes it an ideal choice for dynamic families. […]

Get Our Newsletter

Get more news to help keep your dog healthy delivered right to your inbox. Sign up for DogsBestLife.com's monthly newsletter.

© Copyright 2021 Dog's Best Life online magazine · All Rights Reserved · Privacy
Get Our Free Monthly Newsletter

Get more news to help keep your dog healthy delivered right to your inbox. Sign up for DogsBestLife.com's monthly newsletter.