Start Dog Walking as a Business
Do you love to be around pets, specifically dogs? If you enjoy the company of furry companions, then dog walking is the business for you. It combines your love of animals with a way to make some money. What could be better?
What Does a Dog Walker Do?
As a dog walker, your primary responsibility will be exercising animals—specifically dogs. Owners will want you to take their dogs out for a little fresh air and sunshine. This gives the canines time to do their business and have a little run around the park or the neighborhood. Some owners will have more than one pet, so account for that before scheduling too many doggy customers at one time. If not, you’ll be the one getting all the exercise and calluses from the leashes.
How It Works:
Depending on how you set up your business, customers may drop the dogs off at a designated spot. If you would prefer, the dogs can be picked up by you at the home of the owners. It will be a lot better for you if the dogs were picked up at their residence. The trouble with owners dropping them off is that they may not return on time for pickup when other owners are dropping off. You could wind up with an entire kennel of dogs in the park.
Skills Needed:
Other than scheduling, customer service and basic business skills, there are no special skills are needed to be a dog walker. A love of pets and knowledge of dog behavior is essential to job satisfaction. Most dog walkers are already pet owners. Different breeds of dog have different needs and mannerisms. Scheduling small dogs and large dogs to be walked at the same time is probably a mistake.
Equipment Requirements:
Limited equipment is needed. This business can be started with very little capital. As a pet owner, you may already have extra leashes, dog toys, and pooper scoopers. If you plan on exercising the dogs at a central location, you will need a vehicle big enough to transport them all. Until the business gets off the ground and makes a significant profit, try walking the dogs around their own neighborhood.
Furthermore, dog walking services can be started as home based businesses. You will need an answering machine so you won’t miss any business calls and a place to store your supplies. Down the road, offering more pet services may necessitate the need for an offsite office location.
With a home based business, the majority of the money made will go directly to profit. The start-up costs can be as little as $100. Flyers can be printed on a home computer and distributed around your neighborhood, used as inserts for church and community bulletins, and tacked up on message boards at pet stores. Once you get started, word-of-mouth advertising can kick in.
Set up Your Website:
To attract more clients and showcase your services, a website is a must. To quickly and easily put your professional website together, click here.
