Dog walking as a business is very popular in many areas, especially in towns and cities where people can’t get home in the afternoons to let their dogs out. Dog walking appeals to many young people who may have some extra time on their hands and who are in good physical shape for walking dogs.
In most cases the people who need a dog walker work long hours and their dogs may be indoor dogs who can’t go outside on their own. The dogs may be stuck in the house with no one to check on them all day or, in some cases, the dog may be crated. (Some dogs may have to be crated if they chew and destroy things in the house when they are left alone, for instance.) A dog walker can be in great demand in these circumstances.
If you are interested in starting a dog walking business there is not a large initial outlay of funds. You will need to be sure that you are insured, especially for the loss of one of your client’s dogs or in case a dog that you are walking should bite someone. You can check with Pet Sitters Associates, LLC and Pet Sitters International regarding insurance. You do not have to be a member of Pet Sitters Associates, LLC to purchase insurance through them but you do have to be a member of PSI in order to purchase insurance.
You will also need some basic office supplies (even if you don’t have an office) such as an appointment book and perhaps business cards. You may also want to have some invoices or sales receipts for your clients.
You should probably write up a simple contract to use with your clients. The contract should explain what your services will be and how much and when your clients will pay you. You may be able to find similar contracts already on the Internet.
Before you begin accepting clients you should also check to see if your state requires you to get business license. You should also talk to an accountant to see how your business should be set up financially. Finally, you will need to call your state’s Department of Revenue to find out if you will need to tax your services. If you do, then you will need to pass these taxes on to your clients and report the taxes to the state each quarter.
If you plan to have other people working for you then you will need to be bonded. This will protect you in case someone working for you should take something from a client’s home.
You can determine your rates by finding out what your competition is charging. In the beginning you will probably want to charge a little less in order to try to encourage customers to give you a try. Dog walking is usually charged according to time increments. You may also offer a monthly discount for people who sign up for an entire month from you in advance.
You may want to consider doing some advertising. This will help increase your business. At the very least you should put up your business card in vet offices, groomer salons, pet supply stores and other places where dog owners tend to visit. You should also consider writing up a press release about your new business and sending it to the local newspapers. Finally, it’s a good idea to create a nice web site about your business, especially if you can create one that looks good.
Adding dog training to your dog walking business can be very profitable, in fact dog training will probably be more profitable than dog walking. If you have any questions feel free to contact me or visit www.K9-University.com.
Until next time……
