How To Start A Dog Daycare Business From Your Home

There are several essential steps to start a dog daycare business at home. Research has shown that households with dogs are more common than households with children. As a prospective business owner, you know that has helped increase the popularity of home doggy daycare companies. 2019 studies have shown that over 63 million homes in the United States have dogs, compared to 52.8 million homes with children. By following several simple steps, you can take advantage of these statistics and generate significant profits. Read on to discover how to start a dog daycare business at home.

Develop A Dog Daycare Business Plan

Before you can take any tangible steps towards building your business, you need to develop a dog daycare business plan. This plan will help you avoid common challenges and problems new business owners face. It’s important to outline exactly what services you are going to provide and what resources you will use to provide them. For instance, your service list might include dog walking, training, and bathing. Alternatively, you could charge an hourly fee and setup specific times for customers to drop off and pick up their pets. You will also need to determine how many dogs you can handle on any given day. Consider local competition, marketing, funding, and expenses in your plan as well. Before you can begin your venture, you need to develop a dog daycare business plan.

Satisfy Legal Requirements

Once you’ve developed a strategic business plan, you need to satisfy legal requirements that come with at-home business ownership. You need to make sure that you obtain the proper licenses, permits, and certifications that are necessary for an at-home dog daycare. Visit your city and state’s government websites to locate the specific guidelines pertinent to your region. You will also need to have the proper business insurance and draft a contract to protect you and your clients. Optimally, you should develop your contract with a small business lawyer. While reliable and secure, lawyers can be very costly. Alternatively, you can find dog daycare business contract templates online to outline the specifics of your relations with customers. Before your business can take off, you need to satisfy legal requirements to ensure you and your customers’ safety.

Obtain Dog Care Supplies

After you have laid the foundation for your business, you need to obtain dog care supplies. When developing your business plan, you should have assessed how many dogs you will be keeping at once. Using this number, collect the appropriate amount of kennels, beds, leashes, water, and bowls. You might even consider utilizing a dog food home delivery service for adequate supplies. You should also obtain first aid supplies and toys for the pups. To cut the cost of expenses, check out your local dog shelters and humane societies. Often, they have extra supplies you can use if you are willing to donate. Ideally, you should install a fence in your yard if you do not have one already. This perimeter minimizes the chances of dog escapes and provides the puppies an open running space. Obtaining dog care supplies is an essential step towards growing your dog daycare business.

Train Your Staff

Because you will be handling living energetic animals, you need to train your staff. Even if you are your only starting staff member, you need to be knowledgeable on the safest practices. Ideally, you should establish a relationship with your local veterinarian or pet medical facility that you can rely on in the event of an emergency. The American Red Cross offers pet first aid and CPR training classes that you can utilize to ensure proper dog handling practices. Furthermore, it is best to dog-proof your home by getting rid of potentially poisonous plants. Ensure that dogs cannot access poisonous foods and chewable items as well. It is critical to train your staff to ensure the success of your new dog daycare business.

Advertise Your Business

Finally, before launching your at-home doggy daycare company, you need to advertise your business. You should create a personalized business website to make your services stand out. In addition, you can also take advantage of advertising opportunities with local newspapers, magazines, and websites. Create flyers and business cards for distribution at local pet supply shops, shelters, vet clinics, and office complexes. Advertising in large office complexes can be particularly lucrative because many office workers by nature are gone from their pets all day long. They may consider utilizing your services to increase the quality of their dog’s life. Advertising your business is influential in obtaining clients for a successful company launch.

There are several important steps to streamline the pooch daycare business launch process. First, you need to develop a dog daycare business plan to strategize your structure and resources. Next, you need to satisfy local legal requirements to properly insure your company. Once you’ve done these foundational steps, obtain dog care supplies for the appropriate number of pups you are going to be taking care of. Then, you need to train your staff (and yourself) on the best dog handling practices. Finally, to acquire clients and secure company’s success, you need to advertise your business. Consider the points above to learn how to start a dog daycare business at home.