Paws for Success: The Pet-Preneur’s Guide to Starting your own Pet Care Business
By
Gillian Harper
|
Jan 23, 2023 |
Business Strategy Startups
Pets are adopted for unconditional love and to have one who’s always with us. Simultaneously, pets do need proper care and attention to stay fit. It’s the responsibility of the pet owner to take of their pet’s food, health, exercise, and other necessities.
However, when the owner needs to go out for a business trip or vacation, they need to board pets at Kennel. But it’s not a good alternative to pet care as separation from the home environment makes pets and their owners anxious. Here come pet care business services to the rescue. Pet care business provides a wide range of pet services that ensures the complete care of the pets.
With the presence of reimbursement policies and increasing pet humanization, the pet care market size is growing at scale. According to research, the pet care market size is expected to become $550 billion by 2032 with a 7% growth from 2022-2032.
The growing market volume of the pet care industry creates lucrative business opportunities for those who love pets. Starting a pet care business is a great idea to make millions a year with various pet care services. Before we jump into the pet care business to make the most out of the wide opportunities, take a look at the different service applications that you can consider as your profession.
Table of Contents
From Grooming to Boarding: Understanding the Different Pet Care Businesses
The pet care industry is divided into various pet business models that are helping pet lovers fur-ever care of their pets. Exploring different types of Pet-friendly businesses can have positive effects on professionals as it will aid them to make inroads into the million-dollar pet care industry. Let’s have a look at some of the remarkable pet care businesses that are available –
Pet grooming: Professionals can start grooming boutiques that provide pet grooming services such as facials, massages, pedicures, teeth cleaning, and aromatherapy.
Pet boarding and kennels: Boarding facilities for pets are extended to the days till when the owner is out of town. The pets are left in a kennel for homely feeling while interacting with other animals.
Pet Daycare: Get a land or building and allow pet owners to drop their pets off in the morning and take them back in the evening. Meanwhile, pets are fed, walk, and had fun outside.
Pet retail and supplies: Launch a pet retail store where pet owners can buy everything that they need for pet care from food to accessories.
Pet marketplace app: Create a platform such as a mobile, website, or software system where pet item sellers can register and sell things online that enables pet owners to get everything under one roof.
Pet adoption app: Launch a mobile pet adoption business where pet owners will get a list of various breeds of pets and get connected with the pet owner to buy them.
Dog walking: Start a dog walking business by taking the dogs for a walk, making them exercise, and spending a few hours outside in exchange for a few bucks.
Pet sitting: Professionals visit the home and take care of pets when the owner needs to go out. You can carve out the niche where you provide pet care services.
On-demand vet app: Launch an on-demand vet business app that helps pet owners easily get connected with pet vets or veterinarians so that they can get immediate medication help.
Pet food delivery app: Get into the pet food delivery business wherein pet food retailers supply pet food to the doorstep of the pet owners.
Pet wearable app: Pet owners can identify their pet’s location in real-time with a wearable device attached to the pet that helps them track every movement anytime, anywhere.
Pet training & counseling: You can start providing counseling services to the owner to better take care of their pet and train the pets at home or other places.
Pet matchmaking app: Help pet lovers to get the best pet animal matching their needs such as a family pet, safety pet, or companion pet with pet matchmaking app engineering. Also, one can help to connect 2 pets for matchmaking as well.
Pet exercise tracker app: Enable pet owners to keep an eye on their pet’s exercise and other activities right on their mobile with pet exercise tracker app development.
Dog park locator app: Allow pet owners to easily find out the nearby park where they can take their dog for a small walk or fun through the dog park locator app.
From Dream to Reality: Starting Your Own Pet Care Business
Starting a pet care business is more than business registration with the state government. Here’s the step-by-step guide that helps you begin and launch a successful pet care business. Take a tour through all the steps-
Business plan
First, map out the business specifics with well-defined strategy creation, risk identification, and discovery of unknown factors. The business plan defines business description such as types of pets to take care of, accommodation facilities to arrange, and business niches like- pet daycare or pet grooming.
After summarizing the business description, figure out the cost involved in starting the pet care business followed by ongoing expenses. Post-calculation of the pet care business cost, find out the ways to make money and set up the prices for pet care services to keep your business profitable.
Not to forget, select the business name and get it registered. However, before business name registration, you can research for business name on social media channels, federal and state trademark records, and state business records. Having a business plan for your pet care business requirement in detail will help you to get a good Return on Investment in less time.
Financing option
Starting a pet care business is sometimes an inexpensive and costly affair as well. If your pockets are not deep and require finances to start a pet care business, then you need to look for funding options, such as crowdfunding or angel investment.
With financial statement analysis, and profit and loss estimation, create a financial plan to know how much funds you need. Thereafter, you can get connected with investors to fund your pet care business project, and apply for loans, or mortgages to have the necessary funds to get started.
Licensing and regulations
Some locations require pet care businesses to have permits and licenses to operate. You should check with your local authorities for a license and permit you should obtain. A sales tax license or permit is also required to sell any kind of pet care products and services. Small business administration can help you understand which license you need.
Check the regulations rolled out for enabling pet care services in the home or the lease/rent property. State laws put restrictions on the number of pets taken care of at one time. Thereafter signing a service agreement is important that details the services, pricing, visits, payment option, and others.
Equipment and supplies
Some pet care services are modernized that require equipment and supplies. For instance, you need to have an animal clipper, pet shampoo, pet healthcare products, pet soap, clothing, a toothbrush, and more supplies for providing pet grooming services. In the same vein, bathing stations, grooming tables, grooming shears, and more are needed as equipment.
Identify your business niche and then research the equipment setup and supplies required to deliver the best pet care services.
The Ultimate Checklist for Managing a Pet Care Business
After starting your pet care service business you need to manage it in the best way possible to ensure it runs smoothly and properly. Here are the ways to take care of your pet care business:
Staffing and training
Some pet services require professionals to get certification and training so that they can deliver better pet care services. Ensure the pet care providers must have a certain level of expertise and skills such as the pet’s behavioral or dietary issues that makes pet owners feel their pet is in safe hands.
For instance, Hiring trained dog walkers guarantees that they can handle various types of dogs properly because they are aware of the cautious precautions to be taken when handling and treating pets.
Bookkeeping and accounting
To successfully run a business of pet services legitimately, you are liable for various responsibilities such as bookkeeping, accounting, taxes, and more. The owner should create a business account for transactions that are kept separate from the personal account. Use accounting software for expenses and revenue tracking and link it with the business account. Later, account reconciliation is important to ensure no record duplication, which is a great help during the audit.
Insurance liability
Having insurance is a must in pet care services as you are engaging with living animals. Obtaining liability insurance helps you protect employees, property, and other people. Property insurance is a must when you are providing pet care services outside the home say dog walking services. Also, employees are covered with worker’s insurance compensation.
Customer service and satisfaction
The user-centric business needs quality pet care service delivery to make the pet owners happy and satisfied. It requires pet care service provider to hire pet-friendly employees, adjust service prices, and build pet care software application that attracts maximum customers and make them repetitively use the services. You can take this as an opportunity that enables you to consistently deliver the best customer experience and keep the positive impact forever.
Marketing and advertising
Moving ahead according to the business plan, you made everything ready. Now, it’s high time to spread the word about the pet care services that you offer to pet parents. There are a couple of ways to market and promote your pet care services business uniquely.
Harness social power: Create business pages on social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, or list your business on the classified or business listing directories such as Yelp, Foursquare, Thumbtack, Angi, and Craigslist. Post pictures and reviews of customers regularly to get more popular.
Loyalty program: Provide incentives to the existing customers or reward them for showing their patronage of the business. You can also reward them for bringing in new clients.
Furry Ventures!
If you are the one with an entrepreneurial mindset and experience low stress while spending time with pets, the pet care business idea is great for you. With the growing preferences of pet owners to get their pets taken care of by professional pet care service providers, the opportunities are immense. Be compassionate and provide quality care to launch a pet care startup like a pro.
The step-by-step process to start a pet care business and tips to best manage the business allow you to launch and prosper the business boundlessly. Choose your niche and start it right away!
Gillian Harper
| Jan 23, 2023
A professionally engaged blogger, an entertainer, dancer, tech critic, movie buff and a quick learner with an impressive personality! I work as a Senior Process Specialist at Topdevelopers.co as I can readily solve business problems by analyzing the overall process. I’m also good at building a better rapport with people!
