I'm thinking of starting a dog walking/pet sitting business. Do you think this i

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   morningglory24posted 11 years ago

   I'm thinking of starting a dog walking/pet sitting business. Do you think this is a good idea?
   
   I absolutely love animals and I have a lot of experience with them. I live in a development that is unbelievably HUGE! There are a lot of dogs here. Any tips or experiences would be appreciated. 
   
   

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   Mitch Alanposted 11 years ago

   Determine the number of dog owners in your area, find out what the competition (if any exists) is charging and then determine if you can compete with them.  Factor competitive pricing AND service.  You don't have to be the cheapest if you offer a superior product/service (i.e. longer hours of availability, vacation sitting, connections in grooming for cross marketing etc)  Also get a custom logo and business card etc. Don't go generic.

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      morningglory24posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      That's very good advice!  Thankyou. I actually created a logo and business prof name. I've had cards printed up wt it and details about some services, I'm just waiting on them to arrive.

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   BizVT34posted 11 years ago

   Tip #1, a dog walking biz isn't about walking dogs. It's about dealing with dog owners. Unless you like dealing with people I wouldn't start a biz just because I like dogs.....because believe me please, the dogs are easy to train and easy to understand...their owner's..not so much.

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      morningglory24posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      To be honest I think I'll probably be dealing less with pple than u may think. The demand is more for when pple go on vacation and they dnt want their dogs put in kennels. Or they feel guilty they can't walk or ten to their dogs while they are workin

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   wheelinalloverposted 11 years ago

   The most important thing to remember is you are dealing with human beings as well as pets. Although as a dog walker you will spend more time with the animals than with their owners, the owner is the person you have to please.
   
   As a business owner I agree with everything Mitch Alan says also. I would add to this make sure their is a paper trail. Keep track of what you spend as well as what you earn. If you earn over $200 a month and maybe less chances are you will have to pay taxes on your earnings. Good records will make tax time less stressful.
   
   One last important factor, find out if you need a business license. Some states, counties, and cities require them. Being in a legal business costs money. This is important to remember. When we started our  "free" business we already had the legal aspects taken care of.

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   makeupoohlalaposted 11 years ago

   Go ahead sweetie...it never hurts to try...if you don't you may never know what could have been

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