How to Start a Doggy Daycare Business and Make Money

If you want to know how to Start a Doggy Daycare and make money, this article is absolutely going to help.

It reveals a lot about starting a Doggy Daycare, what is required, how to get started and exactly how to make money from the process.

 

Why Start a Doggy Daycare?

If you love dogs and like to take care of them then you consider doggy daycare.

This is a business of caring for dogs in the day while their owners are away.

It more like providing ‘baby sitting’ services to dog owners.

Starting a doggy daycare to make money sounds appealing. However, some steps are required to bring it to fruition.

This article highlights important tips and details on the steps you can apply to start a doggy daycare.

Also, you will get to know of ways you can employ to make more money.

 

What Is Doggy Daycare?

Doggy daycare is simply a place where dogs are taken care of during the day until their owners get back.

Doggy daycare is a business that dog lovers can build to provide care services to dogs.

Things to consider before starting a Doggy Daycare Business

Before starting a doggy daycare, there are things you should bear in mind.

These will help guide you in setting up a daycare that will appeal to your clientele.

Also See: How to Become Self Employed and Stop Being Broke.

 

Steps to Successfully Starting a Doggy Daycare 

 

1. Make Sure You Have What It Takes Run A Doggy Daycare Business

First off, make sure you have what it takes to run a doggy daycare.

You don’t just come off the blues to start this business.

You should make research on what makes other doggy daycare to be successful.

When you are considering what it takes to start a doggy daycare, you may want to provide answers to the following questions:

Do you love dogs and friendly to them?

You need to love dogs and people.

Both need to be able to connect with you and build trust.

Do you have the physical stamina to take care of dogs?

Dogs are very physical animals.

Handling them could be physically exhausting.

Make sure you have the stamina to run after them, feed them, play with them, and play with them even when you are not willing.

Do you have medical knowledge and training to respond to medical emergencies?

During your time with doggy daycare, accidents could occur.

If you have medical training on how to give a dog first aid and CPR then you will be able to handle their condition until the local vets take over.

So, for minor emergencies, you should get the necessary training.

For more serious injuries or medical emergencies, you can contact vets.

Related: Making Money with a Pet Sitting Business.

Do you have dog handling skills?

To become a successful doggy daycare owner, you need basic or advanced dog handling skills.

These are dog training skills like voice commands, positive reinforcements, and other basic dog handling techniques.

If you know these skills then you would be able to handle different types of dogs at your disposal.

Do you have a doggy sixth sense?

To become successful with a doggy daycare you need to have a doggy ‘sixth sense”.

This means you should be able to observe and read dog behavior and body language.

This will help you understand the needs of the dog and provide the best care in your business.

Do you have the required certification?

In many places, you don’t just set up doggy daycare without some form of licensing or certification from the relevant government or regulator body.

It’s also important to arm yourself with knowledge about what time of business you will form, whether a Private Limited Company, Corporation, etc.

• Advantages and Disadvantages of Private Limited Company
• Advantages and Disadvantages of a Corporation
• Best States in the United States to Incorporate an LLC

You should make effort to be registered and certified if you have not taken that step before now.

So, if you can answer the above questions positively then you can be proud to say that you have what it takes to start and run a doggy daycare.

 

2. Check and Comply with your Local Laws to set up Your Doggy Daycare

Another thing to consider when starting a doggy daycare business is the local laws and ordinances guiding this type of business.

Every city or state has its ordinances or law concerning daycare for dogs.

Check out the relevant bodies to know ins and out of doggy daycare.

In some areas, training of pets is not allowed, while some areas may limit the number of pets that you can keep under your roof.

So, before you start this business, get in tune with what obtains for the doggy daycare business.

This will help you avoid wasting time, money, and other resources.

 

3. Create A Business Plan For Your Doggy Daycare

If you are starting out running a doggy daycare business, you will need to create a solid and workable business plan.

This will guide you each step of the way. In the plan, the following important items must be included:

Details on the doggy daycare facilities you are going to use.

You are going to highlight the how the kennel is going to look like.

You should also plan the feeding area, the play area, the rest area, the outdoor area, and the separate areas for small dogs and large dogs.

Also, you should not forget the equipment like furniture, air conditioning, lighting, and other facilities that would make the dogs comfortable.

Details on the services you are providing and the time allotment for each service

For instance, your business plan should include details about your operating hours – include day, night, and weekend.

You should also spell out the feeding time, outdoor time, playtime, and naptime.

Details about Total cost starting the doggy daycare

Your business plan should include the cost of facilities, supplies, insurance, permits, licenses, and advertisement.

Details about the price you are going to charge for each service you render at daycare

You can set your price based on the margin of your average cost – the profit margin you are targeting.

However, before pricing, you may need to consider the industry changes in the location you are operating from.

Also, you can set your prices based on what dog owners in your area can afford, how many dogs you can accommodate, the kind of services you offer, and more.

Still, on pricing, you also need to be clear about offering different rates for different membership plans.

When you are clear about your business plan then you can take other steps towards starting your doggy daycare business.

Also See: How to Work as a Budtender at a Dispensary and Immediate Hire Home Jobs.

 

4. Obtain A Business License And Insurance

You may need to get a doggy daycare license from the state or county you want to operate from.

In most places, this is a basic requirement and you may only qualify for this license after an on-site inspection has been carried out on your facilities.

Yes, the inspection will determine other things like:

• The safety of the facilities to dogs and pets
• The sanitary condition of the facility
• The right location of the daycare center
• The proper equipment of the facilities

At least, the inspectors will have to determine if you have followed proper procedures to prevent harm to dogs under your care.

Or, if your sanitation procedure can prevent the spread of diseases amongst the dogs.

Similarly, you may need to get liability insurance.

This can protect you from a huge loss if the dog under your care dies or becomes severely injured.

You can also get insurance coverage to protect your home and personal belongings from monetary damages arising from the care of these dogs.

Talking about businesses, below are some businesses that can bring in good money if done right:

• Pet Sitting Business
• Lawn Care Business
• Transportation Business
• Painting Business
• Lash Business
• Commercial Cleaning Business
• ATM Business
• Carpet Cleaning Business
• Gift Wrapping Business

 

 

5. Purchase Adequate Pet Supplies For The Doggy Daycare

You need an adequate amount of supplies when it comes to running a doggy daycare.

Examples of these supplies include food, treats, water bowls, beds, kennels, and toys.

Other supplies you should keep in place include blankets, mats, indoor and outdoor fences, a first aid kit, cleaning, and disinfecting supplies.

Ensure you get higher quality from the right stores and dog centers.

It would interest you to know that some humane societies or non-governmental agencies can provide you with supplies of doggy supplies.

Also See: Do You Get Paid Money When You Foster Dogs?

 

6. Advertise And Promote  Your Doggy Daycare Business

You need to put out word of your doggy business for the world to know. In this wise, you should take steps to promote the business.

There are many steps you can take to promote or advertise your doggy daycare. These include:

• Set up a website and showcase the business you are offering. You should also highlight the rates you charge, and any deal or promo offers.

• Make sure that the site is professionally built. It should have all the necessary pages in place.

• You can also advertise your doggy daycare on social media sites. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, are some of the best social media platforms to advertise your business. You can upload pictures of your business on your social media platform and have a link back to your website.

• You can also offer different promotion deals to attract more customers. You can offer to give away items, discounts, and special rewards for first-time customers.

 

7. Get Vital Information And Vet Your Doggy Daycare Customers

Another important step you must take when it comes to setting up doggy daycare is to vet your customers.

You need to have dog owners leave their contacts and emergency contacts in case their dogs are infected or get injured in a dog fight.

The dog owner should leave with you the medical or vet history of the dog.

You should be armed with all the health information of the dog. Any allergies, color, breed, height, weight, and any sensitivities.

If you have all this sensitive information in place, it would help to protect your business.

 

How to Make Money With Doggy Daycare

Services you can provide to make money:

1. Provide Doggy Daycare service

You get paid taking care of dogs for the owners during the daytime.

On average, you can earn $25 to $60 per dog for a regular workday. You can make much more during holidays.

2. Provide Overnight Care for dogs

You can get paid offering overnight stays for dogs when their owners are away.

You can earn $30 to $75 per dog per night.

3. Provide Dog bathing and grooming services

You can get paid offering bath and groom dogs in your care.

4. Provide Dog In-Home Checking Services

You can get paid to check in on a dog in the owner’s home.

In other words, you visit the dog’s home to check on it, walk and care for it.

5. Provide Dog Walking Service

You get paid to walk dogs during the day or night. On average, you earn $10 to $20 per dog for a 30-minute walk session.

6. Sell Pet or Dog Care products

You get paid to sell different types of pet products.

 

Conclusion

As this article has shown, it’s not that hard to start and succeed with a doggy daycare business if you know how and what to do.

Thankfully this article went further and revealed all you need to know about starting this business, what is required, how to get started and exactly how to make money from the process.