Pet owners love their fur babies and spend a lot of money on keeping them happy. As much as dog lovers dedicate their time and attention to their dogs, full-time jobs and active schedules make constant care challenging. However, this is a great opportunity if you have experience with pet care and are considering running a home-based doggie daycare.
Check your local ordinances.
Before you start planning out your home-based doggie daycare you need to check with your local city ordinances to ensure home-based businesses are permitted. Commercial and residential zoning laws could mean restrictions on home-based businesses or limitations on how many dogs can be under your care at once. Homeowners associations may have concerns over barking, increased traffic, stray dogs, or bites that could squash a doggie daycare.
Obtain your business license and insurance.
Once you have confirmed that you are legally permitted to operate a home-based doggie daycare, you will need to get a business license. Your home will need to pass a health inspection to prove that it is both pet-friendly and up to sanitary code. Additionally, you will need to purchase business liability insurance and consider adding extra coverage to your homeowner’s insurance.
Following proper sanitation practices in a home-based doggie daycare is imperative to preventing the spread of disease. Your backyard will quickly become littered with dog poop — but between feedings, baths, playtime, and grooming, when is there time to tend to pet waste? The best way to clean up dog waste is with Scoop Troop residential pet waste removal services. They offer weekly and bi-monthly pooper scooper services, customized affordable plans, and they take pet waste away.
Invest in quality supplies.
You will need to invest in quality and affordable dog food appropriate for your furry clients, treats, and food and water bowls. You will also need crates for nap time or timeouts with blankets, beds, dog-specific medical kits, pet-friendly cleaning supplies, and leashes. If your backyard isn’t already secured, you will need to install a reliable fence that’s tall enough to contain dogs of all sizes. Carefully check all the flora and fauna in your yard to ensure nothing growing is toxic to dogs.
Determine who your furry clients will be and price accordingly.
Determine if you will take in small breeds, large breeds, or a mix and set your prices accordingly. Some dogs may have dietary restrictions or specific health or behavioral issues that require extra attention. When it comes to setting your prices, consider offering options for half-day, daily, weekly, or monthly services.
Do require that all your furry clients have proof of current rabies vaccination and a certificate from the vet proving all vaccinations are up to date. You are liable for all dogs under your care, so it’s a smart idea to evaluate all new dogs with a temperament test to ensure they are socialized.
Use your resources.
Bring in customers to your home-based doggie daycare by meeting dog owners where they are. Advertise in local dog parks, pet supply stores, and veterinary clinics. Get connected with local dog walkers or dog groomer services to gain word-of-mouth referrals. You will need to set up an online presence with a website, social media platforms, and profiles on directories such as Google My Business.
Every successful business owner needs a way to interact with potential clients that feels natural and personal. Peerly p2p texting is a powerful engagement tool designed for one-one-one SMS text message engagement. Peer to peer texting allows you to quickly and efficiently send out SMS text messages to large groups of recipients and have the ability to engage in two-way conversations with individual recipients. With Peerly, you can create personalized message templates, send individual messages, view a real-time response rate, and manage authentic conversations with potential paying clients.
With the right experience and passion, running a home-based doggie daycare can be a rewarding and lucrative business adventure.
