It is easy to start a dog walking business – you love dogs, and you have plenty of time. Unfortunately, it is not that easy to keep your customers happy. So how do you make sure you always have a positive attitude, no matter what? How do you keep your customers coming back for more? Here are some tips that will help you start a dog walking business in no time at all!
Step One: Pick a niche. If you want to start a dog walking business, one of the first things you need to do is pick a specific type of niche. For example, are you going to only work with pet store clients? Or will you also walk clients coming into your apartment building or other commercial building? Think about what type of business you want to run, then choose a niche. The more specific you are, the easier it will be to market your services to potential clients.
Step Two: You may think that it is a good idea to offer your services to a large number of locations. In fact, you may find it makes things easier to get clients. However, if you are new to this type of small business, it can also be detrimental to your success. As a new small business owner, you are not used to having anyone besides yourself managing your business, so it’s good to start with a local route. It is a good idea to build up your client base before expanding to other areas.
Step Three: When you have a name for your dog walking business, make sure you market it. It doesn’t matter if your business is pet sitting or dog walking. You need to make sure everyone knows your name and where you are located. Word of mouth is an extremely powerful tool, so take advantage of it.
Step Four: Start sending out fliers and postcards. You might even want to consider creating a website in order to attract more clients. Whatever you do, don’t rely solely on local marketing. You might seem like a great service and have great potential to make lots of money, but if no one knows your business exists, your business will not succeed.
Step Five: Offer packages for dog walking. You can set up one fee that includes everything or you can charge by the hour. No matter which route you decide to take, it is important to make sure you get your pricing right. It is much easier to charge per walk if your customers know exactly how much to expect. They will feel much more comfortable hiring you if they know how much they can expect to pay.
Step Six: Get some insurance for your business. Insurance can help cover any unforeseen liabilities that may arise as a result of your service. This includes liability for something that happens to your dog walker while giving them care. In addition, it can cover any property damages that happen to your client’s home while their dog is being walked. Having business insurance is a good idea, even for professional dog walkers.
These are the steps you need to take if you want to know how to start a dog walking business with very little money. If you’re planning to hire workers and run the business out of your home, then you may want to consider setting up quarters in some kind of commercial building. Hiring office space is a good option for many people. Think about it. It is very easy to look like a professional when you have an attractive and spacious space to work with.
danstheman
Dan Lewis is a business and finance consultant who stared is career with Capital One and worked as a business and finance analyst for over 25 before leaving the corporate world to create this blog.