Dog lovers can profit from a boarding business.
Dog owners often find themselves needing a place to board their pets. Some may use a boarding kennel every time they leave home, while others may use one as a last resort when a dog sitter is unavailable. Operating a dog boarding business may sound like easy money to dog lovers but, as with any successful venture, running a business requires more than simply love. Success requires enough of a market for the service to support a business, a good business plan, enough capital to get started, and the ability to win dog owners as customers. Dog boarding may be simple caging and exercise areas, or may entail extravagant accommodations with couches and beds, more like a hotel.
Instructions
1. Check zoning laws for restrictions on pet boarding businesses. A kennel license may be required, as well as special certification for the business operator and/or employees who handle animals. Investigate whether the market area has a need for dog boarding -- if such businesses are closing, for instance, it may be a sign of market oversaturation, but it could also indicate a need for a better-run business.
2. Write a business plan. A good business plan satisfies two objectives. It gives a step-by-step process for starting and operating the business. And it provides a vehicle by which to raise funding from investors, if necessary. The business plan contains a strategic overview of the business, the products and services offered, biographies of the management team, marketing strategies and financial forecasts. The business plan should also include sales forecasts, cash flow forecasts, and a projected profit and loss statement for three years. Use caution not to use figures that are overly optimistic.
3. Find a location that provides easy access and parking for customers. It should have adequate space for indoor kennels and exercise runs, as well as outdoor fenced-in running and exercise areas.
4. Market the business before you open the doors to ensure a paying clientele from the beginning. Print advertising is the most common way to advertise this type of business. Repeated insertions in local newspapers and publications targeted to dog owners should yield results, as will word-of-mouth recommendations. Talk to local veterinarians, animal shelters and pet stores to encourage referral business. Place fliers and business cards in every retail location that will allow that. An attractive Web site will vastly improve the marketability of any business.
5. Supply your kennel with the amenities required in the chosen market segment. Accommodate both large and small dogs. Furnish each cage or room with a bed, water and food dishes, toys and rawhide chews. Supply enough dog food and treats for the expected census, and be prepared to cater to the needs of dogs with food sensitivities. The outside play area should be fenced in to prevent escape. A front desk and comfortable waiting area should encourage your human clients to be comfortable with the surroundings. Offer food and toys for sale to increase profits. The facility should be cleaned regularly and sanitized so as not to spread diseases such as kennel cough and to eliminate offensive odors.
6. Hire staff that supports values such as good customer service and excellence in care for the animals in your trust. Make sure that staff members know handle dogs. Supply them with enough leashes, muzzles and collars to do their jobs effectively. Find out the pay scale for similar employees locally, and pay them on the high end to ensure their satisfaction and loyalty to your business.
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