A Dog Walking Business Could Be The Answer For You
Introduction
The first thing to do is list reasons why you would want to start a dog walking business: a love of dogs; enjoyment of great out doors; the need to be active in your work rather than sitting in an office all day. The second question: Are you physically fit enough to do all the walking? It’s no good starting a business if you aren’t up to the physical tasks involved. Finally do the research! There are plenty of pet trade magazines and publications on the web to help with this. Most importantly research your potential client base: is there need for your dog walking service in the local area?
What is a Dog Walker?
The answer to this question is unsurprisingly simple: a dog walker walks dogs. There are a myriad of reasons why dog owners cannot find time to do this themselves: busy lifestyles, ill-health, even disabilities may prevent owners from personally exercising their dog. However, it is easy to confuse a pet sitter with a dog walker: a pet sitter’s responsibilities usually are much wider including feeding, administering medication and attending to a pet’s general house needs. A pet sitter’s clients will not just be dogs: their charges could include cats, rabbits, birds, in fact anything that is kept as a pet.
The Legal Side of Business
A business, no matter how much fun, is still a business, and the legal side will also require attention. The type of business structure you intend to use needs to be researched, whether Sole Proprietor, or Limited Liability (which will protect your personal assets in the event of failure), it’s an important decision! Other areas to investigated are the legal requirements of you local area: you may need a licence, or to register your business. Of course good insurance cover should never be overlooked.
Administration
Any business will generate admin. This will involve contracts with you clients; reports on what your doing; a register of client details; vet details and pet care information; tax details. The most important are the rates you charge for your services. This can be dependant on the area where your clients live as well as what you will include in your service: for example, would you be qualified to administer meds? Therefore look at what client would require a dog walker and sort out the rates accordingly.
Conclusion
If you want to run a business that is fun and healthy, then a dog walking business is a great idea for any active person. You will get paid for doing work that you like and for being out and about rather than for being behind a desk or stuck on the shop floor. You should always remember though, that it is a business, and you should treat it as such. You should always treat your enterprise with a professional approach, and be ready to fulfil all of your commitments, even if the weather is lousy, or if you just don’t feel like it. If you are willing to do all this, then you could be starting a successful business.
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