Home Business Ideas
Dog Walking Service Business
We all love
our dogs. They are always
there when we are feeling
down. They are always ready
to wag their tails for us
and make us smile. They are
our best friends, and we
would do anything for them,
well, except walk them.
For some reason, many people
do not walk their dogs. In
some cases it is that they
have no time, in others it
is simply they do not feel
the need to go out walking
with their dog.
This is tough for the dog
because many have so much
energy they just want to go
out and run around. This is
where you and your dog
walking service come in. You
will be there to take the
dogs for walks when the
owners simply can't, or
choose not to.
The Concept
If you love dogs, love
the outdoors and love to
walk, then you may have
found the perfect job for
you. Starting a dog walking
service will allow you to
have your love of all of
these, all at once, while
you get paid for it.
In some places in North
America, including New York,
dog walking is a huge
business and it is only
beginning to boom right now.
Estimates currently state
that only three percent of
households in America use
dog walkers, but that
amounts to 50 million visits
each year by dog walkers to
the homes of the pets they
walk. Nationwide, there are
only a few thousand dog
walkers, so the field is
wide open for you and your
dog walking business.
It is up to you to take the
dogs out and give them the
exercise that they need on a
regular basis. You will
often have more than one dog
leashed on your hand, so you
need to be able to handle a
lot of dogs, a lot of
commotion, while keeping the
most important things in
your client's lives, their
dogs, safe.
It is amazing to think that
only a few decades ago, dog
walking did not exist as a
business. However, in the
1970s that all changed when
there was a big decrease in
stay-at-home moms, and dogs
suddenly needed to be taken
out for walks.
Startup Costs
Startup costs for this
type of career are
incredibly small. In fact,
all you really need to pay
for is a good set of walking
shoes and some advertising.
Leashes, food and everything
else will be provided by
your clients. If you want to
go the extra mile though,
you can provide those things
yourself. Your client's will
appreciate the gesture
How to Market It
You will want to market
your dog walking service in
the more upscale areas of
the city. It is unlikely
that you will find much
business in the poorer
neighborhoods as people will
have more important things
to spend their money on. Put
up posters and brochures in
vet shops, pet food stores
and even sneak a few in the
pet food aisle at your local
grocery store. You can also
put some ads in the paper.
There will be plenty of
people who will see those
ads and need to use your
service. Word of mouth, as
always, is a huge benefit to
your business, so do a good
job and get the word out
there.
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