If you are an animal lover, how would you like to spend all day every day working with animals? The pet industry has loads of opportunities for animal lovers to make money doing what they love the most. Many people think of their pets as children, so even in a troubled economy, the pet industry continues to thrive. Here are a few ideas to get you started making money working with our canine, feline, feathered, finned, and reptile friends.
PET SITTING
Not all pets can be successfully boarded for a variety of reasons. Some people own exotic pets that are difficult to move around. Pet owners often would rather not impose on friends, relatives or neighbors to care for their pets when the owner is away. What a sense of relief and peace of mind to have a sitter come to the home. The pet's feeding and exercise routines are not interrupted, and the animals are less likely to stress if cared for in a familiar environment while their owners are away.
For a pet lover, pet sitting is a great opportunity to start a business with little or no start-up cost. If you want to work on a small scale, then you can do all the pet sitting yourself. As your business starts to grow, you can recruit additional pet lovers to work with you. Begin by marketing your services locally through pet-related businesses in your community. Make up fliers with pricing structures for short and long term sitting and distribute at veterinarians, pet supply retailers and dog grooming services. Run classified ads in local newspapers.
DOGGY DAY CARE
Day care facilities for dogs are becoming increasingly popular. It is especially comforting for animal lovers to know their beloved pets are taken care of and have company during the day. Dogs, like people are social creatures and need contact with people and other dogs. Owners who purchase a dog but have little time to interact with their pet will be interested in this service.
Day care should not be confused with a kennel, which boards animals. Working from home, you can create a small doggy day care operation where pets are dropped off in the morning and picked up in the evening.
If you have a large property, you may want to consider a larger operation. More space would allow you to accommodate more pets. With this goal in mind, start up costs would be significantly higher, but a large business has the potential to be ultimately more profitable.
Check with your veterinarian about the vaccination requirements. www.dogdaycarebusinessplan.com
PROFESSIONAL DOG WALKERS
If you have spare time and a passion for dogs, consider becoming a professional dog walker. There is a market for this service, particularly among dog owners who are elderly or handicapped, or those whose schedules are overloaded. This business requires very little start up capital. There are various styles of multi lead dog walking collars and leashes available that allow three or more dogs to be walked simultaneously, without becoming tangled. These are a must, since they will reduce frustration and make the walks more enjoyable.
Costs for marketing a dog walking business can be kept to a minimum by creating fliers and distributing them at businesses that are frequented by dog owners, such as veterinarians and pet stores. Post on bulletin boards at local grocery stores and online on Craigslist. Once you have a few regular customers, word of mouth will bring plenty more, and you will soon have a profitable business.
DOG CLOTHING
If you like to sew or create items of clothing by hand, consider a business in dog clothing. Americans spend millions annually on their pets, which presents an opportunity to start a business in dog clothing. You can start up a lucrative work from home business designing and making a range of sweaters, jackets, blankets and bedding. To make a steady income, you would need a fair amount of capital in order to create an extensive range of clothing and accessories. These can be marketed through pet shop retailers, or direct to pet owners at flea markets and fairs. Take advantage of the online explosion, and advertise on dog related websites. You could also set up your own website to showcase your exclusive range of products.
POOPER SCOOPER SERVICE
This might be hard to believe, but you can make a considerable income by starting and operating a dog pooper scooper service in your community. This operation does not require any great skills and not much investment. If you have a vehicle to get around to various locations, you’re just about ready to get started. Just add a shovel and some plastic bags and you're in the pooper scooper business. A cost effective way of marketing this business will be to post fliers on bulletin boards at your local grocery shops, at veterinarians’ offices, and in pet shops. Run an ad in the classified section of your local newspaper.
These are just a few examples of how you can make money doing what you love best. If pets are your passion, there’s no reason you can’t make a business out of it.
