Building a Home-Based Business or Side-Hustle Around Pets


The world is in upheaval with several years of pandemic “behind us” and the economy globally having all sorts of issues. During the pandemic, many have lost their jobs, decided to change careers, or had tons of change forced upon them. Many, bitter about what the future holds when working for someone else, have dipped into the gigs economy or started their own home-based business.

Many, due to their hobbies or lack of other skills, go into pet-based services business. The costs and barriers to entry are low with running a pet-based business, and you can build a successful business with consistent m

Pet Sitting Home Businesses

Everyone with a pet that travels…needs a pet sitter to take care of their animal if they’re not going to put it in a kennel. A pet sitting businesses gives pet owners the ability to leave their pet in their home or in the care of someone trusted in their home. Rates for kennels can be very expensive compared to pet sitting, and being able to remain in their own home environment or in a home they visit often can be great at reducing separation anxiety while you travel for work or play.

Home Dog Grooming

In just the USA alone, people and families with pets are expected to spend $99 billion on pet products, services and medical care. It makes now a very attractive time to start a local pet-based business. The industry is expected to continue to prosper.

But now that you have made the courageous decision to start your business, you may be overwhelmed with what to do next. There are many steps ahead on your journey to creating a dog grooming business, from legal paperwork and licensing to selecting a name and designing a logo.

Evergreen things you will need if you are starting a pet-based business

If you have decided to start a pet-based or pet-themed business, you’re going to need to start preparing by completing a number of tasks. There is much more to do than just creating a catchy name and cute logo. Here’s some of the things that should be on your to-do list.

    1. Create a pet-based business business plan
    2. Select an operational concept
    3. Establish a business entity (company or corporation)
    4. Obtain insurance, licenses and permits
    5. Buy business tools and supplies
    6. Earn certifications and any relevant training
    7. Establish pricing
    8. Promote & market the business
    9. Set an ongoing marketing & promotional budget based on what happens in #8

That list covers the basic things you need to do if you are starting any service-based business, much less a pet based business. You will also need to address your IT, technology and business systems in a cost-effective manner. The costs of proper technology to operate your business can get out of control if you are not careful.

You will need a phone line, preferably separated from your personal cell phone or home phone line. You’ll want to do this from the beginning, so that as the business grows you can seamlessly transfer incoming phone activity to an employee or answering service. You’ll also need internet access in the business’s name if it is running out of a location separate from your house.

The other thing you’ll need to invest in monthly is pet business management software. Companies offer bundled cloud software as a monthly charge where you can run all aspects of the business in one place. This means your incoming appointments, follow-up on completed appointments, invoicing & billing, and various aspects of communication with your prospects and clients is all in one place. Using a proper inexpensive software kit for these functions gives you the ability to grow and handoff responsibilities to paid employees, while you can still run the business from a 30,000 foot view.

 

 


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