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Introduction

The most important part of starting a business is a strong desire to the job. Are you suitable? Do you have the physical stamina for the task? However, there is more to it than simply wanting to have fun job. Basically you’ll be in a service industry: is there need for it in your local area? Will there be enough work in your area to keep you fully employed? In the end nothing beats good old fashioned research! Fortunately there are plenty of trade journals and websites to help with this.

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

Once you have researched your potential client base, you need to set the rates that you can charge, and how you will manage them. You can charge by the hour: divide your time into slots, which the client can purchase. This useful if a client has more than one dog that requires exercise. Other services can be added on, such cleaning up gardens of poop, or administering meds if required. Make sure that the paper work is all in order: lists of client details; contract details; payments (including your own tax); vet details. All these are vital to the successful running of a business.

Conclusion

A dog walking business is a wonderful idea for any person who is active, and hopefully, likes animals. You will be rewarded for doing a job you like and for being out and about rather than for being behind a desk. However, you should always remember that it is a business, and you should treat it as a business. You should maintain a professional manner, and be ready to fulfil all of your commitments, irrespective of other considerations such as bad weather. If you can do all of this, then you could be looking at a successful and rewarding business.

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