Pet boarding is a golden business opportunity for die-hard animal lovers. It’s imperative to mention that there are dozens of organisations that focus on helping people turn their love for animals into a profitable business. Besides doing something you enjoy, you will be able to make a comfortable living with your canine friends. In this article, we are going to cover seven tips that can help you run a successful dog boarding business.
Take Your Business Seriously
Many ambitious dog boarding business owners kick off their business because they adore pets. They will make an earnest effort to keep animals safe, but don’t see their business as a revenue generating machine. This crucial mistake is one of the main reasons why many dog kennels fail within the first five years of operation. The Paws Dog Day Care site shows that the cost to get a pet boarding business off the ground can start at $24,000 and go up to $81,000. The geographical location, a size of the business, and local legislation determines how much you need to get started.
You must be focused and determined if you want to succeed in this industry. You must also be ruthless. If you don’t have these qualities, you will not be in business for an extended period. You don’t have to be a ruthless mercenary and charge high fees, but you must be aggressive. Managing a business and having a hobby are two different matters. Running a business requires you to handle staffing, paying insurance, and covering the business expenses.
Track time and Focus on Income-Production
As a small business owner, your time is money. This may sound cliché, but it’s true. You cannot afford to spend your time on matters that will not produce income. It’s important for you to keep the bottom line in your mind daily. This approach will help your business grow over time.
Moneymaking activities include the following:
- Running successful advertising or marketing campaigns
- Improving the efficiency of your business
- Pour a portion of your profits back into your business
- Offering extra services to clients for more income. Offer treats, toys, and other supplies to your customers. This will expand your profits.
- Buy time clock software. This will help you keep track of your business activities, and you will be able to create a schedule for business endeavours. This includes meeting with clients, caring for the canines, bookkeeping, etc. Review your notes daily to see how much time you are devoting to each activity. This will help you recognise opportunities to improve efficiency and effectiveness.
My dog boarding lady says this large sweet v good boy (2 yrs old) needs a home (Bay Area) pic.twitter.com/oxHGzED9tf
— FilmDrunk (@Filmdrunk) August 7, 2017
Delegating
You may start off as a one-man (or one-woman) operation, but you need to get comfortable with depending on others as your business grows. There will come a time when you must hire a staff. Your staff members could be your family members or friends. One thing is for sure; you must delegate wisely.
When outsourcing, you are allowing your staff members to handle things you are not good at. This helps you focus on taking care of the things that you have experience with. Evaluating your skills can help you outsource effectively. For example, if you know how to “seal the deal” with potential clients, you should not give this responsibility to your receptionist. If you have a staff member that excels at grooming the dogs, you should let them get their hands dirty.
Expand Your Savings
A profitable dog kennel does not break even. You need to work hard at expanding your savings (even as little as $15 per week) to keep your pet boarding business afloat. Extra savings will help soften the impact that comes from emergency expenses such as a leaking roof or plumbing problems.
Creating a sound business plan can get you off to a great start, but you should also set realistic monthly goals. Your monthly goals should grow as time progresses. This will keep you motivated and focused. You’ll find creative ways of becoming more effective and efficient. You will also discover new profit centres that can take your pet boarding business to the next level.
Get Adequate Insurance
Many experts recommend that new dog boarding business owners should get insurance for their business. The basic minimum should be at least $2,000 of coverage per dog in your care. However, you should think about getting a better plan if you can afford it. It’s worth mentioning that the average cost of emergency pet surgery is $2,000. Your liability could go up as high as $5,000 if the animal suffers a serious injury like a broken limb.
To stay on the safe side, purchase a little more insurance than what you think you need. This will protect you from unforeseen events in the future.
Aggressive Marketing
Aggressive marketing will help you become one of the most modern pet boarding business owners in your area. It’s okay to start off with posting fliers, but you should move on to getting referrals from your customers and veterinarians in your town or city. Placing ads in local publications and putting your business online will help you get more customers.
Thinking like your clients will help you find new ones. What television programs do they watch? Where do they hang out? What sections in the newspaper do they read? The answers to these questions will help you find new clients for your dog boarding business.
Hire and Retain Good Staff Members
Without question, you should only hire animal lovers. It’s vital for you to screen applicants thoroughly before hiring them. The thorough screening will help you learn more about their experience and personality. You don’t want inexperienced people working at your dog kennel, and hiring someone with a poor attitude is a recipe for disaster.
Once you have a solid staff in place, do your best to keep them. This includes offering a flexible schedule, performance incentives, and hosting employee outings.
Keep Your Passion on Display
Pet owners are pretty finicky. They are not going to leave their beloved extended family member with just anyone. This is why you must keep your passion on display. If you’re not passionate about running a dog boarding business, you need to find another way to make a living.
Starting a dog kennel is exciting, but it takes hard work and dedication to make it successful. Following the seven tips above can help you start and run a pet boarding business with ease.