Easy Ways to Grow Your Dog Walking Business
Starting a dog-walking business as a pet lover and entrepreneur is an excellent way to enter the pet industry at a low cost.
Over 70 households in the US have at least one pet. This means that there is a high demand for them to be well looked after. As more and more pet owners purchase new pets, and as the trend of treating dogs and cats as family members who deserve discretionary spending increases, the pet industry continues to grow.
It can be not easy to start a business. There are many steps to follow to make sure your business will succeed in the long run. You’ve done the research, weighed the advantages and disadvantages, and decided to start a dog-walking business. What’s next?
This guide will show you how to grow your dog-walking business easily.
Promoting Your Dog Walking Business
Strategic marketing is the key to gaining repeat customers, attracting new clients, and growing your business. Here are other ways that you can promote your new dog-walking business besides word-of-mouth advertising:
Ask your clients for referrals. People are more likely to trust the recommendations of people they know, such as family and friends than any other form of advertising. Ask your existing customers to refer your business to other people who might need your services.
Flyers, dog walking cards: Distributing dog walking cards and posting flyers is a great way to reach local dog owners.
Create a presence online. Most businesses have websites these days, and you will definitely reach more customers with an online presence. You and your business will be taken more seriously by clients. Book Your Pet provides a customized digital storefront without expensive website development costs.
Use Social Media: Share photos and videos of your walks using different social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook. Social media can help you reach a larger audience. Asking pet owners for permission before sharing their videos or pictures is a common practice. Consider asking them to sign an agreement as part of the service.
Ask for testimonials: Request testimonials as soon as your service begins. You can use the testimonials to increase your clientele by printing them on flyers, adding them to social media, or including them on your site.
Provide impressive customer service. Doing all you can to attract new clients is wonderful, but keeping existing clients requires more than just handing out business cards. Listen to the needs of your clients and consider positive suggestions. Do not put off client concerns or issues – address them immediately.
Managing Your Dog Walking Business
Start-up and promotion of a dog-walking business are only half the equation. Managing the company is a completely different game. Unfortunately, many webpreneurs fail to grasp this, and their vision and dreams are shattered.
Here are some tips that will help you grow your dog walking business, from just starting it to managing and tracking it.
Book Your First Booking After Meeting With Dog Owners
Accepting a difficult dog is a common mistake made by first-time business owners. If you are unable to control the dog, it can be a danger to both you and your customers.
It is common for people to make mistakes when they are too eager to get new clients. If you book a pet without meeting the owner or their dog, it could result in an unruly animal.
Always see the dog in person with its owner to avoid unnecessary headaches. You can then decide whether to accept the customer. You may lose some business, but this is a safer and more cost-effective option than getting sued for damage caused by a dog.
Leverage Tech Solutions
With innovative tech solutions, running a business is much easier today. It makes more sense to use modern solutions to manage your business than to rely on human memory, which is prone to error. These solutions can reduce stress and increase productivity.
Book Your Pet automates almost every aspect of running a dog-walking business. It can send clients text or email reminders, give you full control over booking approvals, and complete repetitive admin tasks. We’ll go into more detail about the app shortly.
You will end up making costly mistakes if you try to keep track manually of all aspects of your business. Pet-specific tech can eliminate all the hard work.
Keep on Top of Daily Business Operations
Your small dog-walking company is still a legitimate business, even if you do not have a desk, computer, or cash register. You can’t ignore the daily running of your small business.
You can avoid this by keeping track of your business activities, including:
Tracking your income and expenditures.
Keep accurate and timely self-assessment returns.
Separate your personal and business finances.
Ensure that you have the right supplies and maintain accurate and complete records of your purchases.
Understanding Local Leash Laws and Dog Walking Regulations
It’s important to do your research before starting a business that involves dog walking. You can learn about the important regulations and laws that are applicable to your state or area.
You may find yourself in trouble if you try to walk a dog for money without knowing the legal requirements. Some important regulations that you should keep in mind include:
Dog walkers are required to comply with sanitation laws (pooper-scooper regulations), which require them to collect and dispose of dog waste properly.
Local leash laws require dogs to be restrained in public places at all times.
You must protect your customers’ personal information.
Keep to the maximum number of dogs that you can walk in a single session (usually four dogs or less).
Check your local laws before taking your clients’ dogs for walks. You don’t want to ruin your reputation by breaking the law or explaining to clients why you did not return their dog. This can damage your business’s reputation and hinder future growth.
