Pet Daycare Can be a Lucrative Business

Pet daycare centers are among the fastest growing home-based businesses in the United States. Consider the statistics: there are 40 million American households that own at least one dog, and 48% of these households have more than one pet. The United States Department of Labor projects that the employment in the animal care industry will grow faster than other occupations through 2010. With these figures in mind, you can see why a pet daycare center is a lucrative business for anyone who loves animals. Of course, the only way to earn a sizeable sum from your pet daycare is if run your business correctly.

What is a Pet Daycare?

Pet daycare centers work like human daycare centers do. Clients drop their dogs off in the morning and pick them up right after work so their dogs can get the exercise and socializing they need. What makes a pet daycare different from a pet-sitting business or a dog-walking business because you will require a lot of physical space that you either own or rent. The space for your daycare center is regulated by each state and town. Pet daycares are also different from overnight stay kennels because dogs are only brought in for the day, while their owners are at work.

Skills and Experience Required for a Pet Daycare

Experience in the pet care industry is a must. It doesn’t matter if you started out as a dog walker or a pet store employee – you will have a hard time getting started if you haven’t taken care of pets as a professional. Once you understand how to handle all sorts of common household pets and their needs, you’ll be ready to start out your own pet daycare. Since this is a business, basic entrepreneur skills will also be required of you.

How to Get Started

Like every business, you need to start out with a business plan. Your business plan should include your pet daycare’s name, your marketing plan, projections for daily operations and expenses, inventory requirements, staff needed, client agreement and registration forms, training, and licensing. The contents of your business plan will determine the supplies you’ll need, the staff you’ll be hiring, the services you’ll provide, what kind of pets you accept, your operation hours, your rates, and your daycare policies.

Make sure you contact your local county or state for the regulations and requirements for pet daycare centers. Obtain the proper licenses and registration before advertising your services.

Consult a business lawyer and ask for help in drafting contracts for clients who would like to enroll their pets into your daycare. Your contract should contain your rates, terms, drop-off and pick-up times, and eligibility criteria, e.g. dogs should be neutered and up-to-date on their shots.

When deciding on rates, check out the competition and see how much they are offering. Some daycare services offer package deals to cover a certain number of days. For instance, you could provide a 10-day pass or a 30-day pass. All of these details are matters that you need to decide based on your facilities and space available.