If you’ve made up your mind to start a dog daycare, it’s likely that you’ll be eager to kickstart your operations without delay. Anticipation for new canine companions is difficult to contain!
Despite deciding to open a daycare, there are numerous intermediate measures before accepting bookings. These involve locating facilities, employing personnel, and enforcing regulations to guarantee secure canine activities.
At Gingr, we specialize in solutions to improve pet care business management. We’ve noticed a few common necessities when it comes to starting a dog daycare, and compiled them in the following steps:
- Understand the business model of a dog daycare.
- Secure your facilities.
- Hire qualified staff members.
- Price your services.
- Develop a system for animal evaluation.
- Mitigate risk for your business.
Let’s start the process of opening your doggie daycare, are you prepared?
1. Understand the business model of a dog daycare.
In order to start a dog daycare, it is crucial to have a thorough comprehension of the business model involved.
Unlike other service industries, dog daycare businesses heavily depend on recurring customers, which should be factored in throughout all aspects of operating the business.
This can be produced through:
- Memberships. For particularly regular clients, like those that will be returning weekly, would benefit from memberships at either a discounted rate or with additional services and benefits thrown in.
- Punch cards. This refers to selling packages of services (ex: 12 stays at your dog daycare) to clients in bulk for a discounted price.
- Additional services. Whether grooming or training, additional services allow you to provide more value to customers and retain their business beyond an additional stay.
As you begin setting up your dog daycare, consider including these elements in your preparations. This might entail constructing grooming amenities, bringing on a certified dog trainer as part of your team, or devising special volume pricing.
As you proceed with the following steps, keep in mind the possibility of repeat business.
2. Secure your facilities.
After conducting a thorough assessment of your decision to establish a dog daycare, you can initiate the process of creating the business. If you are starting from scratch, the first step is to secure suitable facilities.
To secure physical facilities for your dog daycare, there are two primary methods available.
- leasing a space
- building/buying a space
Typically, businesses that do not have a large sum of money reserved for startup costs find the first option to be more feasible since investing in facilities can be very costly.
Leasing a space requires you to search for a facility that is either pet-friendly or allows changes to be made and also entails obtaining an insurance policy that lists your landlord as an additional insured party.
3. Hire qualified staff members.
To gain the trust of pet owners and have them entrust their dogs to your care, it is vital that you have a competent team of dog care professionals. When hiring internally, certain traits should be given priority while some should be highlighted to attract potential customers.
When seeking to employ personnel, search for the subsequent traits:
- A love for dogs. This goes without saying— if someone is more of a cat person or has a terrible dog allergy, they’re not the right fit for your business.
- A variety of specialties. Consider hiring staff members across a variety of specialties, such as grooming and dog training. This will allow you to comfortably offer a wider array of services, rather than MacGuyver-ing solutions when the need arises.
- Basic training and certification. Dog daycare workers should have an understanding of canine CPR and other basic first aid necessities . Consider looking for official pet care certification, such as that provided through PACCC .
- Ability to adapt. Each day in petcare will look different. Hire staff members with an ability to adapt to changing conditions, such as the incorporation of new dog daycare management software or new responsibilities in the event of unexpected circumstances (such as the current COVID-19 pandemic sweeping the U.S.)
Making careful choices while selecting team members from the beginning can avoid future disastrous problems; it is a wise decision to practice mindful hiring.
4. Price your services.
Bear in mind that the pricing strategy for your services can significantly affect your overall operations. Therefore, take into consideration the following factors when setting your prices:
Mindful Pricing
Customers who are unwilling to pay extravagant prices will be excluded if you set prices too high, and setting prices too low will give the impression that your services are inferior. It’s best to set prices that align with your services, meaning that if you price things higher, you must ensure that you deliver that value to your customers.
Accepting Deposits
To ensure customers who make reservation follow through, you may want to incorporate deposits into your pricing structure wherein you receive a percentage of the payment in advance.
Recurring Payments
It is advisable to provide customers with a payment option that recurs to save them the hassle of remembering to pay each time. One possible solution is to offer day packages that function similarly to punch cards, allowing pet owners to buy several days of care in a single transaction.
5. Develop a system for dog evaluation.
As previously stated, in order for customers to feel comfortable leaving their dogs in your care, they must have confidence in your staff. However, the safety and behavior of other dogs in your facility is also a factor to consider.
It can be more difficult to instruct and manage animals, particularly if they are initially uncooperative, compared to staff members.
It’s important that you evaluate each animal that will be in your care to make sure that your staff members and the other animals in your facility will be safe around the newcomer. This is true across the board for any job that involves working with dogs – as well as other pets!
6. Mitigate risk for your business.
Early comprehension and management of potential risks are imperative, similar to any other entrepreneurial undertaking. This holds true particularly because you will be dealing with animals that are alive and, at times, uncertain.
Several factors contribute to this.
Insurance
In case of the worst possible situation, insurance is the safeguard for your pet care enterprise which could finance crucial repairs, cover legal expenses, or even compensate for revenue loss.
In addition to standard commercial and professional liability insurance policies, as well as property coverage, it is advisable to consider insurance options tailored specifically for pet businesses.
Even the coverage for lost keys and insurance for animals kept in the bailment are included.
Software
Technology is taking a variety of industries by storm, from nonprofits tracking time to events heading to the digital sphere. In the pet care industry, there are many dog training and daycare software solutions to help your dog daycare mitigate risk as well.
When you make reservations, schedule appointments, and process payments through an online system, your business can keep track of all aspects of its operations. This level of oversight helps prevent the risk of overbooking.
In addition, numerous options facilitate the simple transmission of notifications and remarks. This ensures that every team member is acquainted with the dog’s past while under your supervision, and any potential discrepancies in behavior are promptly relayed.
Disaster Preparations
The current COVID-19 pandemic sweeping the U.S. has made businesses of all sizes realize the importance of proactive thinking.
It is important to contemplate the impact of these or comparable disputes on your business and establish a course of action for dealing with such incidents.
BONUS: Dog Training 101: How to Completely Train Your Dog
Do you feel prepared to commence your dog or puppy’s training? Teaching and introducing your dog to society are fundamental requirements. It’s imperative to initiate the training process soon to manage commands such as sitting, staying, come, guiding them to their crate, and going outside to relieve themselves. Surprisingly, this is achievable for beginners to do without assistance.
If you are a first-time dog owner, the task of training your furry friend can be quite daunting. However, with a step-by-step approach, you can easily manage the project. Here are some useful tips to help you get started:
- Start a Dog Obedience Program : Learn how to set a basic foundation before you begin to train your dog.
- Train Your Dog Using Games : Training your dog should be fun! Everyone knows it’s easier to learn when you are having a good time, so try implementing some games into your dog training regimen.
- Six Weeks to a Well-Trained Dog : Using this schedule as a guide, you can teach your dog the basics in about six weeks.
- Positive Reinforcement : There are many different ways to train a dog, but most dog professionals agree that the positive way is the best for both the dog and trainer.
House Training and Crate Training
House training, also known as housebreaking or potty training, should be one of the first things you focus on with your dog if you do not plan to keep them outside (which is not recommended for most). It is essential to teach your dog where to eliminate, and crate training could be an integral part of this process since it also aids in other training aspects.
- Crate Training Dogs and Puppies : Here are the basics of training your dog or puppy to accept and even enjoy the crate. Not only will it help with housebreaking, but it will also give your dog a place of his own.
- How to House Train your Dog : When it comes down to it, house training is not that complicated, but this doesn’t mean it’s easy. Consistency and diligence are key during the housebreaking process.
- Submissive/Excitement Urination in Dogs : If your dog is still having accidents in the house, it may be more than a simple housebreaking issue. Your dog might urinate out of excitement or to express submissive behavior.
Leash Training Dogs and Puppies
It is important for all dogs to be trained to walk while on a leash. This is not only due to the prevalence of leash laws in most areas, but also for the safety of the dog. One should learn how to introduce their dog or puppy to the leash and guide them on proper walking techniques, even alongside a bike. By teaching them to walk on a loose leash, a dog will learn not to pull or lunge, making walks more pleasurable for both owner and pet.
How To Socialize Dogs and Puppies
By exposing puppies or adult dogs to different people, animals, and environments, socialization aims to train them to accept these things. Dogs that have undergone socialization are less prone to behavioral issues and are more easily welcomed. Additionally, socialization plays a role in preventing the development of phobias and fears.
Socializing your dog or puppy will result in a dog that is happier and more well-behaved.
Clicker Training for Dogs
The use of clicker training, which is a widely used positive reinforcement technique, offers a straightforward and efficient approach to training dogs. While it is possible to train dogs without clicker training, a lot of pet owners prefer it. By adopting clicker training, you can easily and successfully teach your pet basic as well as advanced tricks and commands. Mastering the technique of clicker training is a quick and simple process.
Basic Commands and Fun Tricks
It is important for every dog to be familiar with basic commands and tricks such as come, speak, drop it, stay, and back up. These fundamental commands provide structure for your dog and are beneficial in rectifying typical dog behavioral issues as well as ensuring the safety of your pet.
Advanced Dog Training
After your dog has acquired all the fundamental skills, you may progress to more challenging stunts. These undertakings will not only maintain your dog’s physical agility and health but also provide mental engagement. Moreover, they will enhance the relationship between you and your furry friend.
It is crucial to keep in mind that training is a continuous journey and that there is no definite endpoint. It is essential to consistently work on your dog’s obedience training throughout their life. Similar to how individuals who learn a language in their youth but do not practice speaking it may forget much of it as they age, can also happen to your dog – they must utilize their training, or they will lose it. Practicing even the simplest commands and tricks regularly will help keep them fresh in your dog’s memory and provide a fantastic opportunity to bond with your furry friend.
