5 Benefits of Networking with Other Dog Daycare & Kennel Owners

If you're the owner of a dog daycare or kennel boarding business, you've probably already met a few other business owners in your area. Chances are, you might have even worked for a few of them before starting your own. In our experience, most new dog daycare owners started working at other facilities before deciding to take the jump and start their own business. Networking with other dog daycare and kennel owners can be incredibly beneficial for business owners in the pet care industry. Whether you're just starting out or have been running your business for years, connecting with other professionals in your field can provide a wealth of opportunities for growth and success.

Here's a look at some of the key benefits of networking with other dog daycare and kennel owners.

Sharing Best Practices to Provide the Highest Level of Service

When you network with other pet care business owners, you have the opportunity to share ideas and best practices for running a successful daycare or kennel. You can learn from their experiences and incorporate new ideas into your own business, helping you to stay ahead of the curve and provide the best possible care for your pet guests. If you're not comfortable with talking with your nearest competition, you can either reach out to competitors that are outside of your geographic area, or you can even look into finding Facebook groups of business owners. Fernando, from FernDog Training, has a large invite-only group on Facebook where business owners can share tips, advice, etc.

Building Referral Networks

By connecting with other pet care providers, you can build a referral network that can drive new business your way. This can be especially beneficial for businesses that are just starting out, as referrals from other pet care providers can help you establish a solid customer base and build a positive reputation in your community. Obviously, you're not going to get referrals from your nearest competition, since they're going to want to keep the business for themselves, but it's never a bad idea to at least be on good terms with your competition. If the place across town is booked solid and someone calls for an appointment, if you're on good terms with the owner, they might send that client down to you (and you should return the favor in the future).

Access to Resources and Suppliers

Networking with other pet care business owners can also give you access to valuable resources and suppliers that you may not have been aware of otherwise. For example, you may learn about a new pet care management software (like DoggieDashboard) or a local supplier of high-quality pet food, which can help you run your business more efficiently and provide the best possible care for your pet guests. You also might be able to band together to get discounts on certain items. If you and three other dog daycares team up, you might be able to quality for bulk discounts from certain pet food brands. This way, you can make one large bulk order and everyone can benefit from the discounted price. Here's a good article about the power of buying groups.

Improved Marketing and Advertising

By connecting with other pet care providers, you can also benefit from improved marketing and advertising efforts. It's always a good idea to learn from the competition. For example, you may collaborate on joint advertising campaigns or social media promotions, which can help you reach a wider audience and build your brand more effectively. If you're on vacation, take an afternoon to drive around the area and stop in at various dog daycares and boarding kennels. Tell the owner or manager that you're part of the dog daycare owner club, and hopefully they'll give you some tips and tricks that they've learned over the course of their business. If you're just starting out, there's no better way to get some good marketing and advertising ideas than finding an established business that is willing to give you some of their secrets (since your business is way outside of their 'competition zone' so to speak).

Increased Confidence and Support

Being the owner of a pet care business can be a challenging and often lonely endeavor, especially if you're the sole owner and operator. Networking with other pet care business owners can provide you with increased confidence and support, helping you to stay motivated and focused on your goals even during tough times. This takes me back to the Facebook group above. If you're having a tough time running your business, you'll be able to find emotional support and suggestions from fellow business owners that are happy to help. Most business owners want to see other business owners be successful. If you tell people your story, you'll surely get some good feedback that you can tie back into your business.

As you can see, networking with other dog daycare and kennel owners is an excellent way to grow and succeed in the pet care industry. Whether you're looking to share best practices, build referral networks, access valuable resources, improve your marketing and advertising, or simply build your confidence and find support, connecting with other professionals in your field can be an incredibly rewarding experience. It's never too late to get started with your networking. I know networking has a bad connotation to some people, but it's not as bad as you think. Just get out there and start making connections and you'll be well on your way to helping your business grow through the power of networking.

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