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3 Questions to Ask Before Starting a Doggie Daycare

Last Updated: October 11, 2024 ‱ Visit Blog Homepage


Many people want to start a doggie daycare business. It’s a great way to make some extra income, and you get to be your own boss. Your employees are people are you get to hire, and your clients, dogs, are pretty fun to deal with. However, running a doggie daycare isn’t all fun and games. There are some important issues that you should take into consideration before you start your doggie daycare. Here are three questions to ask yourself before starting a dog boarding business.

Am I Start a Doggie Daycare for the Money or for my Love of Animals?

A lot of people start businesses because they want to make money. However, if making money is your only concern, there are much better businesses to start that a doggie daycare. Lot and lots of work will go into your business, and it will take time away from your social life and family. If you don’t have a love for animals, the money won’t help. You need to love what you do with your time. They call it work for a reason. Some days will be great and others will not be so great. However, each day is a new challenge. If you get up every morning and are grateful for being able to care for animals while their parents are away, you’re in the right mindset. If you wake up every day thinking about the profit, go become a stock broker!

How Long can I Run this Business Before I Need to Make a Profit?

A lot of people have fantasies of starting a business but don’t think about the profit side of the business and when they will hit their breakeven point. Yes, running a doggie daycare can be a profitable business, but you’re going to need to be able to make a profit to pay your employees, insurance, bonding, etc. Therefore, it’s a good idea to start thinking about how long your business can run before it will need to turn a profit. It’s always wise to give yourself a year of time to get up and running. That might seem like a long time, but getting clients and building word-of-mouth advertising takes time. Don’t let your business die because you didn’t have enough reserve funds to keep it alive.

Is This Business My Only Source of Income or Will it be a Side Business?

Last but not least, you need to figure out if your doggie daycare business is going to be a full-time pursuit, or if you’re going to hire someone to run the day-to-day operations while you stay at your corporate gig. For most people, it’s smart to keep their day job during the planning and building stages of the business. It will take time to find a facility, sigh all the paperwork, get it built out etc. These are things you can do on the weekends while you’re still working your corporate gig. Once you are finally ready to start the business, maybe you should think about transitioning to a part-time role at your company. If you have employees, they will want to know that you’re in it for the long haul. Don’t leave them hanging.

Good luck opening your doggie daycare, and if you’re looking for a great way to manage your business, check out DoggieDashboard.

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