If you're reading this, you're most likely the owner or manager of a pet care facility and the next statement won't surprise you too much; the pet care industry has seen
substantial growth in recent years! Even during the last seven years since
DoggieDashboard was launched, we've seen a huge increase in the amount of doggie daycares and boarding kennels. Many of the new users that sign up for DoggieDashboard are coming over from the world of whiteboards and paper calendars. We get it. When you're first starting out, there's not really a need for anything digital. You can keep everything in few storage boxes. However, as your business grows, there's a chance you'll want to streamline operations, and that's where technology comes in.
There are quite a few dog daycare software platforms out there, we're just one of them. If you're thinking about going digital, take a look at a few options and see which is best for you. Not all software works for everyone, so it's best to try a few to see which works best for you.
Now that that's said and done, let's dive into some of the ways that technology is changing the game for pet care providers.
Improved Customer Service
Technology has made it easier for pet care businesses to communicate with their customers and provide high-quality customer service. Online portals,
chatbots, and mobile apps allow pet owners to book services, manage their accounts, and receive updates on their pets while they're in the daycare or kennel. It's never been easier to communicate with your clients than now. You can send them signature requests via text or email, ask for them to upload documents via an owner portal, etc. Technology has taken a lot of the manual work out of running a dog daycare, and that's a good thing.
Streamlined Operations
Technology has enabled dog daycares and kennels to streamline their operations and work more efficiently. For example, pet care management software can be used to track bookings, manage staff schedules, and monitor pet health and behavior. This can help providers keep better track of their day-to-day operations and make informed decisions about how to run their businesses more effectively. Before moving to a digital solution, you might not be able to easily
forecast the revenue you'll have during the coming month. You could manually figure out how many appointments you have and then run some numbers, but it's quite a hassle. With dog daycare software, it's just a few clicks of the mouse and you have all the information at your fingertips.
Increased Safety and Security
Technology is playing a significant role in keeping pets safe and secure while they're in the care of dog daycares and kennels. For example, many providers are using cameras and monitoring systems to keep an eye on the pets and ensure that they're being well taken care of. Many
dog daycare webcam systems give you a way to embed your webcam feed onto your website. This way, you can host the webcam video right from your website. This way, pet owners that are at work can visit the live URL link for your webcam and see what's happening with their pet. It's a nice way to give pet owner peace of mind, that's for sure.
Marketing and Advertising
Technology is also playing a critical role in marketing and advertising for pet care providers. Social media, email marketing, and targeted digital advertising are all effective tools for reaching potential customers and promoting the services of dog daycares and kennels. Gone are the days of mailing out a monthly newsletter to your clients with stamps and envelopes. Now, all it takes is a couple hours to put together a beautiful newsletter template using something like
MailChimp and then you can send it out to your entire client database. Instead of paying for a billboard and hoping that people will pass it and remember your business name, you can use
Google Ads and get your display and search ads directly in front of potential clients. Technology is making it easier than ever to find new clients.
If you're the owner of a dog daycare or boarding kennel and you're not starting to get your feet wet with technology, it's about time. You don't need to go 100% digital, but you should at least be looking at ways that technology can make your life easier. Email newsletter software is a great way to keep in touch with clients. Webcams are a great way to give your clients peace of mind when they're at work and their pets are at your facility. Dog daycare software is a nice way to manage pet records and organize your calendar a little better.
What are you waiting for? Get out there and give them a try! 😁