Dog walking is becoming a serious business proposition that many dog lovers are starting to take up. There are many good reasons for wanting to start your own dog walking business, the most popular being that it means you can give up your day job and run your own business from home doing something you love.
A dog walking business is an excellent opportunity for many to start their own business with a relatively low start-up cost. There are over 8 Million dogs currently in the UK and many dog owners have to work long hours meaning that hiring a dog walking is becoming an essential part of their daily lives, so now is an excellent time to start up a dog walking business of your own.
In London and the South of England particularly pet owners are willing to pay £10-15 per dog, per hour or part of an hour. So if you walk four at a time you could make £60 an hour! Of course, there are other aspects to this work, so you need to know what the potential costs and downsides are before you dive in.
There are no pre-requisites for dog walking but a genuine love for animals is a must, together with a good level of physical fitness are probably the most important.
Some of the things you will need to consider before starting your business is your business name, dog walking business forms and contracts, dog walking business insurance, a criminal record check as you will be holding keys, a website, flyers, how you will get work, prices you will charge, dog walking software – our sister site NarpsUK can provide all of these things for you.
It is a rewarding job for a dedicated dog lover who is well-organised, professional and ready to run a business.
Tell Me How!
You want to start your own dog walking business but you also want it to be a success - joining NarpsUK means you can’t fail. There are many things you now need to consider for example:-
- Business Name, Branding and Website
- Getting new clients
- Pet Business Forms & Contracts
- Are there any legal considerations?
- Dog Walker Insurance
- Criminal Record Check
- Business Credibility & Reputation
- Which Pet Services you will offer
- Prices – What should you charge?
- Marketing – flyers & advertising
- Diary, scheduling, business management system
- Help & Support when you need it.
Sound daunting? NarpsUK is an award winning membership organisation that can help you with all of these things as well as give your new business credibility.
Your dog will be much happier either staying in its own home with a live in pet sitter or in a pet sitter's home with a family environment where he will receive lots of tender loving care and attention. Your pet sitter will follow your feeding & exercise instructions, allowing your pet to follow the routine they are used to at home. When boarding in the sitter's home, be sure to ask if they are licensed by their local authority. If you are using a dog walker to come to your home to pet sit or for dog walking purposes, be sure to ask to see their Criminal Record Check certificate if they will be holding a set keys to your home.
Getting fully insured is essential, not only for the sake of your clients, but also for your own protection. Dog walking insurance is fairly specialised and there are only really a few companies in the UK who provide it. NarpsUK is perhaps one of the best options for those just starting out as it is a professional and popular membership organisation and membership entitles you to various helpful resources as well as discounted pet sitting insurance.
Narps UK
