Have a likeness for dogs? Love to take care of them? Then, turn this passion into a profession as you live in the UK.
Believe it or not! It will be a dream come true job for you.
Not only will you get a lucrative amount of earnings from it, but also you will get the opportunity to spend your time with various cute domestic puppies.
The number of dog owners in the UK is increasing rapidly day by day. So, being a dog walker in this era will always be a plus point for you.
Yes, like any other profession, you have to proceed with careful planning and preparation in this profession initially.
Also, executing those plans in the right way is a must to make your dog-walking business successful in the UK. But, at last, everything’s worth it.
Don’t know how to proceed? Want detailed knowledge on how to start a dog walking business by making use of your expertise in handling dogs?
Well! We have kept everything covered in this article. Just keep reading, and you will get to know the 7 vital steps to follow for starting a successful dog-walking business. So, here we go…
What’s A Dog Walking Business – The Responsibilities Associated With It
Dog walking business is associated with taking care of dogs including small puppies and taking them for walks regularly.
It’s for keeping the physical and mental health of the dogs fit through exercises or just walks.
As a dog walker, you may come across different breeds of dogs, and you need the expertise to handle them differently.
Different dog owners in the UK remain busy with their outdoor jobs or business trips and so entrust the caring and exercising part of their dogs to the dog walkers.
Also, some dog owners hire temporary dog walkers for their dogs’ care to spend a few happy and tension-free days on a vacation. They expect the dog walkers to –
- Take their dogs out of their home for at least 30 minutes and make them walk.
- Make their dogs socially interact with other dogs while they are taken out for walks.
- Both private walks and group walks of their dogs.
- Doggy day or night care.
- Make their dogs do various exercises.
- Take special care of their dogs with medically challenged conditions.
- Give their dogs mental stimulation in playful ways.
- Play with their dogs.
A dog walker must pick up dogs from where they live. He/she then takes them for walks. The dog walker usually chooses the closely located parks and trails as the walking areas for the dogs.
He/she gives them playtime along with exercise training. After they are done for the day, he/she drops them back to their place.
He/she feeds them and gives them medicines if they take any. After that, he/she leaves the place or spends the night there, according to the contract he/she has signed.
To become a dog walker, you must possess the physical ability to walk the animals safely. Reliability and trustworthiness are the main principles in this dog-walking business.
Also, you need to acquire marketing and management skills to run this business. A proper business plan is also needed on top of that.
How to Start A Dog Walking Business UK?
To start this business, you need to go through the following 7 steps –
1. Research and Planning
Before you set up any business in your area, what’s most important is to analyze the demand of that business’s products and services in that area.
The same is true for the dog walking business in the UK as well. So, instead of rushing to open your business of dog walking, first do research to identify your target market and plan accordingly.
See if the areas in which you’re planning to set up your business are inhabited by a large number of busy dog owners who are short on time for their dogs or not.
Also, proper research will tell you, who are your competitors and what are their secrets to doing well in the market.
Ask yourself how much time you and your team members can give to the customers’ dogs as dog walkers.
Would you be able to give them a 30-minute walk, or are you comfortable with them in long-hour walks, group walks, etc.? Lastly, sketch a clear and cut business plan in your mind by –
- Outlining your goals.
- Determining your potential customers.
- Deciding the prices of your services.
- Creating a solid marketing strategy.
2. Licenses and Certifications
Familiarizing yourself with the local laws and regulations about this business is the second important thing you should consider before starting up your dog walking business.
Some licenses and certifications have been made mandatory by the UK government for setting up this type of business.
Apply for such dog walking licenses. Also, get the permit for this business before setting it up in your area.
Some of the needed certifications for a dog walker are NARPS, PIF, etc. NARPS stands for National Association of Pet Sitters and Dog Walkers. PIF is the full form of the Pet Industry Federation.
3. Insurance and Liability
Every business has to go through one or two risks and the dog walking business is not bereft of it.
Want to defend yourself and your business from accidental injuries or harm? Buying public liability insurance is a good way out of it.
Have the aim to buy insurance to make up for your professional errors and negligence? Professional indemnity insurance is the best option. In case of protection of your business equipment and vehicles, the business insurance will do.
4. Business Registration And Accounting
After you make a proper plan for your dog walking business and manage to get its licenses, it’s time to make it registered.
Get in touch with HMRC to register your business. They will provide you with a tax reference number. This number of your business will be unique from the others.
After getting your registration number, consider opening a business account in any bank.
The next step is accounting and bookkeeping of the expenses, income, and taxes of your account. You can do it by tracking all of them from time to time.
5. Marketing And Advertising
No business gets its reach and success without resorting to a proper marketing strategy and there is no exception in the case of a dog walking business.
In today’s era, social media solves this problem to a great extent by promoting your brand. For the remaining promotion, you can take the help of flyers and local advertising.
Since today’s world is digital, the need to build a website for your business is immense. It not only helps promote your dog walking business but also gives your business a professional look.
For further promotion of your business, you may build a relationship with –
- Local pet businesses.
- Veterinarians.
- Pet owners, etc.
They will refer your company’s name to their dog-owned customers who they think need dog walkers.
6. Equipment and Supplies
Dog owners usually hire dog walkers who are experienced and good at their work. They must have essential equipment for the care of dogs and vehicles for their transportation when in need.
The necessary equipment for the dog walking business ranges from leashes and harnesses to first-aid boxes with kits and poop bags.
Also, the dog owners check before hiring if the dog walker has various business supplies or not. The business supplies may range from business cards and flyers to other marketing materials.
7. Launch and Growth
The last step is launching your dog walking business and helping it grow. Offer your dog walking services to customers. Keep an eye on the graph of progress in the business.
It should be done by constant evaluation, correcting previous mistakes, and continuous improvement of your dog walking services.
Your marketing strategy must be strong. Also, improve your business operations, if needed. Once your company earns profit, you can try to get more by expanding your services.
Also, you can hire more dog walkers or carers. You can increase your client base as well.
Is Dog Walking Business Profitable?
Yes, the dog walking business is profitable in this era because of –
- The growing demand for pet-caring services in the UK.
- It’s low startup cost.
- The flexibility of scheduling the dog walking time as per your convenience.
- It’s scalability. The business profit allows you to hire more walkers in the future. And, more walkers mean the opportunity to expand the business. It will only increase revenue with time.
However, this profitability in the dog walking business can be achieved by setting competitive prices.
Also, you can make your business more successful by offering additional services to the customers. Such services include pet sitting, taking care of your pets while they are sick, etc.
A strong client base is also a great factor that makes this business successful. For that, you need to be loyal and friendly to your customers.
Also, you need to be an expert in managing various expenses, for example, marketing expenses, insurance-related expenses, etc. Lastly, stay organized as you do your work.
FAQ
1. How big is the dog walking industry in the UK?
The UK dog walkers being passionate about dogs treat the dogs of different dog owners with utmost care. Nearly 8.5 million dogs of dog owners live in the UK.
They annually pay nearly 1.5 billion pounds of money to dog walkers for looking after their dogs. So, starting up a dog walking business is a good plan for launching a successful start-up, provided you need to work for it.
Conclusion
So, have you got it in detail on how to start a dog-walking business in the United Kingdom? The 7 steps which we have mentioned are not tough to execute. But, careful planning before execution of the same is a must.
Also, you need to keep customers satisfied with your excellent customer service. Apart from that, building strong relationships also helps the business grow up to a great extent. It ensures its long-term success.
So, are you a competitive pet walker who is fearless of bad weather? Do you have all types of pet insurance papers handy? Then open a dog walking business today with all the proper safety measures and earn money from this job about which you’re passionate.
