Dog Walking affordable • responsible • kind
I treat your dog like it was my own. Affordable dog walking and pet sitting for your town area. Good references, lots of experience. Discounts for more than one walk a week, or two or more dogs. Call 555-555-5555 and ask about getting a free trial walk or visit www.BestWalks.com.
How to Start a Dog Walking Business Dog walking may not seem like a real job, but if you approach it in a businesslike manner with a positive attitude, you can make almost as much money as you would have if you were sitting behind a desk. Successful dog walkers have a couple of things in common. They all like dogs, they all know how to handle a lot of dogs at once, they're responsible, and they get along with dog owners. They are also detail-oriented enough to get through the nuts and bolts of running a business. There's a lot more to running a successful dog walking business than just walking around the block. If you're really serious about becoming a dog walker, you're going to need to know some basic dog training. You probably already have your own dog, so a good place to start might be to take a dog obedience class. Ask the trainer if they could give you a private lesson or two to help you learn how to handle groups of dogs. To get started in the dog walking business you will need to have some kind of insurance, good references, a pleasant demeanor, and the aforementioned skills of dog handling. In addition to good references, you might want to run a background check on yourself, just to make sure nothing pops out that would make a prospective client feel nervous about you. You'll need to get business cards made up, and getting a few door hangers made up might be helpful. Design and then print out about a dozen flyers to post around your neighborhood. If you're living in a city and want to start your business with apartment dwellers, try checking with superintendents and doormen to see if they know of anyone who's looking for a dog walker. Also check with local dog groomers, dog kennels, dog trainers, and anyone else who works with dogs on a regular basis. Vets can be an excellent source for new clients. Take some time to get to know these people. If they tell you that there are already too many dog walkers in your neighborhood, either consider another business, or be ready to handle the competition, or consider offering different services than other walkers. To build up your references and your clientele, you may need to offer a few free walks just to get started. You'll need to create some kind of a flyer to leave with people when you're talking to them. You'll also possibly need a website so people can learn more about your services and particularly who you are. Your clients are trusting you with someone very important. See if you can get a current contract of a dog walker who's been doing it for a while. A starting contract is very important both for you and your clients to understand what everyone's getting into. If something goes wrong and the unthinkable should happen, you don't want to be held responsible.
You'll also need to go through all your state and federal requirements for setting up a small business. This means you'll need to get on EIN, register your business in your county, and get the additional paperwork required to open a checking account. You definitely want to keep your business expenses and your personal expenses separate. Call 555-555-5555 and ask about getting a free trial walk or visit WALK