FYI: Use the form at the VERY BOTTOM of this page to download our most popular report to help you in starting your business:  "The Top 12 Mistakes To Avoid When Starting A Pet Business".  The form also allows you to ask us questions and request franchise information.  Contact us today!

Thinking of starting a dog business?  Then you're in the right place because this informative video will get you started!

I’m John, the founder of the Dogs Love Running! pet care service. We help your pets live longer and behave better through exercise.  We’ve been in business for many years and are experts in the dog exercise and pet sitting industry.  

The information here is applicable to anyone who wants to start any type of pet business, so send this video to everyone you know who may be interested in getting into this exciting industry.  

We’ve tried to keep this video short, but still include all the important groundwork you’d want to know to start your business.  But, in case all this still seems like just too much work, you can always join our team as a franchisee because we’ve already done all of this work for you.

After watching this, feel free contact us with any questions you have via the form on this page.

Our video a practical guide to give you a framework from a real business perspective.   This isn’t just some basic information on how to make business cards or where put up fliers.  You’re going to learn real information on how to develop and grow a real business that can make real money.   

With that in mind, let’s get started!

To begin with, a lot of people will tell you that you need a business plan before you start a business.  I come from a formal MBA education where business plans are thought of very highly.  But my experience has been that you don’t need an entire business plan right this second.

Instead, what you need is an answer to this one question:
What is your absolute end goal in starting your business?

Is it for:

• more money
• more happiness
• more time for yourself
• or another reason?

Many new business owners forget about this question when they begin.  But if you can answer this all-important question, you can then work backwards to figure out all the pieces of your business puzzle.  

With a very clear answer of what your end goal is, you can then figure out what direction you need to go in your business to get closer to this goal.  Every day when you wake up, you need a specific destination in mind so you know if you’re on the right road to get there or not.  

Here are some questions to ask to help you figure out your destination:

• will you run the business yourself or hire people?
• how big do you want the business to be?
• how much money do you want or even need to make?
• how many days a week and what hours during the day will you work?

Thinking about and answering these questions before you spend even one penny on your new business will give you an idea of what you need to do today to get to your end goal tomorrow.

So, let’s say that now you know what you want out of your business and you’re prepared to move forward.  What next?

Here’s where lots and lots of business owners go wrong.  They forget to think about what makes them special.  In other words, why would someone buy from you and not your competitor?

• What’s your niche? 
• What do you stand for? 
• What do you give people that they can’t get anywhere else?

Generally speaking, you can make yourself special by doing one of three things:

• You can be the cheapest, like walmart
• You can have the most incredible customer service/selection, like amazon and zappos
• You can be the most irreplaceable and have the the most unique, innovative, or valuable product/service that a customer can’t easily find somewhere else, like apple computer

Typically, you can only be one of the three.  Trying to be all 3 at once just doesn’t work.

Once you know how you’re going to position yourself against your competitors, it’s helpful to have:

• A Mission (that reminds you what your daily goal is)
• A Vision (that reminds you what you long-term big picture goal is)
• Core Values (that remind you and your customers what you stand for and why you’re special)

So now you’ve carved out a little niche for yourself and understand WHY someone might buy from you.  Now we have to determine WHAT they’re going to buy.

Exactly, what products and/or services will you be offering?
If you’re a service business, will you do: dog walking, pet sitting, boarding, day care, pooper scooper, pet taxi, house sitting, overnight stays, or something else?

Think about what you like doing.  

If getting outside and exercising is up your alley, maybe a dog walking service is right for you.  Maybe if you just like cuddling up with pets and hanging out, perhaps specializing in overnight stays is a better option.  

Build your business around what you love doing because if you love your job, you’re far more likely to do a great job at it.  And your customers will notice that. 

Ok, now you know what to sell.  And we’re next faced with the thing most people struggle with:  Marketing! 

How will you let people know about your new business?

The good news is that, for the first time in history, you don’t need a lot of money to beat established competitors.  All you need is your brain and some effort.  All this is because of the internet.  Using the internet can bring you lots of success.   And here are the main components of your digital strategy:

• You’ll need a good website.  You can start with a WordPress site 
• You’ll want some basic pay-per-click advertising knowledge so you know how to use resources like the Google Adwords Program.  A great book to get started learning about pay-per-click ads is the Ultimate Guide To Google AdWords
• And you’ll need an understanding of how people search the internet and why it’s important for your website to be able to be “found” just when people are looking for you.  Check out Marketing in the Age of Google to read about this subject.

Of course, you also want to meet people in person.  That means giving business cards to every dog related business in your area to spread the word.  You can’t be in this business without developing solid relationships with your customers, so you need to be out and about to meet them where they can see, hear, and interact with you.  

And here’s a tip.  forget everything you think you know about traditional advertising methods.  That means skip the newspapers, yellowpage ads, radio, and everything else where you pay a lot of money to be seen by people who are NOT actively looking for a service like yours.  It's generally not worth your time or money.

So now you know how people are going to hear of you, but what are you going to tell them once they contact you?

Well, there’s lots that people will ask you about, but the one thing everyone wants to know is your price, so let’s touch on that.  To determine how much to charge, the best thing to do is to research your competition. Find the highest and lowest prices from your competitors.  Once you do that, a lot of people will tell you to go right in the middle and charge the average.  But don’t do it.  Being in the middle is the kiss of death because it doesn’t give anyone a single reason to buy from you.  Instead, you should be at one end or the other.  You could be the cheapest because low cost is a good reason why some people may choose you.  Or, you could be at the high end, which implies to many people that you’re somehow the best.  And being the best is also a good reason why a certain type of person would pick you over your competitors.

You've got your pricing strategy in place and are prepared for people to buy from you. But, what happens if LOTS of people buy from you?  What are you going to do?

You’ll have either 2 options:

• do everything by yourself
• add people to your team.

Here are the major pros and cons of both:

If you operate it by yourself:  you control everything but your income is limited

If you operate your business with a team:  there’s potentially an unlimited income, but you’ll have management responsibilities

Think now about which you’d be interested in doing because if you’re even somewhat successful in your business, you’ll eventually come to a fork in the road where you have to make this choice of hiring people or not. 

Price is something that everyone knows to ask about.  But the thing all clients want to know but none think to ask is:  how do I get in contact with you and when are you available?  Generally speaking, the pet business can be a 24/7/365 business. And working every day of the year is a great way to burn out very very quickly.  So, think in advance of what days and hours you want to work.  Then, tell new clients right at the beginning of your relationship the times you are available  to answer their phone calls and emails.  If you don’t set boundaries up front, you’ll for sure be getting client requests for additions and cancellations with zero notice and they’ll expect you to be able to deliver.  Don’t dig your own hole by doing this. 

At this point, you’ve got a solid strategy in place for your new business.  Now what do you do?

Now you’ve got to get legal.  Starting a business can be tricky, but it’s not too hard if you know what needs to be done.

First, you need to decide on a business form.  You could be a sole proprietor, corporation, or partnership, among other possibilities.  

To get a good overview of the types of business structures you can choose from as well as to actually file the forms you need to submit to your local government agencies, you can check with a certified public accountant.  Many can probably be found in your local area.  You can also check out a service like Legal Zoom.  There’s lots of information at Legal Zoom on the business structures you can choose from and the pros and cons of each.  Plus, getting a business set up through them is relatively inexpensive.  It’s generally only a few hundred dollars.

Once the business is set up, you need to get insurance before you make ANY pet visits.  Don’t wait to get insurance until after you’ve got a few clients.  That’s like saying you’ll get home insurance only after you’ve lived there a few months and know you like it.  The problem with that is that if anything happens before you obtain the insurance, you can be in serious financial and legal trouble.  

Here are 3 places you can find insurance: 

• Pet Sitters Associates (You have to be a member of their association to get the insurance)
• Business Insurers (You have to be a member of the PSI or NAPPS associations to obtain this insurance)
• Kenel Pro Insurance

You’ve now got a formal business set up, you’ve got insurance, and now you just need an agreement to give to customers for them to sign so that you’ve got proof of what they agreed to.  

There’s lots of legal mumbo jumbo you can put in this agreement, but basically what you need to start is :

• who the agreement is between:  you and the customer
• what you’re doing for the customer
• how much you’re charging
• business policies such as:  payment requirements, insurance informaiton, cancellation fees, etc

In addition to the service agreement, you’ll also need to document the pet’s health and what exactly the client is asking you to do during the visit.  You want to provide the best service possible and asking them very specifically what they want done make things crystal clear from the outset.  

Finally, you’ll want a veterinary release that gives you permission (or not) to get the pet some emergency medical attention in case you can’t get in immediate contact with the owner.

Finally, all your strategic plans are in place and you’re ready to really start your business.  The next steps for you are to:

• Get your website up and running.  This is crucial because this is the key way in which people are going to learn about you.  
• Make sure you’ve got a WORKING phone number and email for people to contact you.
• Get some business cards or other materials to give to people and to local pet businesses that can refer customers to you.
• Start doing some internet marketing with PPC ads
• Go out and meet people.

I know there’s lots of information here.  In fact, the Dogs Love Running! franchise training program takes multiple days to cover all this information and more, so it’s really hard to cram it into such a short video. However, this really is the complete foundation for all you need to know to get in business for yourself.

If you’re looking to get started in any type of pet business, feel free to contact us.  We’d love to help.  And if you’re interested in a dog walking and running or pet sitting type opportunity, why don’t you consider joining up with us as a franchisee.  We’re pretty sure we can save you thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours of work over trying to reinvent the wheel yourself.  But, of course, there’s absolutely no obligation to hear about our franchise opportunity.  We just love this business and we’re happy to help anyone get into this industry that wants to.  We hope to hear from you.

Thanks for watching and give us a call!

You need a really great name for your dog walking company or other pet related business and you're stuck.  Or maybe you've already got a name for your company and want to change it ("rebranding" as the corporate-speak goes).  Here are some thoughts:

First, you may not want to follow the lead of Comcast, a huge cable company that also provides related phone, internet, and other services.  They're keeping the "comcast" name as the corporate company name, but now calling all their services something else.  The new name is "Xfinity" .

As the owner of a pet business, let's look at some easy mistakes you can learn from this:

1. Don't have two different names. Why confuse people?  (side note: literally, as I'm typing this, an "Xfinity" ad just came on the TV I have playing in the background.  "Xfinity" in big bold print in the middle of the screen with "comcast" in the lower right about 1/3 the size of the other name).  I'm asking myself, who is it that I'm dealing with?  Action for you: have one name on your website, business cards, invoices, and everything else that's printed.
2. Don't have a name that makes no sense.  What the heck does "Xfinity" mean?  If I heard it by itself, it would give me no indication of who the company is or what it does.  Action for you: think of a name that actually means something.
3. Don't have a name that people can't spell.  If I said "Xfinity" and you never saw it in writing, would you think "exfinity" or "xphinity" or something else?
4. Worse - a name that can't be spelled is a name that won't be found on search engines.  If people don't know how to spell your name, how can they search for you on the internet?  If they can't search for you, they'll never find you.  And if they don't find you, they'll find someone else.  Action for you: ask people to spell your company name after you speak it and see if they get it right.
5. Don't make your name boring.  OK, so maybe this is the one area where "Xfinity" might succeed.  At least I've never heard the word "Xfinity" before. Action for you: are you thinking about naming your pet company "Jane's Pet Sitting"?  You may want to think again.  (boring!)
6. Don't make up a word as your company name. There is no dictionary.com listing for Xfinity.  Why might this be bad?  See points 2, 3, and 4.

Good luck in coming up with a great dog walking company name! 

It’s almost depressing when 33 degrees feels comfortable and no longer cold, but I suppose that’s what happens when we’ve been surviving a record breaking snowy and cold winter here in the Elmhurst, IL area. 

It may be the end of January, but like any Midwesterner, I know Mother Nature has no plans to heat things up anytime soon.  Here are some cold weather tips to keep your pooch safe and happy the next few wintery months. 

• No dog should be left outside unsupervised.  This tip is relevant year round (due to things like the summer heat, the threat of coyotes, etc...) and winter is no exception.  Just because your dog has a fur coat doesn’t mean they can withstand frigid temps.
• Protect their feet.  Dog booties not only provide a source of entertainment (ever see a dog try to walk in them for the first time?); but they provide better grip on the ice, protection against dangerous objects, and warmth.  If your pet won’t stand for wearing booties, be sure to always wash off their paws with a warm wet towel to remove any ice balls or chemicals that may have accumulated between their toes.  Their paw pads are tough, but salt and ice melts can cause them to sting and even crack.
• Old dogs, small dogs, and dogs with little fur should wear sweaters or jackets to protect against the cold.  While this may seem frivolous, it is a necessity for many dogs.  This extra layer will keep them dry, safe, and much more comfortable in severely cold weather.
• Keep them away from Antifreeze – this is highly, highly toxic.  It only takes a few licks for this to be deadly.
• As harmless as it may seem, do NOT let them eat snow!   Not only can the snow be hiding dangerous objects that you don’t want them to ingest, but eating too much snow can also cause hypothermia or an upset stomach.
• This may go without saying, but stay away from frozen ponds, lakes, and other bodies of water.
• Never leave your dog in a car unattended.  We all know the threat of hot cars for our pets, but cold cars can pose just as significant a risk.  Cars rapidly cool down in cold weather and become like a refrigerator which can cause your dog to freeze to death.  

Exercise is important year round for our dogs.  Don’t hibernate just because it’s cold outside.  Keep these cold weather tips in mind and pay attention to the signs your dog is giving you.

If you don’t want to bear the cold, Dogs Love Running! Is here to help.  We offer year-round dogs walking, dog running, and pet sitting for Elmhurst, Downers Grove, and other nearby Chicago suburbs.

Entire books have been written on writing press releases and doing publicity, but let's break it down into 5 simple steps that you can do right now:

1. Every press release for your dog walking business needs to have a STORY component.  That means that, instead of writing about your brand new lower prices (boring!!!), tie your new pricing into a story that makes it interesting to read about.  For example, you could relate the current struggling US economy to why you're lowering your prices.  Make it a story about how you're helping the American family by making your service even more affordable than ever before.  Creating a story behind your announcement makes it much more interesting to the reader.
2. Create an appealing headline.  Your goal here is not to drive traffic to your site or sell something.  It's to interest someone in reading the story.  Hopefully one of those readers will be a journalist who will find your information to be appealing enough to write about for his/her own audience.  Keep your headline short, to the point, and interesting.  Here's an example of a bad headline: Jeff's Fancy Pet Sitting, Inc. Introduces New Lower Prices.  This is too flat.  There's no appeal - nothing to make you want to read more.  To give it a little more pizazz, let's change this around and say "Expert Pet Sitter Saves Americans Big Money" or "Pet Sitter Rescues Both Dogs And American Wallets".  There are a gazillion ways to go about writing a headline.  Just remember to make the reader curious to read more.  
3. The beginning of your pet sitting press release needs to start with a bang:  WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, WHY, AND HOW.  These are the essential components of your story.  The reader needs to know the answers to these 6 questions.  It tells them the basics of what the story is going to talk about all in just 1 or 2 sentences.  The rest of the release should be roughly 500 words (give or take a hundred or two).  It should support the who/what/when/where/why/how with additional interesting details.  Keep in mind to write in the third person (don't use "I" or "we") and don't make it sound like an advertisement.  It's a "news" story, so write it as if a newscaster was going to read your release word for word on a TV news show.  If possible, use quotations, too.  Bottom line: keep it factual, entertaining, and informative.
4. The end of the story should contain a couple sentences about you.  Again, keep it factual and not a sales pitch.  For example: "Jeff's Fancy Pet Sitting was founded in 2002 to help vacationers with an affordable and reliable solution for their pet care needs while they're away.  Jeff can be contacted at [fill in contact information]."
5. Publish your release to internet press release services.  There are 10-bazillion out there, both free and paid.  The free ones are generally worthless.  If your release is done correctly, the paid ones will often get you lots of internet listings for your story and bring eyeballs and journalists to your front door.  Of course, also send it out (via email, fax, etc) to journalists that you've identified as having a possible interest in what you're writing about.  You can find these journalists by looking in your local newspaper, contacting local TV and radio outlets, and searching for local blogs and other local internet news and entertainment sites.  

There are lots of minor details we're skipping in this article (like proper formatting procedures, etc), but you can find all that easily in an internet search.  The 5 steps above though are the essentials you need to create an appealing press release that gets read. 

NEW UPDATE:

We've updated this information.  Click here to read our new article on how much you should charge for your dog walking and pet sititng services.  PLUS we even give you a concrete number to start with.  

In addition, you can now download our free Ultimate Pricing Strategy Workbook to help you figure out exactly how much you should be charging for your local area.  Get it all here.  

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Our original article begins below, but you should really read our updated version here.  

So, let's say you're going to visit a dog for 15 minutes.  And the client wants you to take the dog out for walk around the block, bring in the mail, and feed Fido a bit of food before you leave.  And the next day, the client wants you just to take Fido out for a walk and that's it.  In the 15 minutes, you have enough time to take 3 spins around the block, not just the one you did yesterday.  

In both of these cases, you spend just 15 minutes with Fido.  Regardless of what you did within those 15 minutes, it was still the same amount of time both days. So, each day is $10 because it was just 15 minutes of your time.

Another way to charge is by the service you perform.  In this situation, you're adding fees for each thing you accomplish.

Going back to Fido, let's say you tell the client that it's now $10 for a dog walk (not for 15 minutes).  Maybe they ask a few questions about what the walk entails so you have to clarify about how long it lasts and when you'll arrive.  Now let's say on one particular day they need you to give Fido a pill.  So, you say it's $2 more to give medication.  You're charging the client to perform this service (regardless of how long it takes you).  Similarly, you'll bring in the mail for $1 extra if they want.  Get the idea?

Ok, so you've figured out how you're going to charge.  Now, figure out how much to charge.  

The best place to start is by researching your competition.  Check their websites and/or call them up.

Do you see any patterns in what people are charging?  Are they all charging the same amount?  Are there drastic differences between services?  How many charge by time?  How many by the service?  How many upcharge for evening/weekend visits or other non-standard times?  What else do you find interesting about these competitors?

Take all that knowledge and figure out how you can compete in the market to see if you can be a market leader, stay right within the average, or try to offer the cheapest prices.  See our first post on how to start a dog walking business for ideas on how you might be able to be "special" in your local market so that you can get customers.

By now you're probably wondering "ok, but how MUCH do I charge for dog walking?"

The bad news is that there is no one single answer.  If I told you $10 for 15 minutes, that might be a terrible answer based on your local market and the service you provide.  Or, I could possibly tell you $30 for 15 minutes and it might be a great answer.  

The good news is that we've outlined some basic steps on what to ask yourself so that you can figure out what's best for exactly the type of business you'd like to run.  Still have questions, why don't you contact us and see how we do it?

Are you interested in learning about eco-friendly products and tips for your dog?

Keeping up with the theme of cold weather tips for walking dogs, I thought I’d answer the question that I’ve been asked at least 20 times in the last couple weeks:

•  How cold is too cold to walk my dog?

Unfortunately, there isn’t one perfect answer for this.  I don’t 100% buy the whole “if it’s too cold for you, it’s too cold for your dog” theory.  And no matter how cold you feel, your dog still needs exercise during the winter.

After talking to a few veterinarians in Elmhurst and Lombard, I’ve come to a few generalized guidelines.

• It’s important to know how much the wind chill lowers the feel of the actual temperature.  You should always go by the temperature with the wind chill included.
• If it is snowing and it is especially wet snow, it can be more uncomfortable.  Body temperatures will lower much faster with any type of moisture.  You should shorten your walk time in those types of conditions.
• Most healthy medium or large dogs can walk for 30-minutes if the temperature is above 20 degrees F.  Smaller dogs should limit the walk to 15 or 20 minutes if temps are between 20 to 32 degrees F.  If it’s below 0 degrees, no dog should be out for a walk. 

Your dog’s age, breed, and health are all major factors as well.  Remember that puppies and elder dogs are much more sensitive to the cold weather because their bodies can’t regulate their body temps well.  If it’s below freezing, these dogs should be taken outside to eliminate only.

Different breeds have better tolerance to winter weather.  While no dog should be left out in the cold alone, breeds like German Shepherds, St. Bernards, and Akitas have thick coats that help protect them from the elements.  Small dogs and short-haired dogs need a sweater or jacket for the added protection and warmth.

Any physical conditions like arthritis or hip dysplasia will only be aggravated by the cold.  Keep pets with these conditions inside where it’s warm.

The best piece of advice I can give you is to know your dog - pay attention to the signals they are giving you.  If they are shivering, standing in a hunched position, lifting their paw(s) off the ground, or giving you verbal cues (like whining or barking); bring them inside.  More serious signs are things like lethargy, weakness, or slowed breathing which are all signs of hypothermia.  Keep an eye out for frostbite as well.  The most common places this will effect is their tail, paws, and ear tips.  If they are turning pale or blue, get your dog to a veterinarian.

Bottom line, don’t let the cold weather keep your dog from getting exercise.  You may have to limit your regular walk to only 5 or 10 minutes, but make sure to get them outside even if it’s just for a little bit when the weather is appropriate.  If the weather isn’t cooperative, make sure they are getting sufficient potty breaks and find other activities indoors to keep their minds and bodies active.

Dogs need their daily dose of exercise no matter what the circumstances are like outside.  And this winter has surely caused several cases of cabin fever for our furry friends. 

When we visit our dog walking and dog running clients in the winter but are forced to cut short the outside activities because of extreme temperatures, we continue the exercise inside.  Here are some of the ways we keep our dogs active indoors and you can do them, too.

1.  Play fetch.

Chances are if your dog likes to play fetch outside, they will love playing fetch inside.  This is a great activity for owners with a long hallway or staircase.  Not only is this a great workout for your dog, but it’s a good opportunity to work on basic obedience commands.  When he grabs the ball or toy and is running back to you, say “come.”  Once they return, ask them to “drop it.”  Have them “sit” before you throw the ball again.

2.  Teach them advanced tricks.

Sure, your dog might already know the basic commands, but why not have some fun with it?  Tricks like “spin”, “ back”, “bow”, or even teaching them to retrieve something for you by name (like a pair of slippers, tissue paper, or a newspaper) are all challenging and fun.  Teaching your dog new tricks isn’t only a great way keep them mentally stimulated, but it’s also a terrific bonding activity for the two of you.   

3.  Work on targeting.

Targeting is just the act of touching something.  Dogs can learn to touch with any body part, but nose is an easy starting point.  Teach your dog to touch their nose to your hand on command.  This is a great skill and can help with teaching them new tricks; or even everyday things like getting on the scale at the veterinarians office or redirecting their attention to you if they become overexcited seeing another dog during a walk. 

4.  Play Hide and Seek.

You can play this in two ways.  If your dog has a few favorite toys, try hiding them in various spots throughout the house.  Once everything is hidden, ask your dog to find each of them.  You may have to start with just one toy.  Show your dog the toy, let them get really excited about it, ask them to sit and stay, then place 10 feet away or so.  When you release them from the stay, tell them to “go find it” so they learn the command and associate it with the action.  As your dog gets more familiar with this, you can start placing the toy further and further away.

If there’s more than one person at home, everyone can play.  Everyone should grab a handful of treats.  Each of you should try hiding in different spots of the house and take turns calling your dog once you are hidden.  When they find you, give them lots of praise and reward them with treats.  Now, the next person can call your dog and you can find another hiding spot. 

5.  Invest in a treat dispensing toy….you won’t regret it!

Speaking of new toys, treat dispensing toys are an amazing tool for giving your dog a mental workout and to alleviate canine boredom.  Your dog stays busy pushing around the toy trying to get the treats inside.  The toy motivates and rewards your dog all on its own!

Need some help letting your pooch burn off energy?  Call Dogs Love Running! of Elmhurst and we’ll schedule a dog walker to exercise your dog no matter what it’s like outside.  If you’d prefer the visit to remain indoors due to a certain type of weather condition, we will make sure to still provide your pooch with heart-pounding exercise and fun.  We guarantee your dog will be smiling and panting by the end of our visit.