1. Dog Ownership on the Rise
There are almost 80 million dogs in the United States and the number continues to grow. In fact, many households own multiple dogs.
Pet owners consider their dogs to be part of the family and are willing to pay for the services of a dog walker to ensure that their pets receive proper care.
Many families need their dogs taken care of during the work day and to make sure their animal is cared for when they go on vacation.
With all of these pet care needs, there is very high demand for dog walking and pet sitting services.
This is where you come in!
2. Low Startup Costs
Unlike many careers and small business ideas that require a large upfront investment in time and money, it’s easy to get up to speed quickly and get dog walking jobs without a lot of startup costs.
To get your first job, you need some basic training about proper leashing and dog walking technique and a primer on dog behavior. The amount of gear required is minimal and is primarily needed to ensure that you and the dogs are kept safe.
In the beginning, you can advertise by word of mouth through your network of family and friends and through free online advertising.
3. Flexible Hours
Dog walking jobs can be your escape from a boring 9 to 5 office job. Although there will be periods of time where you are very busy, you get to set the schedule and ultimately decide how many dog walking clients you want to take onboard.
Once you build up a list of regular clients, you will be able to coordinate your dog walks to maximize your time.
4. Work Outside and Get Exercise
Since you are looking into becoming a dog walker, you probably love being around dogs and enjoy getting outside. It is an active job which is so much more fulfilling than being chained to a desk all day.
Whether you do individual or group walks, you will get a lot of high-quality exercise throughout the course of your day and will have fun doing it.
5. Opportunities for Growth
You will most likely start small with a few dog walking jobs, but there will soon be opportunity to grow your business as you start to build up a list of repeat clients.
It will be up to you to decide how far you want to take it, but you may find that you can expand into other types of pet care services such as dog and cat sitting, dog boarding, or dog grooming.
You could also hire others to help out if the number of dogs gets too large or you need extra help during busy periods.
{ 1 trackback }