J.D. Antell's Professional Dog Walking Blog

In my book, The Dog Walker’s Startup Guide I discuss ways to increase marketing through business partnerships. This is a great way to improve your visibility and reach; while also increasing your business’ trust factor by associating with other local well known businesses. Trading clientele between others in the same industry is hardly new, it’s called referrals. One look at the home improvement sector and you’ll know what I’m talking about. Contractors refer work to plumbers, electricians, masons, structural engineers, etc.

A dog walking business is no different. Groomers, pet stores, veterinarians, shelters, and others regularly get inquiries about dog walking and dog sitting services. Your goal is to get on those lists and preferably at the top of them! How do you do this?

Many businesses, like pet stores will allow you to place your name on a bulletin board in their store, and many vets offer this service too, but this simply gets you a little visibility, it lacks the pizazz of being specifically recommended.

Getting the recommendation of your fellow business owners isn’t very hard if you offer them something in return, and show them what you’re worth. Some options include offering your services to your local vets for discounted walks for the sick and/or healing. You may also purchase your dog-related gifts from your locally owned pet food store and reminding them who you are and that you’re in a related business—ask them to consider recommending your services. You might also offer to pass out specific coupons to your clientele from related businesses which could be useful to dog owners. When your clientele bring the coupons in and do some shopping the store owner will realize you’re helping him/her out and will do the same for you.

Working at a shelter is just a good thing morally speaking but it can have huge beneficial effects on your business as well. Why not consider doing what Cheryl Staab, of DogCentric Inc. did and volunteer your services free of charge for a few hours a day at your local shelter in return for being the exclusive dog walking / sitting service they recommend to their dog’s adopters? It seems to be working out very well for Cheryl! You can read more about this story in the Wall Street Journal by clicking here.

There are a lot more ideas than this but I hope you can see that there is a lot of potential for making friends and increasing your business at the same time. Word-of-mouth is alpha in the dog walking service industry!

“Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore. ”
- Andre Gide

As the unemployment rate reaches new heights, and probably is in reality somewhere near 20% if you include those who are out of work and off the unemployment rolls, we must come to a sobering realization. We aren’t living in the 90s anymore. Things have changed. The president’s State of The Union address provided no comfort to me, and he seemed to miss the point the American people were trying to send when they elected Scott Brown (or willfully ignored it). We don’t want to be dragged into deeper and deeper national debt, we want our free market to be allowed to correct itself without the interference of our government. It was bad government programs that got us into this mess, and it’s going to be more bad programs that will keep us here. This further reinforces my belief that our country will recover by the will of it’s people. Americans are a tenacious people, we will find a way.

Indeed they have. Many of the people I’ve spoken to are turning to small business entrepreneurship and are presently unemployed, outsourced, laid-off, down-sized, etc. Whatever you want to call it, it’s not good news, but not all that comes from difficult times is bad. There are always opportunities for progress. Obviously not everyone who loses his/her job is going to become a small business owner, but for many, it’s a great opportunity to explore something you might have been too afraid to consider up until now.

With the economic down-turn business prospects aren’t what they used to be. One needs much more savvy, more information and a bit more will to succeed. Let’s face it, we can’t afford to make too many mistakes anymore, either as country, or as individuals. The economy isn’t as forgiving as it once was. If you find yourself unemployed presently and think a small business might be your ticket, then you should spend the valuable time you have now doing as much research as you can. If you’re thinking about a dog walking business, then talk to other dog walkers, read about the industry, buy some books and get to work. Dog walking, like any other business, will have it’s challenges during this economic down-turn, but as a whole, dog walking businesses are here to stay and are still growing every year. It’s a great first business to try, it doesn’t take long to set up, nor does it take much capital.

The opportunity that exists for the unemployed is that you have been set adrift. You are no longer hanging onto the shore. If you were unhappy at your previous mooring, perhaps it’s time to consider what lays beyond the bar.