The Dog Walker's Startup Guide
This easy to follow step-by-step guide to starting your own dog walking business teaches:
- How to assess the number of clients you’ll need to meet your financial goals using case studies and formulas that work
- What services will creatively sell your business and lead the competition
- How to create a winning web presence that promotes customer confidence and sells your business 24 hours a day
- How to create a professional “welcome packet” step-by-step
- How “on-the-fly photo updates” can enrich your service by promoting human interaction and involvement, leading to more referrals and additional income from advertising
- Professional advertising strategies revealed in detail and highlighted with examples that will quickly turn your business idea into profit-making reality
Do you know what it takes to create a successful Dog Walking Business?
In Step One of the Dog Walker's Startup Guide: Create Your Own Lucrative Business in 12 Easy Steps you will learn:
- The 10 actions that will set your business apart from the competition.
- The formulas I created to evaluate services and determine business goals (your MTN or minimum target number).
- Case studies of dog walking businesses which will put these formulas into context.
- The services that will generate the most profit in the least amount of time.
- The four "bread and butter" services of a dog walker, the advantages of each, and to whom they should be marketed.
Starting the business is step one
Once you have created your business you'll need to meet with clients, convince them you're the right person for the job, and then safely and professionally handle their dogs. That's where The Dog Walker's Companion (DVD) comes in!
See what's inside!
Click on the chapter headings below to view details from within each step of the book.
Introduction
- Your journey begins
- My story
- Learned helplessness
- A ray of light
- My journey begins
- How to use this book
Step 1: Projecting Income and Defining Your Business & Services
- Chapter Summary
- How much money do you need?
- Customer service
- Some ideas for services
- Shopping the competition
- Figuring out your MTN (Minimum Target Number)
- Case Study 1
- Case Study 2
- Considerations
- Take action
Step 2: The Business of Dog Walking
- Chapter Summary
- Name your business
- Create a legal business entity
- Licenses
- The Better Business Bureau
- Insurance & professional memberships
- Your service agreement Creating your welcome packet
- Home office
- Recording payments
- Tracking your business performance
- Keeping track of paper
- Take action
Step 3: Creating a Website
- Chapter Summary
- How will it function for my business?
- Define your business personality
- How do you make it happen?
- Doing it yourself
- Take action
Step 4: Advertising Your Business
- Chapter Summary
- Business telephone directory
- Newspapers
- Direct marketing
- Calling script
- Mass mail advertising packages
- Craigslist Door knob hangers
- Fliers
- Car tagging
- Promotional items
- Google & Yahoo
- Take action
Step 5: Equipment
- Chapter Summary
- Clothing
- Small headlamp flashlight
- Treat bag
- Reflective vest
- Personal safety light
- Other visibility equipment
- Spare leash
- Spare collars
- No-pull collars (the new breed)
- Mobile phone
- Rain gear (jacket and pants)
- Key ring with key tags
- Map and business directory or GPS system
- Citronella spray
- Spray bottle / spray gun
- Pet first aid kit
- Pepper spray
- Take action
Step 6: Client Interview
- Chapter Summary
- What to bring
- Your attire
- The importance of the client interview
- Meet & greet
- Getting down to business
- Closing and follow up
- Take action
Step 7: Walking the Dogs
- Chapter Summary
- Safety for you and the dog
- Needs of the dog
- Efficiency
- Personal pleasure
- Encountering thoughtless dog owners
- Parks, off leash dogs, and leash aggression
- Take action
Step 8: Understanding and Minding
the Animals in Your Care
- Chapter Summary
- American Red Cross, Pet First Aid guides and classes
- Learn basic obedience techniques
- How do dogs think?
- Take action
Step 9: Earning Trust
- Chapter Summary
- Be consistent
- How do your actions appear to an observer?
- Be ready for anything
Step 10: Troubles You May Encounter
- Chapter Summary
- Difficult dogs
- Difficult clients
Step 12: Keeping in Touch
- Chapter Summary
- What is blogging?
- Why does it matter?
- How do I start?
- Informational posts
- Pictures are worth a thousand words
- Extra income
- Take action
Step 11: Dog Fights
- Chapter Summary
- Before we get started…
- The causes of dog aggression
- Prevention
- Them’s fightin’ words
- Take action
Back Matter
End Note
References
Index
"Thank you so much for the information you have in this book and the DVD. This has helped me so much and I am almost ready to start my very own business!!!"
—Emi Matsumoto, Sniff and Go: San Mateo Dog Walkers