Before You Start a Pet Care Business, Consider the Following

If you’ve been passionate about pets for some time now and are great at taking care of them, it may have crossed your mind a time or two to start your own pet care business. Like with starting any business, there are several things you need to consider before starting. You’ll need to think about your services, finances, clients, and much more. At Pet Care Insurance, we want your business to succeed. You wouldn’t want your pet care business to fail because of a simple mistake that costs you thousands, or hundreds of thousands. You may also imagine your business to go one way, where in reality it may end up much differently than you had initially thought. Let’s cover a few things you need to consider before starting your own pet care business.

Pet Care Business Plan

The first thing you need to consider when deciding whether or not to start a business is a pet care business plan. This means you’ll want to think about who you’d market to, how much you can afford to spend to get started, what services you’ll provide, where business will be located, etc. These are all essential aspects of any business, and you’ll need to have them established before considering anything else.

Business Licenses

When starting a business, you’ll need to think of a unique pet care business name so you can register your business with your local government. You can register your business as a DBA (Doing Business As), or if you plan to grow your business quickly, you’ll want to register it as an LLC (Limited Liability Company). You can take a look at the State Labor Office list to see what certifications and/or permits are required for where you live. Every business must be registered in order to start operating.

Pet Care Certifications

As a pet care professional running a business, you’ll need some certifications for yourself. Even though you may have years of pet sitting experience, you’ll need to get some certifications to make it official for your business, and to make sure you have all the necessary training. The certifications you need will depend on your profession and the services you will be providing. The Professional Animal Care Certification Council (PACCC) strives to provide testing and certification to the pet care services industry. With the PACCC, you are able to independently take a test and receive a certificate that is valid for three years. This will help you get the credibility you need so your clients see you as a professional they can trust.

Pet Care Contracts

Before starting your business, you’ll also need to consider what you will include in your pet care contracts. At the bare minimum, your contracts should include a service agreement, a client profile, a pet profile, a vet release, and payment authorization. You should also consider adding on your contract a cancellation policy, so your clients know what to do when they need to cancel or reschedule their appointment. A pet care contract helps your business run professionally and have client information on file, and is also a great way to set expectations and understand the pets’ needs. It also has legal benefits so that if anything goes wrong, you have information in writing.

Pet Care Business Insurance

Lastly, it’s important to know that as a pet care business owner, you will need to purchase insurance. You may not think that accidents happen or that insurance in the pet care industry is not necessary; however, pet care insurance is vital to a professional and credible pet care business. Each time you are with a client or pet, you are at risk of a possible claim. You can take a look at this blog to learn about some of the most common claims pet care professionals face. Having pet care insurance provides a financial safety net for your business should an accident occur. Pet Care Insurance covers pet sitters, pet groomers, dog walkers, pooper scoopers, pet trainers, and more. You can do what you love with peace of mind for just $139 per year.

Best of Luck!

We hope this informational article was helpful in understanding a few important things to consider when starting your own pet care business. You can also read our blog, 6 Easy Steps to Start Your Pet Care Business for more information. Best of luck in starting your pet care business!