If you’ve been thinking about getting into the pet care business, you may be wondering if this would be a terrible time to do. Between the uncertainty of the pandemic and widespread economic concerns, starting a business might seem like too great a leap of faith to take. But starting a pet care business might be a very savvy move right now if you have a clear plan and an understanding of what is entailed.
Starting a business in the middle of a pandemic might give you advantages.
Even though the pandemic has hit a lot of businesses hard, others are experiencing a resurgence. And this can be an optimal time to get a small business off the ground because you may have more time than usual on your hands, there is more financing available, and interest on loans is low. In addition, new opportunities are cropping up and new niches opening. New business owners will also have access to a labor pool of talented individuals desperate to find decent work.
“Historically, economic slumps involving significant numbers of layoffs have spawned surges in entrepreneurial activity as furloughed workers use their unexpected free time to develop and launch businesses that had only been percolating in their minds or their garages.”
Is A Pandemic A Good Time To Start A Business? For Some, The Answer Is Yes by Stan Finger
A pet adoption boom.
The era of the COVID-19 pandemic has witnessed a huge surge in pet adoptions. People who have been lonely and trapped at home have sought companionship with new pet friends. Parents who are trying to keep children occupied while working and schooling remotely have found that bringing a pet into the family makes life more interesting for all concerned. People are spending more on their pets which, in turn, means pet-related businesses (pet supplies, pet care, pet food, etc.) have also seen a significant increase in customers and revenue.
Spending time with animals is great for your well-being.
Another reason why you might want to consider starting a pet-related business is for your own overall wellness. Countless studies and examples (like this one) indicate that spending time caring for animals is great for our human well-being. Decreased stress, improved mood, and fewer feelings of isolation are some of the psychological benefits of spending time with pets. Pets also can be helpful for our physical health, as tending to them keeps us active and engaged.
What are some good ideas for pet care businesses?
One of the most popular and profitable pet care businesses to consider is a pet boarding kennel. Even if people aren’t traveling long-distance as much as they were prior to the pandemic, they are still making short weekend trips, camping trips, and traveling to be with family, when possible. And since these aren’t all situations in which pets can travel comfortably, access to a reliable boarding kennel can give conscientious pet owners peace of mind. However, this can also be an expensive business to start, so it’s not something you can just leap into. For a detailed look at boarding kennel start up costs, check out this resource.
Other business options include pet grooming, dog walking, pet sitting, pet supply stores, dog training, a pet café, pet photography, a doggy day care, and whatever else you can creatively think of to help pet parents manage their daily lives in whatever form that takes this year and beyond. Need help figuring it out? See What Pet-Related Business is Right for YOU for flow chart that might help.
What are the basics of getting a business launched?
So if you’ve decided to take the plunge and start your business, what are the first steps? Always start by writing up a business plan. This will help you determine your time frame, your funding, and what you need to accomplish before you can go live. Depending on your business you may need a venue, insurance, permits, and even some training. Or maybe you can start almost immediately from your home. Either way, you’ll want to determine a legal structure (here’s a list of the 4 most common) and get everything set up with your local city, county, state, and federal entities as needed.
Once you’ve figured out your legal structure, you might also want to consider a DBA (doing business as) registration. DBA’s are required if ever you plan to operate under something that doesn’t match your officially registered name. For example, if you structure your dog grooming business as a sole proprietorship and you use your full legal name as the company name, you may want to choose a DBA that is more private, more catchy, more defined, and more fun. ZenBusiness has a great resource for registering a DBA, complete with a nice list of FAQ’s as well as popular states (with links) for filing a DBA.
It’s also worth noting that you can actually buy an already established pet-related business. See this guide for helpful information if you want to explore that route.
No matter when you opt to start a business, you will always run into a few slowdowns and snags. But you shouldn’t let that deter you. If you have a good idea for a business and are sure there’s a niche to fill, good planning and careful budgeting should get you well on your way to making your pet care business a reality. It’s also a great idea to educate yourself as much as possible on different pet types and breeds, and different aspects of pet care, so check out all the other helpful and informative articles here at PetsBlogs.
