How to Start and Build a $100,000 Dog Walking and Pet Sitting Business

By Kirsty Millar

Do you love animals?
Are you tired of depending on an employer or the government for your income?
Have you always dreamed of following your passion and owning your own business?

There really is no better time than right now to follow your passion, take control of your earnings and start your own $100,000 dog walking and pet sitting business. This book has been written by an expert in the industry in a simple step by step format to give you EVERYTHING you need to start and build your own successful business today! This book is perfect for people just starting out or who have started and are struggling with certain aspects of running their business.

The book focuses on the following key success factors:

Leadership, including identifying potential limiting beliefs that may be blocking your success

Administration, which highlights which systems, processes and procedures are required to run your business smoothly

Marketing, which specifies strategies that you can deploy as well as showing you how to and the importance of tracking your results

Finances, including how to understand budgets, profit and loss as well as a fool proof personal money management system

Recruitment, the processes you’ll need to find and recruit the best people

Team, getting the best out of your staff

The book also highlights all the key templates, processes and procedures you will need to create a solid foundation for success to be built upon. The purpose of this book is to equip people like you with the essential knowledge and building blocks required to start and build their own $100,000 dog walking and pet sitting business.

5 Star Reviews:

5 STARS - "Really good guide to how to start your dog walking business. I'm currently considering this and this book has brought to my attention numerous ideas and requirements I had overlooked. Starting planning my business name now!! Great work Kirsty."

5 STARS - "The style is easy to enjoy and conversational. Kirsty's cheery personality shines through and it is plain that she enjoys both the animals and the writing. I’d recommend this book for anyone of any age interested in beginning a service like this."

5 STARS - "I love the author's straightforward advice and how it's backed up with many years of experience. Such a smart business and a simple approach! I can see why Kirsty has found success in such a short period of time. The book breaks down every detail of how to be successful in this booming business."

Make sure to read to the end as there is also an exciting opportunity presented for those who are serious about following their dreams and setting up their own business as soon as possible.

If you found value in reading my book, please leave a wonderful review for other customers to read as my goal is to help as many people across the globe to follow their heart and create a business and life that they love. I truly believe that if more people are doing something they love every day, the world would be a happier place for everyone. May your life be filled with abundance and joy. Kirsty

How to Start a Dog Walking and Pet Sitting business is written by successful business owner--Kirsty Millar--who created and currently runs one of Australia's largest and most successful dog walking and pet sitting businesses—Paws in the Park. Her website is www.pawsinthepark.com.au. She is also owns a successful management consultancy businesses with the focus on increasing profits and creating lives that are filled with fun and joy as well as the author of the Dog Behaviour Training Manual which can be purchased on her website or through Smashwords.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kirsty Millar
• Release date: Aug 16, 2020
• ISBN: 9781005221225

Kirsty Millar

My name is Kirsty Millar and I am an author from England, United Kingdom, currently residing in Melbourne, Australia. I have a Master of Fine Arts Creative Writing program degree from Antioch University, Los Angeles. I am an entrepreneur at heart and own several businesses. At the heart of every business is my personal purpose of helping as many people across the globe connect to their true and authentic self and to follow their passion, creating a life of their dreams. I currently own three businesses, the first is one of Australia's largest and most successful dog walking and pet sitting businesses—Paws in the Park: www.pawsinthepark.com.au The second is a management consultancy business - www.sunshineconsulting.com.au, where I work with CEO's and business owners in order to increase profits and help them create lives that are filled with fun and joy The third is www.dogwalkingbusinessinabox.com that helps passionate animal lovers start and build success dog walking and pet sitting businesses across the globe. I have also authored the Dog Behaviour Training Manual which has sold thousands of copies internationally and can be purchased on my website: www.pawsinthepark.com.au/book or on Smashwords.

Book preview

How to Start and Build a

 $100,000

Dog Walking and Pet Sitting Business

By

Kirsty Erin Millar

Copyright, Legal Notice and Disclaimer:

Copyright © 2020 Kirsty Millar. All rights reserved worldwide. Reproduction, resale or distribution of copies of any material contained in this publication without prior written permission is strictly prohibited. If you received this publication from anyone other than Kirsty Millar, you've received a pirated copy.

Please note that much of this publication is based on personal experience and anecdotal evidence. Although the author and publisher have made every reasonable attempt to achieve complete accuracy of the content in this manual, they assume no responsibility for errors or omissions. Also, you should use this information at your own risk and discretion. Your particular situation may not be exactly suited to the examples illustrated here; in fact, it's likely that they won't be the same, and you should adjust your use of the information and recommendations accordingly.

Any trademarks, service marks, product names or named features are assumed to be the property of their respective owners and are used only for reference. There is no implied endorsement by our use of these terms.

Finally, please use your head. Nothing in this manual is intended to replace common sense, legal, medical or other professional advice; this guide is meant to inform and educate the reader.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

MY STORY

QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF BEFORE DIVING IN

THE PET INDUSTRY

LEADERSHIP

LEADERSHIP ASSESSMENT

LIMITING FINANCIAL BELIEF ASSESSMENT

WHAT’S A PRIMARY AIM?

VISION

MISSION

VALUES

BUSINESS STORY

BUSINESS GOALS

HEALTH GOALS

HOW TO WRITE A SMART BUSINESS PLAN

BUSINESS OWNER ACCOUNTABILITY

TASK LOG

TIME MANAGEMENT

BUSINESS KPI’S

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION KPI’S

LEADERSHIP DOCUMENTS

BUILDING YOUR FOUNDATION

ADMINISTRATION

WHAT DO YOU NAME YOUR BUSINESS?

WHAT SERVICES SHOULD YOU OFFER?

WHAT SHOULD YOU CHARGE?

SOFTWARE

SYSTEMS

WORKFLOW

KEY PROCESS MAP

WALKING DATABASE

BUILDING YOUR FOUNDATION DOCUMENTS

MARKETING

HOW TO MARKET YOUR BUSINESS?

STRATEGY

IDEAL CUSTOMER

YOUR STORY

WHAT’S YOUR MESSAGE?

MARKETING STRATEGIES

BUSINESS CARDS

TURN YOUR BUSINESS CARD INTO A LEAD GENERATION MACHINE

WRITE AN EBOOK

WEBSITE BUILD

JOINT VENTURE ENDORSED MAILING

BOOSTING YOUR RETURNS

UP-SELLING/ADD-ONS/DOWN-SELLING

PACKAGES

CONTINUITY PROGRAMME

FREQUENT BUYER PROGRAMME

CUSTOMER SERVICE

FEEDBACK

TESTIMONIALS

LIFETIME VALUE OF YOUR IDEAL CUSTOMER

MARKETING BUDGET AND TRACKING

ANNUAL MARKETING CALENDAR

MARKETING DOCUMENTATION

FINANCIAL

PROFIT AND LOSS

BUDGET

BUSINESS CASHFLOW

PERSONAL MONEY MANAGEMENT

FINANCIAL DOCUMENTS

TEAM

ORGANISATIONAL CHART

SOURCING STRATEGY

RECRUITMENT AND HIRING STRATEGY

JOB ANALYSIS

IDEAL CANDIDATE

JOB DESCRIPTION

JOB ADVERT

ONLINE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

PRE-INTERVIEW SKILLS CHECK

APPLICANT APPRAISAL FORM

FACE TO FACE INTERVIEW

JOB CANDIDATE EVALUATION

REFERENCE CHECKING

JOB ACCEPTANCE LETTER

REJECTION LETTER

INDUCTION PROGRAMME AND CHECKLIST FOR NEW TEAM MEMBERS

SKILLS CHECKLIST

STAFF TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

STAFF TIME MANAGEMENT

STAFF TASK SHEET

STAFF ACCOUNTABILITY

TEAM MEMBER SELF EVALUATION

STAFF PERFORMANCE REVIEW

DISCIPLINARY PROCESS

TEAM DOCUMENTS

NEXT STEPS

MY STORY

Ever since I was very small, I have always felt a strong connection with animals and wanted to create a business where I could interact with them every day, bring joy to the lives of pets, and deliver peace of mind to their owners. I quickly realised the huge benefits of walking dogs in packs when I started Paws in the Park back in 2005; how it balanced their mental state, increased their joy and happiness through game play and their relationships with other dogs, as well as increased their fitness levels. I loved that my business hugely benefitted dogs and in turn, their owners.

After many years of walking the dogs myself, I expanded and took on a team with the goal of putting Paws in the Park on autopilot. During this transition, I realised that another great passion of mine was helping people grow and succeed in business. My primary goals are for people to work less, achieve greater financial success, and create a profitable, sustainable and sellable business. I love to see people thrive, follow their dreams and do what they are passionate about. I genuinely believe that the world would be in a better state if more people were following their hearts and dreams. What better life could a person have?

With this powerful purpose in mind, I flew four hours across the country and began a second business, based in Melbourne, as a business growth specialist: www.sunshineconsulting.com.au.

As a result of working with CEO’s and business owners across many different industries, my knowledge about business and marketing skyrocketed over the years. I also realised why so many businesses stayed small, why business owners worked a crazy number of hours for little profits, leaving them stressed out, over-worked and trapped in a cycle of diminishing returns. Through my consulting business, I realised that the predominant reason was that business owners rarely had any systems, processes, procedures, templates or any strategies in place that yielded consistent and ongoing results. They also weren’t aware of their limiting beliefs that usually sabotaged any results they did get. From this growing awareness, I became excited by the idea of helping people all over the world to follow their passion of working with animals, to create a financially successful business, as well as to have fun doing it. This book is the result of that idea.

Before we get into the first chapter, I want you to know that there is a lot of useful information in this book that will help you set up your own business, if you decide to go it alone. My intention for this book is to explain what is required for you to start and build a $100,000 dog walking and pet-sitting business. You will notice that I have created a section at the end of each major chapter indicating what templates, systems, procedures and documents you will need. If you decide to go it alone, you will need to create these in order to become one of the few business owners that succeed in creating a business that is profitable, scalable and sellable.

This book also presents a second opportunity for readers, which I will explain at the very end of the book, so stay tuned!

QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF BEFORE DIVING IN

Chances are that you are reading this and feel very excited by the prospect of running your own business working with animals, but before you dive in, ask yourself the following questions to assess your readiness and if this is the right path for you.

DO YOU HAVE SAVINGS OR AN INCOME WHILST YOU SET UP YOUR BUSINESS?

When I started my business in 2005, I had a few thousand dollars in savings—not enough to quit my job and jump head first into my business—so I got a part-time job where I was able to work from home. This way, I was able to work on getting my business up and running and still pay the bills. The last thing you need is stress when starting your new business, after all, what you focus on expands, and we want your business, your happiness, your health and wealth to expand.

As with all successful businesses, it takes time and effort on your part. Many people start a business with all the enthusiasm in the world, but you should always be aware of the time it will take to build. Once you have a loyal customer base, you will be well on your way to success and a life that dreams are made of.

DO YOU HAVE EXPERIENCE IN DOG BEHAVIOUR AND PSYCHOLOGY?

The most lucrative part of your business will be in pack dog walking, which is walking multiple dogs at one time. If you don’t feel comfortable walking more than one dog, your business can only grow to a certain size; after all, there are only so many hours in a day. I know the thought of handling many dogs at once is daunting, but trust me, if you can master this, then your time can be leveraged, and you will yield larger returns and benefit your doggie customers. The more dogs they play with and chase, the more exercise and mental stimulation they will receive. Ultimately, dogs are social animals, so pack walks fulfil this essential need.

If you don’t have much experience handling packs of dogs, don’t worry, I have an excellent resource for you. I have written the Dog Behaviour Training Manual in a simple step-by-step format that anyone can understand and follow. The manual also gives insight into how dogs think so you can create a more compassionate and understanding relationship with any dog. You can purchase the manual at the following link: 

https://www.pawsinthepark.com.au/shop

DO YOU HAVE A SAFE VEHICLE TO TRANSPORT DOGS?

This is not going to be a problem when you are only walking one or two dogs; however, you are limited to walking the streets as opposed to driving to the beach or park. If you are serious about making this a profitable business, you need to look at investing in a dog-friendly vehicle. When I started the business, I had a small van where I could clip dogs in to keep them secure, and so they could not move around the vehicle while in transit.

DO YOU NEED A BUSINESS LICENSE?

Some countries require a business license; others do not. Check with your local business centre to see if you are required by law to obtain a license to run your business.

WHAT BUSINESS STRUCTURE SHOULD YOU SET UP?

The most common forms of business structures in the U.S., Australia and the U.K. for dog walking and pet sitting businesses are:

Sole proprietorship: An individual working on their own

Partnership: An association or several people running the business together

Company: Has its own legal entity separate from the owner(s) and limited liability

The sole proprietorship is the simplest business structure to set-up, and the cost is minimal. As a sole proprietorship, all you need is to register your name and obtain the necessary licenses (if applicable). Under this structure, you are responsible for any debts the business accrues. Many businesses begin as a sole proprietorship and change the structure of their business as they grow.

PARTNERSHIPS

A partnership is another simple business structure that is formed when two or more individuals enter into a business for profit. It too is relatively inexpensive to form. A legal document may be signed by both parties agreeing to own and run the business. Each partner bears the responsibility of their partner’s behaviour and actions. Each report their own profits and losses on their individual tax returns and are also responsible for all debts the business incurs.

COMPANIES AND OTHER BUSINESS STRUCTURES

In a nutshell, the business has its own legal entity separate from the individuals who own it and their personal liability is limited. The business can enter into contracts in its name.

There are many variations of companies throughout Australia, the U.S. and U.K.

Make sure you contact your local business centre to find out which business structure is best suited to your needs and goals.

WHAT INSURANCE DO YOU NEED?

Paws in the Park holds public and product liability insurance. This covers anyone operating under the Paws in the Park name for public damages. For example: if a dog jumps the park fence and causes a ten-car pile-up, or if a walker breaks something in a customer’s home, the business is covered. Even though I have public and product liability insurance, I also expect my customers to take responsibility for their pet’s actions and advise them to obtain their own insurance. This is included in our contract and terms and conditions. They must sign and agree to these documents prior to engaging our services.

Now that you have answered the above questions, and are thinking that yes, this still feels like the right path, let’s continue with some information about the pet industry.

THE PET INDUSTRY

The pet industry is one of the fastest growing industries in the world. The great thing about starting a dog walking and pet sitting business is that there are a number of reasons why the odds are stacked in your favour:

People have more pets than ever before and fewer children, which means they have more disposable cash to splash out on their beloved pets.

People are busier than ever and have less time to take care of everyday tasks. This means they are seeking a solution to help free up time and give them back an hour or two of their day.

When people leave pets at home all day, there is one emotion that most compassionate pet owners feel and that’s guilt. Knowing that their dog is out having fun at the beach or park relieves those awful guilty feelings that you are failing your pet and family.

Here are some of the great benefits your customers will receive by using your services to walk their dogs:

NO GUILT

Guilt is one of the worst emotions that we can feel. Guilt is instantly dissolved knowing their pets are going to have an absolute ball (literally) out in nature, getting fresh air, as well as receiving mental, physical and emotional stimulation.

LESS STRESS

Most people have a to-do list that is a mile long. Psychologically we know that having a long list of tasks to do, especially when it involves those we care about can create a lot of stress if we are pressed for time, or feel like there is not enough time in the day to get everything done. Taking the responsibility of your customer’s dog walks off their shoulders automatically reduces their stress because they know their dogs are enjoying life, having all their needs met, and the customer feels great because they have organised the walks. This enables the customer to feel like they are succeeding in life, instead of feeling like they are constantly letting down the ones they love. That's a beautiful gift you can give them.

REDUCED VET BILLS

We all know how beneficial exercise is for us and our pets. Exercise not only will reduce a dog’s anxiety but could potentially reduce vet bills as the dog ages. We all know that a healthy body means less illness and therefore, fewer trips to the vet. This saves your customer time, money and stress.

JOY

Imagine a smile tugging at your customer’s cheeks when they receive a text at work. It’s a beautiful photo or video of their beloved dog frolicking on the beach with their doggie friends. It makes them feel all warm and fuzzy inside, and it reminds them about how much they love their beloved pooch and how much happiness they bring into their life.

PEACE OF MIND

Imagine your customer coming home and feeling relief knowing their dog has already been