Professional dog walking is a booming business. Over forty percent of U.S. households include a dog and the number is rising steadily. No wonder, then, that demand for dog walking services also keeps growing. But there's a huge difference between throwing a leash on a few dogs and charging for it and running a professional dog walking business. To be a successful dog walker, you must be dog savvy and business savvy. Veronica Boutelle has helped thousands of dog walkers set up and run successful enterprises. This book tells you how.
Written by a dog-walking pioneer, this book provides all the information anyone would need to start up his or her own dog walking business. Presented in twelve well-defined steps, the author's action model incorporates everything from business basics to the fundamentals of animal psychology. Supported by a strong website and ancillary materials including a training DVD, the book will appeal to those seeking financial freedom at the end of a leash. FROM THE BACK COVER: WARNING: USE AT YOUR OWN RISK! Known to cause side effects such as happiness and fulfillment According to many experts, dog walking is currently the fastest growing area in the professional pet care industry and it shows no sign of slowing down. More American households have dogs than ever before! Whether you have been dreaming of escaping the 9-5 grind, or just love dogs and want to work with them, this book will help you take this growing industry by the leash and profit from it. 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 (page 12) * What services will creatively sell your business and lead the competition (page 16) * 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 (page 31) * 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 (page 124) * Professional advertising strategies revealed in detail and highlighted with examples that will quickly turn your business idea into profit-making reality (page 53) FROM THE AUTHOR: A dog walker's job, focus, and service is very different than a pet sitter's, and the hours are much more conducive to stay-at-home parents, students, and retired persons. The bulk of a dog walker's work happens between the hours of 10am and 3pm. However with puppy-care, and a 3x per day schedule, you'll be starting a bit earlier and finishing a bit later. Dog walking is also a great way to supplement a dog training business! Dog walking is a Zen-like business model, provides a steady predictable income, and your customer base is much, much larger. Dog walking is for the most part recession proof. American households with dogs have increased exponentially. According to the APPA pet-related spending in 2008 will likely exceed $10.5 billion. We aren't going to get rid of our pets, and we aren't going to stop working and commuting. Therefore dog walkers will still be needed, even in a down economy.
"The Dog Walker & Pet Sitter Bible is the best book ever written about how to create a professional pet service...period!" - Colleen Safford, Walk & Train New York In these times of economic turmoil, a business that requires low start-up costs, allows you to be your own boss, involves animals and quickly becomes profitable sounds great doesn't it? That's exactly the type of busniess The Dog Walker & Pet Sitter Bible details and the American pet industry is on fire! It's one of the fastest growing industries in the United States and working with animals is not only profitable but it's a career you can be proud of.
Whether you're looking to make a little money on the side, or develop a full-time career as a dog walker, this book is filled with helpful information to set you on the right path to success. And it is all taken from someone who is actually living it out, day to day, in his own dog walking business. The potential for developing a thriving dog walking business has never been greater. Suburban Dog Walking will help you if you're just getting started, or if you've been dog walking for a while and really want to see your business thrive. In the back of the book, you'll also find links to downloadable content that will help you manage your income and expenses, keep track of the daily walks, and prepare you to walk into a consultation with a new client looking like a professional. The downloads are worth more than the price of the book, and the book content is great, too!
"This revolutionary book shows you how to turn your struggling pet sitting business into a lucrative, stress-free enterprise. You will learn how to: create the foundation to build a six-figure pet sitting business ; ensure business success from the beginning ; create the one-hour business plan: plan your work, work your plan ; understand your commitment and value in business ; remove the blocks to let financial abundance in ; work with business financials ; advertise and sell to generate results ; find, work with and keep great staff members ; set goals to achieve pet sitting business success ; and more" -- P. [4] of cover.
Just fifteen years ago, “pet sitter” meant the kid down the street who helped feed pets when the neighbors traveled. Today, this fledgling field is fast becoming an established profession. Combining the appeal of working with animals, a viable customer base, and truly low start-up costs, it is for many people the ideal home-based business. And yet its “fun” aspects are often overshadowed by the daunting tasks of registering the business, purchasing insurance, and knowing what first steps to take and how to continue from there. With a simple, step-by-step format, How to Start a Home-Based Pet Sitting Business guides aspiring pet sitters from the dreaming stage to the doing stage more clearly and comprehensively than any such book to date.
Turk needs cash, but he's allergic to his own sweat, so getting a job is out of the question. Then Turk makes an important discovery: Girls love dogs. And Turk's friends will do anything to meet girls. So Turk starts a dog walking business. His friends walk the dogs and Turk collects half the money. In an attempt to impress dog-loving Carly, Turk brags about his business in front of the school tough guy, Chuck. But when Chuck learns the true nature of the business and wants in on the action, Turk risks losing his business and, more important, Carly's respect. This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for middle-grade readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don’t like to read! The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.
Veronica Boutelle, the industry’s top consultant, writes for the non-business savvy dog pro, sharing the detailed information you need to start, operate, and prosper in the dog world in clear, easy-to-read language. This second edition, incorporating Veronica’s ten years of experience helping dog pros succeed, included additional advice on packaging services, setting policies, and avoiding burnout, an expanded marketing chapter and resources section, and two entirely new chapters covering online marketing and developing the perfect staff.
Got a pet sitting, dog walking or dog training business? 20 experts share their secrets for pet business (and life) success. Each chapter is filled with tips and tools to run your pet business effectively. Kristin Morrison interviewed pet business and mind/body/spirit experts about the most important topics for new and experienced pet business owners. In the interviews, the experts held nothing back - each interview uncovered insights that can help your pet business become more profitable, enjoyable, and rewarding.
A revolutionary way to raise and train your dog, with “a wealth of practical tips, tricks, and fun games that will enrich the lives of many dogs and their human companions” (Dr. Ian Dunbar, veterinarian and animal behaviorist). Zak George is a new type of dog trainer. A dynamic YouTube star and Animal Planet personality with a fresh approach, Zak helps you tailor dog training to your pet’s unique traits and energy level—leading to quicker results and a much happier pup. For the first time, Zak has distilled the information from his hundreds of videos and experience with thousands of dogs into this comprehensive dog and puppy training guide that includes: • Choosing the right pup for you • Housetraining and basic training • Handling biting, leash pulling, jumping up, barking, aggression, chewing, and other behavioral issues • Health care essentials like finding a vet and selecting the right food • Cool tricks, traveling tips, and activities to enjoy with your dog • Topics with corresponding videos on Zak’s YouTube channel so you can see his advice in action Packed with everything you need to know to raise and care for your dog, this book will help you communicate and bond with one another in a way that makes training easier, more rewarding, and—most of all—fun!
