As a lover of all furry four-legged creatures (dogs particularly) who is inspired by animal advocates like the folks at Kitten Academy, you decide that you’re finally going to do it: you’re going to open a doggie day care business.
After pooling your financial resources and getting your home in shape for your puppy friends, you open your doors for business. But wait—there aren’t any puppers bounding through the door to gnaw and chew the nylon bones on the floor. There isn’t a chill senior dog trotting in towards his favorite dog bed by the heater.
You’re prepared for your canine charges, but where are they?
If you’re having a tough time getting puppy parents to notice your daycare business, here are four ways to get them to notice and get the business up and going.
Advertise your services. After you have obtained your business license and acquired the necessary insurance, it’s time to advertise your services. Does your doggie day care offer obedience training courses? Maybe you allow for overnight puppy stays when their parents go out of town. What sort of daily activities will the pups be engaged in while under your care?
Whatever it is your doggie day specializes in, make a website that details those offerings. Make sure your website includes staff bios and experience histories as well as client testimonials. Share videos of what a typical day at your day care looks like. If dog owners see that the pups in your care get daily walks, cuddles and individual attention, they’ll flock to your business. Offer a Youtube livestream so your clients can see their dogs playing, sleeping or eating in real time. By doing this you might also get donations from other viewers, cutting your budget expenses.
Have an assortment of toys, treats and dog beds. Dogs are intelligent creatures and need mental stimulation. Having a variety of toys at the ready for them to play with will exercise their minds and keep them occupied; it also helps to prevent bad puppy behavior.
When it’s time to nap, make sure the dog beds you offer are provide support and are routinely cleaned. You can find quality dog beds with online retailers like Hot Dog Collars. Not all of the dogs you care for will be spring chickens, as it were. Some senior pups will require a little more care. An orthopedic dog bed, for example, will help ease the pain suffered by a dog with arthritis and joint pain, making for great nap time!
Host a meet-and- greet. Before putting their dogs in your care, dog owners will want to meet you and see the space in which their dogs will be spending their days. Not just that, but you’ll want to meet the owners and their pups before you agree to accept them into the daycare. Why would you want to do this? The dog and its human parents could have some behavioral issues that you can’t get past. You won’t want a pup who shows aggression toward other dogs, and you won’t want clients who show signs of aggression toward you!
Keep the space spic-and- span. Nothing makes people pass on a daycare faster than an unclean one. Clean the highly-concentrated dog areas regularly. Wash the bedding, vacuum the floors and run the dog toys through the dishwasher—just make sure they’re dishwasher safe first.
To make sure there aren’t any puppy potty accidents indoors, take the dogs out regularly and make sure they go, even if that means staying outside a little longer than you would like. Potty time can’t be rushed!
Running a successful doggie day care is a lot like being a responsible puppy parent; when you take excellent care the dog, the rest takes care of itself.
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