How to Start a Dog Boarding Business: A Step-by-Step Guide for Pet Care Pros
Whether you're ready to turn your passion for pups into a career or you're looking to expand a growing dog walking or pet sitting business, opening a dog boarding facility could be the perfect next step. You'll get to enjoy the company of lovable dogs, provide a much-needed service to pet parents, and best of all, be your own boss. Sounds great, right?
In this guide, we’ll walk through all the essential steps to help you start your own dog boarding business.
Step 1: Research and Planning
Now that you can't get the idea of your very own dog boarding business out of your head, what's next? First up: research and planning.
This step is essential, as it's important to thoroughly understand your market and plan your new venture carefully. Key tasks include exploring the demand for boarding services in your area, reviewing your competition (which may include not just other boarding facilities, but also dog walkers or groomers who offer boarding), and deciding what your business will offer and how it will stand out.
How Much do Dog Boarding Businesses Make?
According to Good Dog Academy, dog boarding facilities charge an average of $50 per night, per dog. So if your business boards 20 dogs a night, that’s $1,000 a day—or about $30,000 a month in gross income. If you plan to board more or fewer dogs, your expected income would adjust accordingly.
But keep in mind: your actual profit depends on more than just filling kennels. Expenses like wages, food, cleaning supplies, insurance, utilities, and maintenance all need to be factored in.
Understand the Market
Having a good understanding of the opportunity and the market is critical. Without demand, even the best-run business can struggle. A great way to estimate how many pet parents are in your area is to look for other pet-related businesses. You can also review pet ownership statistics.
The best way, however, is to immerse yourself in the local pet community so you can truly understand how people feel about their pets in your town. Some easy ways to do this include spending time at your town’s dog park or volunteering at your local animal shelter.
There are other important market aspects to familiarize yourself with as well, such as how other boarding businesses operate. What services do they offer? Are there any gaps in the services pet parents need? Talking with pet parents directly is one of the best ways to find out what they’re looking for and to answer these questions.
Review Locations
As with any business, location can be one of the most important factors in determining success. Research areas where there is a demand for pet care services, but also consider locations near transportation hubs to make it easier for pet parents to drop off and pick up their pets. We’ll cover more details on choosing the perfect location later in this guide.
Create a Business Plan
Now that you’re familiar with the market and the opportunity, it’s time to work on a business plan. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) offers helpful information on Writing a Business Plan. Your plan should include:
- Executive Summary: A brief overview of your business and what will make it unique.
- Company Description: Similar to the executive summary, but with more detail about the different aspects of your business.
- Market Analysis: This section includes findings from your research (e.g. location insights, market opportunities, competitors, and more).
- Organization and Management: Outline your business structure and provide information about your management team.
- Services Offered: Provide a detailed description of your services (like boarding, daycare, grooming, training, etc.). We'll dive into services later.
- Marketing Plan: Explain how you’ll differentiate your company and attract new customers. (We’ll dive deeper into this below!)
- Financial Projections: Include estimates of your startup costs, capital requirements, and projections for future business performance.
Step 2: Legal, Licenses and Regulations
Before you can open your dog boarding facility, there are legal requirements you’ll need to meet, including licenses and permits. These requirements vary depending on your location, so the best resource is your local government and zoning office. Every area is different, so make sure to check what applies to you.
It’s also important to understand any regulations related to animal care standards. These can vary as well, but one thing is clear: your top priority should be maintaining the highest standards of care for the animals in your business.
Secure Licenses and Permits
To operate legally, you must obtain the licenses and permits required by your local government. These are important legal documents for your business, so we highly recommend contacting your city hall and consulting with a local legal professional to ensure you have everything in order.
Understand Animal Care Regulations
In addition to general business licenses, you need to comply with any animal care regulations. These rules can vary widely depending on where you live, so it’s crucial to get this information from local authorities, such as your city hall. Following these regulations not only keeps you compliant but also helps ensure the safety and well-being of the dogs in your care.
Obtain Business Insurance
Working with animals comes with risks, which is why business insurance is a must. Accidents happen, and the right coverage can protect you from serious financial or reputational damage. Every business faces risks, but without proper insurance, unexpected setbacks could disrupt your operations and harm your finances—or even your reputation.
Step 3: Find the Perfect Location
Location, location, location! When choosing your facility’s location, there are several important factors to consider. Make sure it’s easy for pet parents to find your business and that there is plenty of space for the services you plan to offer.
Choose a Convenient Location
Your facility should be located in an area that is convenient for pet parents to access, while also offering enough space for the services you plan to provide. Many pet parents drop off their pets before heading out of town and want quick access when they return, so choosing a location near major transportation hubs is a smart idea.
Consider Other Factors
When selecting your location, consider the types of services you will offer. Will you have outdoor play areas? Daily drop-offs and pick-ups? Make sure the location you choose can accommodate your entire business and everything you have planned.
Design Your Space
As you review potential buildings, consider the layout of your boarding facility. Prioritize the safety and comfort of the pets. Be mindful of where pets will sleep, eat, and play, and ensure there’s enough space to move dogs in and out efficiently.
Step 4: Set Up Your Facility
After finding your perfect spot, it’s time to design the perfect facility. This is where your vision comes to life! Keep in mind the safety and comfort of both the pets in your care and the humans taking care of them. Investing in quality kennels, comfortable bedding, and interactive toys is a great idea. You’ll also want designated areas for exercise and play, as well as quiet spaces for rest and relaxation.
Create a Safe and Comfortable Environment
A pet care provider’s top priority should always be the safety of the animals in their care. A close second is ensuring those pets feel comfortable and relaxed. Your facility’s design should focus on these two goals above all else.
Maintain Cleanliness
Your cleaning schedule should include daily tasks like disinfecting kennels, play areas, food and water dishes, and other regular maintenance. Keeping the facility clean is essential to providing a safe environment (see above).
Step 5: Services and Pricing
When deciding on the services you’ll offer, consider both your customers’ needs and your vision for your business. Many boarding facilities also provide daycare, grooming, or training. Offering in-home services, such as dog walking or pet sitting, is another great option.
Keep in mind that some pets thrive in a facility environment, while others do better at home. Providing services that cater to all the pets in your community will give you a strong advantage over the competition.
An added benefit? When your facility is full, you can offer in-home services to your customers (instead of them going to the competitor down the street).
Set Your Prices
Setting your rates can be a challenge. You want to make sure you cover your costs while leaving some room for profit. Luckily, we have a detailed guide on how to set rates for in-home pet care businesses on our blog. While the services may differ, the principles are very similar for a boarding facility.
Step 6: Hire Qualified Staff
Your team is crucial to your success. Finding pet lovers with experience in pet care is essential. Ideally, look for candidates trained in pet first aid who also have excellent customer service skills. Your staff are the heart of your business, so take your time and hire wisely. Time To Pet has a great hiring guide you can pull some lessons from!
Train Your Staff
Not every employee you hire will be perfect from the start, which is why it’s important to lead by example and provide plenty of hands-on training. A comprehensive training program should cover your company’s expectations and procedures, an overview of your services and how staff should perform them, emergency protocols, and proper care techniques for the pets in your facility. This ensures your team fully understands and delivers the level of care you expect.
Customer service is another key to your success. Make sure your team knows how to communicate effectively with pet parents. Depending on how you choose to share updates about pets’ status, train your staff on what information they should and shouldn’t include.
Step 7: Market Your Business
Making it easy for customers to find and love your business will help you grow and exceed your business plan’s projections. Marketing is more than just a website and a brand (although those are very important), it's about how you build systems to allow your business to grow.
Build Your Brand
Your brand shouldn’t be your entire marketing strategy, but it’s an important part of it. Make sure your website, logo, and overall brand reflect who you are and how you want your customers to feel about your business.
Promote Your Services
As a business owner, you need to be marketing your company 24/7. That might mean talking up your business whenever you can, creating a killer referral program to encourage happy customers to spread the word, or getting active on social media to showcase all the adorable pets in your care.
You can also network with other local businesses (like vets, pet supply stores, dog walkers, pet sitters, and more) to help get the word out. Whatever your approach, the goal is the same: get your name out there so it reaches your prospective clients!
Step 8: Using Software for Your Dog Boarding Business
Pet parents expect a simple, straightforward experience when working with your business. Using modern software is one of the best ways to keep your business organized while delighting your customers every day. Here are some of the ways boarding software can benefit your business:
Time To Pet helps thousands of pet care businesses generate millions in revenue each month. See how by starting your free trial today!
- Client & Pet Management: Customers can update their own information, keep pet details accurate, and maintain a complete booking history.
- Bookings and Scheduling: Clients can submit requests easily, and checking pets in and out becomes a breeze.
- Pet Parent Communication: Send updates that include pictures, videos, and more—all in one convenient place.
- Invoicing and Payments: Automate invoicing and let clients submit payments, including tips for a job well done!
- Team Management: Manage shifts, track hours, and assign tasks to your team without hassle.
Investing in a boarding-specific software product will help you save time, reduce errors, increase your pet parent experience, and grow your business. Time To Pet has created software trusted by thousands of pet care businesses!
Step 9: Open Your Facility’s Doors
Your grand opening is here! Congratulations on all the hard work you’ve put in to get this far. Before the excitement takes over, take a moment to appreciate your effort and everything you’ve achieved.
Once the moment has passed, remember that now, with your doors open and customers rolling in, it’s time to deliver the exceptional experience you promised.
To help generate buzz and bring more people through your doors, consider hosting an opening event and partnering with other local businesses. After all, who doesn’t love a good party?
Gather Feedback
After your first group of customers picks up their dogs, gather as much feedback as possible. Your entrepreneurial journey is just that—a journey. You won’t be perfect on day one, but learning from your customers is the best way to improve.
Negative feedback should be addressed quickly and seen as an opportunity to grow. Positive feedback? Share it with potential customers and consider creating a referral program.
Step 10: Ongoing Management and Growth
As your business grows, it’s important to keep listening to your customers, improving your services, and staying updated on industry trends. You might discover new opportunities, like adding training services or expanding into dog walking. Staying flexible and understanding your customers’ needs will help you keep growing.
Starting a dog boarding business isn’t easy, but with the right planning, a strong focus on safety, hard work, and a passion for animals, it can be an incredibly rewarding and profitable venture. By following this guide, using the right tools like dog boarding software, and building a great team, you’ll be well on your way to success!
Remember, every successful business starts with a first step, and yours could begin today. Good luck, and happy boarding!
