Читать книгу Start & Run a Pet Business - Heather Mueller - Страница 5

Businesses that fall under the service category in the pet industry can included but are certainly not limited to the following:

• Pet finder

• Agility training

• Obedience training

• Pet sitting

• Pet grooming

• Pet visitation programs

• Animal-assisted therapy

• Pet memorial services

• Dog-walking

• Doggy daycares or kennels

Most of these types of services require that the providers have some form of acceptable certification within their area. Depending on which type of pet service you wish to provide, certifications in the service industry can be obtained through courses that take a few weekends or evenings to a couple of years in college.

Before you sign up for courses, research any institution or organization to make sure that it is recognized by your state or province. Pay special attention to who or what within the pet industry recognizes these certifications. Aside from some specialized services, it is wise to pick a course that is nationally recognized, versus just locally recognized. State, provincial, and federal mandates regarding the type of certification required to offer certain services, such as training or grooming, will differ depending on your location. Be aware of what your municipality expects when you obtain your business license. For example, should you decide to open a doggy daycare in the same location as a pizzeria, some municipalities will not allow a food service combined with an animal-based business. Depending on the region in which your business will be located, and what services you wish to provide, your facility may need to be approved by your local health authority. Be apprised of local health requirements and municipal bylaws regarding types of services before you create your business plan.

It is also advisable to research health and safety standards in your area. You should strive to meet or exceed the current standards. Not only does this help to establish credibility of your new business, it also keeps you ahead of the game. If you choose to do less than what is expected of you in an effort to curb start-up costs, it could result in failure or having to spend time or money to catch up to current standards.

When opening a service-based business, an easy to clean location is a must (see Chapter 4 for more information about picking a location). Look at properties that have concrete or vinyl flooring or plan for this as part of your renovation costs in your business plan. Note that a pet-service business can range anywhere from $10,000 to $50,000 (USD or CAD) on average in start-up costs.

When providing services for animals you must have a contingency plan in place in case the unforeseen should occur. Depending on your specialty and training, most associations will already have guidelines or suggestions for contingency plans. Be sure to research these so you are educated as to what is considered the best practices model for your given venue. You should also create a more specific version of your contingency plan, which includes what is required of you by any association you may belong to as well as points specific to your particular venue.

Consider every worst-case scenario you can and then write a policy and procedure manual for how you would handle each situation. This should be done on some level for all types of pet businesses. Even in retail you and your employees should know how to handle an upset customer before you ever have to deal with one in person.

Based on the one-stop-shop approach, service providers are catering to the business of today’s consumers and benefiting from the extra revenues. You will have to decide if providing one service or many services is what you want to do and whether you will incorporate it at the beginning, in future expansions, or not at all. Some considerations will include hiring support staff, or perhaps a receptionist (see Chapter 7 for more on hiring staff).