Low-Cost Pet Business Ideas to Start
Americans are in love with their pets with 46.4 million American homes having at least one dog. The pet care business is a billion dollar one and it’s easy to tap into this with the right strategy.
People have now started treating their pets like their children. There are several options of offering daycare, pet food, pet grooming, removing pet waste and others that can all be converted into a profitable business venture.
How to start a pet business? If you’re a die-hard animal lover, check out these low investment pet business ideas.
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7 Lucrative Pet Business Ideas for Animal Lovers
#1. Pooper Scooping Business
Removing pet poop is a definite need of the society. You get paid to pick up poop. Though it may not sound glamorous, it is one of the most lucrative animal business ideas. You could make around $40 an hour from four backyards.
(Image – www.doodycalls.com)
The startup costs in getting equipment is very little. You might need a vehicle, a tool for picking up the poop and some poop collecting bags. Also, it might just take you about 10 minutes to scoop up poop from a normal sized backyard.
It is expected that the pet waste business will reach $4 billion within the next two years. The aPaws is educating people about the importance of pooper scooping businesses and how important it is for pet owners from the health angle.
#2. Animal Blog – Top Pet Business Ideas
Start your own pet blog if you’re on the lookout for unique pet business ideas. Decide whether you want to write about all pets in general or only dogs or cats.
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You can further narrow it down by writing about pet stories, nutrition, health issues and remedies or cat advice, cat humor and so on. For instance, you can jot down all the important milestones in your pet’s life. Just make your blog fun to read!!
Treat your blog like a business, create goals, market and advertise your blog, write at least one post a week and then start earning. You can even change your niche with time. You might lose some readers, but some new ones will come aboard.
Tip: Check out popular pet blogs, attend pet blogging conferences and forums for networking and education.
#3. Dog Clothing
Americans are willing to spend around $52 billion on their furry friends according to the National Pet Owners Survey. They love to buy clothing for them, such as sweaters, hats and scarves and much more. This makes a pet clothing or a dog clothing business a lucrative option.
You can open up a store or sell the clothes online while considering pet business ideas from home. Design the clothes yourself or find dog clothes patterns online.
Tip: Be careful not to use buttons or beads that dogs could swallow.
Promote your dog-clothing business through pet stores and veterinarians. Carry samples. Share your samples online through your blog. Join the American Pet Products Association to know latest industry trends and pet information.
Tip: Conduct a fashion show using shelter animals. The additional advantage is that you could be helping animals badly in need of adoption.
#4. Set Up a Dog Park
Pet owners are increasingly looking for places where their pets can socialize. How about starting a dog park business where dogs can run about freely without a leash.
Check out the possibilities in your location. Visit local pet stores and veterinarians and other dog parks to get tips and advice. Offer additional pet services if you can, such as dog walking, grooming and day care services.
Locate an area away from industrial areas. Create a good marketing strategy by distributing flyers and business cards to local vets, pet shops, pet groomers, schools, churches and the like. Join online pet organizations and advertise on web pages.
#5. Dog Trainer
If you have a true love for pets and can deal with them kindly and patiently, why not become a dog trainer? It is one of the cheap, small pet business ideas.
Training could be basic, such as obedience to words like Sit; Stay; Come and so on or dealing with behavior problems like chewing or excessive barking.
You can offer services for competition obedience; owner and pet training; voice commands; hand signals, vocational training like searching, rescuing, hunting assisting disabled persons, agility training for dog sport participation and much more.
You don’t need a formal certification for such pet business ideas but must have knowledge about canine behavior. The costs are quite low, as you can provide the training at the clients’ homes. All you will need is some leashes, treats and some training aids.
(Image – www.promopet.com)
#6. Pet Products / Pet Food Business
If you’re considering pet business ideas, you can sell Pet Food, treats or Pet toys either at a brick and mortar store or online through your website. Just find a niche for your business, such as natural pet foods, food for diabetic pets, dog biscuits and other tasty treats.
You can even stock products like dog collars and dog leashes. It is one of the businesses you can run from home. You could even arrange for drop shipping products all over the world, so that there are no storing hassles.
Tip: If you want do something more fancy, opt for upscale pet clothing, toys, tiaras, cashmere coats, silk comforters, leather totes and strollers.
#7. Pet Grooming Services: Top Pet Business Ideas
Everyone wants his/her pets to look well groomed. Pet grooming is a burgeoning industry at around $6 million per year in the US.
These types of pet business ideas are mainly to do with dogs, but you can also offer services for cat grooming. Open up a store where customers can drop their pets for grooming or deliver a mobile service at their homes. You can also offer a self-service option, giving your customers all the tools necessary for grooming and then cleaning up afterwards.
A single service taking an hour could bring you around $50, so if you can handle 6 pets at a time, that’s $300 an hour.
You will need to buy supplies like shampoos, scissors, brushes, washing stations etc. You can select the services offered, such as nail clipping; Brush or massage; Shampoo; Ears and eyes cleaning, de shedding, flea/tick removal, etc.
Wrap Up
Pets have become an integral part of the American family set up. Many of them consider their pets as part of their family and are willing to spend lavishly on them.
(Image – www.fortune.com)
If you share this love for animals, why not consider these types of pet business ideas, such as pet sitting business or any other pet related business?
The ‘paw-ssibbilities’ with pet related businesses are endless!! These business options could be a dream come true if you are an animal lover. Are you up for it??
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