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In the United Kingdom, more than 17 million families own dogs, and with everything starting to open up slowly, several people will start going back to the jobs that will leave them looking for a dog walker.
While many people might laugh at this job, just as it is a real one, a lot of people have started their dog walking business, and it has flourished immensely, and it helps them channel their love for the dogs in a better way.
If you are also willing to start your dog walking business in the UK, we have brought you a complete guide to refer to and understand everything you need to know before you jump into this business.
Things To Do When Starting a Dog Walking Business
Plan Your Business Properly
Before starting a business, you must plan it solidly. So before starting a dog walking business, you must create a proper plan so that you can move on with appropriate knowledge.
Do the research and look for the similar kind of businesses that are there in your neighborhood or area and how they are executing their plan. Another thing that you must plan is your financial abilities, logistics, and how you are going to manage the loan if you get one.
Before jumping and starting your dog walking business, you can also work under the established business to understand the actual work process of this field. The business plan goes a long way; therefore, you must create it well.
Training & Qualification
As mentioned in the previous point, you can work under the established dog walking business to know more about the industry. We must also tell you that you might have to acquire no proper training or qualification to be a dog walker.
But certainly, a good level of experience is a must. Your clients will be placing their trust in you with their dog, and you must have a certain level of experience and training to make them feel comfortable.
Even though there is no proper training required for the dog walker, you can certainly train yourself in dog behavior, dog psychology, animal first aid, and so on. Any animal study will help you start your dog walking business in the UK.
Animal Laws & Regulations
Whenever you start any animal business, specific laws and regulations are applicable to your business. You must note each one and try to understand them properly so that you remain safe from liabilities and official problems.
Few Important Acts and Regulations in the UK are:
Animal Welfare Act:
The animal welfare act, which was made in 2006 applicable in England, Wales, and Scotland, places the dog owner and anybody responsible for making sure that the welfare and certain kinds of needs of the pet are met. It can be related to the environment, typical behavior, housing, medicines, and much more.
Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act and Dog Fouling Act
Both of these acts were passed in 2014 and 2003, making it offensive for the dog owners and the one who is walking them to leave the dog poop and clean in the communal areas. If you do not clean the mess made by your dog, you will be charged an on-the-spot fine of a minimum of £80 that can go up to £1000.
There are more such laws and acts that you can read online and make a note of them.
Charges of Your Business
The next thing that you must ensure is your charges. Most dog walkers charge as per hours or as per the number of dogs. The average price charged by dog walkers in the UK is £10-12 per dog for an hour. For more information, you can do some research and find out the neighborhood dog walking business charges. Since you are starting with the business from scratch, you must keep the price reasonable.
Marketing
People in the United Kingdom are not going to know on their own that a particular person has started a dog walking business in a specific part of England. So, now that you have laid out a proper plan and done it correctly, the next thing that you have to focus on is the marketing of your dog walking business.
There are tons of marketing strategies that you can incorporate into your dog walking business and make people aware of it. Since you are new to this business, we suggest you take the marketing process into your own hands before you outsource it.
You can start by posting on social media, printing flyers, making a website design, sharing your content with your family and friends, and asking them to forward it. And once you have generated a fair amount of attention, you can go on to a higher level.
Business Insurance
Even though the dog walking business is extremely easy, it is essential that you invest in the insurance because what would you do if your client’s dog gets injured?
If any animal in your responsibility gets injured or harmed in your presence, you will be liable for that injury. So it is a safe idea to invest in an insurance policy that will help you in any future accident or mishap. There are plenty of dog walking insurances that you can apply for, such as:
- Personal accident cover
- Public liability insurance
- Business equipment cover
- Van insurance
- Employers liability insurance
Wrapping it Up
Dog lovers are in every part of the United Kingdom, and these days people have started to transform their love for dogs into a profession and business. So here, this article comes to an end, and we hope this complete guide that we have mentioned will help you start your dog walking business in the UK.
Starting any business from scratch requires a lot of patience and research. You are gambling on the future, and to make it happen, you must work hard and keep all the certainties in mind.