Dog Walking - Building up clients before taking the plunge?

[Mr. R]

Hi all,

This is basically as it sounds, I want to leave my full time desk job and start dog walking:

I want to start dog walking locally, but feel like I need to build up some business before simply handing in my notice. I want to charge £10 for an hour walk and will ideally need to bring in and average minimum of £80/day in order to make it worth while.

Transport wise, initially at least, I have my car (boot lined, back seat lined and a dog guard over the rear headrests with two boot harnesses and two backseat harnesses). If this picks up, I hope to graduate onto a van and hopefully increase capacity etc...

I also have the relevant insurance lined up along with a CRB check.

My thinking was to build a Facebook page and possibly a website, get friends to share/thumbs up the business to give it a leg up and then try to drum up business that way?

I know that there are various different types of listing sites that you can advertise on, which would be another potential avenue for promoting this.

I want to be realistic about it, and know that these types of business can be very 'feast or famine' - but would love to earn a living this way. I am aware businesses take effort and that success is rare let alone guaranteed?

Any tips on how to build a solid foundation for this venture to make it a little more secure instead of simply walking out of work into the great unknown.

 

[AllUpHere]

My first piece of advice would be to ignore what the majority of other dog walkers do. It's an incredibly easy business to market, but it's one that's done wrong universally.

The first thing you need to do is work out what advantage you could have over other dog walkers in your area. Once you know that, I'll tell you what you need to do next.

One other important point, don't ever do anything for a tenner an hour.

 

[Mr. R]

Thanks for your reply.

One other important point, don't ever do anything for a tenner an hour.

What would you suggest as an hourly rate for dog walking?

The idea is to walk multiple dogs simultaneously, thus earning me more than 'a tenner' at a time - but I think you have to be realistic and not assume that I will be drowning in clients from day one. Hence my original post.

As for USPs (not that I want to broadcast them necessarily) but I'm happy to work longer days than most other places seem to offer, so my four walk slots (many other places only offer two or three) cover mid morning and late afternoon pretty well - hopefully encouraging some dogs to be walked twice a day.

Once you know that, I'll tell you what you need to do next.

...

 

[Darren_Ssc]

I want to charge £10 for an hour walk and will ideally need to bring in and average minimum of £80/day in order to make it worth while.

Factor in your transport costs, insurance, holidays and sickness, and any other costs that you may not yet have thought of and you'll need at least double this just to exist.

How long are you prepared to work for almost nothing until you get to to this point?

 

[ryedale]

Factor in your transport costs, insurance, holidays and sickness, and any other costs that you may not yet have thought of and you'll need at least double this just to exist.

How long are you prepared to work for almost nothing until you get to to this point?

It depends what you want or need to make from it really. It's not mega money but

My girlffriend left her job to become a dog walker and within a couple of months, she was earning around £1200 a month with a peak of around £1800 in summer. - she charges £10 for a half hour solo walk or a group walk for £10 for an hour (max 4 dogs) She also topped this up with day care and home boarding but the majority of the money came from the walks.

I helped with her first self assesement and the accounts were very simple to do as well with few expenses to record.

 

[Darren_Ssc]

I helped with her first self assesement and the accounts were very simple to do as well with few expenses to record.

Were there any unforeseen expenses or events?

 

[UKSBD]

Have a read of this - https://www.bdws.co.uk/2011/06/01/how-to-become-a-dog-walker/

A UKBF member (not seen him on here for a while though)

 

[ryedale]

Were there any unforeseen expenses or events?

Other than replacing an expensive owner provided lead that she lost for about £20 no

One dog got injured but she had tight contracts which prevented any further issues.

 

[MikeJ]

We've a dog walker. We pay her £13.50 to walk our two dogs for what's supposed to be an hour, but often turns out much longer. We've had her since 2000, and she's become a personal friend after so long.

She home home boards which is great - we hated putting a dog into kennels, but we can go away knowing they're having fun with her.

Most people are going to want their dogs walked between 11 and 3. No point in them going out just after you've left for the day, or just before you get home. There may be exceptions for shift workers.

She also feeds them when my wife is away. I'll have the food out ready to be put down, so it's only an extra 30 seconds in the house, but it means they've been fed for a few hours by the time I get home so they're ready for their evening walk.

Get a Facebook group, and get permission to post pictures of the dogs on it. The owners love seeing their pets out having fun, and it's great marketing for you.

 

[Bes]

Thanks for your reply.

As for USPs (not that I want to broadcast them necessarily) but I'm happy to work longer days than most other places seem to offer, so my four walk slots (many other places only offer two or three) cover mid morning and late afternoon pretty well - hopefully encouraging some dogs to be walked twice a day.



...

These are not USPs - What is in it for your CLIENTS - not you - why should they choose you?

One that could work for you and your clients would be to maintain an Instagram page of daily quality pics of your walks and the doggies having fun together; clients can then see their dogs interacting and be assured they are getting a good walk, and you can use this as a tool to build a following and for free marketing.

Another one is think about why people want to walk their dogs and cater to that. A few reasons:

- To incorporate training - recall, playing well, fetch, etc?

- To ensure their dog is calm in the evening when they get home (I have a Whippet who goes mental in the evenings if not walked so know this firsthand!) - so can you talk about tailoring your walks for owners and their needs?

- To help socialise their dogs - Can you for instance put similar kinds of dogs together so relatively nervous ones are socialised sensitively?

- Companionship for the dog / to help with a busy lifestyle? - Can you offer higher margin services to help with this too?

There are LOADS more, but you get the point. Talk to some dog owners, maybe try and sit in on a puppy training class and see what goes on and what owners are concerned about

 

[JEREMY HAWKE]

Tenner an hour ! I not would walk some smelly flee ridden mut for £100 an hour

 

[MikeJ]

Which reinforces my general belief that most dogs are better friends than most humans.

 

[Mr. R]

Tenner an hour ! I not would walk some smelly flee ridden mut for £100 an hour

Who said anything about flea ridden mutts?

Does this site not moderate against this kind of elitist discouraging of new businesses?

 

[JEREMY HAWKE]

Who said anything about flea ridden mutts?

Does this site not moderate against this kind of elitist discouraging of new businesses?

Not at all I always try to give advice where I can based on my experience running a real business and if you remain a member of the site I like others will try to give valuable advice

I was just explaining that I wont walk flea ridden mutts and I forgot the bit about picking dog s££t off the pavement

I am not an elitist we are all equal but I am not picking up dog s££t

 

[Mr D]

One other important point, don't ever do anything for a tenner an hour.

Unless its something you enjoy doing or else its something you can do for multiple clients at once.

 

[Mr D]

Not at all I always try to give advice where I can based on my experience running a real business and if you remain a member of the site I like others will try to give valuable advice

I was just explaining that I wont walk flea ridden mutts and I forgot the bit about picking dog s££t off the pavement

I am not an elitist we are all equal but I am not picking up dog s££t

So long as you aren't walking dogs then no reason you should pick up dog poo.
Its the ones who do walk dogs and leave the poo for others to step in that cause bad words.

 

[Mr D]

These are not USPs - What is in it for your CLIENTS - not you - why should they choose you?

One that could work for you and your clients would be to maintain an Instagram page of daily quality pics of your walks and the doggies having fun together; clients can then see their dogs interacting and be assured they are getting a good walk, and you can use this as a tool to build a following and for free marketing.

Another one is think about why people want to walk their dogs and cater to that. A few reasons:

- To incorporate training - recall, playing well, fetch, etc?

- To ensure their dog is calm in the evening when they get home (I have a Whippet who goes mental in the evenings if not walked so know this firsthand!) - so can you talk about tailoring your walks for owners and their needs?

- To help socialise their dogs - Can you for instance put similar kinds of dogs together so relatively nervous ones are socialised sensitively?

- Companionship for the dog / to help with a busy lifestyle? - Can you offer higher margin services to help with this too?

There are LOADS more, but you get the point. Talk to some dog owners, maybe try and sit in on a puppy training class and see what goes on and what owners are concerned about

As a dog owner I want my dog treated at least as well as I treat him.

Cuddles, stroking, not walking too far on a hot day - its moderately cool out today but in warmer weather bare paws on pavements and roads is not great.
If I was to hire someone to walk the dog I'd be wanting in summer to have early morning and late evening walks more than daytime.

 

[Darren_Ssc]

Its the ones who do walk dogs and leave the poo for others to step in that cause bad words.

I thought the trend now was to put it in a bag and hang it from a tree?

 

[SpikeFMT]

As the owner of 3 small dogs, all girls (sisters) 2 years old, I use a lady who ONLY walks my dogs with no others coming along to make her more money by doubling up. I pay £20 per hour for the 3 dogs and she has them for 1 hour 10am till 11am 3 weekdays a week, so as someone mentioned in an earlier post stand out from what most other walkers offer which for me and I would have thought many others who have walkers is to have that exclusivity for their dogs and I dont care how cheap a walker wants for doing it with other dogs tagging along it will be a definate No from me.
Hope this helps

 

[Mr D]

I thought the trend now was to put it in a bag and hang it from a tree?

Have seen that once. Mostly its ignore what dog does...

 

[Mr D]

As the owner of 3 small dogs, all girls (sisters) 2 years old, I use a lady who ONLY walks my dogs with no others coming along to make her more money by doubling up. I pay £20 per hour for the 3 dogs and she has them for 1 hour 10am till 11am 3 weekdays a week, so as someone mentioned in an earlier post stand out from what most other walkers offer which for me and I would have thought many others who have walkers is to have that exclusivity for their dogs and I dont care how cheap a walker wants for doing it with other dogs tagging along it will be a definate No from me.
Hope this helps

While I don't have a problem with my dog being walked with others, he might.
Some dogs he gets on with, some he does not.
Really don't want to have my baby injured or overheating due to aggression.

 

[Alan]

will ideally need to bring in and average minimum of £80/day in order to make it worth while.

To achieve this target average minimum, I would suggest pricing your services at a target of £30 per hour.

This should be totally feasible in your market, i.e. 3 dogs at £10 per hour

 

[Gordon L]

There is much rotten advice here (e.g, 'flea ridden mutts' comment; which I personally believe is as terrible a comment, and ridiculously childish, as I have seen here) however if your market is £10 per hour, it is £10 per hour. Consumers don't have bottomless wallets/purses.

You could leave your job today, or you could build up a client base first.

However, business is about focus, luck and execution. If you are serious about the proposition, and confident that you can execute your plan, I would say go for it. That doesn't mean leaving your job tomorrow. But it means leaving on your terms, for instance when you have got your website built, had your leaflets printed, established a marketing plan, perhaps when you have a client or two, and able t survive for a while financially, and so on.

Money runs out quickly. Developing business (including trust) takes time. If you are any good at the dog walking you can build a decent reputation and to some extent business will come. But it won't be easy.

Personally I wouldn't leave your job until you have a basic infrastructure in place, at the earliest.

Be prepared to live for a while without an income. I think people forget this when they start out.

 

[Gordon - Commercial Finance]

Quit your job and give the business your full focus once you’ve saved up enough money to cover your living expenses (mortgage etc) for as long as you think it will take to start earning a decent living.

 

[Ecomccountant]

I feel USP focus is a myth, there is no point contriving a USP - what is it going to be? "i walk my dog on roller blades"

Businesses like this need to focus on the value proposition (examples):
- Updates immediately after the walk, nothing elaborate but something like "all fine" or "alfie had the runs today - ill keep an eye on him"
- Making sure you have cover if you are sick (someone who will give as good service as you) - people use dog walkers because they are at work and dont want to leave their dog at home all day. They are paying for convenience and they dont want to have to make alternative arrangements themselves
- Provide Solo walks as well as multi dog walks (obviously for more) - some owners - like myself would rather pay more knowing that their dog will be walked without other dogs as they may worry about fights or lack of attention.
- Solve problems - don't moan about no poo bags, broken lead - have a backup and mention it later.
- Keep your appointments - dont turn up at 3 when you agreed to do it at 12.
- train the dog as you go - nothing more annoying than a dog walker complaining about a dog when they spend more time walking them than anyone else
- treat the dog well and how you expect someone to look after your dog

Remember the painpoints of most customers are (and not limited to):
- ive got a dog but i need to work
- I really love my dog - maybe too much
- i dont want to have to stay at home or worry if my dog hasnt been walked
- what if my dog walker lets him eat something?
- What if he overheats????
- what if he doesnt have enough water in the house when they leave
- I worry about who my dog is with and i need to trust them
- I am going to give this person my keys so i need to make sure they are trustworthy and not going to get their brother to come round to clean it out

I would go through this process before - talk to people with dogs- dont try and sell but ask them their painpoints and what they value about a dog walker. Then develop your value proposition and cover all these painpoints in how you operate your dog walking business and use it in all your marketing and pitches. Only then are you ready to market your services.

If someone can find a real USP i am happy for someone to change my mind.

 

[billybob99]

If someone can find a real USP i am happy for someone to change my mind.

There isn't one.

I had a consultancy in the software space, focusing on mobile.

Everyone in this space thought they had a USP - we all build software, for the same platform, for the same devices, there is no USP.

It's like you said, all about value prop.