If animals are a passion of yours, why not start a business or service involving them? Pets are a multibillion dollar industry, and starting your own home business in this area can require very little start up costs. Why not consider turning your pet passion into profit? The following article will offer up a few suggestions.
1. Dog walking. Great for retirees or students, dog walking is a growing phenomenon that can yield a nice part-time income and get you into shape at the same time! Promote your service well and select well behaved dogs that will enjoy each other’s company and you can begin every day with an exciting adventure and about $25 to $75 in your pocket.
2. Animal daycare. In most cases, some adjustments to your home and property will be necessary to open a doggie daycare, but if your love for animals is deep, this business can boom for you. Offer a great introductory rate to get customers interested and have a fun filled agenda for the dogs. The going rate for doggie drop-off care is around $25, so you could even consider renting warehouse space and setting up a spa!
3. Obedience training. Although there are minimal start-up costs for trainers, this is one area where expertize trumps enthusiasm: it’s not enough that you love the animals, you must know how to get them to obey commands, behave, become house-trained, etc. Once established as a highly effective trainer, you will have an excellent income as a training specialist.
4. Pet photography. Have camera, will travel! As long as you can take a pretty good picture, and have a great rapport with animals of all types and personalities, becoming a professional pet photographer will yield a great income and a barrel of laughs! Nobody loves performing for the camera more than pets, and pet lovers will pay you nicely for great shots of their beloveds hamming it up or decked out in a Santa hat.
5. Dog clothing and accessories. There are big bucks in sweaters and other pooch-pampering attire. Pet lovers will stop at nothing to have the best dressed dog on the block, or keep them warm and snuggly in the winter. Sports related pet wear is very popular, with unbelievable mark-up value. You could retail online or set up a small boutique somewhere on your property.
6. Gourmet animal treats. Find a great recipe, test it out and hype it up and you have got a hot new career lined up! Keep your costs down with an efficient business model, and be sure to maintain the highest standards of quality and safety. Specialty treats see mega-profits online, in big retail outlets and little corner shops. Consider promoting for a well established product as well; the sky is the limit when it comes to people’s spending on their pets!
7. Pet Sitter. This usually part-time effort can make you some decent earnings. Consider who you work for carefully and how comfortable you will be staying at people’s homes. The greatest benefit to the pet owner is their animal not having to be locked up in a kennel or some other strange place. With a polished reputation, this could be a promising business for you.
8. Breeder. The business of producing prized pups can literally earn you $100’s per pet. Although it is a competitive market, often with questionable sellers, it can be a rewarding way to make decent money and enjoy the company of a whole lot of squeaking, adorable newborns! Be careful to adhere to local laws which may limit the number of animals you have on your property and always be up-front about pedigree!
As you can see, there are many ways to turn your passion about pets into a profitable home business. Half the battle of succeeding with a home business is deciding on a venture that you love and know enough about to master. If you possess a love of animals, consider the above suggestions as possible avenues to your freedom from the rat race and truly enjoying your work.