Whether you are looking for a side gig or want to launch a new career, pet businesses are a good choice. Not only are you able to spend your entire day working with animals, but their owners are willing to spend quite a bit of money for you to take care of them.
By comparing some of the following pet business ideas, you can find one suited for your budget and past experience.
Three Simple Pet Business Ideas
While there are a ton of different ways that you can make money in the pet industry, the best ideas are the simplest ones. Be sure to start small, so that you can learn as you go and expand your business to make more money.
Pet Walking, Boarding, and Sitting
Of course, the simplest one of all the pet business ideas out there is to take care of other people’s animals. Starting a dog walking business takes zero overhead besides finding clients. You can walk several dogs at once to increase the amount of money you make each hour.
Alternatively, you can have other people’s pets come to you. Starting a pet boarding business takes a little more work, since you have to have enclosures and space available to comfortably keep animals in. You also have to take care to keep different types of animals – like cats and dogs – away from one another.
Pet sitting is like boarding, but instead of having clients drop their pets off at your home, you go to their house. This is necessary for indoor pets or anxious animals that need to stay in a familiar environment. While a little more time is involved, much less effort and overhead is required on your end compared to boarding.
Sell Pet Accessories.
You can make some money by selling pet accessories. You can make your own bows, harnesses and collars which you can sell either online or at local markets. Offering customization and leveraging social media is a great way to differentiate yourself and get attention.
Alternatively, you can offer specialty products, like LuxeMutt custom collars and leashes, which are pre-made and high quality. Focusing on premium products, for example, is a good way to target a higher income demographic.
Make Baked Goods
In a relatively similar train of thought to the above point, you can also start your own pet treat business. You can bake pet treats in all sorts of shapes and flavors and sell them as gourmet treats.
The beauty of choosing to make baked pet goods instead of going with traditional accessories is that your customers are much more likely to become repeat buyers. You can operate right out of your kitchen and sell products online as well.
Make a Plan and Do Your Research
Like all businesses, working with pets is not something that you can do without a plan. Develop a budget, a business plan, a marketing plan, and prepare to put the work in. You can make a lot of money working with other people’s animals, but you have to earn it.
For further inspiration, check out this article on pet businesses and products that are a little weirder.
