Watch the video of ‘How to Make Extra Money Pet Sitting or Dog Walking’ on MoneyTalksNews.com.
Who can’t use a few extra bucks? There are so many ways to earn on the side these days — like renting out your house, car or even tools. There are also more ways to make a little money using a more traditional business model, like providing a service.
Critter care is one service that is always in demand. Whether it’s monitoring a fish tank, feeding a cat or getting a dog out for some exercise and a visit to the hydrant (or three), pet owners all need help at some point — and they want to be able to get away on business or vacation without worrying about their furry (feathered, scaled) friends.
Plenty of entrepreneurial types have managed to profit this way, and you can, too. Sounds fun, right? But even though you’re going to get to hang out with cute animals, this is a business and you need to treat it like one if you want it to be successful. Here are seven steps to help you get started.
1. Check the laws
Depending on the way you choose to structure your business, different laws may apply. These laws are going to vary by state and by locality. You may need a business license from your state, locality or both. Are you planning to board animals on your property? There may be zoning restrictions.
For instance, I did an Internet search for “City of Seattle and Laws about Animal Care” and came up with this page for the City of Seattle and surrounding King County concerning pet-care permits and how to get one.
As for income taxes, you could try to do it under the table, but it’s not a good idea. If you get caught, you’ll be on the hook for both taxes and penalties. Report your income.
2. Make a plan
You probably don’t need a full-blown business plan to show to investors. There’s not much upfront cost to get started with basic pet care. But you still need to know what your goals are and how you will start to meet them. Keep in mind that taxes will eat into your profits. There may be other expenses — gas if you are driving around town to clients’ homes, bags to pick up dog poop, and cash for incidentals if an owner on vacation fails to leave enough cat litter, food or other supplies. If you’re walking dogs, you probably want to carry liability insurance in case one gets hurt, or hurts someone while in your care.
There are a few good websites around to help you get started. Dogtec.org gives some great advice, and offers a program to make you a “certified dog walker.” Certification may not be necessary, but it will demonstrate that you did your homework (and sound fancier to potential clients when you hang out your shingle.) The nonprofit National Association of Professional Pet Sitters offers a wealth of information on animal care and pet-sitting business tips. Loads of good information is free on their website, but a membership for $135 a year give you access to all their resources and webinars — and may be just the thing if you want to take your pet-care business to a new level.