Ever thought of starting a dog walking business?

Dogs need exercise and few business people can spare an hour - perhaps twice a day - from their busy lives, to give their pet that much time. They are not bad owners, indeed the very opposite, so they are more than willing to pay a dog walking business to do it.

Advertise your service

How do you let people know that you are available to walk their dogs? It's easy and it's something we will come back to regularly - cheap advertising! Put up postcards in your local shop, post office, church or village hall and introduce yourself. Keep it short and snappy...

Note that people like to see a Home telephone number, not just a mobile or cell phone number - it creates a sense of reliability.

In addition to the postcards, print off something a little more professional from your computer. Almost everyone has a design or desktop publishing software package these days, and it only takes an hour or so to knock up a decent flyer. Adding a pictures is a good idea, they catch people's attention more than text alone, so try to pick an appealing dog or puppy.

Print off perhaps 100 to start with and deliver them by hand, to every house in a fairly small area - you don't want too much distance between morning pick-ups, it's dog walking income you need, not free exercise!

Choose a middle income area - one with lots of self employed people is ideal. Hint. Those areas have as many vans, as cars, parked outside at night!

Simple advertising like this is highly cost effective! If the results are disappointing at first, then extend your target area, but you are pretty much guaranteed to find customers, and once you have your first dog walking 'contract' your income will grow as word goes around amongst local dog owners.

Setting your dog walking prices

How much should you charge? How much is your time worth?

You need to keep prices down to a level which suits the area. Remember, you can walk three or four dogs at a time. This is good for the dogs because they do like to socialise and it's good for you! Don't worry about dogs fighting, it rarely happens when they are all walking in the same direction in a pack.

If you really do get a dog which won't settle with others, then you are perfectly entitled to charge exclusive fees on the basis that you have to walk him/her alone, so are losing income.

Extra benefits of a dog walking business

• Keeping fit is important, even if you are retired, and if you are still mobile dog walking is an ideal way of implementing your daily exercise plan.

• If you live somewhere that doesn't allow pets, it also gives you the opportunity to create relationships with animals, especially if you always had your own dog when you were younger.
• Starting a dog walking business does not cost a lot, you just need the use of a computer and printer for your advertising material, and perhaps some sturdy walking shoes (or wellingtons for the wet weather). The owner's will provide leashes or harnesses.

While you are here, you might also like to read Nina's story of setting up a pet sitting business.

Or check out a novel way of making income from ducklings!