dog daycare business plan template

Dog Daycare Business Plan Template

Written by Dave Lavinsky

Over the past 20+ years, we have helped over 5,000 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans to start and grow their doggie daycares. On this page, we will first give you some background information with regards to the importance of business planning. We will then go through a dog daycare business plan template step-by-step so you can create your plan today.

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What is a Dog Daycare Business Plan?

A business plan provides a snapshot of your dog daycare business as it stands today, and lays out your growth plan for the next five years. It explains your business goals and your strategy for reaching them. It also includes market research to support your plans.

Why You Need a Business Plan for a Dog Daycare

If you’re looking to start a doggie daycare or grow your existing doggie daycare you need a business plan. A business plan will help you raise funding, if needed, and plan out the growth of your dog daycare in order to improve your chances of success. Your dog daycare business plan is a living document that should be updated annually as your company grows and changes.

Source of Funding for Dog Daycare Centers

With regards to funding, the main sources of funding for a dog daycare are bank loans, personal savings, credit cards and angel investors. With regards to bank loans, banks will want to review your business plan and gain confidence that you will be able to repay your loan and interest. To acquire this confidence, the loan officer will not only want to confirm that your financials are reasonable. But they will want to see a professional plan. Such a plan will give them the confidence that you can successfully and professionally operate a business.

Another common form of funding for a dog daycare is angel investors. Angel investors are wealthy individuals who will write you a check. They will either take equity in return for their funding, or, like a bank, they will give you a loan. Venture capitalists will not fund a doggie daycare. They might consider funding a chain, but never an individual location. This is because most venture capitalists are looking for millions of dollars in return when they make an initial investment, and an individual location could never achieve such results.

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Your business plan should include 10 sections as follows:

Executive Summary

Your executive summary provides an introduction to your business plan, but it is normally the last section you write because it provides a summary of each key section of your plan.

The goal of your Executive Summary is to quickly engage the reader. Explain to them the type of dog daycare business you are operating and the status; for example, are you a startup, do you have a dog daycare that you would like to grow, or are you operating a chain of doggie daycare businesses.

Next, provide an overview of each of the subsequent sections of your plan. For example, give a brief overview of the dog daycare industry. Discuss the type of dog daycare you are operating. Detail your direct competitors. Give an overview of your target customers. Provide a snapshot of your marketing plan. Identify the key members of your team. And offer an overview of your financial plan.

Company Analysis

In your company analysis, you will detail the type of doggie daycare business you are operating.

For example, you might operate one of the following types:

• 100% cage-free : this type of doggy daycare allows dogs to freely roam the facility, under the supervision of a staff member.
• Cage-free play : this type of doggy daycare typically cages the dogs for a portion of the day, and allows dogs to play outside their cages at certain times.
• Kennel : this type of doggy daycare offers cages or runs where the dog remains for the entirety of the stay.
• Indoor-only doggy daycare : this type of dog daycare has indoor-only facilities, where dogs interact and play indoors, as well as relieving themselves in a designated indoor area.
• Indoor and outdoor doggy daycare : this type of dog daycare has both indoor and outdoor areas for dogs to enjoy.
• Extended-stay dog boarding : this type of doggy daycare provides care for an extended time while the owners are on vacation.

In addition to explaining the type of doggie daycare you operate, the Company Analysis section of your business plan needs to provide background on the business.

Include answers to question such as:

• When and why did you start the business?
• What milestones have you achieved to date? Milestones could include sales goals you’ve reached, new facility openings, etc.
• Your legal structure. Are you incorporated as an S-Corp? An LLC? A sole proprietorship? Explain your legal structure here.

Industry Analysis

In your industry analysis, you need to provide an overview of the doggie daycare business.

While this may seem unnecessary, it serves multiple purposes.

First, researching the dog daycare industry educates you. It helps you understand the market in which you are operating.

Secondly, market research can improve your strategy particularly if your research identifies market trends. For example, if there was a trend towards 100% cage-free dog daycare, it would be helpful to ensure your plan calls for this accommodation.

The third reason for market research is to prove to readers that you are an expert in your industry. By conducting the research and presenting it in your plan, you achieve just that.

The following questions should be answered in the industry analysis section of your doggie daycare business plan:

• How big is the dog daycare business (in dollars)?
• Is the market declining or increasing?
• Who are the key competitors in the market?
• Who are the key suppliers in the market?
• What trends are affecting the industry?
• What is the industry’s growth forecast over the next 5 – 10 years?
• What is the relevant market size? That is, how big is the potential market for your dog daycare. You can extrapolate such a figure by assessing the size of the market in the entire country and then applying that figure to your local population.

Customer Analysis

The customer analysis section of your doggie daycare business plan must detail the customers you serve and/or expect to serve.

The following are examples of customer segments: pet owners aged 30 to 49; pet owners aged 50 to 64, etc.

As you can imagine, the customer segment(s) you choose will have a great impact on the type of doggie daycare you operate. Clearly baby boomers would want a different atmosphere, pricing and product options, and would respond to different marketing promotions than millennials.

Try to break out your target customers in terms of their demographic and psychographic profiles. With regards to demographics, include a discussion of the ages, genders, locations and income levels of the customers you seek to serve. Because most doggie daycares primarily serve customers living in their same city or town, such demographic information is easy to find on government websites.

If you plan to offer extended-stay dog boarding as well, you may want to consider segmenting customer behaviors as well. Local dog owners who are planning a vacation would be a targeted segment for marketing and advertising.

Psychographic profiles explain the wants and needs of your target customers. The more you can understand and define these needs, the better you will do in attracting and retaining your customers.

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Competitive Analysis

Your competitive analysis should identify the indirect and direct competitors your business faces and then focus on the latter.

Direct competitors are other doggie daycare businesses.

Indirect competitors are other options that customers have to purchase from you that aren’t direct competitors, such as dog walkers. You need to mention such competition to show you understand that not everyone who owns a dog uses a doggie daycare each day.

With regards to direct competition, you want to detail the other dog daycare centers with which you compete. Most likely, your direct competitors will be dog daycares located very close to your location.

For each such competitor, provide an overview of their businesses and document their strengths and weaknesses. Unless you once worked at your competitors’ businesses, it will be impossible to know everything about them. But you should be able to find out key things about them such as:

• What types of customers do they serve?
• What dog daycare services do they offer?
• What is their pricing (premium, low, etc.)?
• What are they good at?
• What are their weaknesses?

With regards to the last two questions, think about your answers from the customers’ perspective. And don’t be afraid to stand outside your competitors’ locations and ask customers as they leave what they like most and least about them.

The final part of your competitive analysis section is to document your areas of competitive advantage. For example:

• Will you provide superior dog daycare services?
• Will you provide doggie daycare services that your competitors don’t offer?
• Will you make it easier or faster for customers to use your services (e.g., reservations via a mobile app)?
• Will you provide better customer service?
• Will you offer better pricing?

Think about ways you will outperform your competition and document them in this section of your plan. This might include adding grooming services, boarding services, mobile-friendly services or other pet care services. Also, consider getting involved with your local animal shelters to build community involvement and spread the word about your dog daycare facility.

Marketing Plan

Traditionally, a marketing plan includes the four P’s: Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. For a dog daycare business plan, your marketing plan should include the following:

Product : in the product section you should reiterate the type of dog daycare that you documented in your Company Analysis. Then, detail the specific services you will be offering. For example, in addition to regular dog daycare, will you offer items such as premium food, a water park, one-on-one staff attention, grooming, etc.?

Price : Document the prices you will offer and how they compare to your competitors. Essentially in the product and price sub-sections of your marketing plan, you are presenting the services you offer and their prices.

Place : Place refers to the location of your dog daycare. Document your location and mention how the location will impact your success. For example, is your doggie daycare located next to a heavily populated office building, or gym, etc. Discuss how your location might provide a steady stream of customers.

Promotions : the final part of your dog daycare marketing plan is the promotions section. Here you will document how you will drive customers to your location(s). The following are some promotional methods you might consider:

• Making your dog daycare’s front store extra appealing to attract passing customers
• Advertising in local papers and magazines
• Reaching out to local bloggers and websites
• Partnerships with local organizations (e.g., pet store purchasers get a free day of dog daycare with each $100+ purchase)
• Social media marketing
• Local radio advertising
• Banner ads at local venues

Operations Plan

While the earlier sections of your business plan explained your goals, your operations plan describes how you will meet them. Your operations plan should have two distinct sections as follows.

Everyday short-term processes include all of the tasks involved in running your dog daycare such as check-in, procuring supplies, keeping the facility clean, etc.

Long-term goals are the milestones you hope to achieve. These could include the dates when you expect to serve your 1,000th customer, or when you hope to reach $X in sales. It could also be when you expect to hire your Xth employee or launch a new location.

Management Team

To demonstrate your dog daycare’s ability to succeed as a business, a strong management team is essential. Highlight your key players’ backgrounds, emphasizing those skills and experiences that prove their ability to grow a company.

Ideally you and/or your team members have direct experience in the dog daycare business. If so, highlight this experience and expertise. But also highlight any experience that you think will help your business succeed.

If your team is lacking, consider assembling an advisory board. An advisory board would include 2 to 8 individuals who would act like mentors to your business. They would help answer questions and provide strategic guidance. If needed, look for advisory board members with experience in dog daycares and/or successfully running small businesses.

Financial Plan

Your financial plan should include your 5-year financial statement broken out both monthly or quarterly for the first year and then annually. Your financial statements include your income statement, balance sheet and cash flow statements.

Income Statement : an income statement is more commonly called a Profit and Loss statement or P&L. It shows your revenues and then subtracts your costs to show whether you turned a profit or not.

In developing your income statement, you need to devise assumptions. For example, will you serve 50 customers per day or 100? And will sales grow by 2% or 10% per year? As you can imagine, your choice of assumptions will greatly impact the financial forecasts for your business. As much as possible, conduct research to try to root your assumptions in reality.

Balance Sheets : While balance sheets include much information, to simplify them to the key items you need to know about, balance sheets show your assets and liabilities. For instance, if you spend $100,000 on building out your dog daycare, that will not give you immediate profits. Rather it is an asset that will hopefully help you generate profits for years to come. Likewise, if a bank writes you a check for $100,000, you don’t need to pay it back immediately. Rather, that is a liability you will pay back over time.

Cash Flow Statement : Your cash flow statement will help determine how much money you need to start or grow your business, and make sure you never run out of money. What most entrepreneurs and business owners don’t realize is that you can turn a profit but run out of money and go bankrupt.

In developing your Income Statement and Balance Sheets be sure to include several of the key costs needed in starting or growing a dog daycare:

• Location build-out including design fees, construction, etc.
• Cost of equipment like kennels, dog beds, activity centers, etc.
• Cost of food and treats and maintaining an adequate amount of supplies
• Payroll or salaries paid to staff
• Business insurance
• Taxes and permits
• Legal expenses

Attach your full financial projections in the appendix of your plan along with any supporting documents that make your plan more compelling. For example, you might include your facility design blueprint or location lease.

Doggie Daycare Business Plan Summary

Putting together a business plan for your dog daycare is a worthwhile endeavor. If you follow the template above, by the time you are done, you will have an expert dog daycare business plan; download it to PDF to show banks and investors. You will really understand the dog daycare business, your competition and your customers. You will have developed a marketing plan and will really understand what it takes to launch and grow a successful dog daycare. You will know everything you need about opening a dog daycare business!

Doggie Daycare Business Plan FAQs

What is the easiest way to complete my dog daycare business plan.

Growthink's Ultimate Business Plan Template allows you to quickly and easily complete your Dog Daycare Business Plan.

What is the Goal of a Business Plan's Executive Summary?

The goal of your Executive Summary is to quickly engage the reader. Explain to them the type of dog daycare business you are operating and the status; for example, are you a startup, do you have a dog daycare that you would like to grow, or are you operating a chain of dog daycare businesses.

Don’t you wish there was a faster, easier way to finish your Dog Daycare business plan?

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Since 1999, Growthink has developed business plans for thousands of companies who have gone on to achieve tremendous success.   Click here to see how Growthink’s business planning advisors can create your business plan for you.

Other Helpful Business Plan Articles & Templates

Dog Daycare Business Plan: The 2022 Getting Started Guide

BUSINESS  |   3/13/20 2:30 AM  |  by Gingr

So, you’ve decided to start a doggy daycare. Maybe you’re a huge “dog person,” or maybe you’ve noticed a need in your community and are ready to fill that space with what will hopefully be a profitable venture.

Regardless of what’s landed you here, there are quite a few steps between choosing to open a dog daycare business and actually welcoming your first furry guest. This guide will provide an overview of everything you need to get started with your dog daycare business plan. After reading it, you’ll hopefully have a good foundation to begin brainstorming for your new venture.

While this guide dives into the basics, there’s still a decent amount of information to dive into. Feel free to navigate to a specific section of this guide if you know what you’re looking for. If not, continue reading to get started.

How to Start a Doggy Daycare: FAQs

How do you start a dog daycare business.

Before you begin accepting reservations and purchasing every dog toy you can get your hands on, there are a ton of business considerations to work through for your dog daycare.

Creating a dog business plan is the first place to start. In your business plan, you’ll define:

• An objective and mission for your business.
• Your cohesive brand and marketing strategy.
• Your competition and how you’ll stand out from the crowd.
• The facilities you’re going to utilize.
• How you’ll remain profitable, addressing costs and revenue.

You’ll need to decide where your business will be located, who you’ll be working with, which services you’ll offer, and which tools and software you need to offer those services. You’ll need to decide all of this— as well as how you’ll fund the venture overall— before actually putting any of these plans into action.

Do I need a license to start my dog daycare?

You will likely need specific licensing to start your dog daycare facility.

For starters, you’ll need to obtain the proper business licenses required of any start-up. While some businesses will need federal licenses (ex: restaurants selling alcohol), your doggy daycare licenses will probably be handled on the state and local levels.

Each state and locality handles this licensing differently, from which types of licenses are required to the requirements needed to fulfill such licenses. For example, some states require different permits and licenses for dog daycares versus dog kennels , with the key difference being dog kennels also house animals overnight. Other states might l have stricter zoning and size requirements for businesses looking after animals.

Because of that, your best bet is to contact your state and local licensing bodies for definite answers. While it might be frustrating digging into your region’s laws, remember these requirements are aimed at keeping the animals in your care as safe and healthy as possible.

How much can you earn owning a dog daycare?

When it comes to the earning potential of a dog daycare, the answer will vary depending on your specific circumstances.

There are a ton of factors that go into how much you can earn owning a dog daycare, including:

• The services you provide (daily dog care, grooming services, overnight care, etc.).
• How you price services.
• How money-savvy you are once operational.
• The need for such a business in your community.

Every aspect is unique to your personal situation, including your initial investment, the pricing of licenses and permits in your area, and even the cost of daily operations.

As you continue reading, you’re going to explore various profit equations. Use those equations to predict the daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly profitability of your dog daycare under certain estimated circumstances.

Profitability of a Dog Daycare Business: Key Considerations

While we’d love to say your dog daycare business can sustain itself on a love for dogs alone , that’s just not the case. To open your dream business and keep it open, you have to stay profitable throughout the process.

As you’ll see, this requires your revenue to outweigh your costs. This means the payments you’re receiving from customers have to (collectively) be more than the cost of providing those services. The costs include rent, staff wages, utilities, and dog-care specifics such as pet-care management software, animal-friendly cleaning products, dog treats and food, and any other costs of operation.

There are a ton of variables to juggle to ensure your dog daycare is profitable. Use the following equations and considerations to help make sense of it all.

The Profit Equation

No surprise here— but keeping the doors open to your doggy daycare requires keeping the business profitable overall. This requires ensuring your incoming revenue is higher than your outgoing costs, which is where the profit equation comes into play.

First, let’s look at a few key terms in this equation:

• Revenue: This refers to the price you’re charging for services multiplied by the number of services you deliver by that price. So, for example, if you charge $25 per day for daycare services, and care for 50 dogs on a given day, your revenue is $1,250 for that day.
• Variable Costs: This refers to the business operation costs that change day-to-day, varying with how busy you are at any given moment. This includes hourly staff wages, providing food to animals (if you do so for free), or cleaning services linked to the number of animals in your care at any moment.
• Fixed Costs: This refers to your operational costs that have little variation. For example, monthly rent and insurance payments are a fixed cost.
• X: The “X” refers to the unknown variable that affects how your revenue or variable costs are changed (multiplied) for the number of dogs in your care. So, how much revenue you’re making with X number of dogs and how high your variable costs are with X number of dogs.

Essentially, to successfully operate a doggy daycare, your profit has to be positive. This is a large overview calculation, and now we’ll break it down into more specific considerations.

Gross Profit

Gross profit refers to the profit your dog daycare business makes after you deduct the costs associated with providing your services. Specifically, this looks at the money you make with one particular transaction compared to the cost of providing that service.

Let’s define a few key terms:

• Revenue: In this equation, revenue refers to the profit brought in per dog cared for. For example, $25 for one dog, one day.
• Cost of Goods/Services Sold: This variable refers to the cost of providing dog daycare services for one dog. This includes hourly wages represented in that dog’s stay, the cost of receiving and processing payments, and any other costs related to managing one sale of your services.

This equation adds specificity to the original profit equation by telling you the profit your daycare makes from each and every dog in your care. Essentially, the equation gives you a variable profit multiplier— a number to multiply by the number of dogs in your care at any given time to calculate that day’s profit.

Net Operating Profit

Net operating profit expands upon the gross profit equation, adding fixed costs to your considerations. Rather than looking at one transaction (ex: one dog cared for on one day of operations), this equation looks at your total revenue and operating costs over a time period.

The goal of this equation is to see how much of your revenue will translate to profit. Because it is an equation looking at finances over time, it’s essential that you keep time units consistent across the board.

• Net Profit: This number is a representation of your gross profit (refer to the previous section) over time. Essentially, the net profit equation looks like this: Net Profit = (Gross Profit Per Dog x Number of Dogs) x Number of Days in Time Period
• Total Fixed Expenses: This represents your fixed costs across a time period. For example, $10,000 per month.

This is similar to the general profit equation from the first section. The key difference is that net operating profit combines the Revenue and Variable Costs sections into one overall Net Profit variable.

Pricing as Branding

While it’s essential that each of these equations results in a positive profit for your dog daycare to stay afloat, there are other important considerations to make when setting your business’s prices.

How you choose to price your services sends a strong message to your customers, and setting these limits too low (or high!) can give a negative first impression.

This pricing tells potential customers where your business lies in the market of doggy daycare services. If your pricing is too low, customers may fear you’re providing sub-par services to provide discount pricing. On the other hand, if your pricing is particularly high, you’ll have to make a strong case for the investment. If your pricing is too complicated , you’re likely to deter customers as well.

Many dog daycare businesses have found success in providing higher-quality service (for example, a lower dog-to-staff ratio) paired with a slightly higher price point. In that case, it’s essential that you support your pricing with a strong branding strategy, great first impressions, and a positive customer experience reputation.

If all of these equations and considerations seem a bit overwhelming, don’t fret— Gingr has put a lot of thought into dog daycare profitability. Check out our Doggy Daycare Profitability Model Spreadsheet to begin your profit analysis.

Elements of a Winning Dog Daycare Business Plan

A serious love for animals and a knowledge of profit equations aren’t enough to build and grow your future dog daycare business— there are a few other elements that are necessary for any successful dog kennel business plan.

With that, let’s explore the essential elements of a successful dog daycare business plan:

Define Your Brand

Dogs are often cherished as family members themselves, so for their human counterparts to feel comfortable leaving them in your care is a huge decision. Branding your dog daycare or kennel effectively is how you show these owners that you’re the right fit for their four-legged friend.

There are two steps to this— defining your brand and communicating that brand.

When defining your brand, consider what makes your dog daycare stand out from the others in your community. What makes you and your staff so passionate about caring for pets? What makes your approach to pet-care superior to others in your field?

For example, maybe your daycare specializes in providing care to senior dogs, centering your branding around a laid-back, relaxed atmosphere. Or, maybe your key selling point is the expertise of your staff, who have advanced experience in puppy etiquette and training. Find your key selling point and brand accordingly.

From there, it’s essential that this brand is consistent across all communications you have with potential and current customers. Your facility itself, your website, your social network profiles, and any advertisements and direct communications you send out should convey this consistent branding.  

Know Your Competition

This is where you get into the nitty-gritty of what makes your doggy daycare better than others in your community. We know that competition is increasing in the dog daycare realm, both in more traditional daycare settings and newer home pet-care camera technology.

Research other local facilities and popular options to ensure you’re offering features that make you stand out from the crowd. Some ways to truly make your mark as the premier dog daycare facility in your community are:

• Set competitive pricing compared to others in your area providing similar services. Don’t make the mistake of setting your pricing significantly higher or lower than your competition, as you’ll stand out for all of the wrong reasons.
• Offer a peek into your operations. Streaming video from inside your facility (ex: in a dog play yard) and sending home a doggy report card reassure owners that your daycare is a safe, fun space for their pets.
• Leverage convenient, customer-oriented software tools. Manage your operations using software made for dog daycare businesses, with convenient online booking and payment, one-click check-in, and easily managed recurring services.

If branding is the key to making customers feel emotionally comfortable sending their dogs to your daycare, standing out from your competition is the key to making them logically comfortable.

Choose the Right Facilities

To successfully open a dog daycare or kennel, you also have to invest in superb facilities. Choosing your space is often a balance of two desires:

• Having enough space (and maybe even built-out facilities) to provide the best care possible to your customers.
• Being within your budget to not diminish the profitability of your business overall.

Because choosing a facility is an investment, you’ll want to really do your research before settling into one location.

Remember that each state and locality will have different statutes and zoning laws playing into your facilities as well. From where in the community you’re allowed to set up shop, to how large your facilities need to be— there’s a decent chance your state and local government have an opinion on what’s acceptable as well. 

Leverage Effective Software

You’ll soon realize that analog methods of managing your business will be ineffective as it expands and grows. Your best bet is to invest in the right dog daycare software from the start , allowing it to scale with the business as it grows.

However, if you’re new to the dog daycare business (or simply looking to improve operations), you may not be familiar with this type of software. Start by evaluating what your customers and staffers are looking for in a software solution. Popular features to look for in a pet-care software solution are:

• Client and pet management features. This includes unlimited client profiles with photos, paperless waivers and other signed agreements, hidden internal staff notes for specific clients, and easy access to vaccination records, to name a few.
• Online booking and customer portal. This should be mobile-friendly, allow for digital signing of waivers and uploading of vet records, have the ability to collect deposits online, and even let customers view photos and videos of their pets. Plus, you should be able to customize the services, features, and forms available through online booking.
• Reservation management features. Look for easy customization of reservation types and viewing of availability, both for your staff and customers. Further, look for simple check-in/check-out procedures that still ensure you have all of the information needed to provide a safe stay.
• Communications features. Your customers will appreciate automatic communications for reservation confirmations and reminders, vaccination reminders, and report cards. Your staff will appreciate it when they don’t have to waste time manually sending these communications.
• Retail features. The ability to use your software as a point-of-sale system and offer add-on services and retail products will increase the profitability of your business.
• Marketing features. Top software can send SMS and email marketing communications quickly and easily. Further, you should be able to easily filter your customers and customize communications to them accordingly.
• Staff management features. Features to manage your staff, such as personalized to-do lists, commission tracking, a time-clock with associated reports, and even specialist scheduling (groomer, trainer) will drastically improve your internal processes.

Choosing the right software from the start will set your business up for success going forward. You’ll cut down on staff costs, lessen the risk of error, and stand out from the crowd with customer-facing features.

At Gingr, we’ve been working to create the best pet-care software platform possible for business owners like yourself. Contact us today for more information on our solutions.

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Dog Daycare Business Plan Template

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What You Get

• A compelling & detailed pre-written Dog Daycare business plan template in WORD
• A full & automatic Dog Daycare financial plan model in EXCEL you can easily customize
• Customized text tailored to the Pet Daycare business
• The ability to paste advanced charts and tables within a click
• No accounting or specialized financial knowledge needed
• A truly low-cost solution saving you time and money

Dog Daycare Business Plan Template Description

Are you looking to launch a Dog Daycare venture? If yes, then you must create a business plan with financial projections to be able to properly plan a successful launch, and ultimately impress potential investors.

Our ready-made Dog Daycare business plan package is your most cost-effective solution to achieve these goals. It includes a pre-written business plan in Word and an automatic financial plan spreadsheet in Excel tailored to the Pet Daycare business. The good news is that you can easily customize these documents and tailor them to your own project.

Save tons of time and money and download our investor-grade Dog Daycare business plan template, no advanced financial or accounting expertise is required.  

Dog Daycare Business Plan Document in Word

Our ready-made Dog Daycare business plan template is in Word format and includes 23 pages. The document is divided into multiple sections. Each section contains the essential points that are necessary to effectively present your Dog Daycare project. Each section and sub-section offer you a sample text that you can easily customize to make your business plan unique. Below is a small excerpt from your pre-written Dog Daycare business plan in Word.  

Automatic Dog Daycare Financial Model in Excel

Our pre-populated financial model is in Excel format and includes multiples worksheets. You can easily edit the model’s inputs including changing costs and revenue assumptions to generate pro-forma financial forecasts including P&L, Cash flows and Balance Sheets. Below is a small extract from your pre-made Dog Daycare financial plan in Excel.

The Benefits of Creating a Business Plan for your Pet Daycare Project

Clarifying goals and objectives: Planning your business forces you to think through your goals and objectives for your Dog Daycare project. By doing so, you can better understand what you want to achieve and develop a clear plan for how to get there.

Identifying potential challenges: A business plan can help you identify potential challenges and risks that you may face when starting and operating a Dog Daycare business. By identifying these challenges early on, you can develop strategies to mitigate them and ensure the long-term success of your business.

Understanding your market and competition: A Dog Daycare business plan requires you to research and analyze your market and competition. This information allows you to better understand your target customers and develop a competitive advantage in your local market.

Creating a roadmap for growth: Consider your business plan as a roadmap for the growth and development of your Dog Daycare business. By outlining specific strategies for growth and expansion, you can ensure that your business is well-positioned to capitalize on new opportunities and navigate any challenges that may arise.

Securing funding: Finally, a well-written Dog Daycare business plan can be a critical tool for securing funding from investors or lenders. It demonstrates that you have a clear vision for your business and a plan for how to achieve your goals, which can increase your chances of getting funding.

This Ready-Made Pet Daycare Business Plan is For

• Entrepreneurs wishing to start a Dog Daycare business
• Aspiring Pet Daycare owners who want to create a business plan fast and easy
• Pet caregivers who wish to pitch their dog daycare project to investors
• Pet care professionals who wish to better understand the potential of the opportunity

Immediate Delivery by Email

• Once you complete the order, you will receive an email with links to download your documents
• Your order will contain the full pre-written business plan in Word
• Your order will contain the full customizable financial model in Excel

Your Dog Daycare Business Plan Content

Executive summary.

Our Dog Daycare business plan template starts with a compelling Executive Summary. This key section is very important as it summarizes in 1 page your Dog Daycare concept. It will introduce your business model, the key people behind the project as well as the unique selling proposition offered by your Dog Daycare concept. This section will also mention how market conditions and consumer trends are favorable for launching your project.

The Problem Opportunity

Next, your ready-made Dog Daycare business plan will list a number of problems experienced by your prospects in your target market and will show how this presents a unique opportunity for your Dog Daycare. These can include issues such as the lack of good Dog Daycares in a certain location, undifferentiated offering by current actors in the market…etc.

The Solution

This section explains how your Dog Daycare will take advantage of the current problems in the market and will detail your innovative solutions.

Mission & Vision

Your mission will explain in a couple of sentences your Dog Daycare’s reason for existence. In other words, it will summarize your unique value proposition and will explain how you are different than the competition. Your vision will explain the long-term plans for your Dog Daycare project. Are you planning to start with one branch today and expand to a multi-branch business model? Are you looking to transform your Dog Daycare business into a franchise model?…etc.

Business Model

This section details your Dog Daycare project using the business model canvas method. In a visually appealing table, we will detail your Dog Daycare’s key partners, activities, resources, value proposition, customer segments, customer relationship plan, marketing channels, cost structure and revenue streams.

Products & Services

Next, we will talk in detail about your offering including your pet daycare services, pet boarding and grooming…etc. We will also include your rate card and fees.

Market Analysis

This important section describes the various market statistics and consumer trends in the pet care and explains how they support your own Dog Daycare concept. The purpose of this section is to show that the market conditions are favorable for launching your new Dog Daycare.

Global Market Trends

In this sub-section of the market analysis, we will discuss the latest general market trends in the pet care industry. We will look at the global industry size, growth rate, growth diving factors and consumer trends.

Local Market Trends

This sub-section explains the local market trends that are relevant to your specific Dog Daycare business.

Target Customers

In this section, we will describe your various customer profiles by providing information about their demographics, behavior and purchasing habits.

Competitive Analysis

We will analyze key competitors active in your target market and provide insights about their strengths and weaknesses.

Competitive Advantages

After looking at the competitive landscape, we will then show how your Dog Daycare business is differentiating itself from the competition through a number of key advantages.

SWOT Analysis

This section features a 4-quadrant table with explanations about how your Dog Daycare intends to leverage its key strengths, mitigate weaknesses, capture opportunities and thwart any future threats.

Marketing Plan

This chapter provides detailed information about your go-to-market strategy. It includes a detailed action plan to help you build brand awareness and generate sales.

Branding & Awareness

We will describe in this sub-section your choice of key marketing channels to build branding and awareness.

Customer Acquisition

We will describe in this sub-section your choice of key marketing channels to acquire customers and increase sales.

Operating Plan

This chapter provides information about your Dog Daycare’s opening hours, internal processes and describes the interactions between various key departments and teams.

Management Team

It is very important to present the key people behind your Dog Daycare project and thus we have dedicated a section for this very purpose. It is also important to talk here about the founder’s vision, his past education and professional experience.

Hiring Plan

No business can succeed without having on board the right team. This section lists all the key positions you plan to hire with information about their salaries and expected start dates.

Key Milestones

To be able to launch and execute your Dog Daycare project, you need to follow a set of actionable tasks with target deadlines. This section serves this purpose.

Financial Plan

Without a robust financial plan, your Dog Daycare business plan would be an incomplete document. This important section provides crucial information about your pro-forma financial projections and shows that you have really done your homework. The data mentioned in this and the following sections will be provided by the dynamic Excel financial model accompanying your Dog Daycare business plan.

Projected Revenue

This module shows your Dog Daycare’s revenue projections over the next three years.

Projected Profit and Loss

This module shows your Dog Daycare’s income statement (also called profit and loss statement) over the next three years. Your income statement includes detailed projections about your sales and expenses and shows how your Dog Daycare’s revenue is converted into a net profit.

Projected Cash Flows

This module shows your Dog Daycare’s cash flow projections over the next three years. The first year of operation is even detailed on a monthly basis. Your cash flow statement will detail the various cash inflows your Dog Daycare will generate from its day to day operations and from funding sources, as well as the various cash outflows required to pay for operating expenses and business investments.

Projected Balance Sheet

This module shows your Dog Daycare’s balance sheet projections over the next three years. The balance sheet will provide a summary of your Dog Daycare’s short term and long term assets in addition to your short term and long term liabilities and capital.

Profitability Analysis

In this section, we will provide information about your gross margin, net margin and discuss the profitability of your Dog Daycare business.

Funding Requirement

This module states the amount of funding your need to be able to comfortably launch your Dog Daycare business. It also describes the planned allocation of the funds between Opex and Capex.

Finally, we will conclude your business plan by recapitulating the key points that make your Dog Daycare project compelling and reiterate the rationale behind your business opportunity.

Why Use our Ready-Made Dog Daycare Business Plan?

• Speed & Convenience:  Once you complete your order, you will receive the Dog Daycare business plan directly in your mailbox. Since it is already pre-written with fully customizable financials, you will only need to spend a couple of hours to edit it and adapt it to your own Dog Daycare project.
• High Quality:  Your Dog Daycare business plan has been written by our professional team of business plan writers in collaboration with experts from the pet care industry. You will receive a professional Dog Daycare business plan template ideal for presenting to potential investors or banks.
• Low-Cost:  Our pre-written business plan template is the most cost-effective solution in case you need to build a solid and professional Dog Daycare business plan. We are confident you will save hundreds if not thousands of dollars by ordering our premium business plan compared to hiring a consultant or subscribing to complicated and expensive software.

If you have any question regarding our ready-made Dog Daycare business plan package,  do not hesitate to contact us , we are here to help.

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Dog Daycare Business Plan: The 2024 Getting Started Guide

While this guide covers the essentials, there is still much to delve into. You can navigate to specific sections if you already have a good understanding of what you're searching for, or continue reading from start to finish to gain a better understanding.

Get ready to give your furry friends a safe and comfortable home away from home!

How to Start a Doggy Daycare Business?

Before starting your dog daycare business, it's essential to have a clear understanding of several tried and tested concepts as it applies to building a business case and plan. To ensure a solid foundation for your new pet care business, you should begin by creating a detailed financial business plan.  

Profitability calculations will help you establish a path that best suits your situation and goals. To be able to make such calculations, you need to think about a few key questions: 1. What is my mission or goals? 

2. What is my branding and marketing strategy?

3. What kind of competition am I up against?

4. What location should I build my dog daycare business?

5. What licenses, rules and regulations should I be aware of?

6. How much money can I earn running a doggy daycare?

To investigate steps 1-5 a little further, check out our article about starting doggy daycare business  before reading on.

This article focuses on (the 6th step) the creation of your dog daycare business plan.

So how much can you earn running a doggy daycare? And is it worth it? Let's find out.

Will your dog daycare business be profitable?

Luckily it's an easy process to find out.

And we've made it even easier with a detailed calculator below . But first let's learn a little bit more about what we need to find out and plug into this tool.

To ensure profitability in your dog daycare business, it is crucial that the revenue generated from customer payments surpasses the costs associated with providing those services.

Expected Costs:

• Maintenance
• Salaries & Commissions
• Dog food & Treats

For example: to calculate total monthly staff salaries: (# of staff ) x ($ staff hourly wage) x (# of hours per week) x (4.345 Weeks Per Month) x (# of Doggy Daycare Locations)

Note: There are on average 4.345 weeks per month in a given year.

Expected Revenues:

• Doggy Daycare
• Pet Sitting

For example: to calculate the Doggy Daycare Revenues: (Full-Day Daycare $ Rate) x (# Full-Day Services Completed Per Week) x  (4.345 Weeks Per Month) x (# of Doggy Daycare Locations).

Managing the numerous variables involved in operating a profitable dog daycare can be a challenging task. However, by using the appropriate equations and considerations, you can better understand and manage these factors.

These costs can be categorized into two broad categories: Selling, General, and Administrative (SG&A) expenses and Cost of Goods Sold (COGS).

SG&A expenses are indirect costs that are not directly tied to the production of goods and services, such as salaries (facility workers like reception or cleaning staff, marketing and advertising expenses, legal and professional fees, rent and utilities, and other administrative expenses.

COGS , on the other hand, includes the direct costs associated with producing and selling goods, such as materials, labor, and overhead expenses directly tied to the production of services. More specifically, a professional groomer working out of your doggy daycare facility receives 70% commission  for any revenue you make from their services. This would go into the COGS.

Both SG&A and COGS are important metrics for measuring a company's financial performance and profitability, as they provide insight into the efficiency and success of a company's operations.

Calculating Profit from Revenues

Over a period of time, usually monthly: Gross Profit = Total Revenue - Cost of Goods Sold (COGS)

Gross profit is a key financial metric that measures a dog daycare's profitability after accounting for the direct costs of producing and selling its goods or services. It is calculated as the difference between total revenue and the Cost of Goods Sold (COGS). Gross profit is expressed as a dollar amount and as a percentage of total revenue, and provides important information about the success of a doggy daycares core business operations.

Gross profit is calculated by subtracting COGS from total revenue. For example, if a business generates $100,000 in total revenue that month and its groomers and pet sitters take a commission of 70% which is $70,000, its gross profit would be $30,000 ($100,000 - $70,000).

Gross profit is an important metric for evaluating a company's financial performance and profitability because it provides insight into the efficiency of a company's operations. 

Net Operating Profit

Over a period of time, usually monthly:

Net Operating Profit = Gross Profit - Indirect Costs (SG&A)

Net Operating Profit is a measure of a company's profitability that takes into account all operating expenses associated with running the business. It represents the amount of money a company earns after deducting all costs involved in producing and selling its products or services.

The net profit equation is calculated as follows:

Net Profit = Net Operating Profit - Non-Operating expenses 

Listed below are the more common non-operating expenses that a doggy daycare business owner needs to consider:

• Interest expenses: This includes interest on loans or other debts the company has taken on.
• Taxes: This includes any taxes the business may have to pay, such as income tax, property tax, or sales tax.
• Depreciation: This is an accounting expense that reflects the wear and tear of the company's assets, such as its building, equipment, and vehicles.
• Losses from investments: This includes losses from investments the company may have made in other businesses or financial instruments.
• Legal fees: This includes fees associated with any legal matters the company may be involved in.
• Bad debts: This includes any debts that the company is unable to collect from customers.
• Amortization of intangible assets: This includes the expense associated with the gradual reduction in value of intangible assets, such as patents or trademarks.

How To Price Your Doggy Daycare Business?

When the net profit is positive, this means that the business is making more money than it is spending, but even then you need to consider whether the amount is worth your while.

If the net profit is negative, the business is losing money, and it is important to identify the reasons for this loss and take corrective action (maybe you overestimated a cost or underpriced a service or two).

Don't worry if all the above equations and factors seem complicated - Easy Busy Pets has taken care of everything for you. Our Doggy Daycare Profitability Calculator is here to help you analyze your approximate profits with ease.

Start your profit analysis now!

Key Factors For A Winning Dog Daycare Business Plan

✅strong branding, ✅understanding competition, ✅location, location, location.

These concepts are further discussed in a sister article about starting a doggy daycare business . 

✅Modern Doggy Daycare Software

Here at Easy Busy Pets, we are dedicated to delivering the ultimate dog daycare software experience for business owners like you. If you're looking for a top-notch solution to streamline your doggy daycare and grooming operations, don't hesitate to reach out to us. Our team is ready and eager to provide you with more information and help you take your business to the next level. Contact us today !

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How to write a business plan for your dog daycare center.

Starting a dog daycare center is a great idea because it provides a safe and fun environment for dogs to socialize and exercise during the day while their owners are away.

Additionally, it offers a convenient and reliable service for busy pet owners who may not have the time to look after their dogs during the day.

But, before launching anything, make sure you have a business plan in place.

A business plan is essential to any successful project, especially when starting a new business. It outlines your vision, goals, and strategies, as well as providing a roadmap for the future. A well-crafted business plan can help you anticipate potential obstacles and plan for success.

In short, a good business plan will help ensure the profitability of your dog daycare center .

What should you include in the business plan for a dog daycare center? What's the ideal arrangement for the structure? What metrics should be considered for the financial assessment? What are some steps I can follow to quickly create a business plan?

Exciting news! The forthcoming article holds all the answers to these questions!

One last thing: you can avoid starting your business plan from scratch.

Instead, you can download our editable business plan for a dog daycare center and modify it to meet your specifications.

How to craft an elaborate business plan for a dog daycare center

Is it worthwhile to invest time in a business plan for your dog daycare center.

Yes, you should invest time in creating a business plan for your dog daycare center to ensure it is successful.

Structuring a reliable business plan will give you the means to:

• get familiar with the dog daycare market
• stay informed about current trends and integrate them into your project
• narrow down what makes a dog daycare center successful
• understand the daily routine, play preferences, and socialization needs of dogs in daycare
• find a great unique value proposition for your canine day-care facility
• assess competitive positioning
• find competitive advantages for your dog daycare center
• find a business model that will generate positive cash flows
• implement a well-crafted and strategic action plan for growth
• evaluate risks associated with running a dog daycare center, including animal behavior, safety protocols, and liability for pet injuries

Our team has drafted a business plan for a dog daycare center that is designed to make it easier for you to achieve all the elements listed.

How to organize a business plan for a dog daycare center?

There's a lot of valuable information, content, numbers, and financial data in a business plan. It should be arranged in a way that makes it simple to read and comprehend.

When we designed our business plan for a dog daycare center , we took care to arrange it appropriately.

The content is arranged in 5 sections (Opportunity, Project, Market Research, Strategy and Finances).

1. Market Opportunity

The first section is named "Market Opportunity."

This section presents an in-depth analysis and statistics regarding the dog daycare market, offering valuable insights to entrepreneurs in the pet care industry.

We update this section often to keep the data fresh.

2. Project Presentation

The "Project" section is dedicated to describing your dog daycare center, including the spacious play areas, experienced staff, and unique value proposition that provides a safe and enjoyable environment for dogs.

Also include a short description about yourself at the end of this section.

Explain your love for dogs, your experience in pet care, and how you plan to create a safe and engaging environment for dogs at your daycare center. Highlight your dedicated play areas, your qualified staff, and your commitment to providing stimulating activities and personalized care that keep dogs happy, healthy, and socialized through your dog daycare center.

We put together some text in our business plan. Adapt it to fit your concept precisely.

3. Market Research

Following that, we have the "Market Research" section.

This section describes the target audience for your dog daycare center.

It includes a comprehensive analysis of competitors in the pet care industry and emphasizes your center's competitive advantages.

A tailored SWOT analysis is provided as well.

4. Strategy

Within the "Strategy" section, a 3-year development plan is outlined, specifying the necessary initiatives to make your dog daycare center highly profitable.

Moreover, this section encompasses a marketing strategy for a dog daycare center, a risk management approach, and a completed Business Model Canvas.

5. Finances

In summary, you'll find the "Finances" section, which presents all the financial data for your project.

How to elaborate the Executive Summary for a dog daycare center?

The Executive Summary provides an initial glimpse into the business plan of your dog daycare center.

Keep it concise and within 2 pages. Highlight only the necessary details.

When you show your business plan to investors, this is the first glimpse they will get. It needs to immediately grab their attention and make them want to read the rest of the plan.

In the Executive Summary of your dog daycare center, provide answers to these questions: what services does your dog daycare center provide? who is your target audience? are there other dog daycare centers in the area? what funding do you require?

How to do the market analysis for a dog daycare center?

Analyzing the market for your dog daycare center allows you to gain insights into factors such as customer preferences for pet daycare services, competition from other daycare facilities, and emerging trends in pet care.

By conducting a comprehensive market study, a dog daycare center can understand pet owner needs, create a safe and engaging environment, implement competitive pricing strategies, and execute targeted marketing campaigns, ultimately leading to a loyal customer base, increased pet admissions, and a prominent position in the local pet care market.

Here is what what we've put in the "Market Research" section of our business plan for a dog daycare center :

• current data and statistics on dog daycare centers, including enrollment rates, services offered, and pet care trends
• a list of potential market segments for a dog daycare center
• the competitor evaluation
• the potential competitive advantages for a dog daycare center

The key points of the business plan for a dog daycare center

What's the business model of a dog daycare center, business model of a dog daycare center.

A dog daycare center's business model centers around providing day-time care, socialization, and exercise for dogs. Revenue is generated through daycare fees, potentially offering additional services such as grooming or training classes.

The business model focuses on providing a safe and supervised dog play environment, employing trained staff, ensuring individualized care for each dog, effective marketing to target dog owners, and building strong customer relationships based on trust and care for their furry companions.

Success depends on maintaining a low staff-to-dog ratio, creating engaging and stimulating activities, delivering exceptional customer service, fostering positive dog-owner interactions, and maintaining a reputation for a fun and caring dog daycare experience.

Business model ≠ Business plan

Make sure you don't mix up the terms "business plan" and "business model."

A business model outlines the way a company creates value, generates revenue, and operates.

In a business plan, you use a tool called the Business Model Canvas to outline how your business works.

And, of course, there is a Business Model Canvas (already completed) in our business plan for a dog daycare center .

How do you identify the market segments of a dog daycare center?

Segmenting the market for your dog daycare center involves dividing your potential customers into different groups based on their dog care needs, demographics, and scheduling preferences.

These categories may include factors such as full-day daycare, half-day daycare, puppy daycare, or clients seeking specialized care (e.g., senior dogs, specific breeds).

By segmenting your market, you can offer a range of daycare programs and services that cater to each segment's specific requirements. For example, you might provide full-day daycare options for busy pet owners, offer half-day daycare for clients seeking shorter care periods, create a dedicated puppy daycare program for young and energetic dogs, or offer specialized care for senior dogs with specific needs.

Market segmentation allows you to effectively target your marketing efforts, provide a safe and stimulating environment for dogs, and build trust with pet owners by offering tailored daycare solutions that meet the unique needs of each customer segment.

In the business plan for a dog daycare center , you will find a complete market segmentation that allows you to identify your potential customers effectively.

How to conduct a competitor analysis for a dog daycare center?

Without surprise, you won't be the only dog daycare center in your city. There will be other facilities offering safe and enjoyable environments for dogs.

Make sure to conduct a comprehensive competitor analysis in your business plan, where you evaluate their strengths and weaknesses.

Explore their weaknesses (such as inadequate dog supervision, lack of structured activities, or poor sanitation practices).

Why should you focus on these elements? Well, these weaknesses can hinder the success of dog daycare centers. By addressing these aspects, you can provide a safe and stimulating environment for dogs, offer experienced and trained staff, and deliver personalized care and attention to each dog, positioning your dog daycare center as a trusted and preferred choice for dog owners seeking quality daycare and socialization for their pets.

It's what we call competitive advantages—strengthening them helps your business excel.

Here are some examples of competitive advantages for a dog hotel: safe and comfortable pet accommodations, experienced and caring staff, fun activities for dogs.

How to draft a SWOT analysis for a dog hotel?

A SWOT analysis can help identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of a dog daycare center, allowing the owners to make informed decisions about how to best achieve success.

As you can guess, there is indeed a completed and editable SWOT matrix in our business plan for a dog daycare center

The strengths for a dog daycare center

When we mention the "S" in SWOT, we mean Strengths, which are the project's internal qualities or distinctive features.

For a dog daycare center, potential strengths could include experienced staff, a safe and secure environment, a variety of activities and amenities, and a convenient location.

The weaknesses for a dog daycare center

When we use the "W," we mean Weaknesses, which are the aspects of the project that need further attention.

For a dog daycare center, potential weaknesses could include inadequate staffing, lack of proper training, insufficient space, and inadequate insurance coverage.

The opportunities for a dog daycare center

The "O" in SWOT symbolizes Opportunities, indicating the potential advantages or favorable factors that can support the project.

In the case of a dog daycare center, potential opportunities could include offering boarding services, providing basic grooming services, offering dog training classes, and hosting doggie playdates.

The threats for a dog daycare center

When we talk about the "T" in SWOT, we're referring to Threats, which are the external risks or negative factors that can impact the project's success.

How to develop a marketing plan for a dog hotel?

Including a marketing strategy in your business plan is important to attract customers and generate revenue.

A dog hotel can attract pet owners in need of professional and reliable pet boarding services by implementing a targeted marketing strategy that showcases the hotel's comfortable accommodations, experienced staff, and personalized care for furry guests.

Pet owners won't trust your dog hotel without proper promotion; emphasizing the comfortable accommodations, personalized care, and dedicated staff is crucial.

Have you explored marketing approaches to attract customers to your dog hotel? Consider offering luxury pet accommodations or personalized pet care services, showcasing adorable pet photos on social media, and collaborating with local pet groomers or veterinarians for cross-promotion.

No need to worry if you're short on ideas for your project's marketing strategy.

How to build financial projections for a dog hotel?

A comprehensive business plan requires a thorough analysis of financial data to ensure its success.

As part of your business planning process, you'll be required to predict the revenue for your dog daycare center.

Ensuring a revenue forecast that is relevant and credible is key to presenting a robust business plan to potential banks or investors.

Our financial plan for a dog daycare center is designed to be user-friendly, incorporating automatic verifications that assist in identifying and correcting any assumptions. This ensures you can build credible projections with confidence.

Without a doubt, you'll need to come up with a basic budget for starting your dog daycare center. Make sure to include every expense (by the way, they are all listed in the financial plan we've made).

Including the break-even analysis in your financial plan is important as it shows whether your dog daycare center will generate profits or not.

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Dog Daycare Business Plan Sample

Published Dec.11, 2017

Updated Apr.22, 2024

By: Cynthia Turner

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Table of Content

Doggie daycare business plan for your own dog kennel

Are you planning to start a dog daycare business? Well, dogs are the most popular pet in the world especially in the United States where 89.7 million dogs were owned as pets in 2017. Most of these dog owners need the services of dog daycare centers which can take care of their beloved dogs when they are not around. The people in the United States never hesitate to spend on their pets, for instance, the US residents spend tens of billions of dollars on their pet friends, the majority of which are dogs. This shows how profitable a dog daycare business can be. So, if you are thinking about starting this venture you should know that you can earn some serious cash provided you plan your business efficiently.

The first thing before starting any business is to write a comprehensive business plan which establishes the basis of your company’s future operations and decisions. It also provides detailed guidelines about everything you will be doing in the next few years. If you are wondering how to write an effective dog daycare business plan then here we are providing you the business plan for a dog daycare startup named ‘The Dog Cave’.

Executive Summary

2.1 the doggy daycare business.

The Dog Cave will be located at the East Lake Shore Drive District in Chicago, Illinois. We will be strategically located in one of the richest neighborhoods in the United States. The company will be licensed by American Pet Association and equipped with all resources and manpower to provide the highest quality of services possible. The business will be owned and operated by Dr. John Spenks, a renowned veterinary doctor of the United States. Dr. Spenks studied Veterinary Sciences from the University of Florida and had been serving in various Government as well as privately-owned veterinary and pet care centers throughout the United States for the last 20 years. It is probably due to his vast experience spanning two decades that he knows everything about how to start a dog daycare business .

2.2 Management

The company will be initially launched as a small startup operating only in Chicago. Dr. Spenks will manage the overall operations of the company and will be assisted by his nephew Mike Spenks, who is an MBA from Harvard and has served in various managing positions at many small and medium-sized businesses. Mike will also manage the finances of the company. Opening a dog daycare business plan is not an easy task that’s why Dr. Spenks will hire a team before the company’s launch to help him throughout the process.

2.3 Customers

The company aims to serve one of the richest residential zones of the United States. The community living in the region has the annual mean household income of $593,454; hence, they can easily afford our quality services .

2.4 Target of the Company

The company aims to provide highest quality service to its customers and become the best daycare center in Chicago within three years of its launch. Dr. Spenks also plans to launch a few more centers in other cities as well.

2.4.1 Objectives

The target of the company can be achieved by fulfilling the following objectives:

• To achieve the net profit margin of $30k per month by the end of the first year
• To increase the profit margin by at least 20% each year
• To balance the initial cost of startup with earned profits by the end of three years

The company’s financial experts have forecasted following sales and profits for the next three years of launch.

2.4.2 Keys to Success

The keys to the success of fulfilling our objectives and achieving our target are as follows:

• Comprehensive planning of ‘everything
• Hiring the best staff for operations
• Respecting our customers and their beloved pets
• Maintaining strict checking on the staff with reference to health and cleanliness aspects of the facility

Company Summary

3.1 company owner.

The Dog Cave will be owned by Dr. Spenks who has been in veterinary and pet care industry for the last 20 years. Dr. Spenks has been planning this startup for the last couple of years and hence perfectly knows how to open a dog daycare business and operate it to yield profit even in the first year of launch.

3.2 Why the Dog Daycare Business is being started

Dr. Spenks has always wanted to start start a doggie daycare business  plan out of his love for dogs and had been planning for it for quite a time. But he finally decided to start this venture after receiving his share of wealth from his father recently. Starting this business was undoubtedly the best way to not only invest his money but also to fulfill his long-awaited dream.

3.3 How the Doggie Daycare Business will be started

The Dog Cave will be a bonded, insured and licensed dog daycare business. Dr. Spenks is nearly halfway through the process of acquiring a license for the company and has already procured a beautiful facility near the residential zone of the city. The facility was previously used as local school so a lot of work will be required to convert it into a dog daycare center. Dr. Spenks has acquired the services of a contracting firm which is currently working on the facility. Dr. Spenks has planned everything about his business. He has even hired a team of professional experts from various fields to just help him craft a detailed plan for his venture. His nephew, Mike, will be in charge of all financial activities and will oversee other experts. The initial main expenses for the startup include rent of the facilities and other utilities along with the expenses due to marketing or advertising of the company. After that, the biggest expense will be in the inventory needed for start-up including shampoo, grooming products, food and other supplies for the dogs. All the initial investment will be made by Dr. Spenks himself and he won’t need any loans, at least for the first year of operations. Mike, with the help of financial experts, has forecasted following costs for expenses, assets, investment, and loans for the Start-up.

The detailed start-up requirements, start-up funding, start-up expenses, total assets, total funding required, total liabilities, total planned investment, total capital and liabilities as forecasted by experts, is given below:

Services for customers

Our dog day care center is primarily aimed to provide a place to dog-owners where they can leave their dogs anytime. We will take care of our customer’s dogs while they are at work, or away on a vacation, or enjoying a weekend trip. Besides providing a safe place for their dogs, we will also provide many other services which are:

• Dog training
• Exercising and feeding
• Veterinary services
• Washing and grooming

Along with these services, we will also open a small store for selling pet-related products like shampoos, foods, medicines, ties, chains, and clothes for the dogs.

Marketing Analysis of dog daycare business

The most important and difficult part of developing an effective  dog daycare business plan  was its accurate marketing analysis that’s why Dr. Spenks acquired the services of marketing experts. They not only helped him throughout the process but also showed him several  dog daycare business plan samples  to give him an idea about how to carry out an accurate marketing analysis. Dr. Spenks then made his own  doggie daycare business plan  after he had gone through various  dog day care business plans . The success or failure of a startup is totally dependent upon its marketing strategy which can only be developed on the basis of accurate marketing analysis. There are four main steps to carry out an accurate marketing analysis which are to identify the current market trends of your business, identify your target audience and potential customers, set out the business targets to achieve, and finally set the prices of your products or services in accordance with the first three steps.

Operational and Strategic Planning

5.1 market trends.

The pet industry is one of the few industries which have seen a consistent increase in revenue. According to the American Pet Products Association, the residents of US spent a staggering amount of $60.28 Billion in 2015, $66.75 Billion in 2016, and are estimated to spend $69.36 by the end of 2017. These stats show that this industry can be immensely profitable provided that you market yourself successfully. The most interesting aspect of this industry is its dynamic nature. With latest technologies and luxurious pet products, pet owners’ demands have also changed accordingly. The need for daycare centers, especially for the dogs which is the most favorite pet in the United States, has increased the demand for such facilities beyond limits. Especially for the regions housing well-off community are in a dire need of daycare facilities.

5.2 Marketing Segmentation

A startup must develop a good plan to market itself to its target customers. A successful and efficient marketing strategy can only be developed after we completely know our potential customers. That’s why our marketing experts carried out an extensive research to identify our target customers and develop an effective marketing strategy for them. Our experts have identified the following type of target audience which can become the future consumers of our services and products:

The detailed marketing segmentation of our target audience is as follows:

5.2.1 Individual Households

The biggest consumer of our services and products will be the community living in the residential zones of Chicago. We will specifically target the neighborhood of East Lake Shore Drive which is also the location of our facility. The residential community often has to leave their homes for various purposes and most of the time they can’t take their dogs with them. That’s why they will need our daycare services throughout the year. Moreover, they are also much likely to acquire our dog grooming, washing, training and veterinary services along with the purchase of pet products from our adjacent store. These individual households will contribute the biggest portion of our sales hence they have a major role in deciding our strategies and policies.

5.2.2 Corporate Organizations

Many corporate organizations like police or security agencies also own a lot of detective dogs. We also plan to serve them by providing dog grooming, washing, and veterinary services. Although these organizations also own trained staff for these purposes yet they can still become our potential customers of various pet products like food, medicine, clothes etc.

5.2.3 Dog Dealers

There are also various dog dealers in the central business district of Chicago city. Although they a little far from our facility center but we have made a plan by which we can attract these dealers. We will arrange special transportation facilities for them so that they can easily bring their dogs to us. We will also offer special packages and discounts for the purpose of attracting them towards our services. We hope that these dealers will also help us generate a lot of revenue.

5.2.4 Animal Shelters

There are more than 3500 animal shelters in the United States for accommodating abandoned, stray, or lost animals. We also hope to target hundreds of animal shelters present in Chicago for washing, grooming, and veterinary services. We will also provide them transportation services and special offers. The detailed market analysis of our potential customers is given in the following table:

5.3 Business Target

We aim to become the best dog care business in Chicago within next three years. Our business target is to balance the cost of our startup within just three years of our launch.

5.4 Product Pricing

We have priced our products and services in the similar ranges as of our competitors. For daycare services, we have developed various plans for charging our customers such as per hour, per day and per week plans. We will provide better services than our competitors for the same prices. The reason behind this pricing policy is to achieve our minimum attractive rate of return while also attracting the customers towards us.

Dr. Spenks carried out extensive research and hired financial experts to help him develop an effective marketing and sales strategy for the startup. The experts made a detailed strategy for him to start dog daycare business .

High Quality Business Plan and Professional Support

It was amazing to work with OGS Capital for our business plan. They promptly responded our enquires and delivered document on time.The document was well organized high quality and content.We succeded with Alex and his team support. We thank you guys again for professional approach and easy communication.

It wasn’t that Dr. Spenks didn’t know how to open a doggie daycare business , he only took help from various experts to ensure the success of this great venture. The strategy of our company as developed by the experts is as follows:

6.1 Competitive Analysis

We have a really tough competition because there are several other dog daycare centers in Chicago, many of them are established since decades. But still, Dr. Spenks is positive that our company will beat all of the competitors within no time. Our competitive edge will be our better quality and luxurious services within the same amount as that of our competitors. Our second competitive edge will be our unparalleled customer service where we will treat our customers and their beloved pets with extreme respect.

6.2 Sales Strategy

We will introduce our startup to our target customers and stakeholders by sending brochures and introductory letters about us. We will also carry out a large-scale social media campaign for our advertisement.

6.3 Sales Forecast

We believe that people will always leave their dogs with us if they use our service even for once. Considering the market demand and the quality of our services, our sales pattern is expected to increase with years. By analyzing our market segmentation strategy, our experts have forecasted the following sales on the yearly basis which are summarized in the column charts.

The detailed information about sales forecast, total unit sales, total sales is given in the following table.

Personnel plan

Dr. Spenks acquired the services of a Human Resource Manager for helping him develop a personnel plan to open dog daycare business . He developed the following personnel plan for the staff needed for the dog daycare center along with their average salaries with the help of experts.

7.1 Company Staff

Dr. Spencer will manage the overall operations of the daycare center. The company will initially hire following people

• 1 Accountant to maintain financial records.
• 4 Sales and Marketing Executives responsible for dealing with corporate businesses, dog dealers, and animal shelters
• 15 Workers for performing various tasks such as feeding, washing, grooming, and training of dogs
• 5 Workers to maintain the facility and for doing its routine cleaning
• 4 Drivers to transportation of dogs owned by dealers, organizations, and shelters
• 1 Front Desk Officer to act as a receptionist in the company office
• 1 Salesperson to operate pet products store

To ensure the best quality service, all employees will be selected through vigorous testing and will be trained for a month before starting their jobs.

7.2 Average Salary of Employees

The following table shows the forecasted data about employees and their salaries for next three years.

Financial Plan

Mr. Spenks with his nephew Mike developed the financial plan for his business. Mike, being a financial expert, helped him through all the problems encountered in this phase. The problem wasn’t about how to open your own daycare business but the problem was how you plan it incorporating all financial aspects. The financial plan developed by them outlines the development of company over the next three years.

8.1 Important Assumptions

The company’s financial projections are forecasted on the basis of following assumptions. These assumptions are quite conservative and are also expected to show deviation but to a limited level such that the company’s major financial strategy will not be affected.

8.2 Brake-even Analysis

The following graph shows the company’s Brake-even Analysis.

The following table shows the company’s Brake-even Analysis.

8.3 Projected Profit and Loss

The following charts show the company’s expected Profit and Loss situation on the monthly and yearly basis.

8.3.1 Profit Monthly

8.3.2 Profit Yearly

8.3.3 Gross Margin Monthly

8.3.4 Gross Margin Yearly

The following table shows detailed information about profit and loss, and total cost of sales.

8.4 Projected Cash Flow

The following column diagram shows the projected cash flow.

The following table shows detailed data about pro forma cash flow, subtotal cash from operations, subtotal cash received, sub-total spent on operations, subtotal cash spent.

8.5 Projected Balance Sheet

The following projected balance sheet shows data about total current assets, total long-term assets, total assets, subtotal current liabilities, total liabilities, total capital, total liabilities and capital.

8.6 Business Ratios

The following table shows data about business ratios, ratio analysis, total assets, net worth.

OGS capital staff also specialize in writing business plans such as pet photography business plan , horse boarding business plan , dog walking business plan , horse training business plan , pet hotel business plan and etc.

Download Dog Daycare Business Plan Sample in pdf

OGSCapital’s team has assisted thousands of entrepreneurs with top-rate business plan development, consultancy and analysis. They’ve helped thousands of SME owners secure more than $1.5 billion in funding, and they can do the same for you.

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Dog Daycare Business Plan: The Ultimate Guide for 2021

BUSINESS  |   3/13/21 2:11 PM  |  by Team RP

If you love dogs as much as we do and want to start a dog daycare business, you are in the right place! Opening a dog daycare business is an excellent way to turn your passion for animals into a successful venture. But to get your dog daycare business up and running, you have a lot of work to do. (But, it’s worth it, we promise!) A solid business plan builds the foundation for a profitable enterprise, and this guide provides everything you need to create your dog daycare business plan. So, let’s dive in!

Why do I need a dog daycare business plan?

While your instinct is to snag every dog toy imaginable, wait! The first thing before starting any business is to write a business plan. The main reason you need a business plan is to secure funding. Investors or institutions through which you try to take a loan will request this to determine your qualifications for running a business.

Dog Daycare Business Plan Template

Your business plan should include eight sections. But don’t worry! We created this template to help.

Company Description

Include a short mission statement detailing your dog daycare business goals. Following the mission statement, include the following necessary information about your business:

• Company name
• Type of ownership (sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, etc.)
• Who will manage the business and their qualifications
• Products and services you will provide
• The market you will service
• Number of employees
• Customers you will serve

Products and Services

This section should be explicit about what you will sell and who you wish to sell it to. Say you want to open an all-natural, green dog daycare business specializing in natural and organic pet products. Your target audience is educated pet owners who are seeking the healthiest environment and products for their pets.

In this case, you should include a statement to support your mission: "Due to widespread pet food recalls and the rise in sick or dying pets because of poor quality pet foods, there is significant demand for organic pet products. This market is currently underserved." This statement is explicit about what your business will do, and it indicates how your business will satisfy a specific need in an underserved market, filling a void.

Market Analysis

The market analysis details:

• Demographics
• Target Market
• Market Need
• Competition
• Barriers to Entry

Additionally, highlight statistics about the booming dog daycare industry, and include annual pet spending statistics. Include as much data and statistics as you can to illustrate that your dog daycare business would be in demand and successful in your market.

Marketing Strategy

Your marketing strategy details how you will promote your dog daycare business, including:

• Marketing and advertising methods
• How you will achieve business growth
• Your plan to attract and retain customers

Management Summary

The management summary details the management team or if your business is a sole proprietorship. Include:

• Who is managing what
• Their qualifications

Financial Analysis

Estimate business operating costs and how much funding is needed for optimal operation. You can also detail possible profit-and-losses.

Appendices and Exhibits

This section contains information to make your business attractive:

• Demographic, research, and marketing data
• Media about pet spending
• Pictures of work you have done
• Case studies and testimonials

Executive Summary

The executive summary comes at the end of your plan as a summary of the business plan. The executive summary contains the name of your business, its location, and the products and services the business will provide.

Opening a Dog Daycare Checklist

Once you’ve created the business plan, it’s time to get into the specifics. Use this handy checklist to get started:

• Startup costs and how you will obtain these funds
• Mission statement outlining your business purpose and goals
• Rates and pricing menu
• Marketing and advertising strategies
• Hours of operation
• Services you will provide
• Supplies (cleaning products, toys, treats, etc.)
• Hiring needs
• Licensing requirements: Consult licensing requirements and zoning regulations where you plan to open your dog daycare business to determine if there are restrictions.
• Legal needs: A business attorney will help you through the process and ensure you follow the law.
• Logo: The fun part! Create something memorable and eye-catching!
• Dog daycare business software: Cut down on staff costs, lessen the risk of error, and stand out from the crowd with customer-facing features like easy payment processing and reservation booking.

Choosing the right software from the start sets your business up for success. Revelation Pets created the best pet care software platform for business owners like yourself. Check out all of the great features that will make Revelation Pets your new (non-furry) best friend.

While a lot of blood, sweat, and tears go into opening your dog daycare business, all of that hard work pays off when you welcome your first furry guest. 🐶

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The Ultimate Guide to Starting a Dog Daycare Business

For animal lovers, the idea of opening a dog daycare in their community seems like a dream come true.  At first glance you will think only about the best aspects of running your own dog daycare business; adorable dogs playing, running, sniffing, jumping, digging, and tail wagging.  However, it’s important that as you build your business plan for opening your own dog daycare business you dig a little deeper and understand that while it has a ton of benefits to do what you love, it’s also just like starting any other small business and has a ton of challenges and barriers to building a business that is profitable and can be a pillar in your local community.

If you’re among the many new entrepreneurs venturing into the world of dog daycare, you’ve likely invested considerable time and effort into selecting the perfect location, navigating permits, securing financing, and refurbishing your facility to launch your business.

The purpose of this article is to provide a step-by-step guide on how to start a successful dog daycare business.  At  Kennel Connection , we have helped hundreds of dog daycare businesses open their doors with 35+ dogs on day 1.  We have built a dog daycare software platform that is designed to streamline the pet care operations of your facility, deliver amazing customer experiences, and automate marketing and customer communication while driving revenue and profits to make it easier for you to deliver the highest quality of pet care in your area.

The Growing Demand for Dog Daycare Services

Over the last decade, dog daycare businesses have been opening at a rapid pace across both the US and Canada.  As of 2022, there were over 25,000 dog daycare business locations in the United States serving over 65 million households

The average facility will deliver dog daycare services for around 40 dogs per day, but the market is filled with profitable dog daycare businesses that operate in their home for 5-10 dogs per day as well as large-scale facilities that are doing 200+ dogs per day in daycare. As a new dog daycare business owner you need to decide what size business you want to build.

Market Research & Planning for Your Dog Daycare Business

One of the most challenging aspects of opening a dog daycare is finding a location that is zoned correctly, applying for permits, and determining if the market has the appropriate demographics to support a profitable dog daycare business.  You want to look at population size, income levels, registered dog owners, age of residents, education level, and health coverage.  Sites like  https://data.census.gov/  will provide detailed demographic information and when you filter the data by county, you can get some very detailed level indicators to help you determine if the community would support your dream of opening a dog daycare business.  

Key Considerations in Dog Daycare Market Analysis

As you evaluate the market, the one key factor to consider is that the average dog daycare customer will only travel 7 miles to attend your dog daycare business regularly.  So you should be on the lookout for a building that is 5,000 to 10,000 square feet (depending on your access to capital) that also has outdoor space of at least 1,000 square feet.  Location is key in selecting the right area for your business, but finding a location that is zoned properly that is also easy to find can be time-consuming and might prove difficult. 

Estimating Your Dog Daycare Startup Costs

As in all things, the cost of what you buy and build is going to vary greatly on the location you are looking, the square footage of the building, the number of private runs you build, and what type of improvements are going to be needed.  I have met dog daycare business owners who were able to open a 5000 square foot dog daycare business with less than $50,000 and I’ve also met dog daycare owners who have 25,000 square feet and spent $4,000,000.  As you start to dig a bit deeper into your dream of owning and operating a dog daycare facility, below are some of the things that you should consider. 

Runs/Rooms/Kennels

There are several main options in the pet industry for places where your dogs will rest between social play.  Mason Kennels is one of the largest providers of kennels, but I prefer a small company called Gator Kennels out of Texas.  The key to making this investment last is using the right type of cleaning solutions.  But if you are handy or know someone who can help, I have also walked through beautiful facilities that use cement cylinders that are filled and stacked 8 feet high (you want the walls to be high to dampen the noise, provide privacy for each pet, but also because some dogs are amazing escape artists.

You have a lot of options when choosing the flooring type for your dog daycare.  I’ve seen some beautiful facilities use just sealed concrete, I’ve seen others spend tens of thousands on Permatek flooring, and even seen rubber floors.  If budget is not an issue, luxury resorts across the US typically install Permatek flooring because it’s easy to clean, will last a lifetime, and does not get slippery when wet.

One thing that you will find out quickly if you have never worked at a dog daycare is that you are ALWAYS cleaning.  Your staff will be using a variety of tools and a lot of water to keep your dog daycare smelling its best and eliminate diseases and bacteria.  Because of the necessary cleaning protocols, you want to make sure that you have drainage in every run, in main play areas, and that the slope of the flooring is helping you get everything into the drain vs making your life more difficult.

Ventilation System

When you are evaluating air exchanges & proper ventilation in your dog daycare facility design, you want to understand how many air changes happen per hour.  You must balance the need for fresh air with the need for an energy-efficient system. Without proper air circulation, you’ll run into issues with odor, bacteria, and disease transmission.  The most efficient systems will set up different zones (for larger facilities) so you can optimize the efficiency of the system.

Air Purification

The health and safety of the dogs in your care is key because if you have an outbreak of a dog illness, you might have to close your doors for a week or two.  If you are serious about safety, then Pet Areapy has the best UV disinfection tools available in the market. 

Outdoor Turf

Turf is a definite investment that I believe pays for itself.  It looks beautiful when you are doing tours of your facility, it’s fairly low maintenance and it eliminates mud and dirt which makes sending home dogs clean one less thing you have to worry about.  There are a few keys to turf and it all starts with the install.  You need to have a few layers of rock, sand, and soil between the turf to allow for proper drainage.  If you fail to prepare the group for a turf install, you will be plagued with a nasty odor from eliminations, and the turf won’t hold up.  If you want to go 100% turf, the leader in the space is K9 Grass.  The thatching on the bottom of their turf design allows for amazing drainage and you can expect it to last 10-15 years.  If you don’t have the $30,000+ for installing turf, some new products came into the market that allow grass to grow through a barrier that improves the quality of your grass and can also drastically reduce the mud factor. 

Navigating Legal & Regulatory Requirements

The legal and regulatory requirements to open a dog daycare business will vary significantly depending on the city & county you are looking at.

Most locations will require you to register your business, obtain a dog daycare and/or dog boarding license & special use permits based upon the zoning of your location as well as secure business insurance.  I would suggest looking at  The Hartford as they insure a ton of dog daycare businesses that are currently using the Kennel Connection dog daycare software. 

You will need 3 types of insurance coverage to ensure you are covered. 

• Commercial Liability Insurance:  This insurance covers your business if an accident were to occur in the day-to-day operations of your dog daycare. For example, a customer might slip and get injured within your daycare, or a pipe could burst in your facility and damage nearby businesses. 
• Property Insurance:  Property insurance covers your physical daycare facilities and equipment if something like a natural disaster, robbery, or fire occurs. 
• Professional Liability Insurance:  This insurance type relates to any accidents or injuries that directly relate to the activities of your dog daycare. For example, two dogs could get in a fight, or a dog could break free and run away. Your professional liability insurance can protect you and your business from fault in these instances. 

How to Price Your Dog Daycare Services Effectively

The appropriate pricing for your dog daycare is NOT based on what competitors in your area are pricing.  The pricing for your daycare services, packages, and enrichment should be based upon a model of your fixed and variable expenses, the capacity of your playgroups, employee pay, and your dog-to-staff ratios.  The average price across the US for a day of dog daycare is $35/per day.  If you are focused on enrichment daycare, the average rate is closer to $48/per day.  The price per day of daycare will vary by location with it being higher on the coasts and major metro areas and a little lower in rural areas where there is less demand for dog daycare services. The main goal when setting pricing is that your labor expense will be 30% of revenue for every category of service (including manager and owner salaries).  If your expenses are higher, which require higher prices, then you will need to ensure you are marketing your staff training protocols, certifications, the different services you are offering, and your approach to sending a dog home the best version of themselves. 

Variable Expenses

Below are the most common variable expenses you will encounter when operating your dog daycare business. 

• Labor for Services
• Grooming Supplies (scissors, shampoos, clippers, outfits, 
• Pet Assurance Costs
• Gas for Pick-up & Drop-off 

Fixed Expenses

Below is a list of the most common fixed expenses you will encounter when operating your dog daycare business.

• Rent/Mortgage Payments
• Property Taxes
• Utilities (Gas, Electric, Water)
• Cleaning Supplies
• Support Staff
• Facility Manager
• Marketing Expenses

Packages & Memberships

The other consideration when building your daycare program is to design the right types of packages and membership plans.  New dog daycare business owners should try to NOT discount a daycare package; instead, they should include free enrichment services based on how many days they purchase.  By including ‘near zero labor’ enrichment services you are going to help boost the adoption of the enrichment across daycare, boarding, and even grooming services. For every 10 dog daycare days that they purchase in the package, the pet parent should receive 1 free enrichment service.   Below are some of the best-selling ‘near zero labor’ enrichment services. 

• K9 IQ Puzzles
• Snuffle Mats
• Small Group Bacon Bubbles
• Report Cards
• Small Group Sniff Walks
• Bedding Upgrades

Build a Forecast Model

The key to building any profitable business is making sure that you know your numbers inside and out.  You need to be realistic and detailed in understanding your estimates of building costs, fixed and variable expenses, growth in acquiring customers, the required labor costs, and having a plan for the unexpected issues that will arise. For your dog daycare business, you will want to focus on several key metrics. 

Break Even Point

This is how many daycare dogs you need each day to cover all expenses (fixed & variable)

Profit per Pet

This number will fluctuate but should be used as a guide to know when it makes financial sense to cap the number of dogs per day based on the dog-to-staff ratios you have set.

Average Revenue per Pet Day (benchmark is $45)

With a baseline rate of $35/day, you will hit this benchmark by focusing on enrichment services and departure baths. 

Percentage of Daycare with Enrichment Activity (benchmark is 60%)

Enrichment services that are near zero labor will help reduce your overall labor as a percentage of revenue and ultimately drive profitability.  It’s key here that you train staff on how to make these personalized recommendations to send the dog home the best version of themselves.

Daycare Evaluations per Week (benchmark is 10)

You will need a minimum of 5 per week to have any growth based upon customer churn of 20% annually. 

Daycare Conversions (benchmark is 90%)

The ideal conversion is going to purchase a package and the goal is 90%, but if they don’t buy a package the secondary goal is to at least book their next daycare day. 

Labor as a Percentage of Revenue (benchmark is 35%)

While the benchmark is 35%, the smaller the percentage the higher your profits.  I have seen large-scale facilities (200+ dogs per day) have a labor percentage of 25%, but I must warn you that this is extremely difficult.  It’s very helpful to have clients pre-book so you know how many dogs to expect each day and as you might guess, these facilities are not operating at a 10 to 1 dog-to-staff ratio. 

Average Dogs Per Day (no benchmark on this; it will depend on square footage & labor)

Every dog daycare will have a typical ‘slow day’ that is consistently on the same day of the week.  The goal for you as a business owner is to create an Enrichment Calendar that will incentivize dog owners to come to daycare on these days to make them less slow.  Any time a customer purchases enrichment, be sure to send them a report card to include the pet parent in the experience. 

Active Daycare Clients

This number should be calculated monthly and is reflective of how many dogs came in at least 1 time in the past 30 days.  As you think about growth for your business, the goal is to get each level of client to come in 1x more week/month than they did the previous month.  These small gains will add up to a large growth month over month. 

At-Risk Daycare Dogs

The at-risk daycare dogs should be looked at every two weeks and it’s ideal if you build in a communication plan to re-engage customers who have not used daycare within the past two weeks.  This is where it’s helpful to use dog daycare software, as you can automate this process of reporting and create automated email triggers to reach out to those customers.  The other way to ensure you reduce the “at-risk” clients is by creating a monthly free enrichment schedule.  This will incentivize clients to come in and enjoy a day of fun. 

Daycare Package Sales

Daycare packages are a great tool to reward clients who come in often, but it’s also a way to ensure you are building up cash flow.  I typically recommend that you do not discount the daily rate for a package, but instead offer a free enrichment service for every 10 days a client purchases. I would also recommend that all packages have a 30 to 60-day expiration date to encourage clients to come in multiple times per month. 

Hiring the Right Staff for Your Dog Daycare Business

One of the biggest challenges in the dog daycare industry is finding staff that is responsible, dependable, and loves doing the hard work needed to operate a successful dog daycare.  Playing with dogs all day seems like a dream to any pet lover, however, you must set expectations from the first conversation with potential staff members that only a fraction of their time is playing with dogs.  You will want to prepare new staff members for the cleaning requirements, picking up dog poop, and documenting everything from feedings to medications to incidents and injuries.  Dog daycare staff can’t only be ‘dog people’, they need to have good communication skills, be team players, be hard workers, be dependable, and be flexible. To ensure that you only hire the best, you will want to do a mix of phone screenings, in-person interviews, and paid trial days.  Once you are both sure that they are a good fit for the position, you will want to create a training program so that every staff member understands dog body language, how to break up a scuffle, how to deal with difficult clients, and complete their daily responsibilities.  Several companies have designed dog daycare staff training, but I always recommend  PackPro .  They are owners/operators of a large-scale facility that does over 200 dogs per day; they have cultivated a company culture that staff love being a part of, they are profitable and have created the right processes and policies to ensure daycare is both safe and fun for staff and the dogs. 

The other key to being successful as a dog daycare business is making sure that you include your staff in your vision for the business.  This type of company culture allows your team to take responsibility (and action when appropriate) to ensure you are always delivering the highest levels of customer service.  As a leader of your business, you need to understand what motivates staff, how they want to be praised, preferred rewards, and what their aspirations are.  When you invest in the people they will build your business. Below is a sample staff survey I ask all staff to fill out.

https://pawloyalty.formstack.com/forms/staff_survey

How to Create a Dog Daycare Business Website

Selecting the best website platform for your dog daycare business.

If you are not super technical and you don’t want your website to be an ongoing expense for updating content, uploading pictures, and other maintenance to keep it fresh; then I would recommend using one of the WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) sites like  Wix  or  Weebly . These tools will allow you to register your domain name, host your website, and provide templates that are pre-configured for a dog daycare business and will cost less than $250 per year. If you are ok with spending a bit more to build a site that is going to be more robust and customizable, then I would recommend using  WordPress . 

Key Elements of a Successful Dog Daycare Website

The modern pet parent is looking for a safe and fun environment for their dogs to socialize, play, jump, chase, and sniff around. They will start their quest for the perfect dog daycare for their furry family member by using Google to find “dog daycare businesses in their town” (typically within 7 miles of their home).  Be sure that your website provides the following items. 

• Clearly state what services you offer.
• Includes a video that shows pet parents what a “day in the life” of a dog is at your daycare facility.
• Includes social proof that the community loves you (using reviews and video testimonials).
• Includes a clear CTA (call to action) for pet parents to schedule their dog daycare evaluation (this should be powered by the dog daycare software solution that you choose to integrate into your website).
• Provides a way for them to ask questions via live chat or a text number (be sure to respond to these as quickly as possible).

SEO Strategies for Dog Daycare Websites

While it’s easy to get a website built using pre-built templates, you need to be sure to optimize the site so that people who are looking for dog daycare services in your area are going to find you in the top 10 results of their Google search. Even as you read through this article, you will notice that I use keywords multiple times so that Google will recognize that my site contains information for people who are searching for specific keywords. (can you guess the 2 keywords that I’m trying to optimize for?)

For a dog daycare business, you want to consider the words that a pet parent would type into Google to find your business.  Once you have identified a few keywords/phrases that you want to rank high for search results, you will then want to start adding content to your website that contains those keywords.  In addition to the content, you will want to update URLs, make sure headers on the page have those keywords, and that your website is mobile-friendly and easily readable.  The one thing I can’t stress enough is that SEO (search engine optimization) is a long-game task.  It requires you to consistently publish content and refresh your website to stay at the top page of Google search results. 

Another way to build authority for your website is to make sure that you register your business listing on all of the free listing sites.  The basics are Google listing, Bing listing, and Yelp, but if you dig a bit deeper you will find that there are over 50 different websites that are appropriate for your dog daycare business to be listed.

Choosing the Best Dog Daycare Software for Your Business

In the pet care industry, the dog daycare software you choose will help run your entire business and will cost anywhere from $100 to $300 per month.  65% of the leading dog daycare software solutions are very similar, so as you evaluate which software is going to be the best fit for your dog daycare business, you will want to dig into what is different.  Dog daycare business owners should look for a software solution that is going to provide the following baseline functionality, however, the key differences in most of the leading solutions are around online reservation requests, customer support, financial reporting, and client marketing.  These core areas of dog daycare software can save you hundreds of labor hours, improve your customer experience, and streamline daily pet care operations allowing your team to deliver the highest quality of care and safety. 

CRM: Customer & Pet Profile Management

This should manage all their contact information, appointment history, notes on each dog, history of texts they’ve received, dog daycare package usage and balance, vaccination, feedings, and medications.

Schedule Management

Regardless of the size of your dog daycare business, you will want to make sure that you know who is in-house, who is arriving, and who is leaving.  You will need to choose your dog-to-staff ratio, create playgroups with dogs who play well together, rotate the dogs who have chosen to personalize their pet’s stay with enrichment activities, and deliver feedings (for some not all) and medications.

POS Payment Integration

Your dog daycare software should provide a way to take payments (cash, check, Venmo, credit cards, debit cards, gift cards, etc).  These payments will integrate directly into the software so you can store credit cards on file, prompt pet parents to tip your staff, take deposits for appointment requests made through your website, and purchase dog daycare packages through your website.  The Kennel Connection dog daycare software solution also includes the ability to “Text to Pay” by sending a link directly to their cell phone.

Financial, Operational & Performance Reporting

As the owner of a dog daycare business, you need to know your numbers inside and out.  There are key performance indicators that you should be looking at weekly to understand the growth of your dog daycare, to understand the profitability, and to uncover the opportunities.  When you are evaluating which dog daycare software is the best fit for your business, be sure to do a deep dive and make sure you can easily get the numbers you need.  If you want to understand what metrics matter most check out this other article on metrics that matter for pet care businesses.

Online Reservation Request Integration

Pet parents doing research into a new dog daycare business should have the ability to take action and book a dog daycare evaluation.  When you use the best dog daycare software you can configure the pet parent customer experience so that they can select their enrichment activities, upload copies of their dog’s vaccinations, digitally sign your liability waivers, and pay a deposit. 

Marketing Automation

After you have worked in the industry as long as I have, you realize that most pet parents have no idea about what happens after they drop off their dog for daycare.  They have no idea how much cleaning occurs, the rotation schedules for the dogs, and the million moving parts to ensure that you foster safe playgroups for both staff and the furry guests they are caring for.  The right dog daycare software solution will have integrated marketing tools that allow you to easily communicate with pet parents through email and text.  They will support your ability to send marketing text messages to improve your average revenue per pet through departure baths and dog daycare enrichment activities and they will drive 5-star reviews with automated check-out texts. 

Employee Management

The right dog daycare software will allow you to customize the access rights for employees to view financial reports, respond to clients via two-way text messaging, update client and pet profiles, and update/manage invoices and payments.  There should also be a built-in time clock for tracking pay for hourly employees and managing commissions for dog groomers and dog trainers. When you leverage a cloud-based dog daycare software you can also restrict employees to only access information within the software when they are onsite at your dog daycare facility and logged into your network. 

Preparing for Your Dog Daycare Business Launch

Before you open the doors to your dog daycare business, you will want to make sure that you have designed an amazing customer and staff experience.  To be successful, you will want to define policies and processes, set standards for how the phone is answered, empower staff to do the “right thing” when something doesn’t go right, and find a pricing & services model that is profitable and differentiates you from the other dog daycare businesses in your area. 

Policies & Processes for a Dog Daycare Business

When a pet care business designs the right processes & policies you can reduce the stress for staff, improve profitability, and ensure you are creating a safe and fun environment for both staff and pets. 

Dog Daycare Rules:

To ensure that you focus on safety first, you will want to decide on the rules for accepting a dog into your dog daycare playgroups.  The most common rules for your dog daycare are age restrictions, vaccination requirements, and having the appropriate dog daycare evaluation process.  The key to remember is that it is “ok” to let a client know that the dog is not a good fit for socialization and offer an alternative solution like a day board when the dog won’t thrive in a social environment. 

Daycare Evaluation Screening & Check-out Experience:

The average dog daycare will lose about 20% of their customers on an annual basis due to behavior changes, customers moving, changes in financial situations, and the unfortunate death of a dog.  To ensure your dog daycare sees the appropriate growth, you need to focus on targeted marketing campaigns to drive a minimum of 25 dog daycare evaluations per month.  The goal of every dog daycare evaluation is to end with a package purchase.  Each business should design an automated email campaign that explains the evaluation process, what makes an ideal daycare candidate, and a special “intro to daycare” package offer at the end of the evaluation.  I believe the ideal package will include 6 days of daycare for the price of 3 with the expectation of the dog coming into daycare 2x per week for the next 3 weeks. 

Check-in Experience:

As a pet parent walks through the front doors of your dog daycare, the ‘look’ of your front desk staff is going to be their first impression.  Having your staff look like they work for a safe and professional dog daycare is key to your brand.  At the bare minimum, every single employee should wear a company shirt (both front desk and daycare attendants).  But the check-in experience is so much more than just a company uniform; it also includes front desk staff coming out from behind the desk to greet the dog and point out the special enrichment activity for the day (ideally written on a chalkboard). 

Drop-off & Pick-up Policies:

 If you are opening your doors with limited staff, then a key to reducing labor and improving profitability is to limit the times clients can pick up and drop off for dog boarding and dog daycare services.  You want to ensure you are somewhat flexible, however, typically I would recommend a drop-off window of 7 am to 10 am and a pick-up window of 3 pm to 7 pm.  This allows you to reallocate front-desk staff hours to cleaning, go-home prep, and other key operational tasks. The other benefit is that your staff can better manage the level of energy of the dogs who are playing to ensure you don’t introduce an overstimulated dog with dogs who have already been playing for a few hours and are ready to be rotated for rest and enrichment. 

Dog to Staff Ratio:

The dog-to-staff ratio can vary greatly from region to region.  In some states like Colorado and North Carolina, these ratios are regulated and can be 10:1 or 12:1, while other states like Texas are allowed to operate 25:1 or higher based on personal preference.  The main factor in determining your personal approach to dog-to-staff ratio should be safety and that will depend upon the training and background of your daycare attendants.  When you operate at a higher dog-to-staff ratio you are reducing your labor as a percentage of revenue (with a target of 30%), but it is a careful balance because safety should be your number one priority. 

Departure Bath Requirements:

As you evaluate your policy around departure baths, each pet care business should consider the potential negative impacts to your brand should you send a dog home after multiple days of playing, covered in their best friend’s slobber and not smelling fresh.  The ideal schedule would be that every regular dog daycare customer would get a bath every two weeks and any dogs that are staying for 3 nights of boarding or more would depart with a bath as well.  Not only does this protect your brand, but it will also improve your average revenue per pet day/night.  The benchmark for success is that 90% of boarding appointments should have a departure bath and 50% of regular daycare clients would be on a regular bath schedule.  To optimize this process your staff should recommend a departure bath at the time of booking, 7 days before check-in as well as at the time of check-in.  In certain cases, it’s also important to give your team authority to provide a free departure bath for dogs who really need it (but be sure to let the customer know and build “goodwill”). 

Deposit and Cancellation Policy:

When you are accepting online reservation requests through your dog daycare software platform, collecting deposits is simple and automated.  Most dog daycare businesses do not require a deposit for daycare services, but it is very common to collect a deposit for dog boarding and pet grooming services.  Deposits can range from $50 per appointment to 50% of the estimated cost.  When you are evaluating the right cancellation policy, I think it should be based on how long you expect it to take to find a replacement for the cancellation.  If you have enough demand to fill a last-minute cancellation within 3 days, then deposits canceled 4 days or more in advance will be refunded.  

Dog Daycare Rotation Schedule: 

The ideal schedule for a dog will include a mix of socialization, mental stimulation, food enrichment, sensory enrichment, and rest.  The rotation schedule you design will allow your staff to deliver enrichment services that will ensure you are sending every dog home the best version of themselves and provide a more enjoyable structured experience for your staff.  I see some of the top-performing facilities using 2-hour rotation schedules. 

Dog Daycare Cleaning Protocols:

As customers enter your facility, you want them to be delighted with the scent of your brand (and that scent should not be “stinky dog”).  Having the correct cleaning protocol for all different service types is going to be a key to brand reputation, as well as the wellness of all the furry guests. While I wish that I could share the ideal cleaning protocols for,  Permatek floors ,  k9 grass ,  puppy playground  equipment,  Gator kennels ,  Kuranda beds , and the dozens of other optional surfaces, that is one aspect of operating a dog daycare that I do not have expertise in.   But what I can tell you is that the experts over at  Animal Health Technologies  have created hospital-level cleaning protocols for every surface that are not only for the health of the dogs but also to ensure your equipment will last for decades. 

Phone Call Scripts:

Creating a phone script for the different types of calls that come into your dog daycare business is key to optimizing the adoption of enrichment services, converting new customers into loyal customers, selling daycare packages, and differentiating your business from the competitors in your area.  Below are the key phone calls that you need to a call script/guide.  

• New Customer Calls: These calls need to be focused on a mix of telling your company story and capturing the necessary information to nurture these leads into loyal customers. 
• Reservation Calls: The goal of these calls is to educate customers on the value of enrichment services and how those services will ensure you can send their dog home the best version of themselves. 
• Pet Parents Check-in Calls: When you use a dog daycare software that includes digital charting, it will streamline communication between daycare attendants and the front desk staff.  This allows you to skip transferring a call and or using your walkie-talkie to get a pet update.  Instead, the digital charting makes all the details available so that, in real-time, you can share a happy update with the pet parents. 

Pet Assurance:

Pet business owners can think of pet assurance as a product that guarantees the pet parents that you will do the right thing, should an injury happen during their time at your facility.  I’ve seen “pet assurance” implemented as a daily rate of $1-3/per day, while other facilities charge $5 per appointment for the assurance.  What I like about “pet assurance” is that it can be used as a marketing tool in conjunction with touting the training process of your pet care team. When implemented along with appropriate safety protocols, pet assurance will become a profit center for your dog daycare business. 

Dog Daycare Supplies & Equipment

The supplies you purchase are going to vary based on the services that you are offering and the budget you have to spend.  The saying ‘you get what you pay for’ is also true for equipment and supplies in the industry.  

Equipment purchases that require a significant investment are Gator Kennels, puppy playground equipment,  iDog Cameras ,  Pet Aerapy UV Disinfection System , cleaning equipment,  washers, and dryers  (make sure you get commercial grade equipment like speed queens), as well as grooming dryers and adjustable tables.  These products should last a decade or longer and require intentional maintenance and care. 

The less expensive supplies to run your dog daycare business are going to be toys & balls, food &  water bowls  (I really like KINN products), leashes, agility equipment, flirt poles, pooper scoopers, and bags, first aid kits, laundry supplies, kitchen supplies and the right cleaning supplies based upon the surfaces and equipment you are needing to keep clean. 

Grand Opening Marketing Plan

Most dog daycare owners are investing significantly in the building of their dream facility, however many are skipping the critical point of creating a solid grand opening marketing plan to ensure their dog daycare business opens its doors with 35+ dogs on day one.  As you build your plan, you will want to ensure it incorporates a mixture of digital marketing, flyers left on cars, media coverage, mailers, partnering with local businesses, and social media.  The best marketers will start promoting their business anywhere from 90 to 120 days before their scheduled opening. 

Digital Marketing

When you think of digital marketing for your dog daycare business, you should be thinking of Google ads with very specific keywords that your ideal customers are looking for; “Dog Daycare in _____ (your town)”.  These are highly specific search terms the dog owners who are actively searching for care for their four-legged family members. You can expect that each lead that is generated is going to cost around $10.  When you are paying for paid keywords, your ad will show up in the top 4 ‘sponsored’ results for those keywords.   The key to optimizing your conversions of these leads is to have a website that allows dog owners to book a daycare evaluation (I like to call them “discovery day”) or make sure that you answer your business line EVERY time it rings.  If you start marketing your grand opening 120 days before opening, I would start with a budget of $500/month for the first 2 months and then $1000 a month for the last two.  With these leads, the goal is to make sure that 90% of the discovery days turn into a purchase of your “Grand Opening Special Package”.  

Flyers on Cars

The average daycare client will travel no more than 7 miles from their home to your new dog daycare business.  You will want to put on your shoes (or hire someone) and make sure that you are delivering these to all cars that are near your business.  The key to a successful flyer is including a QR code on the flyer to make it easy for dog owners to take action and book their ‘discovery day’.  I personally use  Canva  to design beautiful flyers because they have tons of templates and images that can perfectly match your brand with a QR code that links directly to your dog daycare software online booking page. 

There are likely thousands of homes within 7 miles of your business, which could be very costly if you do not refine the delivery list.  The key to mailers is finding the registered dog owners in your area which is available through public records.  I would recommend using the same flyers you designed using  Canva . 

Media Coverage

Media coverage is designed to boost brand exposure and foot traffic to your neighborhood business.  Local TV is surprisingly watched by 75% of adults and finding the right way to get free coverage will be key to a successful launch of your dog daycare business.  Depending on the date you are anticipating opening the business, you will want to craft your pitch to maximize the chances of being featured. Below are the 4 steps necessary to maximize the coverage. 

• Tune into the program you want to be featured on. One of the biggest mistakes in finding the right media coverage is pitching your grand opening to the wrong producer.  The average segment will last about 3 minutes and will be on-location and can either be a demo or an interview.  
• Keep in mind that media is a visual medium so you want to have a planned activity in the background during your interview that catches the viewer’s attention. 
• Subject Line
• Introduce your idea
• Share your credentials
• Describe the visuals
• Call to action
• Provide your follow-up contact information

Partnering with Local Businesses

There are two types of local business partnerships that you are going to want to explore.  The most obvious is going to be businesses that are also focused on providing products and services that are complimentary to your dog daycare business (vets, pet retailers, dog trainers, groomers, etc).  Go into these businesses and introduce yourself, ask if you can leave behind your flyers, and ideally come up with a way to incentivize the cashiers to include a flyer in every bag or receipt they provide.  

The less obvious option for partnerships is finding large local employers and building an “employee perks” program.  You will want to reach out to the Human Resources contact (you can find their name on  LinkedIn ). The ideal solution will not require you to pay for anything but rather offer a special package for their staff to use your services.  Ideally, they would send out a company-wide email 1x per quarter and include either a flyer or welcome packet for all new hires.  

Social Media Marketing

Once your website is up and running, you will want to immediately create a Facebook & Instagram page for your business. Most dog daycare business owners will post cute pictures, announce special activities, and share other educational information for dog owners.  If you connect both accounts, you can have a single post that is automatically shared on both platforms.  Initially, you should post here frequently to build the expectation and drive traffic to your page; I’d recommend daily if not multiple times per day once you are open and have tons of cute pictures to share. 

Other than Facebook and Instagram, I recommend getting on  Nextdoor  as that has grown into a great local community platform.  I don’t think the paid ads work, however posting on Nextdoor a few times per week to boost the community awareness of your new facility will help drive traffic to your website.  If you can get your customers to also comment on your posts about their experience and how much fun their dog has, that will be great social proof for community members to trust your business with their four-legged family members. 

Find Mentors & Subject Matter Experts

Building a business doing what you love is going to require long hours, working holidays, and having hard conversations.  However, with the right plan, the rewards of doing what you love will outweigh all the hard work.  As you embark on the journey as an entrepreneur, you should find several mentors and subject matter experts who can help you along the way.  I have always found it very helpful to also have an ‘accountability partner’; this is someone who you meet with each month to review your numbers and to share your action plan to continue to improve all aspects of your business.  

If you don’t know where to start looking for the right people to help you along the way; in the dog daycare world, Facebook groups can provide both a community and expertise.  The  Dog Daycare & Boarding Best Practices  group, comprising over 6,000 dog daycare experts, is highly engaged.  Members can address a wide array of inquiries and offer extensive insights spanning marketing, financial analysis, pet care operations, safe conflict resolution techniques, and meticulous cleaning protocols. 

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Dog Daycare Business Plan Template

Whether you want to start your own dog daycare business or expand an existing one, you need a business plan. the following dog daycare business plan template lets you know what elements you need to include in a successful dog daycare business plan..

To ensure your dog daycare business success in this highly competitive market, you need a properly structured dog daycare business plan. With over 12 years of experience, we have helped over 5,000 entrepreneurs create business plans to start and grow their dog daycare businesses.If this is your first time writing a business plan, we’ll walk you through these sections and give you some key things to consider.

Things to Know Before Writing a Day Care Business Plan

The dog daycare industry primarily provides services such as pet boarding, grooming, and training. The industry includes animal shelters, obedience training services, guard dog training services, pet boarding services, and animal grooming services.

Operators in this industry do not typically retail products, board horses, transport pets, or practice veterinary medicine.

Since pets are becoming an increasingly valued part of families, consumers are increasingly spending on dog grooming services, which benefits pet grooming and boarding services operators.

During the three years to 2024, rising per capita disposable income and a high pet ownership rate will fuel industry growth.

Accordingly, industry revenue is expected to grow by 2.7% annually to $9.2 billion by 2024

Key Success Factors for Day Care Business

Despite the challenges of the Day Care industry, We have identified five factors that can help you boost profitability, efficiency, and ultimately success.

• The proximity to key markets: Being located near households with high pet ownership rates, especially dogs and cats, should benefit industry players by ensuring consistent demand for services.
• An effective quality control system: High-quality pet grooming and other pet care services ensure repeat customers and word-of-mouth recommendations.
• Multi-skilled, flexible workforce: Having skilled and flexible employees who can perform a variety of tasks and services reduces labor costs and increases industry expertise.
• Government regulation compliance: Meeting all government requirements for licensing, pet licenses, and animal regulations is a must for all operators in the pet and animal business.
• Word of mouth recommendations: Businesses that maximize customer satisfaction are more likely to receive favorable word of mouth recommendations, which are necessary to gain new customers.

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What is a Dog Daycare Business Plan?

A business plan for a dog daycare business is a written document that sets your company’s financial goals and discusses how you’ll reach them.

It describes your business concept, defines your target clients, explains your marketing strategy, and details your financial projections, among other things.

A solid, comprehensive plan will serve as a road map for the next three to five years of the dog daycare business. Any bank or investor you approach will require a dog daycare business plan, so putting one together will be critical to securing funding.

In short, writing a business plan can help you succeed if you’re thinking of starting a dog daycare business or pitching to investors or venture capitalists.

Why You Need a Dog Daycare Business Plan

A business plan provides an overview of your dog daycare business as it stands today, and outlines your growth plans for the next five years. It also explains what your business objectives are and how you plan to achieve them. A market research report is also included to support your plans.

Dog daycare agents who have a business plan grow 30% faster than those who don’t, and 71% of fast-growing businesses have one.

The following is what a good dog daycare business plan will show you:

• Where you are right now
• What you want to achieve
• How will you get there
• How will you measure your success
• Where and when to make corrections

A dog daycare business plan is a living document that should be updated annually as your company grows and changes.

Funding Sources for Dog Daycare Business

The main sources of funding for a dog daycare business are personal savings, government grants and business funding, business credit cards , and bank loans. When it comes to bank loans, banks will want to review your business plan and gain confidence that you will be able to repay the loan and interest.

To gain this confidence, the loan officer will not only look at your financials. However, they will demand a professional plan. A well-developed business plan will ensure that they are confident that you can successfully run a business.

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How to Write a Dog Daycare Business Plan

To write a dog daycare business plan, you don’t need to be an expert. Our step-by-step guide will show you how to write a dog daycare business plan, or you can just download our proven  sample business plans  to get a better idea.

Free Dog Daycare Business Plan Template PDF and Word

Download our dog daycare business plan in PDF and Word here.

Executive Summary

The executive summary is the most important part of the document since it outlines the whole business plan. Despite the fact that it appears first in the plan, write the executive summary last so you may condense key concepts from the other nine parts.

It’s a part that catches the investor’s eye and provides key information about your company’s overview and upcoming short- and long-term goals.

Tell them what kind of dog daycare business you have and what stage you’re in; for example, are you a startup, do you have a dog daycare business that you want to expand, or do you have a lot of dog daycare businesses?

Finally, an executive summary should provide investors with a preview of what they may expect from the rest of your document.

• Provide a high-level overview of the dog daycare industry
• The name, location, and mission of your dog day care company
• A description of your dog daycare business, including management, advisors, and a brief history
• Discuss the type of dog daycare business you are operating, Give an overview of your target customers., and how your company differs from competitors in the industry
• Create a marketing plan that describes your company’s marketing strategies, sales, and partnership plans.
• And give an overview of your financial plan

Check out these executive summary examples to help you write a perfect one for your dog daycare business plan.

Free: Executive Summary Examples

An executive summary is the most important part of your business plan, and it need not be challenging to write. This is why we have put together some awesome free Executive Summary examples for you.

Company Analysis

The company analysis follows the executive summary as the second section of a dog daycare business plan. Your company overview will be short and clear, similar to the executive summary.

Even if they just have a few minutes, your reader has to understand what your company does and who your customers are.

The following sections will be included in your business plan’s Company Analysis:

• Company summary: Your company analysis will describe the type of dog daycare business you are running and its future goals. The type of dog daycare business you might be focused on ( Cage-free play, 100% cage-free, Extended-stay dog boarding, Kennel, Indoor and Outdoor dog daycare, etc)
• Company history: When and why did you start your dog daycare business?
• What milestones have you achieved so far? Your milestones could include sales goals achieved, new store openings, etc.
• Legal structure and ownership: Do you have S-Corp status? Is it an LLC ? A sole proprietorship ? Describe your legal structure.
• Mission statement: An overview of your dog daycare company’s guiding principles. Learn how to write a perfect mission statement .

Industry Analysis

You need to include an overview of the dog daycare business in the industry analysis you performed before sitting down to write your dog daycare business plan.

While this research may appear to be unnecessary, it helps you to build strategies that maximize business opportunities while lowering or avoiding the identified risk.

Furthermore, market research can improve your strategy, especially if it identifies market trends. As an example, If there is a trend toward cage-free dog daycare, it would be beneficial to ensure that your plan includes this option.

The third purpose for conducting market research is to demonstrate to readers that you are an industry expert.

Industry analysis can be presented as a 8-step process when written as part of a company’s business plan.

• Give a quick overview of the dog daycare industry. Define the dog daycare business in terms of size (in dollars), historical background, service region, and products.
• Examine previous trends and growth patterns in the dog daycare industry.
• Identify the market’s major competitors.
• Age, gender, and general lifestyle of the targeted market
• Determine the factors that have an impact on the dog daycare industry. These might include government regulatory rules and other businesses’ competitive activities.
• Using research data, the industry forecast expected growth over the next five to ten years. Predictions should be made for both the long and short term.
• Describe how your dog daycare business intends to position itself in the industry. Concentrate on how your dog daycare business can benefit from opportunities highlighted in the industry.

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Customer Analysis

The first condition for a dog daycare business is to identify its target customers clearly. Customers can be categorized into the following segments:  Pet owners aged 30 to 64 years, Family consumers with children under 18, etc.

The customer analysis section is an important part of any dog daycare business plan since it evaluates the consumer segments that your company serves. It identifies target customers, determines what those customers want, and then explains how the products will meet those requirements.

If you intend to offer extended-stay dog boarding, you should think about segmenting customer behaviors as well. For marketing and advertising, local dog owners who are planning a vacation would be a good target.

Customer analysis may be divided into two parts: P sychosocial profiles and Demographic profiles .

With regards to demographics , include information about: the ages, genders, locations, and income levels of your customers. When targeting businesses, describe what kind of business, size, and location your target customers are.

The psychological profiles of your target clients reveal their wants and needs. The better you understand and identify these demands, the better your chances of attracting and retaining customers will be.

Competitor Analysis

Who are the main competitors in your target market, and what makes them your main competition? How will you beat them? Use competitor analysis to:

• Identify the strength and weakness of your dog daycare business competition.
• Search for opportunities to distinguish your dog daycare company from competitors.

The first step is to determine who your direct and indirect competitors are.

The direct competition consists of other dog daycare businesses. These are alternatives to direct competitors that customers have.

Indirect competitors, such as dog walkers, are other options for customers to purchase from you that are not direct competitors. You must mention such competition to demonstrate that you understand that not every dog owner uses a dog daycare every day.

When it comes to direct competition, you should describe the other dog daycare businesses you compete with. It is most likely that your direct competitors will be dog daycare company located nearby.

Once you’ve identified the competition, concentrate on the direct, head-to-head competitors, since they are the most threatening to your dog daycare business— but keep an eye on the indirect competition as well, just in case.

Provide an overview of each direct competitor’s business and detail their strengths and weaknesses.

You will be able to position yourself competitively in the market if you perform proper competition research. Perform a SWOT Analysis to learn your competitors’ strengths, weaknesses, and competitive advantages in the following areas:

• Prices – Are they offer cheaper dog daycare service or more costly than you and other competitors, what value do buyers get for that price?
• Quality –  Are they offer better quality services, the perceived worth in the eyes of the customers
• Customer service – How they respond to their consumers, whether they treat them poorly or well, and the degrees of satisfaction customers show
• Reputation — The sum of everything mentioned above: their credibility, how loved the brand is, and the loyalty of their customers

The final section of your competitive analysis should include a list of your areas of competitive advantage. for example: Are you going to offer premium dog daycare services? Will you offer unique service and plans that your competitors don’t offer? Will you offer better pricing or will you offer greater customer support?

Consider how you will outperform your competitors and include them in this portion of your dog daycare business plan.

Free: SWOT Analysis Examples

Take advantage of our free SWOT analysis examples. Make your business future-proof by identifying your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats using this free SWOT Analysis Template.

Marketing Plan

Creating a marketing plan for a dog daycare business involves identifying the target demographic and finding dog daycare services that suit their preferences.

As part of your marketing plan for a dog daycare company, you should include:

Pricing and Product Strategy

Your dog daycare business must offer services that are different from those of your competitors, better in quality and  and plans are available in affordable prices. Research what your competitors offer and how they price their dog daycare services. Unique and quality services identifies your dog daycare business as the place to go for unique dog daycare services and differentiates it from others.

Placing and Promotions

Is your dog daycare business located near a big colony, office buildings, gyms, etc. That is heavily populated? Discuss how your location might be able to provide a steady stream of customers.

Promoting your dog daycare business is the final part of your marketing plan. In this step, you document how you will drive customers to purchase your dog daycare services. A few marketing methods you could consider are:

• Get a website for your business and promote it
• Create and use social media accounts for your business
• Marketing on social media
• Advertise in local papers and magazines
• Hold special pet events

You should also think about your services Unique Selling Proposition (USP), which should explain why clients should choose you over other dog daycare businesses. Ensure that your USP is reflected in your market.

Pro Tips: Learn how to write a marketing plan in a business plan .

Operations Plan

While the previous sections described your goals, your operational plan in a business plan discusses how you will achieve them.

An operations plan is helpful for investors, but it’s also helpful for you and employees because it pushes you to think about tactics and deadlines.

Your operations plan should be divided into two individual parts, as seen below.

Everyday short-term processes include all of the tasks involved in running your dog daycare, such as check-in, supply procurement, facility cleanliness, and so on.

Long-term goals are milestones you hope to reach. It may be the date when you expect to serve your 1000th customer or when you hope to reach $X in sales. Another example would be when you expect to hire your Xth employee or start a new location or service.

Management Team

A strong management team is necessary to demonstrate your dog daycare’s ability to succeed as a business. Highlight the backgrounds of your key players, emphasizing the skills and experiences that demonstrate their ability to grow a business.

You and/or your team members should ideally have prior experience working in a dog daycare company. If so, emphasize your knowledge and experience. However, you should emphasize any experience that you believe will help your dog daycare business succeed.

Consider forming an advisory board if your team is lacking. An advisory board would consist of 2 to 8 people who would act as mentors to your company. They would assist in answering questions and providing strategic direction. If necessary, seek out advisory board members with experience running dog daycare company and/or retail and small businesses.

If your are DIY Business plan writer, you need this guide on how to write a management team section in a business plan.

Free: Business Plan Examples

Do you need help creating a business plan? Check out these six free, proven business plan examples from different industries to help you write your own.

Financial Plan

As part of your financial plan, you should present a 5-year financial statement broken down monthly or quarterly for the first year, and then annually. Financial statements include your income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement.

Income Statement

A profit and loss statement is more commonly called an income statement. It shows your revenue and subtracts your expenses to determine whether you were profitable or not.

As you develop your income statement, you need to develop assumptions. For instance, Will sales grow by 2% or 11% per year? Your choice of assumptions will greatly impact your business’s financial forecasts. Conduct as much research as possible in order to ground your assumptions in reality.

Free: Income Statement Template

Create a financial statement for your business by downloading our free income statement templates.

Balance Sheet

While balance sheets include much information, to simplify them to the key items you need to know about, balance sheets show your assets and liabilities.

The balance sheet shows your dog daycare business’s net value at a specific point in time. It categorizes all of your company’s financial data into three categories:

• Assets: Tangible goods with the monetary worth that the company owns.
• Liabilities: Debt owing to a company’s creditor.
• Equity: The net difference when the total liabilities are subtracted from the total assets.

The equation that expresses the relationship between these financial data elements is Assets = Liabilities + Equity.

Create a pro forma balance sheet for your dog daycare business plan that highlights the information in the income statement and cash flow projections. A balance sheet is normally prepared once a year by a company.

Balance sheets indicate your assets and liabilities, and while they contain a lot of information, they are simplified to highlight the most important things you need to know.

For example, spending $100,000 to build out your dog daycare business will not result in instant revenues. Rather, it is an asset that should help you earn money for many years to come.

Similarly, if a bank write you a check for $50,000, you do not have to pay it back right now. Rather, that is a liability that you will repay over time.

Cash Flow Statement:

Your cash flow statement will help you determine how much money you need to start or grow your dog daycare business. In developing your Income Statement and Balance Sheets be sure to include several of the key costs needed in starting or growing a dog daycare business:

• Cost of equipment like kennels, dog beds, activity centers, etc.
• Location build-out including design fees, construction, etc.
• Cost of food and treats and maintaining an adequate amount of supplies
• Taxes and permits
• Payroll or salaries paid to staff
• Legal expenses
• Business insurance

Recommended Resources: Writing a dog daycare business plan yourself? this guide on how to write a financial plan in a business plan might be helpful for you.

Free: Balance Sheet Template

Create a financial statement for your business by downloading our free balance sheet templates.

List any additional material you cannot include elsewhere, such as resumes from key employees, licenses, equipment leases, permits, patents, receipts, bank statements, contracts, and personal and business credit histories.

Attach your full financial projections along with any supporting documents that make your plan more compelling in the appendix.

Pro Tip: Learn how to write a business plan appendix for your dog day care business.

Summary of the Dog Daycare Business Plan

A dog daycare business plan is a worthwhile investment. As long as you follow the template above, you will become an expert in no time. By following the template, you will understand the dog daycare business, your competition, and your customers. The plan will help you understand the steps necessary to launch and grow your dog daycare business.

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Need a name for your business? Click to try our: Dog Daycare Business Name Idea Generator Once you have your business plan written up, use our Free Doggie Daycare and Pet Boarding Business Profit Spreadsheet to calculate your future business expenses, revenue, and your eventual break-even point (when you've paid off your initial investment).

Are you starting a doggie daycare or dog boarding facility? If so, you're in the right place. At least twice a week, we here at DoggieDashboard are emailed asking if we have a doggy daycare business plan template for new dog boarding businesses.

Seeing as so many people having been asking for a doggie daycare business plan, we decided it was in the best interest to produce one so that all you future owners of doggie daycares, pet hotels, dog-walking & pet-sitting businesses can start with the right foot forward. This dog boarding business plan asks you all the important questions that you need to answer before starting your pet boarding business.

All we ask is that you keep DoggieDashboard in mind when you start your doggie daycare or dog boarding facility. Our free online software will make keeping track of your clients and their pets very simple!

This is section from your heart. Talk about why you want to open a doggie daycare. Are you opening the business for the money or are you opening it because you have a passion for the pet-service industry?

Figure out the underlying motivation that is making you pursue this career path. Use this section to paint the ideal picture of your future doggie daycare. What’s the end result of all your hard working going to look like? When will you feel like you’ve succeeded?

- Why do you want to start a doggie daycare & pet boarding facility?

- Are you in it for the profit or the passion? There are many other business endeavors with higher success rates than opening a doggie daycare. If you’re not in it for your love of dogs, you might want to bow out of the race.

- Where do you see the business in 1 year? What about in 5 years? Will you expand? Sell? Future projections are a great way to figure out the longevity of your business concept. We’ll detail the inner details of the business further down the worksheet. For now, describe your ideal version of your doggie daycare. How many pets do you want to board per day, per month, etc. What’re your profit goals, etc?

- Have you ever started a business before? Everyone like to think of themselves as an entrepreneur, but it takes a LOT of hard work to get a business off the ground. Are you (and your family) prepared for the long hours and stress involved?

What to Put Here:

Now that you’ve decided to open a doggie daycare, do you know who you’re going to be working with? Where will you do your advertising? Here is where you'll break down your client acquistion strategies.

- What kind of animals will you be boarding? Large dogs, small dogs, any type of dog?

- How do you plan on attracting/advertising to this target market?

- How much are you willing to spend on advertising per month?

- Will you do in-house advertising and design work, or will you use a consulting firm?

- Does your business have a website yet? If not, how much are you willing to pay for a good website designer? Poorly-designed websites

First things first, take a minute to realize you aren’t the only doggie daycare in your area. Competition isn’t a bad thing though. It’ll actually make you a better business person by forcing you to constantly stay on your toes. Getting stagnant makes you an easy target for someone looking to push you out of business. In this section, lay out and analyze the competition that you’re going up against. Is it a wise choice to open in an area that’s already saturated? Really dig into how you’re going to deal with these issues.

- Do a quick Google search and look to see how many other doggie daycares are in your geographic area. Are more needed?

- Do you currently have a relationship with any of these doggie daycares?

- What will make your daycare more successful than your competition? There has to be something about your daycare that will attract people to yours and not someone elses. Better play toys, grooming options, vet visits?

- Do you have an friendly relationship with other daycare owners? If not, will they inhibit your entry into the market?

- What are your biggest weaknesses? How will you fix them? Be truthful with yourself. No business is invincible. Figure out your weaknesses and your mitigation strategy.

You need to consider your doggie daycare like it’s a tangible brand. You don’t want to just be known as another so-so business. I bet you know of at least a few doggie daycares in your city. That's called brand awareness.

- Does the name of your doggie daycare make it easy to produce marketing materials? Don't pick a name that is kitschy. Pick a name with longevity.

- Some business names sound great on paper, but don’t turn out well in the flesh. Names that are hard to pronounce or spell don’t help your brand. Purposely misspelling words can make it difficult for people to find you on the internet.

- Are you going to be visible to the public or hidden away in a industrial park? If you’ve got a good storefront location, you want good signage. If your signs are eye-catching, you’ll increase the window traffic at your daycare and get more pet clients.

- How are you going to build business at your daycare? Word of mouth advertising is the best way to increase the number of pet clients. If your current clients are in love with your daycare and the services you provide, they’ll happily encourage their friends to come bring their pets. Think about ways you can make your daycare and brand stand out amongst the crowd.

Now we’re getting down to the nitty gritty aspects of owning a pet boarding business. The little details that might be overlooked when you’re imagining running your own business and making profit hand-over-fist. Here is where you describe the inner details of your business. Lay out every aspect of how the business will operate, who’s in charge of what, etc.

- Does each employee have a written job description detailing their responsibilities?

- Who is in charge of hiring, firing, legal disputes, etc?

- Do you have a location/facility chosen for your box?

- Do you need to build out the facility?

- How much will build-out and equipment cost?

- Who has keys to the facility?

- Who runs the facility on a day-to-day basis and what are their hours?

- Do you make employees sign contracts?

- What’s the daily cost of doing business?

- How many days can you do business before running out of liquid capital.

- Have you registered the business yet?

- How long is the registration and inspection process going to take?

Running a doggie daycare can be a very profitable endeavor. However, you need to be prepared to endure some losses before you start turning a profit. In this section, lay out the details of your financial plan. Figure out every expense that you’ll have. Don’t tie is personal expenses, those are separate from the business. Visualizing the financial outlay of opening a doggie daycare will be help you better understand the (educated)risk you are taking.

- How do you plan on making a profit? Boarding fees? Pet training fees? Pet toy sales? Grooming fees?

- What is your monthly financial goal?

- How many months can you sustain business before you’ll need to turn a profit?

- How much money are you willing to spend on starting your pet boarding facility?

- Will you be providing all financial capital or will you be seeking outside investors?

- If using personal money, are you putting yourself/family in financial insecurity?

- If you decide on investors, what interest rate are you willing to pay them?

- What’s the maximum you are willing to LOSE in this venture? Not all businesses succeed. Be prepared to cut your losses if your business doesn’t work out.

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How to Write a Dog Daycare Business Plan

Starting your own business takes a lot of time and effort, and one of your first assignments will be to write a business plan . This is true for any business, from the most simple and small entrepreneurial ventures with dogs to the most elaborate, complex pet empires you dream of building. In this column we look specifically at how to write a dog daycare business plan  and all the information that should be included in it.

If this is your first visit, take a quick look at our last week's column on how to start a dog daycare business , where we talked more extensively about actually planning and launching this venture. Today's article will be focused specifically on how to write a dog daycare business plan and I'll try to be more specific.

There are many families that are not around during the day to take care of their dog's needs including feeding, playing, walking and relieving themselves. This is a void that can definitely be filled by an ambitious person who loves dogs and is interested in starting a doggy daycare.

Don't get too excited about your dog business plans just yet. There is a lot more that goes into a pet business than simple love of dogs and a desire in becoming an entrepreneur (petpreneur?) As a business owner you will wear many hats. Some of the duties that you'll be responsible for include:

• Communicating with customers
• Administrative work
• Financial documentation and taxes
• Advertising and marketing
• Website maintenance

…and many more. Especially in the beginning, business owners tend to do mostly everything by themselves to save on expenses. You may be working long hours, nights, and weekends. You'll have a lot on your plate as a business owner, but eventually you'll get a handle on everything and it will start to get easier.

If you’re just beginning to think about launching a dog daycare business and you’d like more information, you can also check out our older general post on  How to Start a Pet Business with Dogs . You’ll find lots of generic information about what to expect when starting your own venture and what you can do to ensure it is a success.

Like all businesses, if you want to undertake something like this then you should start with a well thought out business plan. A proper plan establishes the initial and long term goals of the operation and helps you focus on the core aspects of the canine daycare during the planning phase. The more you put into planning, the less surprises you'll have along the way. So let's talk about how to write a dog daycare business plan, and how to do this properly.

Your business plan is a crucial piece of securing the financing that you'll need to start your own dog daycare . It is the first thing that investors and banks look at. They want to see your plan on how you're going to get their money back with profit. They want to be able to understand what you're business will be like, how you'll get it started, what you're going to accomplish and how you will make it successful.

Even if you're able to fund your own dog daycare business yourself and do not plan on looking for investors, you should still  write a dog daycare business plan. Why? Because:

• It will help you set goals for yourself and your business
• It will help you to stay on the right track and remind you where you're going
• It will help to calculate all the costs that you'll endure throughout this journey
• It will paint a better picture of when and how you're going to start making profit

A business plan is certainly never set in stone and you can alter it as you go if necessary (most likely, you will) but it will outline the things that you want achieve and how you plan to do that.

Assess the need for a NEW dog daycare business

Before any new doggy daycare can be started, you must first make sure there is a need for that business in the area you want to establish it in. You need to have enough prospective customers to help feed the business . This can be done very easily.

Are there plenty of dogs in your area? Is there already an established dog daycare? Think about the owners. Do you live in a suburban area where there are many stay-at-home parents who are home for large parts of the day, or do you live in a place where most folks leave for work in the morning and don't return until dinner time?

RELATED: 10 Great Dog Business Ideas for Petreneurs

Dog daycare may be a service that people are willing to travel a small way for, but it probably wouldn't be worth it for someone to drive more than 15 or 20 minutes to get to your business. Focus on your local area. Be sure that there are plenty of dogs in your town, or neighboring towns that would require your services.

You could chat with friends and family in the area, but you may also want to survey dog owners at your local park, pet store, or grooming facility. Chatting with dog owners is the best way to find out if your services are needed and if pet parents would pay you for it.

Start with using your own logic first and the most simple opportunities for quick research. Write down all your thoughts and the results from whatever research you do by yourself. This will get you started before you devote more time to hard data, statistics and proper market research, which is going to be a crucial part of knowing how to write a dog daycare business plan properly.

State your initial and long term dog daycare business boals

The first and most important part of any business plan is stating the initial and long term goals of the business; it’s no different when establishing a doggy daycare. As I stated before, a carefully done plan will let you focus on the specifics of the undertaking startup and also help you plan for the future .

Here is an example as it relates to a doggy daycare business: I will start a doggy daycare that is initially done out of my home which has the capability to take care of 4 – 6 dogs comfortably during the day. Eventually when the business grows, it will be relocated to some rental space at my brother’s property to expand it to accommodate up to 20 – 25 dogs. Once you grow out of that space, you'll be able to afford something bigger and fancier. All of this should already be pre-planned; never go into this business war unprepared and thinking that “whatever happens, happens.”

Somewhere around this section you also need to include whether or not you will have a business partner(s) and what type of entity your business will be. Will it be a sole proprietorship, a single member LLC, or an S-Corp?

RELATED: How to Start a Dog Grooming Business

Most of the time, small businesses start out as a sole proprietorship for the first year or two. Then once you have all the paperwork, bills, and tax requirements under control you can start looking into filing for an LLC to separate your personal assets from your business.

If you have decided to start your pet business with a partner, you need to decide now if you will run it as a limited liability company (LLC), a corporation, or a partnership. You need to discuss all of this with your business partner and be sure to make all major business decisions together. This information has to be included within your doggy daycare business plan so your investors or the bank (and even yourself) will know how you and your partner plan to work together.

Make this section short and to the point. It's just a general overview of where you see your business in the first year and where you see it going in the future . Anyone reading your pet business plan is simply looking for the basics in this first section. The details will come later.

Who is your target clientele?

No dog related business will survive without customers and it is wise to market your business to your target clientele.

Your customers will likely be dog owners who are not home during the day to tend to their pet's needs. But what about seniors who have a hard time keeping up with energetic dogs? They may be interested in putting their pet in daycare a few days a week for some socialization and play time.

Think outside the box. There are many people that would like to use a dog daycare service, and you want to make sure your business appeals to all of them. This part of the plan should look something like this for the small doggie care mentioned above: The canine daycare will initially start to focus on potential customers that are in housing developments and apartment complexes which are within ½ mile of my home.

Scope of your dog daycare business

Planning for the scope of your business is one of the most essential things to keep in mind when learning how to write a dog daycare business plan. The first step is to decide where your place will be located. Will you run it out of your home or rent a commercial space?

Once you figure out how much space you'll need and/or have, you can decide how many dogs you're willing to take at one time. Maybe you only have the space for 4-6 dogs, or maybe you're renting a large commercial space with the ability to take 20 or more dogs each day. Just remember that the more dogs you watch, the more employees you'll need to care for them.

RELATED: How to Prepare Your Dog for Summer

This is also the place where you'll list the services that you're going to offer. Many dog daycare businesses offer bordering services, training programs, or grooming services to their customers as well. Is this something you're interested in? Will you provide these services yourself or partner with a professional trainer or dog groomer?

It's important to offer multiple services to broaden your customer base, but you don't want to offer too many. Make sure that you excel at the services that you provide, and if that means that you can only offer daycare and boarding in the beginning, that's fine. If you offer too many pet services, you may spread yourself too thin.

Keep in mind that the larger the scope of your dog business is, the more money it will cost to run it. Employee salaries and additional supplies add up quickly, and most commercial building's rent rates are based on the size of the space. Make sure to weight the additional costs against the extra money that a larger business will bring in.

How to finance your doggy daycare business

By the time you get to this part of the plan you will have a good idea what type of finances it will take to get your doggy daycare started. A general rule to follow here is to make sure you have enough financing in place to run the business without any revenue for 6 months. It may not take you that long to turn a profit, but in this case it is better to be safe than sorry. In terms of your own salary, this number varies greatly. A lot of future big business owners count for 3 years of no salary for themselves during the planning phase.

A majority of small businesses fail because they are underfunded during the startup phase. Surely you don't want to fall under this statistic.

None of your financial figures need to be set in stone, but you will need to have a good idea about what all your expenses will be. Remember, the more you plan for, the less surprises you'll have. You'll need to plan for large expenses like rent, utilities, equipment that you'll need to care for the dogs, and fencing. Once you have the final number, add an additional 20% on top of it for unexpected expenses.

Don't forget the expenses that aren't quite so obvious, like:

• Office equipment
• Furniture for you and your customers
• Any renovation costs you may incur
• Advertising and marketing expenses (including website design)

When figuring out how to write a dog daycare business plan, it is best to over-estimate your plan for potential expenses. You don’t want to underestimate and then have your business fail quickly because it was underfunded, or start desperately looking for extra funding. Do your research and be as accurate as possible, but make sure to leave yourself a little bit of wiggle room in terms of money. There are bound to be expenses that you didn’t plan for when starting your dog daycare business.

Advertising and marketing your doggy daycare business

Once you've selected the services that you'll offer and you have an estimate on the dog supplies, office supplies, utilities and other things that you'll be paying for, it's time to set your prices and begin advertising and marketing your new venture. You need to take this part very seriously, because better marketing and more ads mean more customers.

First things first, set the right pricing . You'll need to stay competitive with other dog daycare centers in your area. Call around to some other facilities and find out their rates. Your rates should be slightly less than theirs because you have no experience. Once you begin to build a reputation you can increase your prices.

Now onto advertising. It isn't just about television commercials, radio announcements and billboards. All those things are fine, if you can afford them. However, since most small businesses are working with a small budget, there are lots of ways to advertise that are cheaper than all of that.

Today's new advertising is marketing. Internet is the perfect platform for that: you can reach a huge customer base with very little investment (but a lot of time and hard work).

Getting creative can save you a lot of money when it comes to advertising and marketing. Once you've tried everything you could online – social media, your own website, reaching out to other sites, email marketing and so on – you can move onto the old-school methods which still work very effectively. My advice for the cheapest approach would be to print some fun doggy daycare related flyers and eye catching business cards and place them around your local area strategically. You can hang flyers in senior centers, coffee shops, grooming facilities , veterinarian offices and other places that dog owners who may need dog daycare will frequent.

You could also hand out flyers or business cards at your local dog park. If you are willing to put in some extra time you won't need to spend as much money. Thinking about your target market and the places that they will be mostly likely to see your advertisements will get you a lot farther than a generic television ad that will be viewed by hundreds of people that don't even own a dog.

Still, never forget the importance of a well made website and social media when advertising. In today's world most people look for services, whether for themselves or for their dogs, online. Establishing a website and advertising it through social media is a very inexpensive way to reach a large audience. Yet I still see so many dog businesses avoiding the online world, either with no websites and social media presence, or being very passive with their voice and having terrible and/or broken websites.

Internet is a holygrail of cheap marketing opportunities, so use it!

Legal responsibilities and management

Small doggy daycare business owners usually will run all the aspects of the business themselves. Larger pet daycares will most likely have employees and some type of management structure. Once you get to this part of the business plan you must state how many managers, employees, office personnel will be part of the day to day operations of the business. If you start with just yourself, that's fine too, but try to think a few steads ahead. Scaling should always be on your mind.

To go along with this you'll also need to include how you will care for all the legal responsibilities that a dog daycare owner has. This is the most important section of your business plan . Improper planning could result in major legal consequences for you, your employees and your clients.

Your legal responsibilities will vary depending on the region where you live in. Different states and cities have their own regulations that you'll need to follow.

Be sure that your doggy daycare business plan addresses the following points:

• Your licensing and certification responsibilities
• Liability waivers for your clients
• Pet business insurance
• Any specific laws in your region
• Client contracts
• Employee contracts

I cannot stress enough how important it is to properly plan for your dog business. Learning how to write a dog daycare business plan is only the first step. Now you need to do your research and create the most inclusive plan possible. Again, the better you plan now, the less surprises you'll have when actually launching your fresh pet venture.

References and further reading:

• Permitting for pet and animal-related businesses
• Guide to researching the doggie day care market
• Plan Example #1 (PDF)
• Plan Example #2  (PDF)
• Plan Example #3 (PDF)
• Woof Over Head Doggie Daycare and boarding
• What Is the Cost to Start a Dog Daycare Business?
• High-end doggy day care: No downsizing for Fido
• Become a Dog Daycare Owner

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Dog Daycare Business Plan Template [Updated 2024]

Dog Daycare Business Plan Template

If you want to start a Dog Daycare or expand your current Dog Daycare, you need a business plan.

The following Dog Daycare business plan template gives you the key elements to include in a winning Dog Daycare business plan.

You can download our Business Plan Template (including a full, customizable financial model) to your computer here.

Below are links to each of the key sections of your Dog Daycare business plan: I. Executive Summary II. Company Overview III. Industry Analysis IV. Customer Analysis V. Competitive Analysis VI. Marketing Plan VII. Operations Plan VIII. Management Team IX. Financial Plan

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Dog Daycare Business Plan Home I. Executive Summary II. Company Overview III. Industry Analysis IV. Customer Analysis V. Competitive Analysis VI. Marketing Plan VII. Operations Plan VIII. Management Team IX. Financial Plan

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