How to Start a Doggy Day Care Business

How to Start a Doggy Day Care BusinessHow to Start a Doggy Day Care BusinessThe popularity of doggy daycare businesses has skyrocketed. By following a few simple steps, you can successfully start your own doggy daycare. Canine Experience If you are interested in opening a doggy daycare business, you should be knowledgeable in the areas of animal behavior, canine CPR, and canine first aid. Prior study in an animal-related field or experience as a veterinary technician, pet sitter, dog walker, or animal shelter volunteer is desirable. If you do not have prior experience, try to find an animal rescue group or vet clinic where you can volunteer. Business Considerations Before opening your doggy daycare, you must deal with various business and legal considerations. Consult your accountant regarding the advantages and disadvantages of forming your business as a sole proprietorship, limited liability company, or other entity. You also shouldbe in touch with your local government wit h regard to any permits or zoning considerations for your intended business location. If you are opening a small daycare operation, you may be the sole employee, but most doggy daycares have a few full- or part-time employees. Be sure to hire people with experience or certifications in animal careers. They also shouldbecome certified in pet CPR and first aidas a part of their training. Additional items to consider include obtaining an insurance policy, drafting release forms to prevent legal repercussions if dogs are injured while at daycare, and establishing a contingency plan with a nearby veterinarian for befhigung emergencies. Fantastic Facilities The trend in todays doggy day care industry is toward cage-free facilities, where dogs are kept in groups for the majority of the day. Most daycaresseparate the dogs by size during play time. It also iscommon for puppies to be separated from adult dogs. Kennel areas should be available for feeding the dogs separately, or for a sche duled break time from the pack environment. The facility should offer play areas, rest areas, outdoor areas, and kennels for potential overnight boarding. Splash pools are becoming a common feature. Water needs to be freely available to the dogs so that they can stay hydrated while they play. Air conditioning is an expected feature. Many facilities are now wired for live streaming webcams so that owners can log in and check on their dogs throughout the day. This is a highly sought after feature and should be heavily promoted in your advertising materials if you are able to offer it. Above all, provide a clean and safe environment for the dogs and for the peopletaking care of them. Cost Effective Advertisement Create a personalized web page or take advantage of advertising opportunities with local newspapers, magazines, and websites. You also can apply large logo magnets to the sides of your vehicle, and leave flyers and business cards at pet supply shops, veterinary clinics, sup ermarkets, and geschftszimmer complexes. Advertising in large office complexes is a particularly good idea, as many potentially interested office workers- people who by nature are gone from their pets all day long- may see your information. Define Your Services A doggy daycare business generally opens for drop-off service at about 7 a.m. and remains open until about 7 p.m. for pickups, Monday through Friday. Some offer weekend daycare service as well, though weekend hours usually begin mid-morning and require a pickup in the late afternoon. A few daycares even offer a shuttle that will pick up or drop off a pet for an additional fee. Some doggy daycares offer overnight or weekend boarding services, or at least have an emergency option for boarding if an owner is unable to pick up a dog as scheduled. Some daycare facilities also offer bathing, grooming, or obedience training services, in addition to pet supplies or pet food for sale. Most daycares require your dogs to be fully up to date on vaccinations such as rabies, distemper, parvo, and bordetella. A copy of current vaccination records is kept in a dogs file. Also, most daycares do not accept adult dogs that have not been spayed or neutered. Price Your Services The best way to figure out a pricing structure is to call around town and see what the competition is charging for similar services. Generally, doggy daycares charge between $18 and $32 per dog, per day. The cost varies widely based on where in the country a daycare is located and the specific services offered. You also mayconsider offering different rates for daily and monthly membership plans. For families that board multiple dogs, consider offering a discounted rate for each additional pet. Full- and half-day pricing also shouldbe an option. Consider Interviews for New Clients When accepting a new dog to the group, it is advisable to make sure the dog is socialized and can interact positively with other dogs. Many facilities conduct an interview with pet and owner. During this time, the pet owner should complete a contact sheet that includes an address, phone number, email address, and emergency contact numbers. The sheet also shouldinclude dog breed, color, date of birth, health history (allergies, previous injuries), veterinarians name, and clinic contact information.

How traveling helps entrepreneurs get good ideas

How traveling helps entrepreneurs get good ideasHow traveling helps entrepreneurs get good ideasEntrepreneurs often cite travel as a key ingredient for success in an increasingly globalized tech world. And its true- all businesspeople can benefit from getting outside of their comfort zones.When I was a kid, my family lived in three different countries- Ghana, Gambia, and Botswana. I returned to Ghana for college before moving to the U.S. Growing up abroad forced me to frequently make new friends, adapt to unexpected power outages, and navigate unfamiliar cultures.While moving around a lot came with many challenges, there were even bigger benefits, both for my personal development and, later, for the development of my software company. Specifically, my early experiences prepared me to handle the constantly shifting tech world.You dont have to move to new countries to establish adaptability. Its more about going out of yur way to meet new people and welcome foreign experiences.Heres wh y all tech entrepreneurs can benefit from experiencing some momentary discomfort in order to open up their mindsWhen unforeseen business challenges arise, I roll with the punches.Company leaders face unexpected challenges nearly every day. Sometimes you lose a major customer you were counting on to meet your goals. If you dont have a Plan B or Plan C, youll be completely caught off guard, so its important that youre flexible and remain calm under pressure.In some countries Ive lived in, for example, you couldnt take for granted the fact that there would always be power or water. Often there was power rationing, or youd randomly lose water for several days. Youd just deal with it.Weathering the obstacles of daily living in various countries continues to aid me in running a successful tech company.A few years ago, for example, our software platform went down due to some issues with our hosting provider. Without warning, we suddenly had thousands of unhappy customers. Our customers did nt know the backstory with our hosting provider they just knew they couldnt access our service. Keeping my cool in this situation was crucial to making sure we didnt lose too many customers from this glitch.Growing up in unpredictable cultures better prepared me for this situation, and for the many ones like it that inevitably come with being a tech entrepreneur. In fact there is a military acronym (VUCA Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity) that describes this sort of environment. In the business environment we live in today, leaders need to learn to operate in a world that is constantly in flux.Forging new friendships as a kid has helped me build relationships with a global team.Several times during my formative years, I was plucked from my life as I knew it and dropped into an entirely foreign environment. The first few days were always horrible because I didnt know anybody and felt completely isolated.But the initial difficulties were well worth it. I was forced to ad apt, make new friends, learn new social rules and- ultimately- come to welcome the novel.Later on, I applied the receptivity I cultivated growing up to building my companys team. When you look beyond your immediate surroundings, you might realize your perfect programmer lives in Alaska. Maybe 20 years ago, this wouldnt have been possible, but now with tools like Slack and Skype, you dont have to always be in the same place as your team. You can always organize retreats where you all get to know each other on a more personal level.When you try to source talent outside of your comfort zone, youll find skilled employees you never expected.Regardless of where you are, its important to remember that everyone is different. Remaining open and receptive to different types of people is key to building a stellar team.Travel inspires me to think outside of the box.Although Im no longer moving around, I totenstill travel often. When I do, I like to experience new cultures the way local people d o. If I go to Mexico, for example, I skip the sanitized tourist version. Rather than visit a chain restaurant or a beach filled with Californians on Spring Break, I go out of my way to experience the local food and the local culture.When you immerse yourself in different cultural experiences, opportunities for personal development abound. But travel can also help you grow as a business-person.For example, Austrian entrepreneur Dietrich Mateschitz got the idea for Red Bull when he traveled to Thailand and tried a similar local drink. He modified the ingredients slightly to suit Western tastes, and founded Red Bull in partnership with the Thai company, Krating Daeng. If Mateschitz had never gone to Thailand, the worlds leading energy drink would not exist. Because he opened himself up to different cultures, he reaped major rewards. Red Bull has the highest market share of any energy drink, and sells roughly 6 billion cans a year.But you dont necessarily have to leave your continent to think outside the box. Even in your own city, you can see things in a new light simply by shaking up your routine. You can take a different street home from work, or try a new restaurant or cuisine. In doing so, youll probably learn something about yourself or other people you didnt know before.I was lucky in that my childhood experiences encouraged me to become open-minded from an early age. But even if youve lived in the same place your whole life, its possible- and important- to court the novel whenever possible. If you want to succeed as a business leader, its crucial to cultivate a broad outlook.Peter Swaniker is theFounder and CEO at XimbleThis article was originally published on Quora.com.

A life lesson learned the hard way and what it taught me

A life lesson learned the hard way and what it taught meA life lesson learned the hard way and what it taught meThere I was, sliding down the side of Mount St. Helens in a t-shirt, shorts, and flip-flops. One of my friends had already slipped past me in the snow. I tackled my second friend to stop him and tell him something very important.We were lost.Extreme situations like this generally dont happen by accident. Decisions are made beforehand that determine a specific outcome. We call those decisions preparation - or a lack thereof.While we all managed to make it down the mountain alive that day, I learned some pretty harsh lessons about preparation along the way.Many people think theres no glory in preparationWe often dont prepare properly because no one gives us credit for it. Were only evaluated on the outcome.Sometimes, people dont even want to hear about yur preparation, because it takes away the allure of the flawless, charismatic performer. No one wants to know about the gru nt work that takes place behind the scenes.When my friends and I decided to climb Mount St. Helens, I didnt take the preparation seriously.Im a runner, and Ive always been fit in comparison to my friends and colleagues. So, while other people in my group prepared extensively for the experience, I decided to just show up.In a t-shirt, shorts, and flip-flops.Right away, there were signs I had not prepared as well as I should have. I noticed that the other hikers looked like theyd been on a shopping spree at REI. They had all kinds of gear I didnt, including ice tools and crampons. We were making the trek in June, and the heat and humidity were pretty intense at the cousine of the mountain.It had never occurred to me that there would be ice at the top.But Id traveled 2,000 miles to climb this mountain. I wasnt going to leave without the glory of making it to the top in my limited gear. Ultimately, that need for glory was part of my downfall.Lack of preparation serves as an excuse for f ailingSome people will announce theyre just winging it when they begin a project or a task. They do that because it sets expectations very low. If they fail, well, they were just winging it. If they succeed, then theyve exceeded expectations.I did end up succeeding. Despite my only equipment being a soccer ball I brought along in my backpack, I did make it to the summit along with two of my friends.At one point, I was trudging through snow while wearing my day-at-the-beach outfit. But I persevered and made it to the top.Success, right?I used to have this mentality about preparation, but I view it a little differently today.Preparation pays off, especially as you take bigger risks.If I had done research before climbing the mountain, I would have found out theres a very specific technique for getting down.The other hikers at the summit had brought along rolled up tarps. They unrolled them, sat down, and used them as sleds to travel down the mountain.We didnt have any tarps.Which bring s me to why I was sliding down the mountain in shorts, worrying about frostbite on my rear end. At some point in that long, cold slide, I began to get the sense that we werent going in the right direction. I managed to stop one of my friends, even as the other went flying past.By then, the sun was going down - and we had nothing to make it through the night. I knew we had to get off the mountain as soon as possible and get help for our friend who had slid out of view.For the first time in my life, I felt truly frightened about the situation I was in. That terror only lasted for about half an hour - until we got our bearings - but it was intense.I had taken a big risk without preparing, and it backfired.Experts know the value of preparationSome people spend a lot of time showing you how much energy and work theyre putting into preparation.But experts and professionals tend to operate behind closed doors. They work backwards, clearly defining the outcome they want, and then figurin g out exactly how much preparation they need to achieve it.I didnt work backwards for my Mount St. Helens trip. I simply decided whatever Id already done would be enough. It wasnt.Thats why when we finally got down the mountain, I was bleeding from both my legs and one arm. I couldnt even feel it because I was so cold. Our third friend had been picked up by the Rangers after finding a different route - one that included nearly falling down a ravine.As you might imagine, something clicked for me after that experience. I gained a new level of appreciation for what goes on behind the scenes. Now, I havent stopped taking risky and memorable trips with my friends. In fact, the risk has increased year after year.I just prepare for them better.Praveen Tipirneni is president and CEO ofMorphic Therapeutic Inc.Thiscolumnfirst appeared atQuora.