Kennel
What will I be doing ?
About 12,000 kennels are now operated in the U.S. with the majority of them located on the same property where the owner lives. Running a kennel is an ideal home business.
There are many reasons why people use kennels : The owners are away for the weekend or for six months in Indonesia ; the owner is in the hospital or nursing home for a short stay or the animal must be quarantined in an appoved facility for a few weeks.
What services do kennels offer ? They provide lodging, food and care to pets on behalf of their owners. Kennels take care of pets, typically dogs, on a short-term or long-term basis.
What will I need to start ?
To start a kennel you must first know and love dogs. You don’t have to be a veterinarian, but you will need to attend to the health needs of dogs in your care. You must recognize and sometimes treat health problems yourself.
Of course, you’ll need a fenced kennel structure where you can keep the dogs. The more business you intend to seek, the larger the area you will need to house the dogs as well as to permit them space for exercise. You may also have facilities for cats or other pets, depending on your interests and local need. Designs for kennels are available in books on dog breeding and from kennel builders advertising in dog magazines. Of course, make sure your kennel complies with local zoning and health regulations.
One other thing you’ll need : understanding neighbors. Don’t try to set up a kennel in a residential neighborhood where barking will annoy people.
Who will my customers be ?
Customers for your kennel include individuals with pets as well as companies and retailers. For example, one successful metropolitan kennel catered to area pet stores who needed a place to keep animals they had purchased but couldn’t bring to the store, or animals under quarantine.
Most kennels offer services to the general public, working through local kennel clubs, advertising in newspapers and specialty publications and by referral from animal shelters.
How much should I charge ?
The hourly rate for kennels is difficult to calculate. You may charge an hourly rate for the time you are feeding and tending to the animals, and a daily rate for the kennel itself. You may even price your kennel by the size of the dog to reflect the additional room and food required.
A good way of setting your prices is to find out what others are charging in your area, then establishing your prices to draw business. This may mean lowering your price 10 to 20 percent or offering more services at the same price.
How much will I make ?
How much your kennel will make depends on how well you can market it. Once established, your kennel should be able to give you a full-time income after paying all expenses. Overhead, once the kennel and equipment are purchased, will be 25 to 35 percent of gross income. Find ways of creatively marketing your kennel, or even breeding dogs yourself, to increase income and profits. Your gross income depends on what services you offer (feeding, exercise, training), what facilities you have (heated runs, indoor/outdoor kennel units) and how many units you have and keep full. If, for example, you have 20 units at $7 a day, and keep your kennel 75 percent full, your gross income will be about $38,000 a year. From this, deduct your overhead expenses to figure your net income ($25,000 to $29,000).
How can I get started ?
Learn from others, develop skills working for others if possible, talk to prospective customers about their needs, plan your business on paper. This is especially true of kennels because so much depends on what you know. There are books on kennel management available through larger bookstores and dog breeder magazines. Contact your regional Small Business Administration Office for more resources.
The SIC code for kennels is 0752-05.
From the book of Dan Ramsey, Title : 101 Best Home Businesses, CAREER PRESS, 3 Tice Road, P.O. Box 687, Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417, 1-800-CAREER-1, 201-848-0310 (NJ and outside U.S.), FAX : 201-848-1727
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