To Play With Pups or Provide for Pets?

It’s no secret that the pet care industry is booming. Just in the past decade the industry has grown by billions in revenue and shows no sign of slowing down. However, there are specific sectors within the industry which include retail and care operations. If you’re thinking of opening a pet-related business, it’s important to understand the differences between the two. Should you go into pet care retail or consider opening a dog daycare? Both have their benefits but the decision really depends on what you’re looking for out of a business and career.

Hands On or Off?

Diving into the pet industry to open a business means that you have the opportunity to decide how hands on or hands off you really want to be. Options like a dog daycare franchise tend to mean that you’d like a more involved role in the daily operation of your business while a pet supplies retail location gives you the opportunity to be more absent. Either is a fine path for owning your own business, but it really depends on what you’re looking for out of your career.

Those that consider opening a dog daycare franchise typically have a deep-seated love for animals and want to be around them more frequently. As a dog daycare franchise owner, you have the opportunity to be very hands on with your team and your four-legged clients! That isn’t to say you have to be overwhelmed by work or be tied to your location. When you partner with a premier franchise, like K9 Resorts, you get the kind of support you need to find and train staff so you can truly trust your team to handle the bulk of daily operations. But you’ll still get to play with pooches! It’s a win-win for those interested in spending more time with pups.

When it comes to owning a pet retail location, you still likely have an undying love for animals but maybe would rather either be less involved in daily operations or simply want to provide a different type of service to the community. Pet retail franchises also provide a much-needed service to our beloved animals but are less hands-on when it comes to pet interaction. While most pet stores allow our furry friends inside, it’s only for a brief visit. However, retail locations do benefit from the industry resilience that all pet care businesses enjoy. No matter what the economy is doing, our animals still have to eat, be groomed, and be entertained.

Thinking about opening a dog daycare franchise? Learn where to start, and how K9 helps:

Opening a Dog Daycare – How to Get Started

Growth Opportunity

Is your goal to open multiple locations? Or would you rather make one location your focus? Either are fine business paths but whichever you desire may make a difference in your choice to open a dog daycare franchise or a retail location. Pet care retail franchises are “easier” to scale up, meaning you can open multiple locations of the same franchise relatively quickly as long as you have the capital.

When it comes to something like opening a dog daycare, there’s a little bit more that goes into it. Dog daycares require very detailed specifics for location and you may have to build from the ground up to meet them while retail locations can simply settle into an already existing development with ease. Training is much more detailed when it comes to a dog daycare franchise than a retail location, so finding and educating your staff can be a longer process. With a dog daycare franchise like K9 Resorts, you’ll get help training your staff to make the process smoother and more effective.
Both businesses have the opportunity to grow, especially when the industry is expanding so rapidly, but it’s just a matter of how quickly you want to expand your empire.

Location

That brings us to location. As noted, finding the perfect location for a dog daycare franchise can take a little bit more work than nailing down a retail spot. Pet retail locations can be found in all sorts of places including any strip mall in Everywhere, USA. This makes finding and securing a location for a retail store relatively simple and quick. There are limited restrictions or requirements when it comes to pet retail.

If you’re thinking about opening a dog daycare, finding a location could be more of a challenge. Dog daycares require a significant amount of square footage for dog play areas as well as separate boarding areas and offices. Often finding the appropriate lot with good traffic is difficult. However, when you partner with a dog daycare franchise like K9 Resorts, you get location-finding assistance which can be invaluable in your business journey.

If you’re interested in opening a dog daycare and are thinking of going the franchise route, reach out! We’re excited to partner with dedicated animal lovers who are eager to serve the pet care community and want to build their own business.