Should you start a Pet Business?

So, you’re at a crossroads in your life or your career (or both). Or maybe you simply know that you’re unhappy doing what you’re doing and you feel you need to make a change. You’ve been exploring entrepreneurship and you’ve read a bunch of, okay maybe just one or two, books on how to make the move. Undoubtedly the books have told you to figure out what your passion is, be it gardening, building things, cooking or being around animals, and follow that. They’ve probably recommended you find your passion and create a business around that passion.

Well the books are wrong, or at least partially wrong. Even if you love animals, the question shouldn’t be, “Should I start a pet care business?” but rather “Should I start a business?”. I know what you’re thinking, “But I love pets! How can that advice be wrong? Why shouldn’t I start a pet business?”. As I said, it’s partially wrong in that it’s tragically oversimplified.

Yes, you love pets. Do you also love sales, marketing, finance, working with people, managing employees, creating systems and processes, administrative work, human resources, technical troubleshooting and legal requirements? In other words, do you love, or even like, all of the many aspects of running your own business? If the answer to these questions is no, you need to think seriously about whether starting a business, any business, is for you.

People looking in on a pet care business tend to think that we spend our days playing with puppies and kittens but, while there is some of that, the majority of the pet care business owner’s day is spent in all the other non-pet related activities needed to maintain a thriving and growing business.

The truth is, especially in the lean, penny-pinching beginnings of a new business, you will be the sole wearer of all of these hats. As your business grows, you can and should hire out anything that you don’t love doing. This isn’t just because you hate doing them, it’s because, in all probability, you aren’t good at them and your talents are best spent elsewhere. In the beginning though, you are alone! And if you don’t like the majority of these activities, you will do them for a while but you won’t maintain the discipline needed in them to grow your business to that golden point when you can (hallelujah!) outsource.

Now back to the puppies and kittens, of course you need to love animals to make a pet care business successful. Without that, the first months (or years) when you’re dealing with poop, vomit, growling, hissing and all the other unpleasant aspects of animal care will quickly send you into a hole you may never come out of. Take heart though, there will also be the days when the scared kitty or pup you’ve been trying so hard to make comfortable comes out and lays in your lap and everything is right in the world!