The Dog Business

Key Dog Statistics (UK)

A growing Demand

9m

UK Dog population

25%

of households have a dog

6,702,000

Households with a dog

15

years of increasing pet spend

58.4m

estimated UK pet population

£2.0+

billion spent on pets annually

11m+

working parents

34%

parents feel resentful to their employer over work-life balance

27%

of dog households have more than 1 dog

1.5

dogs per household in Wales

1.3

dogs per household in London

842,000

households with dogs in the South East

45%

of households have a pet

#1

Dogs are the UK’s favourite pet

(Source: UK Pet Manufacturer’s Association 2018)

Resources

The dog business

Why choose the pet industry?
Do you love animals?
Types of dog businesses
Key doggy statistics
What’s in it for me?
It’s not all a walk in the park
Are you fit to play?
The legal and regulatory landscape
Dog-care licensing
Licensing and professional guidelines
Professional guidelines for Dog Walking (UK)
Guidelines for Home Boarding and Day-Care (England)
Guidelines for Commercial Day-Care (England)
Guidelines for Home Boarding (Scotland)
Guidelines for Commercial Day-Care (Scotland)
Planning permission
Professional guidance
Franchise partners we're looking for
Preparing your business plan
Starting a dog business
When can I ‘Go Live’ with my dog business
What next?

Franchising

What is a franchise?
What should I look for?
Franchise support
Franchising advantages
Franchising disadvantages
Types of business franchise arrangements
Evaluating a franchise
Franchise costs and returns
Final reality check
Market research
Enterprise Finance Guarantee from Natwest
Starting a Dog Business (PDF Download)

Videos
60 seconds introduction: Starting your own dog business, partnering with MyWaggyTails
Alfie says ‘we need your help’
Behind the scenes – home boarding for dogs with MyWaggyTails
Why do businesses (and dog businesses) fail and what you learn?
Setting up your dog business in 28 days
Tips on starting your own dog walking business
Thinking about starting your own dog business? Why it’s difficult to quit your job.
MyWaggyTails – the Director’s Bloopers
An introduction to a MyWaggyTails home boarding franchise
A lesson I learnt from Sir Richard Branson

MyWaggyTails Business

Registered address: PolkaDot Consulting Limited, 3rd Floor, 86-90 Paul Street, London EC2A 4NE

MyWaggyTails is fully insured. Licensed for Home Boarding and Day-Care by South Oxfordshire Council – Licence Number: 20174

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