Starting a dog training business – just like any business – can be daunting.
Achieving success with your new venture is even more difficult. Beware of anyone who tempts you with ‘quick fixes’ or ‘simple steps’ when it comes to starting your dog training business. While demand for dog training continues to increase year-over-year, the reality is that the industry continues to become ever more competitive.
At the School for Dog Trainers, we not only teach you how to train dogs – we also pride ourselves on teaching you how to thrive in your dog training career. For those who choose to take the route of founding their own dog training business, our School is renowned for providing you with unparalleled guidance and support in your endeavors. Our Graduate Stories series on this website highlights a small fraction of the students at our School who have gone on to achieve success when setting up their own business.
With so much to consider – from business plans to legal structures, and pricing to marketing strategies – it can be hard to know where to begin. In this article, we’ll run through the major points you need to consider when starting a dog training business.
Education and certification
The first step towards launching your business should be to pursue formal education in the field of dog training. There are several reasons for this. Aside from the obvious point that the more you know about dog training, the more you’ll be able to help clients, which in turn will enhance your reputation as a trainer – there are other benefits, too. Most notably, data indicates that dog trainers with formal education can earn up to 60% more than their counterparts without certification.
Depending on the path you wish to pursue, there are several dog training certification options available. The School for Dog Trainers offers several programs in various facets of dog training, including the Master Dog Trainer program, which offers a comprehensive mix of hands-on training and classroom theory over a 24-week course. Other organizations such as the CCPDT, APDT and IAABC offer dog training certifications that test a trainer’s competency and knowledge.
Create a business plan
Your business plan will be the guiding document that provides the blueprint for your business to launch. It will include vital research and information that will help you to make prudent decisions to give your business the best opportunity to be profitable. Your business plan should address the following topics:
- Dog training services – Which services will you offer? Will your sole focus be pet dog training (such as obedience, behavior modification and puppy training), or will you also offer services like working dog training and service dog training?
- Your target market – Who is your ideal customer? What are the key characteristics or segments that your business will be looking to attract?
- Market research – What is the local demand for dog training services? Who are the major competitors? What does the data tell you about factors like household income in your target market?
- Pricing structure – How will your pricing be structured? Where does this place you in comparison with your competitors?
- Marketing strategy – How will people learn about your business and its services? What offline and online strategies will you deploy?
A business plan should be somewhat flexible; once your business has launched, you may need to adjust your plan based on your experiences.
Startup structure and legal considerations
Having the correct legal structure for your business, along with insurance and licenses, is vital to protect your business against unexpected events. You will need to consider:
- Your business name
- Legal business structure (sole proprietor, Limited Liability Company, etc.)
- Insurance, including liability insurance and workers compensation
- Permits and licenses to operate a dog training business in your chosen jurisdiction
At this stage, you may also consider identifying accounting and marketing professionals to work with once your business launches. They will offer expertise in these essential functions to help your business prosper.
Location and equipment
Will you operate your own facility where you can offer board and train programs, or will you visit clients in their homes? Initially, you may find it difficult to raise the capital for your own facility, unless you are able to accommodate dogs in your existing living space. This decision will evidently have a significant influence on the services you can offer.
You may also need to invest in dog training equipment, such as leashes, collars and clickers. These items are not only practical for use in client appointments, but can also provide a great branding opportunity for your business.
Services and pricing
Pricing for your dog training business should be based on a few factors, including your own experience and level of education, in addition to the external market factors that might affect your local area (competition, cost-of-living, etc.). One advantage of pursuing education is that it typically makes it easier for you to charge more for your services, as clients know they are receiving information from a professional who has studied in the field. Dog trainers often choose to structure their training in programs which include a set number of sessions.
The temptation may be to undercut your competition by offering the cheapest prices in your local area. There are a few reasons you may not wish to adopt this pricing model.
- If you have education and experience in the industry, you are more qualified than many of your competitors – and are therefore offering more value to dog owners. Why should clients pay you less if they’re going to get better results by working with you?
- Setting your prices at the lower end of the scale may affect the perceived reputation of your business.
- If you set your prices too low, it can be difficult to scale the business and make it profitable. Raising your prices further down the line can be difficult if your business has built a reputation on beating competitors on price.
- If you believe your pricing is too high may deter potential clients, you can always offer discounts, referral programs or special offers to entice people to work with you.
Many owners of dog training businesses take their pricing for granted prior to launch, but it is one of the most important points to consider. It is very difficult to substantially change your approach to pricing once your target market has exposure to it.
Marketing and advertising
You can be the best dog trainer in the world, but without a coherent marketing and advertising strategy, your business won’t reach its target audience. If it doesn’t reach its target audience, it is unlikely to attract many clients – and if it doesn’t attract clients, it will struggle to generate sufficient revenue.
We have previously published a comprehensive guide on how to market your dog training business. While there is no shortage of potential dog training clients, in many areas, competition is fierce. You need to develop a marketing message that emphasizes the solutions to the problems that dog owners are encountering.
You will need an offline strategy and an online strategy. An offline strategy comprises tactics like in-person and networking events, and identifying partnership opportunities by speaking with staff at adjacent organizations such as veterinarians, groomers and rescues. Your online strategy will need to encompass your website design and development (including search engine optimization), social media channels, and potentially paid advertising on online platforms. Remember that many clients now make decisions when browsing online, so a robust digital marketing strategy is essential.
Marketing is all about strategy – not just tactics. It isn’t enough to write a blog post once in a while, or make a couple of posts on Instagram and then forget about it completely. Your marketing strategy needs to engage your audience, and it requires careful planning and consistency of implementation to be successful.
Processes, client management and customer service
The best businesses in any field have excellent, repeatable processes that allow them to grow. You should build processes for every part of your operation – and this isn’t just for client programs. When a potential client contacts you, it should set in motion a repeatable customer service process. It begins with the initial contact; it continues with agreeing on which program is most suitable, and an explanation of the advantages; then, the training program itself; and finally, the conclusion of the program, where the business should seek feedback to be able to continuously improve its offering.
Within each of those steps are several smaller steps that provide the client with a seamless and satisfying process that makes them enthusiastic about working with the business, and ultimately, provides a superior customer experience.
In conclusion
Many people have a dream of pursuing their passion and starting a business. Unfortunately, approximately twenty percent of businesses fail in the first year, and almost half are out of business within five years. There are varying reasons why those businesses fail, but often, it can be attributed to an aspect of the planning process that was overlooked, and could have foreseen the problems on the horizon.
At the School for Dog Trainers, we love to see our graduates succeed. We have worked to ensure that our students learn about the inner workings of running a business while studying our programs, and then we strive to create a supportive environment post-graduation where our graduates can go on and achieve their dog training dreams. If you have questions about starting your own dog training business, or want to learn more about the educational opportunities offered by the School for Dog Trainers, reach out to us today.