How To Make Money As A Dog Groomer or Dog Sitter

Have you ever thought about making money from home as a dog groomer or dog sitter?

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Are you good with dogs?

Maybe you have thought of it but didn't know how to go about it?

I'm going to share some ideas to help you decide if this way of making money is right for you and your situation. Plus I will go through various ways you can get started as a dog groomer or dog sitter. There are useful links at the bottom of this page for further info.

I'm going to assume you love dogs and don't mind 'getting your hands dirty.'

Great! You are already half way there!

Let's look at what's involved for each area and then some general ideas to help you make a success of your business.

Bear in mind that there are very few costs to get started as a dog sitter. Dog grooming will involve start up costs but I have included it here as it is relevant to dog sitting. Once you are making money dog sitting you may want to branch out into being a dog groomer too.

Dog Sitter.

You can look after dogs either in their own home or in your home, or combine the two. It depends on your circumstances as to which you choose to offer.

Do you have a spare room and a garden? A room with access straight to the garden is even better. Is your garden secure or can you make it so? If you have children you may want to consider dividing your garden to keep the dogs and what they do (!) separate.

How many dogs could stay with you at any one time? Bear in mind that they all need a good walk or two every day If you don’t have family commitments then you could do dog sitting in people’s homes. Someone may work full time and need you to be there for a few hours a day.

Most likely you will be needed when they are away for a weekend, or away on holiday. It’s reassuring for them that their pet can stay in his/her familiar environment and you get to stay somewhere new for a week or two and get paid for an easy job! You will need to walk the dog, feed it, maybe groom it and play with it. Click here for more info.

Dog groomer.

Many people like to take pride in their pet’s appearance. However not everyone has the time or patience to do the grooming themselves. They will pay good money to have a professional dog groomer pamper their pet.

That’s where you come in! Can you visit people’s homes and groom their pets there? Do you have a room in your own home that you can set aside for dog grooming?

You will need to learn how to safely and effectively groom pets, and how to handle dogs that scratch, nip or bite. Even docile dogs don’t like getting their fur pulled, which can easily happen if it is knotted.

You could also learn nail clipping and offer this as an extra service. Being a pet groomer can be a flexible way to make money from home as you can make appointments to suit you. Maybe you just want to work mornings? Perhaps you just want to work 2 days a week. Once you have a regular client list, this could bring you a steady part-time income.

Once you have learned how to groom, tell your dog-owning friends about your new business. Offer them a free session for their dog. If you do a great job they will tell people they know.

How to get clients

Check out what dog grooming salons charge in your area as this will vary according to what country you are in and what kind of area you live in. You can then decide on your charges.

Read my ‘build a website’ section (click the make money on internet tab) and decide whether this would be a great way to get customers. This will be particularly beneficial if you want to build up a thriving full time business.

You can also get business cards printed (try www.vistaprint.com for very low prices) and put them up at local pet shops, dog training places and so on. Keep them on you when you are walking and give them out to other dog walkers.

The beauty of having your own website is twofold. Not only will you attract clients who find you on the internet, but you can put your website address onto business cards and let the website do all the work for you. It also saves you having to get leaflets printed, which can be very costly - and who keeps them for long anyway?

More Ideas.

Why not sell pet products once your dog grooming and dog sitter business is established? Here are some ideas of what you might sell:

Again, consider showing the products you sell on your website. You will then be able to sell to customers outside the area you live in which could really rocket your income. I highly recommend you read the case studies on the 'build a website' page for lots more inspiration.

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