Veronica Boutelle - Minding Your Dog Business: A Practical Guide to Business Success for Dog Professionals

Minding Your Dog Business
A Practical Guide to Business Success for Dog Professionals Veronica Boutelle and Rikke Jorgensen

Dogwise Publishing
A Division of Direct Book Service, Inc.
403 South Mission Street, Wenatchee, Washington 98801
1-509-663-9115, 1-800-776-2665
www.dogwisepublishing.com / info@dogwisepublishing.com

2010 Veronica Boutelle and Rikke Jorgensen

Cover photo: Jennifer Murray
Photographs: Rikke Jorgensen
Cover design: Laurie Zimmerman Schmidt
Graphic Design: Lindsay Peternell

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, digital or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage or retrieval system without permission in writing from the publisher.

Limits of Liability and Disclaimer of Warranty:
The author and publisher shall not be liable in the event of incidental or consequential damages in connection with, or arising out of, the furnishing, performance, or use of the instructions and suggestions contained in this book.

ISBN 978-1-929242-74-0

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Boutelle, Veronica.
Minding your dog business : a practical guide to business success for dog professionals / Veronica Boutelle, Rikke Jorgensen.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-1-929242-74-0
1. Dog industry. 2. Small businessManagement. 3. New business enterprisesManagement. I. Jorgensen, Rikke, 1969- II. Title.
SF434.5.B68 2010
636.7068dc22
2010016031

Printed in the U.S.A.

DEDICATION

To Alice, Zeppa, and Wagnerthe dogs in our lives and the
best writing buddies possible.

And to Gina, forever hoping shell move back.

Praise for Minding Your Dog Business

Veronica and Rikke hit the bulls-eye in their emphasis on clarity and plain English in all client dealings, and sophisticated, up-to-the minute business strategies. There is an ah-ha momentsometimes severalon every page. Jean Donaldson, The Academy for Dog Trainers, author of The Culture Clash, Mine!, and Dogs Are From Neptune

Without a doubt the most useful compendium of marketing and business development advice available for dog professionals. Practical, easy-to-read, insightful and innovativean essential read for anyone who wants to be a successful dog trainer. Dr Ian Dunbar, veterinarian, animal behaviorist, and author of How to Teach a New Dog Old Tricks

A valuable resource for both the aspiring and experienced dog trainer, dog walker or pet sitter. The book covers all aspects of running a businessits like having your own personal business consultant in hand! The chapters on Web design and Internet marketing are particularly useful and provide compelling advice for this vital aspect of the success of any small business. Mychelle Blake, MSW, CDBC, Editor-in-Chief, The APDT Chronicle of the Dog

The authors have done a fabulous job in bringing their skills and talents to the world of dogs. This book is a must-have for any dog professional. The resources are amazing and the book is quick and easy to read. I enjoyed it while getting my hair done! Pia Silvani, CPDT, Director of Training and Behavior, St. Huberts Animal Welfare Center

Full of helpful information! Terry Ryan, CPDT, president of Legacy Canine, author of Coaching People to Train Their Dogs and Outwitting Dogs

Excellent: Practical, readable, and extremely valuable. Professionals in the dog world should put this one on their shelfwithin arms reach! Trish King, CPDT, Director of Behavior & Training, The Marin Humane Society, author of Parenting Your Dog

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We are indebted to our two friends and colleagues, SEO expert Judy Taylor and dogTEC consultant and trainer Gina Phairas, for their insightful input, unwavering support, critical eyes, and sense of humor.

Thank you also to everyone at Dogwise for being so enjoyable to work with and a special thanks to Charlene for her enthusiasm and good conversation.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

For many dog training, care and behavior professionals, the dogs are the easy part. Even our human clientsusually considered much more challenging than our canine ones, can still be a lot less daunting than the prospect of developing, launching, marketing and maintaining the business end of our dream career of working with animals. Yet proficiency in creating, building and running a business is as critically important to success as is the ability to read dog body language, lure a dog to lie down, shape a complex behavior chain, or explain to a dogs human the importance of using reinforcers that the dog likes. Without business acumen, many a good pet service professional has goneand will godown the financial drain.

I was fortunate. I spent more than a decade in the administrative end of animal shelter work, and concluded my animal protection career by acquiring a degree in Business Administrationall of which helped me navigate the hazards of small business entrepreneurship when I left the Marin Humane Society and launched Peaceable Paws. If I hadnt, I might have been in deep trouble, because Veronica Boutelle, Gina Phairas, and Rikke Jorgensen hadnt yet launched dogTEC and Minding Your Dog Business had yet to be written. As it was, if Id had this book to read then, I might have avoided some costly mistakes and some unhappy trial-and-error learning experiences.

I first encountered the dogTEC folks when they sent me samples of their materials to distribute to my dog training academy studentsan example of the kind of generosity of information and spirit that seems to be endemic with them. Many of my students have made use of their services, and invariably give glowing reports of dogTECs ability to provide prompt and useful assistance with business challenges and questions. The online dogTEC newsletter is another shining example of their willingness to share information and their desire to help others succeed.

Todays dog professionals are incredibly lucky to have access to these ladies and the invaluable resources they have to offer. Boutelle and Jorgensen know their dog stuff as well as their business stuff, and combine those two areas of expertise to present this well-written volume, jam-packed with useful information. The book is unique in the canine book market, with its razor sharp focus on exactly the things you need to know to succeed at the dog service business of your choice. If you provide a solid foundation of good dog and people skills, implementation of the concepts presented in Minding Your Dog Business should almost guarantee your business success. That would make Boutelle and Jorgensen and the rest of the dogTEC team very happythey want you to succeed!

Pat Miller, CPDT-KA, CDBC
Peaceable Paws LLC
www.peaceablepaws.com

ITS A DOG 2.0
WORLD

75 million dogs (and counting) share our homes, up from 51 million twenty years ago. Where before they mostly pursued careers in agriculture and hunting, the primary job description of most dogs now is companion. Their lives play out in houses and condos, in parks and suburban yards, on city sidewalks and inside cars. Dogs have become full-fledged family members. We buy them toys, we have their teeth cleaned, we take them to classes. They accompany us on vacation and to the office. We bond over dogs. We get together for events with names like Woofstock and The Bark & Whine Ball. The last decade has seen the invention of Pet Fashion Week, dog mineral water, canine hip replacement surgery, and an annual Pet Parents DayApril 22, in case you wondered. We throw Santa Paws parties, Howl-oween parties, doggie birthday parties, and Puppy Showers.

Its a Dog 2.0 world.

This new reality, in which Americans spend more than $45 billion annually on services and products for their beloved pets, is arguably a paradise for owners of pet service businesses. Accordingly, the number of businesses devoted to dogs and their owners has exploded.