Dog Boarding Facilities, Pet Resorts and Doggy Daycares

Dog boarding facilities have proven to be profitable investments. In metropolitan cities, business professionals need places where they can leave their pets while they work and travel. In areas with high dog ownership, people want to give their dogs the chance to socialize with other dogs and to get some much needed exercise. Clients that utilize dog boarding and daycare facilities find them indispensable. In a nation that takes good care of its pets, dog boarding facilities have a good return on investment.

There are three options when it comes to boarding facilities: building your own, purchasing an existing facility, and buying a franchise. Each of these have their own advantages and disadvantages. 

Building your own dog boarding facility gives you the freedom to make it exactly as you envisioned it. You can let your passion for pets take over and create a mecca for dogs and cats. The disadvantages to building your own are monetary considerations, construction and time line, zoning, licenses, and etc.  All of these items can be very time consuming, stressful and costly depending on your geographic location.  It is also increasingly more difficult to obtain financing for ‘start ups’. 

Purchasing an existing dog boarding facility, pet resort or daycare has less stress, time and cost involved.  The facility is built, zoning and licenses are in order, most of the time the business has well trained staff running the day-to-day operations, and most importantly:  you’ll get an immediate clientele base that generates income for you from Day One.   Most of the time, buying an existing facility is less risky than starting your own and because of that, financing for existing businesses is more readily available.  A profitable business will generate enough money to pay you a salary and pay for its own mortgage. 

Buying a franchise is another option. An advantage of franchises is having a good name associated with your facility, the setup is easy, and you get the support you need. The downside is that you are limited to what business decisions you can make and royalty fees cut into your profits immediately.  Franchising is a good option for those with no industry experience and who like a ‘cookie cutter’ mode of business.  When considering a franchise, it is imperative to do very thorough due diligence into the company and the claims it makes, as well as to talk to current and past franchise owners.  Be clear about your responsibilities to the franchise company before committing to a purchase.  Hire an attorney to review all documents before signing! 

If you would like to know more about the options available to you, give us at National Kennel Sales & Associates a call today at 1–877-690-DOGS (3647).  We provide consulting services to people interested in entering the industry whether it’s a start-up, purchasing an existing kennel or a franchise.