Do I Need to Register My Business, Create a Contract, and Obtain Insurance to Provide In-home Pet Care?

Pet care is a billion-dollar business, with more than 60 million Americans now spending more than $5.8 billion on their pets every year. Animal care and service is a particularly popular job opportunity because it doesn’t require advanced education or training. Pet care also has a positive job outlook of more than 22%, with the flexibility of starting your own in-home pet care business.

Before you launch your own pet care business, you need to know the legal requirements for starting a new business as legal disputes can significantly hurt smaller businesses. While digging into the realities of business and taxes may seem daunting, it’s important to treat this pet care venture as a “real” business to avoid unpleasant surprises and potential pitfalls. To get you started, here are the top steps you should take when you start your in-home pet care service.

Determine Your List of Services

What will you be offering to clients of your pet care service? Will you only offer grooming? Are you offering pet sitting? Are you focusing on just dogs or cats? It’s not designed to be a laundry list of everything you could offer to your clients.

Focus on those services that you feel most comfortable offering to clients. Remember that your service offerings will likely evolve based on requests and the realities of space, time, and value. You just need a place to start, but you also should make sure that you offer the kinds of services that will best optimize your time and availability.

Create a Business Plan

A business plan is important for any business, even if you think it will be a small, in-home business. Beyond just listing the name of your business and what you will offer, your business plan should include a business description (what you plan to do).

Be sure to include a market analysis of your target audience and a marketing plan. The business plan compels you to strategize for success beyond the simple prospect of opening your business. It can be the roadmap to guide your business planning.

Check the Requirements

The requirement for business registration, licensing, on-site inspection, and certification will vary depending on where you live and the type of services you’ll be offering. Check with your state’s Labor Office to figure out what is required for your pet-care business.

Of course, you may still want to consider getting certified or licensed to prove your skills, knowledge, and experience. Your clients will love to hear that you’ve been involved in pet care services for years and that you’ve gone through all the training to prove the legitimacy of your knowledge.

Decide Your Policies

Your policy document should include details on your hours of operation as well as payment options, how you handle drop-off, and whether you will allow for cancellations without a fee. Also, include how you plan to handle emergencies, vacations, health situations, etc. While it may not seem important right now, missed appointments mean the potential for lost revenue

Once you’ve written your policies, also incorporate key client-related procedures into a contract. Then, when you onboard new clients, carefully review the policies with him/her. Your pet care contract can reassure your clients that you will provide the level of care that you’ve promised, but it’s also a legally binding document. It can help to minimize the possibility of disputes or misunderstandings.

Prepare for Taxes

Even before you start bringing in money with your business, you should prepare for taxes by reviewing the details on tax liability. Your tax situation will vary depending on whether you plan to operate the business as a sole proprietor, partnership, corporation, or a limited liability company (LLC).

A sole proprietorship is common for some at-home businesses like pet care services because it’s often a low-risk situation. While you might start out with a sole proprietorship, you should at least consider a business structure that offers greater protection. Small business owners often prefer the LLC because it keeps assets separate while minimizing personal liability.

Next Step: Consult with a Lawyer

Starting a new business is exciting! You have so many great ideas, and you’re eager to jump right in. Once you’ve taken these preliminary steps, though, take a step back and consult with a lawyer. The team at the Weisblatt Law Firm, PLLC, offers comprehensive consulting and representation services to their clients as they launch their business ventures.

They’re solution-oriented, with the professionalism and integrity you need. Their team of trusted experts offer great recommendations on what you should consider as you start your home business. Their goal is to protect people and their businesses while offering the support and advice needed to succeed. Call (713) 666-1981 to find out more about how they can help you with your new startup!

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