[Britster]

Originally Posted by Ellie May

It sounds like this would make you happy.

I'd hold off on having employees until you get established. I'm guessing many people would be fine with your pup being there; however, unless the client is a friend, I would not consider it.

I like the vet tech thing. I'd be very comfy leaving my pups with a good tech. But that is a lot of schooling to be a pup sitter, soooo probably not an option. My friend is on call to watch Ry this month, She is a pre-vet, calm, is used to working with rescues, doesn't mind crazy pups, is open to following my directions exactly, is very paricular, isn't afraid to pill pups/file nails, etc., shows no fear, reliable, and bc she is not insured, rates are reallllly low. LOL. Obviously not a good idea unless it is a friend...

As for Ellie...it is me or the hospital. I would want a sitter who could give injections if needed (like or diabetic pets, etc.).

Thanks! I know I've been sooo wish washy with what I wanted to do. I was dead set on teaching, until I found out I'd have to start school practically all over again. Most of my credits I took for business were going to mean nothing for an elementary degree. Plus the extra schooling I'd have to do once I became a teacher. I think that would still be a career I would be passionate about... but animals are *more* my passion. And I'm almost certain I could end up making more money without the excess school.

I would plan on getting certified in whatever I can, but yeah vet tech would probably be out. You still need college algebra LOL, but I don't know, maybe if I really set my mind to it. I definitely would get certified in pet CPR/etc.

Originally Posted by Sweet Girls

You've gotten lots of great advice already, so I just wanted to share a quick story. I have a friend who was given the opportunity to take over a small dog walking business here in Toronto, Ontario. After running the numbers, she realized that she would make more money and work fewer hours (5 hours per day) working the business than she was making working as a Manager in a Non-profit organization (5 days a week, often 10-12 hour days)...The business she "inherited" was worth about $25,000....(name, insurance, clientele) and the people who gave her the business worked with her for a couple of weeks introducing her to all the dogs/clients and routines etc. She is incredibly happy and glad she made the change. I wanted to share this story because I think it is incredibly important that we follow our dreams...if you are doing something you love it won't matter if you are working 24/7...but the ability to do what you love and work reasonable hours, leaving time for your other interests etc...Priceless. Best of luck...I'll be waiting to hear all the stories of your new adventure as it begins!

That's a great story! Thank you for that... makes me feel very positive.

Originally Posted by deonk1

Hi Brit,

I'm going to jump in on this... I ran a horse business for 6 years prior to starting school, so I have lots of insight into the running a business based on your passion.

FIRST the MOST IMPORTANT lesson I learned starting out is NEVER undervalue yourself. If you start low cost you are stuck charging that, existing clients will not accept a rate increase, and people may view you as a low end service, where you clearly want to offer a high end service. So your valuation isn't strong, you need to increase the price, cause business expenses will add up. I started teaching riding lessons by charging $20/hour, by the time I stopped I was delivering equivalent value of my coach who charged $50 per hour, but could only raise my rates to $30.

Second, are there loans in your area for small businesses, or youth. Look into this, there are many programs that come with mentors and perks and traininer for young entrepreneurs. I know in Canada there are several grant programs.

Third, get a mentor, or two, or three. You will want to call people and ask for advice, and you will get brutal honesty from these people, that will help you succeed. You need someone who isn't going to sugar coat things, they will tell you it straight so that you can learn quickly.

Fourth, I don't want to be a downer, but this needs to be considered. Make sure you're up for the work. The root of every good entrepreneur is indeed passion, but make sure you're ready for the amount of work that will come. I thought I was going to run a horse business for the rest of my life, I started at 14, built a small empire by 18 and lost it all by 20. I'm 23 now and I haven't rode a horse in over a year cause I had such a bad business experience that I don't want to ever go back to riding again. So think long and hard about it before you start. You want to assure that you are willing to take that extra work.

I have a million things I'd love to tell you, and I want to offer if you have any questions and want some help from a young entrepreneur I'd be happy to chat with you in more detail. I am part of a mentorship program here in NS and I mentor young entrepreneurs so do not hesitate to ask me anything you can pm me or email. We can even skype if you want.

I can see your passion and I know you've been working on trying to find what you love to do over the past year or so. I think this could be a great idea for you, you just need to make sure you've thought of everything, and it looks like you're off to a good start.

I totally agree! That is what happened to me to start. My first "Real" client was the Rottie I walked. I really wanted the job so only charged $10 per day which was reallllyyy low. Once I got other clients, I charged $12 per day, but still could have gotten more.

I will admit it could get stressful. Running from house to house, sometimes leashing up the dogs could be a pain, hyper from being locked up all morning... dealing with snow, rain, hot weather, really cold weather, etc. But overall I really enjoyed it. I thought I would be kind of relived not to do it, but I honestly really miss it. I loved the routine, I loved the dogs.

But thank you for the great advice.