It is an exciting time to invest in the booming pet industry, as current projections indicate the industry will continue to thrive. With the growing need pet parents have for high-quality care, the opportunity to invest in pet-related businesses can offer great earning potential. The global market size of the pet care industry is expected to reach $597.51 billion by 2033 and is predicted to grow year over year.

The pet care industry encompasses various businesses, including dog daycare—a global industry projected to reach $8.44 billion by 2033. Given its promising outlook, the potential to pursue a business in this industry is appealing. However, it raises the important question of whether you should invest in an existing franchise that offers dog daycare or create an independent business. To help you make an informed decision, we have outlined some of the components of each opportunity.

SETUP DIFFERENCES

In its most basic definition, a dog daycare combines pet care with additional elements like activities, socialization, basic training, and more, making it akin to a daycare for children.

When creating an independent business in this industry, there are often two directions one can go. The first would be operating out of a brick-and-mortar location with a boarding setup. The second is a more mobile option, where one travels from house to house caring for pets. If you are considering opening your own dog daycare business, it will require you to start from scratch, from real estate to inventory and everything in between. Of course, this also means you can lean on your own design input and make your own choices, adding more personalization to the business.

A dog daycare franchise will follow the same setup across all locations, which is usually in the form of one large playroom or multiple playrooms, depending on the daycare. Because the business is franchised, you can feel reassured that this setup has been proven to work well and is liked by a wide variety of customers. When it comes to scouting real estate, the franchising team will be there to support your efforts and should also help with the construction and design of the selected site. The process will align with the best practices they’ve successfully established, which can lessen your decision-making load.

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EXPANSION OPPORTUNITIES

When starting an independent daycare business, there may be limited opportunities to grow, especially if you’re restricted to a “one service” setup at the beginning. For example, if you go to the pet parent’s home and provide care, expanding your customer base may take more time. Therefore, the range of services you can offer may also be limited. Additionally, you may be running things solo, one home at a time, depending on how you set up your business. There is a limit to how many pets you can care for in one day, which can also impact profit opportunities.

With a dog daycare franchise, there can often be several opportunities to quickly expand and grow, as franchise systems typically provide multiple revenue streams for franchisees from the jump. At Dogtopia, for example, we offer daycare, boarding services, spa treatments, and take-home products, all combined to meet the needs of pet parents. With a doggy daycare, there are often teams providing care in multiple playrooms or areas of the facility, which means more dogs can be cared for at a time, furthering your opportunity for profit.

SUPPORT

Whether you’re investing in an independent daycare business or a franchise, support is paramount. For those on their own, support is not always widely available, often requiring you to seek it out. However, for those interested in investing in a franchise, support is part of that investment. Franchisors do not want their franchisees to fail, so initial and ongoing training and support are provided to ensure the established business model is followed and that success can be attainable. A franchise can provide ongoing support when it comes to training, marketing, expansion, and more, while a pet-sitting business often means the owner oversees all promotion and operations.

PERSONALIZATION

As an independent business owner, you can personalize the products/services you offer at any given moment. As a franchise owner, the business model is established, and it must be followed to maintain consistency within the brand. How you envision running a business will help you ultimately decide which path aligns more with your goals. If creating your own business structure is important to you, becoming an independent business owner may make more sense. However, if you want the model already created that has been tested to ensure the greatest chance for success, investing in a franchise can be ideal. It ultimately comes down to your preferences.

BRAND RECOGNITION

Building a strong brand is not easy; it requires time to build up familiarity, recognition, and loyalty among your customer base. When starting your own independent daycare business, you will likely find yourself up against some big names in the industry, and forming a loyal customer base often takes more time.

67% of consumers need to trust a brand before they’ll buy its services or products. Trust takes time to build if you’re starting your own business from scratch, but franchisees have the success and recognition from the franchise business that they can leverage right away, making this one of the more significant advantages of franchising.

FRANCHISING OPPORTUNITIES WITH DOGTOPIA

Ready to make your mark in the pet industry? Be part of Dogtopia’s continued growth and bring an award-winning doggy daycare to your community. You can find more details about this opportunity on our why Dogtopia? and what is my investment? pages. From there, you can fill out our convenient online inquiry form to get the process started.