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The numbers don’t lie.
A survey put together by the American Pet Products Association (APPA) found that 68% of U.S. households own some type of pet. That’s 85 million families. Would you like to serve that market?
If you like pets, and you’d like to immerse yourself in an industry where consumers spend around $70 billion annually, you should look into owning a pet-related franchise business.
Pet-Related Franchise Types
Several types of franchise opportunities are available in the pet space. Here are a five of them.
1. Retail
If you like the idea of customers coming to you, a storefront operation that sells pet products, including pet food and many other items, is the way to go.
Startup costs for retail pet franchises range from $150,000 to $900,000, sometimes more.
The reason there’s such a wide upfront investment range has to do with things like:
- Square footage
- Startup inventory
- Commercial lease or build-out costs
- Payroll size
And more.
For example, some retail pet franchises have large footprints, 20,000 square feet or more, while others only need 1500 square feet to operate.
2. Pet Hotels
In the past few years, luxurious, service-laden facilities...actual pet hotels, have sprung up all across the county.
These days, pets can stay in private rooms with television sets streaming Animal Planet, have bedtime snack service upon request, and can even receive fancy spa treatments.
Who would have ever thought that pet owners would be willing to pay $40 to $50 a night (or more) for their pets to stay, play, and get pampered at a pet hotel?
The answer: several very smart entrepreneurs who were willing to bet that pet owners would pay good money to spoil their pets and created franchise businesses that capitalize on it.
Cost-wise, pet franchises in the hotel space tend to be on the upper-end ($750,000+) of the investment range for franchise opportunities.
3. Pet Grooming
Did you know that you can have your pet groomed without even leaving your house?
That’s right. There are actually mobile-grooming franchise businesses—probably in your own area—that will come to your home or business by appointment and wash and groom your dog or cat.
In addition to truck or trailer-based pet grooming services, there are storefront opportunities that provide self-serve or full-serve pet washing options.
Mobile-based pet-grooming franchises have an upfront cost of around $100,000 (including the cost of a van or truck), while a storefront operation will be closer to $200,000 or more.
4. Dog Training
If you’re a dog owner, you know how important it is to have a well-behaved dog.
But, if you’re like most people, you don’t know how to train a dog, especially if your dog has behavioral issues that are beyond the norm. That’s where a professional dog trainer comes in.
In the world of franchising, there are several dog training franchises available. And there are two different types.
A. You can buy a home-based franchise opportunity. In this case, you and your employees visit clients at their homes to do the training.
B. You can open a training facility, where you hold private and group training classes.
If you go the training facility route, you may have an opportunity to offer more specialized training, like agility, personal protection, and maybe even police dog training.
Dog-training franchise opportunities have upfront costs ranging from $60,000, to $300,000+, depending on whether they’re home-based or facilities-based.
5. Dog Walking
Today’s busy consumers seem willing to pay for almost any type of service that saves them time. Dog walking is one of them. If you’re looking to combine your love of pets with a low-cost way to get into business, these typically home-based franchises are worth a look.
Beyond a stroll, dog walking franchise owners tend to offer additional services to their already captive audiences. Two of them, dog-sitting and dog poop removal, are natural add-ons since the dog walker is already at the consumer’s home.
The bottom line: today’s pet owners are spending more and more on their pets every year.
Franchising offers plenty of opportunities to capitalize on this consumer impulse.
The Franchise King®, Joel Libava, is a top franchise expert. He’s written over 2,000 different articles on franchise ownership and personally consults with people who are looking to buy a profitable franchise. Go here to find out how The Franchise King® can help you become your own boss.