One of the most important things you need to make sure you have in your dog care business is a contract.
Besides your business insurance, license and permits, your dog care business contract is quite crucial for protecting you and your new business.
This is because there are many unexpected things that can happen. After all, you are taking care of your client’s most precious (or very precious) pet.
If anything should happen to your client’s dog, you could face severe consequences.
Therefore, you need to have a contract in place to protect yourself and your business. You should consider these 5 things first before you create your dog care business contract.
Think about the rules
When you prepare your dog care contract, you should be sure to discuss your client’s rules for taking care of his or her dog in their home or visiting their home to pick up the dog.
In your rules, you should also discuss if your customer agrees to your visiting the toilet and other rooms, which rooms specifically, what tools and appliances are OK to use and much more.
You need to discuss these things, even pedantically, and have it written down in your contract.
Write about your services
You also need to specify in exact terms what services you’ll be providing for your client’s dog.
Will you be feeding the dog, playing with the dog, doing basic grooming?
You should also write down how often you will visit and how long the visits will be.
This type of information will help you to understand exactly how much you should be charging your client.
It can also help you to pitch extended terms (by way of discounts) to keep your client around for longer.
The dog’s routines
You also need to consider exactly what the dog’s routine is. As you probably already know, all dogs have a certain schedule. If you break this schedule in a small way, it may be OK for a while.
However, if you bring about big changes on a regular basis, it can upset the pet owner and cause your business problems.
Therefore, determine the dog’s play and sleep time, feeding, usual toys, etc.
The dog’s medical history
The dog you’re taking care of should have the correct documents. After all, if the owner is going to the extent of having a dog carer on a regular basis, the documents are probably there as well.
If not, you can ask the dog owner directly. You need to determine any information about the dog’s vaccinations and any health conditions or issues that you need to be aware of.
Also go over what steps should be taken in case any medical situation arises.
Go over your prices and payments
Lastly, you need to include what your client will be paying you and how.
You should be setting rates commiserate with the fair market value of your services in that particular area.
For example, dog carers will earn more in San Francisco than in Gary, Indiana. Be strategic when creating your prices.
You also need to decide how your client will pay you: in cash, by credit card, PayPal, bank transfer, check?
These specification should be made so that you can avoid any nasty or awkward conversations when it comes time to pay.
Your dog care business contract
By following these 5 important aspects of your dog care business contract, you’ll be in a good position to succeed with every job you get.
Your clients will be happier, your doggy clients will be well-taken care of, and your business will be more secure.
