Pricing your dog walking business

Setting up a dog walking business can be hugely rewarding. If you love dogs and want to be your own boss, there really is no better way to jump into the world of entrepreneurship. It’s also a great way to make money doing something you really enjoy. But, one of the biggest questions you’ll face when starting your business is how much do dog walkers charge?

Getting your price right is vital. If you charge too much, you won’t get any customers. If you charge too little, you risk not making any money. Of course, you can set your price and then raise it if that’s the case, but that could mean you lose some of your customers.

In this guide, we’re going to explore how to choose how much to charge your customers when starting a dog-walking business. We’ll let you know all about how important planning is, the average price for dog walking and where to start when creating your own pricing strategy. Because, without careful planning, your dog walking business might be in for a ruff start.

The importance of a robust business plan

Before you even get to the stage where you’re considering how much to charge your customers, you need to make sure you have a robust business plan prepared.

Far more goes into setting your cost than simply licking your finger and plucking out a number. It takes careful consideration of several factors which should all be highlighted in your business plan. This includes:

• Market analysis

• Business structure

• Your services

• Your financial plan

• SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats)

Your business plan is something of a business bible specific to your venture.

How much does the average dog walker charge

Getting an accurate idea of how much you should charge for your services can be one of the toughest decisions you face when setting up your dog walking business. It’s a fine line between charging too little and too much, and either could hurt your growth in several ways.

One of the simplest ways to get an idea of how much you should charge your customers for dog walking services comes from analysing how much your competitors charge.

We’ve looked at how much dog walkers charge in the top 50 populated towns and cities across the UK to find an average. 

Source: Rover

However, before you use this figure as gospel and set your rates at £12, you need to look at various factors unique to you and your business, which we’ll explore below.

How to price your dog walking business

Looking at what competitors charge is a great place to start, but it shouldn’t be all you base your costs on. You’ll likely have different experience, training, skills, services, goals, outgoings, customers and competition, so pricing your business the same as others wouldn’t necessarily be accurate.

Here are three key points to consider when setting your dog walking price list.

1. Determine your value

One of your main considerations is likely to be setting a price that’s in line with your competitors, however, you need to determine your value and make sure that’s reflected in your price.

Think about which of the following you have and how they set you apart from other similar businesses in your area:

• Experience walking dogs

• Qualifications and certifications

• Specialist skills

• Range of services

• Service customisations

• Additional services

• Reliability and customer service

As a new business, even with a wealth of experience and skill, you might be wary about charging too much until you establish yourself and start to gain loyal customers and good reviews. So, it can be tempting to undercharge until you build your reputation. There’s nothing overtly wrong with charging low and then raising your prices, but this can result in a drop off in some customers. But, if they still consider your services value for money, then it may not impact you too much.

2. How does the price of dog walkers in your area compare?

As part of your market research when putting your business plan together, a key part of your research should include looking at how much competitors charge in your local area. This may or may not be in line with the average price, but it can vary wildly depending on where you are in the UK.

For example, some dog walkers in major cities such as London can charge as much as £20 per hour or more. In more rural areas, the hourly rate might be just half this much.

Take a look at other dog-walking businesses in your area. Use Google and social media to find competing businesses and view their rate cards, services and experience to determine if you could charge a similar amount for a similar service.

Another key consideration is how many dogs there are compared to dog walkers in different regions. If there are more dogs and fewer dog walkers in an area, it should mean, in theory, it’s easier to find customers. This also means you’re in a better position to charge more for your services. Read our guide to the most in-demand areas to become a dog walker for more information.

3. Calculate your running costs

One of the major influences over the price you charge is based on your business’ running costs. The higher the cost of your monthly outgoings, the more you’ll need to charge to not only cover these costs, but also make a profit and make sure you’re taking home enough money to pay your own bills, save and invest back into your business.

Think about how much it costs to run your business and how much you’ll need to charge to cover these costs:

• Transportation, including fuel, maintenance, MOT and insurance

• Insurance, such as public liability insurance and employers’ liability insurance if you have employees

• Licences and permits, which can vary depending on your local area

• Equipment, such as crates, GPS trackers, leashes, collars, poop bags and treats

• Marketing costs, including your website and social media advertising

• Administrative costs, such as the time it takes to invoice and schedule appointments

• Business fees, such as if you hire an accountant

• Training and certification costs for continued learning and upskilling

It’s important to bear in mind that many of these costs can change. For example, fuel costs constantly fluctuate and your insurance premiums may rise. There may also be occasions where you’re hit with unexpected costs, which you should bear in mind when setting your price.

4. Understand your market

Another key part of your business plan is outlining how well you understand your customers. Who is your target audience and how much will they be willing to pay for your services?

There are many questions to consider when trying to understand your target market:

• Who are they (age, income, occupation etc)?

• Where do they live?

• What type of dogs do they own?

• What range of services are they looking for?

• How often do they want their dogs to be walked?

• Do they want additional services such as training or pet sitting?

• What time of day are they after?

• How long do they want walks to last?

• Do they need pick-up and drop-off services?

• What is their budget?

• How do they prefer to pay?

• Are they looking for a long-term dog walker?

• What are their main concerns?

• Do they require you to have full insurance and training/certifications?

• What are their customer service expectations?

• Are there any location regulations or restrictions?

Dog walking business tips

When you’re starting your dog walking business, you’ll probably have a boatload (kennelload?) of questions and concerns. So, to help you overcome some of your worries, we spoke to Clare Wainwright-Jones, who has been running Black Lab Dog Walking for over 6 years, to share some of her tips when creating a pricing model.

“With pricing, every area is different, even in south Wales for example, Cardiff prices are more than Newport. I would advise someone to do some market research of their area, enquire with other dog businesses on what they charge for hour walks, and dog daycare and work out what pricing suits you from there. 

“I personally found it hard asking or pricing at a higher rate than other businesses as I was a new walker without a client base. However, I soon got confident in myself and when I had a few clients on board I actually stuck with the higher range of my area with all clients. This was a personal struggle though because as a person I hate asking for money. You just need to have confidence in yourself and your service that it is worth a higher rate.

“I also offered a slightly discounted rate for clients who had four or more walks a week too, and discounts for dogs if I’m collecting them from the same house.

“Some dog walkers prefer to keep the same price for all dogs, whether they have one walk or 5 per week, or if they have multiple dogs from one house, but I prefer to have a few options.”

Conclusion

Deciding how much to charge your customers is vital and can make or break your new dog-walking business. Make sure you carefully consider your costs and balance this with your skills, experience and services so your price reflects the services your customers will receive. Don’t forget to refer back to your business plan so every decision you make is in line with the overall vision you have for your business.

If you're now ready to start a dog-walking business, check your business name is available and SUAZ will help you set up the rest.