Dog Kennel Business Plan

The Creature Nannie is a doggie foster family arrangement in Sara Sloth’s home. When customers leave their dog at the Sloth’s home it is surrounded by people all day, has its own bed, is taken for walks twice a day, and has a one acre fenced-in backyard to explore. The Creature Nannie is a superior alternative to a kennel because the dogs get attention all day, have plush facilities, and have ample opportunities to exercise. The guest dogs can even sleep in the children’s rooms (in the bed under the sheets if they choose). Basically, the dogs become a temporary member of the household. The Creature Nannie is able to offer this specialized attention because they are equiped to handle only four dogs at a time.

The Creature Nannie will compete directly with kennels but offer a superior service. Once word gets out about The Creature Nannie, the schedule is forecasted to be near capacity within the first eight months. The Creature Nannie will reach profitability very quickly and will generate revenues of $18,000 by year three.

1.1 Objectives

The objectives for the first three years of operation include:

• To create a service-based company whose goal is to exceed customer’s expectations.
• To increase the number of clients by 20% per year through superior performance and word-of-mouth referrals.
• To develop a sustainable home business surviving off its own cash flow. 

1.2 Mission

The Creature Nannie’s mission is to provide the customer with the finest foster care service for their canine companion.  We exist to attract and maintain customers. When we adhere to this maxim, everything else will fall into place. Our services will exceed the expectations of our customers.

1.3 Keys to Success

The Creature Nannie’s key to success is building a loyal and vocal customer base.

The Creature Nannie is a foster care service for dogs. When a customer is going on vacation all they need to do is drop off their dog at The Creature Nannie and the dog lives with the Sloth family, who cares for the dogs in their house. The animal is played with, exercised, and in general treated like family at The Creature Nannie.

Sara’s home and The Creature Nannie is located in Eugene, OR.

2.1 Start-up Summary

The Creature Nannie will incur the following start-up costs:

• Computer system with CD-RW, printer, Microsoft Office, and QuickBooks Pro.
• Four large dog cages.
• Four dog beds.
• Eight water/food bowls and assorted dog toys.
• Variable room gates.
• Two dog leashes.
• Doggie treats.
• Pooper scooper for poop patrol.

2.2 Company Ownership

The Creature Nannie is a sole proprietorship founded and owned by Sara Sloth.

The Creature Nannie offers foster canine care service in the home of Sara Sloth. The dogs remain at Sara’s house and are never left home alone for more than three hours. The dogs receive two walks a day and have access to a one acre fenced-in back yard. The dogs are able to sleep in a family member’s bedroom or in the basement. Each dog get use of their own doggie bed.

Sara can care for up to four dogs at once and charges $20 a day or $100 a week.

The Creature Nannie will develop a loyal customer base through the use of a simple initial advertisement in the Human Society newsletter, strategic alliances with veterinarians, and a word-of-mouth referral system. While this approach might seem a bit egotistical, based on the current service offerings for places to care for your canine, The Creature Nannie is warranted in being a bit proud and assuming. Their service offering is unique and superior and will develop a loyal customer base quickly.

4.1 Market Segmentation

The Creature Nannie’s target market are people who truly look out for their dog’s best interests and can afford a pet foster family. Dog kennels are sufficient in terms of the care of a dog while someone is on vacation, however, the canines are never truly happy. This is quite understandable, you would not like to be locked up in a sterile cage setting around lots of other dogs who are upset and vocal about it. Dogs from kennels typically come back dirty, with a strained voice, and quite unhappy. Most people write off the experience as an unavoidable cost of owning a dog and traveling. The Creature Nannie is targeting the market of people that believe there should be another alternative for the care of their dog.

The other component of the target market is the customers must have enough money to cover the difference in cost, up to 80% more a day than a kennel. Not everyone can afford this price variance. The typical customer will have a household income above $60,000.

4.2 Target Market Segment Strategy

The Creature Nannie believes that their service is so distinct and valuable, with no competition, that little will be needed to build a customer base other than faithfully providing their service. The Creature Nannie will be working with respected veterinarians as well as placing an advertisement in the Human Society newsletter as the means of communicating The Creature Nannie’s availability to the general public. These will be the only strategies used to develop a loyal customer base.

The Creature Nannie will rapidly build a loyal customer base as their service exceeds customer’s expectations. The Creature Nannie will leverage their special program that allows the dogs to stay in the Sloth’s home receiving constant attention to build a strong word-of-mouth referral system that will develop a strong demand.

5.1 Competitive Edge

The Creature Nannie’s competitive edge is the ability to have the dog stay at a person’s home who will be around most of the day to exercise the dog as well as take them on walks and allow the pet to wander around a one acre yard. All other alternatives do not provide anything close to the amount of personal time spent with the dog. Dogs leave The Creature Nannie perfectly content. They are rarely upset about being left with a foster family.

5.2 Marketing Strategy

The Creature Nannie marketing approach will be using guerrilla marketing tactics in order to be as cost effective as possible. The Creature Nannie will run an advertisement in the Humane Societies local chapter’s newsletter.

In addition to this, Sara will speak with several well-respected veterinarians and provide them with several free day coupons. This will be done to develop business that will then report back to the veterinarian. Once a good review is passed back to the veterinarian, this will become a good source of customers for two reasons, 1) people typically ask their veterinarian for referrals for pet-related service providers, 2) veterinarians are very likely to recommend a foster care setup as they clearly recognize its benefit relative to the other service offerings.

Once The Creature Nannie has received initial business it will not take long before very little marketing will be needed to fill up Sara’s schedule.

Lastly, a website will be developed as a tool to communicate information about The Creature Nannie to information seekers.

5.3 Sales Strategy

The sales strategy will be to develop a list of happy past customers (not difficult) who are willing to act as referrals for The Creature Nannie. Once this list is developed, their names will be given out when a prospective client calls. The advantages of pet foster care are so obvious relative to kennels that it will not be difficult to sign people up. The flip side to this demand is that in order to maintain all of these advantages, the operation must stay small (maximum of four dogs) so there will not be the possibility of growing the operation beyond its capacity.

5.3.1 Sales Forecast

The first month will be used to set up the space for the dogs, submit the advertisement in the Humane Society newsletter, and form alliances with a few veterinarians. Beginning in month two there will be some business. Things will grow for a few months until mid year when the bulk of the week will be at capacity.

5.4 Milestones

The Creature Nannie will have several milestones early on:

• Business plan completion. This will be done as a roadmap for the organization. This will be an indispensable tool for the ongoing performance and improvement of the company.
• Set up the facilities.
• Initial strategic development complete.
• Full capacity reached.

A website will be developed to provide a source of information to prospective dog owners. In essence it is The Creature Nannie’s version of a brochure. For serious inquiries, a list of referrals is available on request. The site will have information and pictures about the owners and their qualifications, the license and bonding information, the facilities, and the services such as walks, and medication dispersement.

6.1 Website Marketing Strategy

The website will be marketed very little, it will be used more as a resource that Sara can point people to.

6.2 Development Requirements

A student from the University of Oregon’s computer science department will be tapped to provide the website development.

Sara Sloth has a degree in marketing from the University of Oregon. Throughout her four years at Oregon, Sara worked part time (full time in the summers) at a veterinary clinic. She chose this because of her love for animals, in particular dogs.

Upon graduating Sara went to work for Funk & Associates, a local marketing/PR firm. Sara spent a few years full time at Funk at which point she and Tom, her husband decided to have children. She was able to work out an arrangement where she could work part time for Funk from her home while raising her children (she eventually had a second a year later). It has been six years now and the children are five and six years of age.

Now that the children are considerable less maintenance, Sara was looking for another source of income to supplement the part time contract work with Funk. The Sloth’s had a dinner party one evening and one of their guests had commented that their dog had just returned from a kennel and was pretty unhappy. This is when the idea clicked that she could offer a dog foster family set up from her home that would supplement her income, satisfy her love of animals, and not interfere with her responsibilities with the family and Funk. The Creature Nannie was born.

7.1 Personnel Plan

Sara will be the only employee.

The following sections will outline important financial information.

8.1 Important Assumptions

The following table details important financial assumptions.

8.2 Break-even Analysis

The Break-even Analysis indicates that approximately $1,400 will be needed in monthly revenue to reach the break-even point.

8.3 Projected Profit and Loss

The following table will indicate projected profit and loss.

8.4 Projected Cash Flow

The following chart and table will indicate projected cash flow.

8.5 Projected Balance Sheet

The following table will indicate the projected balance sheet.

8.6 Business Ratios

Ratio Analysis
	Year 1	Year 2	Year 3	Industry Profile
Sales Growth	0.00%	31.99%	5.88%	-2.90%
Percent of Total Assets
Other Current Assets	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	31.90%
Total Current Assets	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%	55.90%
Long-term Assets	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	44.10%
Total Assets	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%
Current Liabilities	9.98%	7.23%	4.96%	32.70%
Long-term Liabilities	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	19.90%
Total Liabilities	9.98%	7.23%	4.96%	52.60%
Net Worth	90.02%	92.77%	95.04%	47.40%
Percent of Sales
Sales	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%
Gross Margin	98.00%	98.00%	98.00%	42.50%
Selling, General & Administrative Expenses	119.19%	90.97%	87.55%	26.40%
Advertising Expenses	3.11%	0.00%	0.00%	0.50%
Profit Before Interest and Taxes	-16.91%	13.29%	18.00%	2.40%
Main Ratios
Current	10.02	13.83	20.14	2.19
Quick	10.02	13.83	20.14	1.48
Total Debt to Total Assets	9.98%	7.23%	4.96%	52.60%
Pre-tax Return on Net Worth	-107.67%	62.70%	55.17%	4.50%
Pre-tax Return on Assets	-96.93%	58.17%	52.43%	9.40%
Additional Ratios	Year 1	Year 2	Year 3
Net Profit Margin	-16.91%	9.31%	12.60%	n.a
Return on Equity	-107.67%	43.89%	38.62%	n.a
Activity Ratios
Accounts Payable Turnover	13.63	12.17	12.17	n.a
Payment Days	27	27	29	n.a
Total Asset Turnover	5.73	4.38	2.91	n.a
Debt Ratios
Debt to Net Worth	0.11	0.08	0.05	n.a
Current Liab. to Liab.	1.00	1.00	1.00	n.a
Liquidity Ratios
Net Working Capital	$2,022	$3,604	$5,872	n.a
Interest Coverage	0.00	0.00	0.00	n.a
Additional Ratios
Assets to Sales	0.17	0.23	0.34	n.a
Current Debt/Total Assets	10%	7%	5%	n.a
Acid Test	10.02	13.83	20.14	n.a
Sales/Net Worth	6.37	4.72	3.07	n.a
Dividend Payout	0.00	0.00	0.00	n.a