# Advice for new business



## LouC (Aug 15, 2013)

Hi All
I am new to this forum and am in the process of setting up a dog care business that will run alongside a rescue I set up last year. As I have a full time job that unfortunately, isn't to do with dogs, I am having to sort everything in my spare time and don't have sufficient savings to be able to leave my job. My plan is to be a dog walker/carer/boarder but until I able to afford to do this myself, I want to set up an agency and have carers in my local area to be walkers/carers/boarders themselves. They will work on a self-employed basis but I would like some ideas of how much I should charge them and what share I should take - bearing in mind every £1 paid for a service will go to the rescue. 
Please can anyone advise me on this or anything else they feel will be helpful.
Thanks
Lou


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## Guest (Aug 21, 2013)

I don't like the sounds of this I would never hire a dog walker through a third party it sounds dodgy o.0''''



How will you keep background checks on all of them??
Are YOU qualified? Insured? Can you afford to insure your employees?

I will you assure your clients they are getting a good dog walker?

Prices tend to very but if you have to too high how will you reach to those in need of you?


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## Meezey (Jan 29, 2013)

LouC said:


> Hi All
> I am new to this forum and am in the process of setting up a dog care business that will run alongside a rescue I set up last year. As I have a full time job that unfortunately, isn't to do with dogs, I am having to sort everything in my spare time and don't have sufficient savings to be able to leave my job. My plan is to be a dog walker/carer/boarder but until I able to afford to do this myself, I want to set up an agency and have carers in my local area to be walkers/carers/boarders themselves. They will work on a self-employed basis but I would like some ideas of how much I should charge them and what share I should take - bearing in mind every £1 paid for a service will go to the rescue.
> Please can anyone advise me on this or anything else they feel will be helpful.
> Thanks
> Lou


I think it would be a good idea, as long as you are covered and that you take the time to Vet people and that you know that if the dog walker does something wrong the chances are it would come back on you, so if you want to do it yourself in the long run it might a black mark against you if things go wrong.

I like the idea that money goes to rescue.

I know there is the site out there for "people in trades" people recommend the best people in the area, that might help, so you can weed out the wheat from the chaff.

Think you just have to bar in mind that everything good or bad will come back to you.


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## BoredomBusters (Dec 8, 2011)

Lots of companies run this way, I'm working on taking on 'host families' myself as an agency as I am giving up home boarding now my Greyhound is nearly 13, but my customers don't want to lose the service.

You will need to speak to either an accountant or maybe get legal advice on contracts etc as you would need it to be crystal clear that your hosts/walkers are self-employed, which means money can't change hands between you and your hosts/walkers at all. The contract is between them and their clients, you would just be the 'agency' doing the advertising, marketting, vetting the hosts/walkers, finding the clients etc, and as such the clients would pay your fees, not the hosts/walkers. But you would still need a contract between you and the host/walker.


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## LouC (Aug 15, 2013)

Thanks for your comments, particularly Boredom Busters as I was hoping to receive advice on fees, particularly from those who had, or are already running this type of business.


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## BoredomBusters (Dec 8, 2011)

LouC said:


> Thanks for your comments, particularly Boredom Busters as I was hoping to receive advice on fees, particularly from those who had, or are already running this type of business.


I can't share sensitive business information, sorry.  Happy to help with general advice/suggestions though.


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