Love baking dog treats and want to begin to make a profit from it? People love their dogs and like to buy from local dog bakeries and know exactly what is in their dogs’ treats, which is not always known when you buy treats online or from a bigger store. This means that the homemade dog treat market can be highly lucrative. If you are wondering how to get started with a dog treat business and grow it from nothing, read on.
Why open a dog treat business?
There are a lot of dog treat businesses out there right now, so there can be a lot of competition, depending on your local area. However, there is also a large demand for dog treats, so it can be highly lucrative in the right area. If you love baking treats for dogs and want to monetize this hobby, it can be worthwhile to give it a try. Now, let’s take a look at how to get your business up and running so you can watch it grow.
Conduct Market Research
Before you get too invested in opening your new business, take time to conduct market research. You have to make sure that there is room in your local market for another dog treat business before you can open a new one.
Think about what will set your business apart from your competition and who your target audience will be. For example, you might be focusing more on treats for dogs with different dietary issues like allergies or diabetes. You might choose to focus on making treats for little dogs or larger dogs in your area. Think about what problem your dog treat bakery is going to solve for your target audience.
Who’s the Competition?
As part of your market research, look closely at your competition. Look both locally and at similar niches online if you plan to sell your treats online as well as in person — which you should definitely consider to help you bring in more business. How many people in your area are selling dog treats? Where are they on the map in your city? Are there any areas that are missing a dog bakery? You do not want to put yourself too close to your competitors, so you are not competing with their business in that close of quarters.
Do you see any local success stories? How did they come about? Examine the statistics of dog treat businesses in your area to get a good idea of what you are in for. What are currently the best selling types of treats in your area?
It might be easiest to create a spreadsheet with all of your questions in one place so you can analyze your results a little better.
Write a Business Plan
The business plan is one of the most important documents that you will need to get your business up and running. It is your blueprint for getting the business up and running. Let’s take a look at everything to include in your business plan.
Executive Summary
This is a brief summary at the beginning of the business plan that explains what your business is and why it will be successful. Explain the products you plan to sell, the location of your business, the leadership team, and if you will be needing employees. Also, include the financial information and a growth plan if you need to ask for loans or grants.
Company Description
In this section, you will go more in depth into your dog bakery business. You can explain the types of treats you will sell, the equipment you need or have, and more. Get specific here.
Market Analysis
The market research you conducted earlier and the competitor research will be explained in depth here to demonstrate why you believe your business will do well.
Operation Structure
Explain how your business will be structured and who is running it. Include any other management you are bringing in, as well as how many employees you will need.
The other important thing to include in this section is the legal structure of the business. Say if you will be a sole proprietor, a limited liability company (LLC), or a partnership.
Products and Services
Go into details about the specific dog treats and any other products you plan to offer. Explain why the treats you are offering are beneficial for your target audience.
Financing Needs
How much money will you need to get your dog treat business off the ground? In this section, detail the money you need to get off the ground, including the money you already have and how much you will need to get loans for. Also include everything you will be using the initial startup funding for, including equipment and ingredients.
Marketing Strategy
You absolutely have to have a marketing plan in place to get the word out about your dog treat business. In this section, talk about how you plan to attract new customers and retain them. This can include the website, social media, print ads, radio ads, and more.
Finances for Your Dog Treat Business
If you need loans to get your dog bakery going, make sure your business plan is well organized since it is required by most banks in order to get a loan. You may also need personal tax returns, a business license, collateral, bank statements, and sales projections.
You can also look for financing through private loans and even grants. Take your time researching your options for loans, including the terms and average interest rates for small business loans like you need.
The other important thing when it comes to financing your business is to open a separate bank account specifically for the business. This will allow you to keep your personal and business funds separate, which is important, especially during tax season.
Where will your business be located?
You have a few options for a physical location for your dog treat business. Some will start by working out of their home kitchen, but this is not a great long term solution. You can rent out an existing location, buy a building, or even have a building custom designed for your dog bakery. While having your business’ building custom built may seem expensive, if you use a custom steel building, it will be significantly less. Plus, a steel building is fire resistant, so your insurance will be lower. Many professional bakers have a dream kitchen in mind, and they can get it quickly with a steel building.
Get Business Insurance
No matter where you decide to run your dog treat business, you will need to get insurance for the business. You need coverage for fires, property damage, injuries, lawsuits, and equipment damage. You have to be ready to protect your business in case something unexpected comes up.
Some of the factors that can impact the costs of your business insurance include:
- The type of insurance
- Property and equipment
- Policy limits and deductibles
- Business income
- Products and services offered
Types of Business Insurance
There are a few different types of business insurance to look into.
General Liability Insurance: This policy can protect your business from some common risks, including property damage, customer injuries, and lawsuits. It is the most popular policy for a small bakery business.
Business Owner’s Policy: This policy is the best defense for any accidents in the food industry. It offers general liability, commercial property, and even business interruption insurance. If anything happens to your business that interrupts your operations.
Vehicle Insurance: If you are going to be offering deliveries to your customers or traveling to local farmers’ markets to sell your treats, you will need to have insurance on your vehicle. If you are using your personal vehicle for that, just standard car insurance should be enough.
Workers’ Compensation: If you have employees, you will need to have a workers’ compensation policy to cover them, just in case they get injured on the job. Sometimes, this is included in other business insurance policies, but sometimes, you will need to buy it separately.
Obtain Permits and Licenses
There are always some permits and licenses you will need when you start a new business. You will need a business license for sure. Since dog treats are considered dog food, your area might have some rules and regulations you will need to follow before opening your business. You might need a commercial kitchen permit or manufacturing license to get started, depending on your area’s guidelines. Take time to look into what your city and state require for someone to open a dog bakery.
Establish Your Brand
You need to establish your brand before your doors open to get the word out about your business. It can be fun to look into a name for your business and more. Let’s dive in.
Name the Business
Naming your dog treat business can be a lot of fun to do. You want something catchy that will stay in people’s minds. When you come up with name ideas, make sure that the domain name is available and that the name is available on all social networks you plan on being on. You want to make sure it all matches. Purchase the domain name as soon as you have all of those things laid out.
Create Your Logo
Your logo is an important part of your brand. If you do not know an artist who can design it for you, consider hiring a graphic designer for it. While you can use AI for it, we recommend hiring an actual artist for the job.
Once your logo is designed, you can begin designing signage and business cards.
Build Your Website
It is pretty easy to DIY web design these days, so once you have the name and logo set up, you can use a website builder template. Of course, you can also hire someone to design your website for you.
