sample business plan for dog kennel

Dog Kennel Business Plan Template

Written by Dave Lavinsky

Dog Kennel Business Plan

You’ve come to the right place to create your Dog Kennel business plan.

We have helped over 1,000 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans and many have used them to start or grow their Dog Kennel businesses.

Below is a template to help you create each section of your Dog Kennel business plan.

Executive Summary

Business overview.

Puptopia is a new dog kennel business located in Akron, Ohio. The company is run by Jenna Williams, who is an experienced dog kennel attendant, groomer, and trainer. Dogs have been at the center of her career for years and she is eager to run her own business where she can care for canines all day long. With her experience and expertise, we expect to become the most popular dog kennel in the area.

Puptopia will offer a full suite of services to ensure that each dog is cared for. We offer these services in three packages: basic, wagging good time, and puptopia premium. The more expensive packages will offer additional toys and services so that our clients’ dogs have the ultimate kennel experience. However, our basic package will still provide a long list of services so that no dog is neglected while in our care. No matter what package our clients purchase, they can rest assured that their dogs will be well taken care of.

Product Offering

We offer a full suite of boarding services to ensure all of our customers’ pups are well taken care of. These services come in three packages: basic, wagging good time, and puptopia premium. The basic package offers the essentials: food, water, play time, bedding, and evening walks. The other packages offer additional extras that give our customers’ pups the ultimate kennel experience. No matter what package they purchase, our customers will find that their pups are extremely happy and well taken care of when in our care.

Customer Focus

Puptopia will target dog owners in Akron, Ohio. The company will target owners of dogs of all breeds and sizes. No matter the customer, Puptopia will deliver the best communication, service, and prices.

Management Team

Puptopia will be owned and operated by Jenna O’Reilly. She has over ten years of experience working with dogs and has worked as a groomer, trainer, and kennel attendant. She has always dreamed of running her own business that cares for dogs and has been planning out Puptopia for several years. Her expertise and experience will ensure that Puptopia is a popular and profitable business.

Success Factors

Puptopia will be able to achieve success by offering the following competitive advantages:

• Friendly, knowledgeable, and highly qualified team of dog care professionals.
• Comprehensive menu of services to ensure each dog is comfortable at the kennel.
• Competitive pricing and discounts for regular customers.

Financial Highlights

Puptopia is seeking $300,000 in debt financing to launch its business. The funding will be dedicated toward securing the office space and purchasing dog care equipment and supplies. Funding will also be dedicated toward three months of overhead costs to include payroll of the staff, rent, and marketing costs for Puptopia. The breakout of the funding is below:

• Kennel and office space build-out: $100,000
• Kennel equipment, dog care supplies, and materials: $25,000
• Three months of overhead expenses (payroll, rent, utilities): $150,000
• Marketing costs: $15,000
• Working capital: $10,000

The following graph outlines the financial projections for Puptopia.

Company Overview

Who is puptopia.

Puptopia is a new dog kennel business located in Akron, Ohio. The company is run by Jenna Williams, who is an experienced dog kennel attendant, groomer, and trainer. Dogs have been at the center of her career for years and she is eager to run her own business where she can care for canines all day long. With her experience and expertise, we expect to become the most popular dog kennel in the city.

  Jenna’s love for dogs fuels her mission to provide the best kennel and boarding experience for dogs living in the Akron, Ohio area. She will accomplish this by providing multiple packages of services to choose from. Our most basic package will include all the basics that a dog needs: comfortable bedding, food and water, two play times with other dogs, and an evening walk. Our more expensive packages will include extra toys, walks, and play time with the other dogs or kennel attendants.

Jenna is confident that her dog care skills combined with her customer service experience will enable her to run a profitable kennel of her own. Jenna is recruiting a team of highly qualified professionals to help manage the day-to-day complexities of running a kennel business – marketing, bookkeeping, customer service, product procurement, and janitorial operations. By utilizing her experience and hiring professionals to help her with other aspects of the business, Jenna is sure to run a popular and profitable kennel business.

Puptopia’s History

Jenna has been planning out her kennel business for several years. She recently completed a market analysis and customer survey to see how popular her business would be. She received a lot of positive feedback which prompted her to finally start her business. She incorporated Puptopia as an LLC on June 1st, 2023.

Since incorporation, Puptopia has achieved the following milestones:

• Registered Puptopia to transact business in the state of Ohio.
• Found a kennel space and signed a letter of intent to lease it.
• Reached out to numerous contacts to include former customers, dog owners, friends, and family members to help spread the word about the new dog kennel business.
• Began recruiting key employees to work at Puptopia.

Puptopia’s Services

Puptopia offers several services to ensure that each pup is comfortable and well-taken care of. Customers can order one of our three packages based on the services they want us to provide their canine friends. Below are the three packages we offer and the services provided for each.

Basic Package

• Comfortable bedding
• Three meal times
• Two play times
• Evening walk/potty time

Wagging Good Time Package

• Additional walk time

Puptopia Premium Package

• Additional individual play time

Industry Analysis

The pet boarding industry is expected to grow over the next five years. This is primarily due to the increase in travel brought upon by the end of the pandemic. With fewer travel restrictions, many people are traveling to locations they dreamed about while in lockdown. However, pet owners who want to travel need to find accommodations for their pets. Many of these owners depend on kennels and other pet boarding businesses to care for their pets while they go on vacation.

Therefore, while the pet boarding industry suffered greatly from the pandemic, the industry is expected to bounce back in the next few years. According to Allied Market Research, the industry was valued at $19.5 billion in 2021 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.4% from now until 2031. This is promising growth and shows that the pet boarding industry is once again an important service for many pet owners.

Customer Analysis

Demographic profile of target market, customer segmentation.

Puptopia will primarily target the following customer profiles:

• Families with pets
• Millennial and Gen Z dog owners with disposable income
• Residents earning more than the median income

Competitive Analysis

Direct and indirect competitors.

Puptopia will face competition from other companies with similar business profiles. A description of each competitor company is below.

Happy Paws Boarding

Happy Paws Boarding is a popular pet boarding service that has been operating since 2002. This kennel offers numerous services, including dog day care, boarding, training, grooming and walking, as well as in-home pet care and poop-scooping services. Day care services include all-day playtime and one walk each day. For the company’s boarding services, dogs have individual cabins, plenty of food and water, toys, and all-day playtime. The facilities are monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and owners have the ability to check in with their dogs using webcams. Pet owners can rest assured that their dogs are well taken care of while they are out of town.

The Ball of Fluff Hotel

Established in 2006, The Ball of Fluff Hotel is a premium kennel and pet boarding facility. The company provides pets with numerous services including, premium bedding, multiple play times, two walks per day, and all the toys a pet could want. They also provide grooming and training services for additional fees. They take both cats and dogs and ensure that every pet is pampered while their owners are away.

The Canine Lodge

The Canine Lodge is one of the leading kennel businesses in the United States. The Canine Lodge operates 52 centers in 20 states and is often the first kennel local pet owners think of when they need to board their pets for a few days. The company offers luxury pet boarding services, including premium bedding, food, and toys. They also provide long play times and multiple walks each day. Customers also have the option of purchasing training services for an additional cost. Some of the company’s locations even let owners view their pets via webcam.

Competitive Advantage

Puptopia will be able to offer the following advantages over their competition:

Marketing Plan

Brand & value proposition.

Puptopia will offer the unique value proposition to its clientele:

• Client-focused dog kennel services, that treat each pet individually with excellent care
• Superior, customized service built on long-term relationships
• Proven track record and expertise in the industry

Promotions Strategy

The promotions strategy for Puptopia is as follows:

Website/SEO Marketing

Puptopia will invest heavily in developing a professional website that displays all of the features and benefits of the kennel. The website will be well organized, informative, and list all the services that Puptopia is able to provide.

The marketing director will also manage Puptopia’s website presence with SEO marketing tactics so that when someone types in a search engine “dog kennel service” or “dog kennels near me”, Puptopia will be listed at the top of the search results.

Social Media Marketing

Puptopia’s marketing director will create accounts on social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube. They will ensure Puptopia maintains an active social media presence with regular daily updates and fun content to get customers excited about the company’s dog kennel services.

Word of Mouth/Referrals

Puptopia will encourage word-of-mouth marketing from loyal and satisfied clients. The company will use recommendations and word-of-mouth marketing to grow the customer base through the network of its existing customers. The company will be incentivizing its existing customer base to encourage their friends to drop off their canines at our kennel.

Customer Loyalty Programs

Puptopia will create a winning customer loyalty program to keep its best customers coming back again and again. The program will include discounts, deals, and promotions that non-loyalty customers will not have access to.

The pricing of Puptopia will be moderate and on par with competitors so customers feel they receive value when purchasing the company’s services. Puptopia will give new and regular customers discounts to encourage repeat business.

Operations Plan

The following will be the operations plan for Puptopia. Operation Functions:

• Jenna O’Reilly will be the Owner and Manager of the company. She will oversee the general operations of the kennel and help out with caring for the dogs. Over the next several months, she will hire the following staff:
• Marketing Director who will oversee all marketing strategies for the company and manage the website, social media, and outreach.
• Accountant/Bookkeeper who will provide all accounting, tax payments, and monthly financial reporting.
• Several attendants who will greet customers and care for the dogs.

Milestones:

Puptopia will have the following milestones complete in the next six months.

• 8/1/2022 – Finalize the lease on the facility.
• 9/1/2022 – Finalize personnel and staff employment contracts.
• 10/1/2022 – Begin build-out and remodel of the facility and purchase equipment and supplies.
• 11/1/2022 – Begin networking at industry events and implement the marketing plan.
• 12/1/2023 – Puptopia officially opens for business.
• 1/1/2024 – Reach break even.

Though Jenna has never run a business of her own, she has worked in the industry long enough to gain an in-depth knowledge of the operations (e.g., running day-to-day operations) and the business (e.g., staffing, marketing, etc.) sides of running a kennel. She will also hire several professionals to help her run other aspects of the business she is unfamiliar with.

Financial Plan

Key revenue & costs.

The revenue drivers for Puptopia are the fees charged to customers in exchange for the company’s dog kennel and boarding services. The pricing of Puptopia will be moderate and on par with competitors so customers feel they receive value when purchasing the company’s services. Puptopia will give new and regular customers discounts to encourage repeat business.

The cost drivers will be the overhead costs required in order to staff our kennel business. The expenses will be the payroll cost, utilities, dog care equipment and supplies, and marketing materials.

Funding Requirements and Use of Funds

Key assumptions.

The following outlines the key assumptions required in order to achieve the revenue and cost numbers in the financials and pay off the startup business loan.

• Number of clients per month: 100
• Annual lease: $100,000

Financial Projections

Income statement, balance sheet, cash flow statement, dog kennel business plan faqs, what is a dog kennel business plan.

A dog kennel business plan is a plan to start and/or grow your dog kennel business. Among other things, it outlines your business concept, identifies your target customers, presents your marketing plan and details your financial projections.

You can easily complete your Dog Kennel business plan using our Dog Kennel Business Plan Template here .

What are the Main Types of Dog Kennel Businesses? 

There are a number of different kinds of dog kennel businesses , some examples include: Overnight boarding, Day care, and Luxury boarding.

How Do You Get Funding for Your Dog Kennel Business Plan?

Dog Kennel businesses are often funded through small business loans. Personal savings, credit card financing and angel investors are also popular forms of funding.

What are the Steps To Start a Dog Kennel Business?

Starting a dog kennel business can be an exciting endeavor. Having a clear roadmap of the steps to start a business will help you stay focused on your goals and get started faster.

1. Develop A Dog Kennel Business Plan - The first step in starting a business is to create a detailed dog kennel business plan that outlines all aspects of the venture. This should include potential market size and target customers, the services or products you will offer, pricing strategies and a detailed financial forecast. 

2. Choose Your Legal Structure - It's important to select an appropriate legal entity for your dog kennel business. This could be a limited liability company (LLC), corporation, partnership, or sole proprietorship. Each type has its own benefits and drawbacks so it’s important to do research and choose wisely so that your dog kennel business is in compliance with local laws.

3. Register Your Dog Kennel Business - Once you have chosen a legal structure, the next step is to register your dog kennel business with the government or state where you’re operating from. This includes obtaining licenses and permits as required by federal, state, and local laws.

4. Identify Financing Options - It’s likely that you’ll need some capital to start your dog kennel business, so take some time to identify what financing options are available such as bank loans, investor funding, grants, or crowdfunding platforms.

5. Choose a Location - Whether you plan on operating out of a physical location or not, you should always have an idea of where you’ll be based should it become necessary in the future as well as what kind of space would be suitable for your operations.

6. Hire Employees - There are several ways to find qualified employees including job boards like LinkedIn or Indeed as well as hiring agencies if needed – depending on what type of employees you need it might also be more effective to reach out directly through networking events.

7. Acquire Necessary Dog Kennel Equipment & Supplies - In order to start your dog kennel business, you'll need to purchase all of the necessary equipment and supplies to run a successful operation.

8. Market & Promote Your Business - Once you have all the necessary pieces in place, it’s time to start promoting and marketing your dog kennel business. This includes creating a website, utilizing social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter, and having an effective Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategy. You should also consider traditional marketing techniques such as radio or print advertising. 

Learn more about how to start a successful dog kennel business:

• How to Start a Dog Boarding Business