I did some work for a customer who owns a High-End dog kennel and day care. That place is so well run and is cleaner than many very nice hotels that I stay in when I travel.

I was very impressed with his operation and he makes a GREAT income doing what he does.

I would be creful to charge for this and that... but you also need to make sure that you are not being taken advantage of.

Many businesses get into trouble and can't hire the help they need because they believe that people buy things based on price. I learned a long time ago that it is easier to offer a better product/service when you charge more than when you don't

I would suggest raising your price enough to where you can hire extra help. Maybe you could start the day off in the morning and the hired help could come in for a few hours in the afternoon.If they are only working 3 or 4 hours a day... you shold be able to cover the cost with a small price hike. But... raise the price to the point where you can go above and beyond anything that the owners expect.

As I was talking with my customer (the owner of the dog kennel) I watched peopel drive up to drop off thier dogs. Those dogs were so excited to get out of the car and get into the day care. They loved it! He had a play area with real grass and another with artificial grass. He had a groomer on site and had good food for them also. There is a lot more that he had there but I am jsut trying to point out a few things to get the point across. He charged a lot more than other places and people still showed up.

There are some people that can't afford the higher price... but there are many who can. Those that can't afford the price go down the street and get a place to watch the dog that is struggling. The people that can afford his place... know that their dog is well taken care of and happy.

I am usually 3 or 4 times more expensive than any of my competition. But, what the customer ends up with is a product that is light years ahead of what my competition can give. They are at the customers house for a couple of hours and I am there for 6 to 8. But, I am not just slower at what I do... I am the best. I leave a lot of business on the table because I have set my prices so high... but I can take the time to do a great job when I am getting paid more. And, the customer gets a job that is seriously 10 times better than anything else.

So... decide who you want to cater to. If it is the low price shopper.. then do what you can to get by. If it is the high end customer... then you can build your business (probably slowly) by attracting them. Word will get out that you are expensive but that you are the best. And... it is much better to be the best than just another place for people to drop off their dogs.

Just my thoughts. Good luck.

Something else that you can possibly offer is some obedience training. Offer other services and once people start taking their dogs there to either get groomed or trained... they will know that you are there and will already be familiar with you.

Again, good luck.

Jeff
Night Sky Murals
The Best Universe on Planet EArth!
http://NightSkyMurals.com