New to the Pet Industry?
Thinking of setting up your own pet business? Whether you want to be a groomer, dog walker, online business or a pet shop owner, here’s a few key points to consider when branching out into the land of the self-employed.
1.Inform HMRC
Register with HMRC as soon as you launch your company and certainly no later than the 5th October after the end of the tax year in which you became self-employed. As your business grows you may wish to register for VAT. If your annual turnover is over £85,000 becoming a VAT registered is compulsory.
Depending on the type of business you plan to run you should register as either a self-employed sole trader, a limited company or a business partnership. The registration can be completed online and once registered you will be responsible for providing an annual self-assessment tax return to calculate the amount of tax payable.
2.Know The Law
Anyone who is responsible for an animal, either on a permanent or temporary basis, has a legal duty of care to the animal under the Welfare of Animals Act 2006 to ensure that the animal’s needs are met. The Animal Welfare Act identifies five animal needs:
- Need for a suitable environment
- Need for a suitable diet
- Need to exhibit normal behaviour patterns
- Need to be housed with, or apart, from other animals.
- Need to be protected from pain, suffering, injury and disease.
Check out The National Pet College for a range of training courses and qualifications that support new business owners to understand the welfare needs of the animals in their care.
Depending on the type of service you wish to offer you may also require a licence from your Local Authority. Home boarders, dog day care providers, dog breeders, commercial kennels, catteries and businesses selling pets all require a licence. The licence can be applied for online and will initiate a visit from your local licensing officer who will check the premises and that the correct policies and procedures are in place before identifying the number of dogs permitted on site as part of the business.
3.Get Insured
Regardless of the type of business you wish to open, make sure you have appropriate insurance. When taking out a policy there are a number of factors to consider; PIF partner, Cliverton Insurance can talk you through the type of insurance that would be appropriate for your business.
4.Get Organised
When providing a professional service, consistency is essential. There is a wide range of business templates and documents available in the secure PIF members’ area. Don’t forget to also consider the practical resources you will need; stock up on pet friendly cleaning products, spare collars and leads, basic grooming equipment and canine first aid kits.
5. Get Trained
It's important to have the right level of knowledge when you are dealing with pets and their owners, so get some training and qualifications on the professional service you offer through courses that our training partner, PIF Education, offers.
6. Start Advertising
Think about who your target customers are and how best to reach them. You may also wish to set up a website or have a phone number that is exclusively for business use.
7.Maintain High Standards
Once you have launched your business it is important to stay up to date with current legislation and to ensure that your work continues to meet animal welfare standards. As a PIF member you will be provided with regular legislation and sector updates as well as having access to a range of other member benefits including discounted products and services.
Further advice on setting up a new business can be found at gov.uk/set-up-business
Member Reviews
I couldn't be more grateful for Rosie at PIF, Rosie has just been amazing and going above and beyond!
I am very passionate about my lovely business, and also get very overwhelmed by all the paperwork and licencing for dog boarding to keep everything relevant and upto date. Rosie guided and supported me through the whole process and listened to what I wanted to achieve with my lovely business. I can not Thank Rosie enough and so grateful that I have the Pif membership.
I am keen to grow my business and it is so lovely to know that I have all the support from the Pet Industry Federation team.
As new manufacturers introducing a range of high-quality pet cosmetics to the UK market, we have found PIF’s support and guidance to be truly invaluable.
Both Rosie and Dan have been exceptionally approachable and have consistently provided us with clear, practical advice whenever needed.
We now feel part of a purposeful and forward-thinking community, which gives us great confidence in the journey ahead. We are optimistic about our success and look forward to developing a strong and lasting partnership with PIF and its members in the years to come.
Our sincere thanks to PIF for the support and encouragement!
“We joined PIF from the start of our business journey and recommend it to all pet businesses we meet.
During our journey we have accessed support in finding anything from new products to POS systems. However most recently we had to overcome some hurdles needing their free legal advice, something that we can only describe as invaluable. Without PIF we simply wouldn’t have the store we have today. Having a membership with a federation like PIF really ups your game.”
“Displaying the PIF logo in our shop windows sets us apart from competitors; our customers immediately see that we have signed up to the highest standards of animal welfare and customer service. There are so many other benefits to being a PIF member, from partner discounts to networking with other businesses in the industry, it really is a worthwhile investment.”
“We’ve been a member since 2019 and it’s one of the best things we’ve done for our business. We always shout about our membership to our clients. We're proud to be a PIF member and see it as a USP that helps us to stand out from our competitors as we have a code of conduct that we must adhere to so our clients can know exactly what to expect when they use our services.”
