Nov 01 2008
Dog Bakery Home Business
People are always looking for a home business they can start on a shoestring. With the higher price of fuel, groceries and just about everything else these days, you may need a second income. Or perhaps you have small children at home or an elderly person to care for and a regular 9 to 5 job won’t work for your schedule. Few people realize they can start a Dog Bakery right in their own home. Most states do not require a special food handlers license or a certified kitchen for making pet food. But, please check with your local government to make sure before embarking on a Dog Bakery Business.
Step 1. Come up with a great company name for your dog bakery home business. After brainstorming, but your top 5 list in order with number 1 being your favorite. Look up the names on the internet to see if anyone else has the same name. At first you may just be selling locally and the name will not matter that much if it matches someone else’s unless they are local to you. However, at some point you may want to start your own dog Bakery website and you will want a unique name.
Step 2. Business license and Fictitious Name Statement/DBA (Doing Business As) license. Check with your local government to see if you need a business license. You will also want to run your new business name through the online directory and then if your name is cleared you can register it so no one else can legally use that name. However, I believe this is by state only, that is what is required. If you don’t do this, someone could steal your name and make you stop using it. The only alternative that I know of is to use your name in the title of the business. It does not have to be your whole name, but could be something like Jody’s Healthy Dog Bakery or Smith Dog Bones. Try this site for more info State DBA.
Step 3. Product. Decide on your product. I think it is best to start small, but keep a journal of ideas for the future and then as you see what you can handle with your particular situation, you can add new items to your business. Go online and see what other internet dog bakeries are offering. My suggestion would be to start with three basic dog treat recipes for your home business. You are welcome to start with the ones I have created here, Dog Treat Recipe,http://hubpages.com/hub/if you like. You shouldn’t use someone else’s recipes without permission to do so and you must let them know you would be using them in your business.
Purchase dog bone cookie cutters or other cookie cutter shapes for the dog biscuits. You may want at least two different sizes of treats to accommodate small and larger dogs. Figure out how much it costs to make your dog biscuits, including baking electricity or gas. You need to know you are making a profit for your time and effort. After you come up with a price, check prices for similar products on the internet to see if you are in the same range. And if you have to send your product, be sure you charge for shipping and handling.
Step 4. Packaging. There are several ways you can go with your dog bakery product packaging. One inexpensive way is with brown or white paper lunch bags. You then can print labels to put on the front and staple the bags shut at the top. Or you could create a card stock label that folds in half and staples over the top of the bag. You could also use ziplock bags with either of the labeling mentioned. Perhaps you would like something a bit more commercial looking. You can find plastic jars and containers on the internet or at someplace like Walmart. And then you can put your label on it.
Step 5. Selling. You can start selling your home business dog bakery products at farmers markets or Saturday markets. Special functions or festivals many times rent booth spaces for such things. Dog shows would be an especially good place to get your name out and known for your natural dog treats. You can stop into places like privately owned pet supply stores or doggy daycares or kennels and take samples along with your finished product. Be professional and have business cards as well as order sheets in case they are ready to order now. Have an idea of how long it will take you to deliver if you don’t have the products ready in your vehicle.
Step 6. Webpage. When you are ready, get a website and create something wonderful. Be sure and add the URL to your business cards and all your other paperwork (order forms, invoices, etc.). At this point you may want to add some other unique items to your product line, be creative.
Good luck.
