The average cost of a group dog walk in the UK is around £11 with dog walkers walking an average of 10 dogs per day. So how much do dog walkers earn? These figures equate to a yearly income of around £28.6k before expenses.
This is confirmed by several employment websites including Glassdoor whose users submit anonymous income reports and state the average dog walkers salary is £21.5k By the time a walker pays their insurance, removes other expenses (fuel/mileage being the largest) and takes a couple of weeks off during the year (unpaid of course because you’re self-employed now) that would reduce your income to around this level.
Most dog walkers also offer cat/pet pop-in visits for people who are on holiday which can be done outside of the core dog walking hours. This will help increase your turnover.
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How to price yourself
Although the UK average charge is £11 for a one-hour group walk, prices can vary wildly throughout different areas.
Local research is a key stage before you announce your pricing. It’s tempting to go low but in business that’s called a ‘race to the bottom’ where everyone undercuts each other until they just can’t go any lower. The ‘winner’ might have all the business now but will not be making much of a profit (if any), and will not have a sustainable business.
There’s no need to go low if you’re offering value. Walk into any electrical store and you’ll see more than twenty kettles for sale at different prices. They all boil water but not everyone buys the cheapest. People look for value.
Value is all the extra stuff around the walk that you can highlight for yourself. Do you have a canine first aid certificate? Are you an ex vet nurse? Do you have any qualifications? Do you work weekends? How much value do you have to offer?
Once you’ve gauged your level of value, take a look at your nearest five or six dog walkers. Does their business have more or less value than yours? Can you offer something they don’t?
Now that you’ve got a good idea as to where you can place yourself in terms of value, you can look at their pricing. If you have a tonne of experience and qualifications then you can go straight in and price yourself at the higher end. If you’re just starting out but have a professionally crated vehicle and a first-aid certificate, pitch yourself in the middle range.
Bear in mind, it’s easy to offer a discount, but it’s hard to implement a price increase. Start higher than you think you should and reduce if you feel you need to.
Do dog walkers charge per dog?
This question has bugged me for years!
Dog walkers should charge per dog. If you offer group walks of four dogs then each of those four dogs should be paying for their place.
However, most dog walkers discount their prices when two of those dogs live in the same home.
If you’re going to discount for multiple dogs, consider why.
From a business point of view, the only thing you’re saving is the fuel/mileage costs by reducing your collection route by one house. Personally, I think that’s probably worth around a ten per cent discount and yet I see walkers offering discounts of 50% or more for a second dog in the same house.
If you’re a pro dog walker who offers huge discounts this way, I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments. I’m happy to have my mind changed!
How to take payment
Following the initial meet and greet, you’re unlikely to see the owners very often, if at all, so dog walkers usually get paid one of three ways. Either a bank transfer, 3rd party payment system online (PayPal/stripe etc.) or by leaving cash.
Should I take cash as a dog walker?
The use of cash has been in decline for years and the pandemic has accelerated this even further. The younger your clients are, the less likely they are to offer to pay you cash. 3rd party payment systems will charge a fee so by far the best option is bank transfer.
Bank account options
As a sole trader, you don’t need to have a separate bank account from your personal one, but it does help keep your accounts in order with one. Business bank accounts traditionally charge a monthly fee, and personal accounts usually have a clause saying that they aren’t supposed to be used for business purposes.
The solution is that some banks, especially the newer ones, no longer charge for business accounts, Tide and Starling being two of them. Plus, you can set up an account without leaving your sofa.
Dealing with debtors
It’s an awkward situation when a client owes you money. It can even be the reason you might decide to sack a client. The reasons can range from forgetfulness and disorganised to delaying on purpose and not valuing you. However, all your clients need to be treated the same.
You can help your clients pay on time by suggesting they set up a recurring payment with their bank (great for the forgetful clients!) or ask for prepayment each month (for those who seem to struggle to budget).
When you draw up your contracts, make the overdue payment section clear, concise and stick to it. Decide right from the start the level of debt you’re willing to accept before you withhold services.
Overdue payments can be claimed through the small claims court but it’s a time-consuming process and one you may not want to pursue.
Conclusion
Hopefully, that’s given you some help in pricing your services, setting up client payments and dealing with overdue payments.
One of the joys of being self employed is choosing who you work for. The majority of clients are amazing and some become friends over time. Cut your services to the few and far between bad apples and your business will thrive.