Are you an animal lover who just can’t get enough of your furry friends? It might be time to start your own pet business!
Pet owners spend an average of $741 each year on their pets. For many businesses, that means a steady stream of repeat customers.
We talked to several successful pet businesses to share their stories with you. Plus, we’ll highlight other ways you can offer pet services and start your own business.
You won’t believe all the fun pet business ideas that can provide you with a great living. We’ll explain all about the startup costs, revenue, and profit margins for business ideas that involve working with animals. We’ll also share insights from successful business owners to give you an insider look at the pet industry.
Get ready to find the right pet business idea for you. You can either keep reading or click any of the links below to jump to the section that interests you:
What is the most profitable pet business idea?
You’ll be surprised by this, but the most profitable pet business is offering pet waste removal services. Get ready to find out more about this pet service and how to start your own pooper scooper business.
Idea #1. Pooper Scooper Business
Busy pet owners often have a doggy door and let their pets go in and out to the back yard. The average dog owner will normally pay around $50 per visit for pooper scooper services. This successful pet business can serve 30 to 50 customers per day with a single person.
• Average annual revenue: $50K to $500K
• Average profit margins: 20%
• Start-up costs: $5.5K
• Time to revenue: 6 months (or less)
• Annual market growth rate: 8.6%
• Best for: People who love the outdoors and are good at logistics, hands-on individuals who want an easy business with lots of customers
William Milliken started his pet waste removal business with just $174 and gained over 100 clients in the first month alone. Today, he’s making over $2M per year with 50% gross margins and 20% net profits.
Find out how he did it in the video below:
You might also offer dog walking services to increase your earnings and assist other pet owners in neighborhoods you’re already cleaning.
Start Poop Scooping Successfully
If poop scooping sounds like the pet business for you, check out William’s pooper scooper course in the UpFlip Academy. The course includes five hours of lessons and a deeper look at the business strategies William used to start his poop scooping business.
You’ll learn how to set up your business, market your services, and find clients. Plus, UpFlip Academy members get exclusive access to templates to help with advertising, hiring, and other start-up functions.
Best Pet Business Ideas
Working with pets can be highly rewarding. You’re sure to love some of these pet businesses like dog training, pet grooming, and selling pet products. Pet owners are happy to pay for services they need as long as you take good care of their animals.
Keep reading to find the perfect pet business for you.
Idea #2. Dog Training Specialist
Dog training services help train pets and pet lovers in one-on-one sessions and group classes. The goal of pet training is to teach dogs to behave through positive reinforcement.
• Average annual revenue: $125K
• Average profit margins: 11.3%
• Start-up costs: $15K
• Time to revenue: 7 months
• Annual market growth rate: 1.5%
• Best for: People who are firm but pleasant with animals and good at teaching
Before you start a dog training business, you’ll want to develop some expertise and potentially get dog training certifications. With the right background, you can help animals and humans live a happier coexistence.
If pet training isn’t right for you, keep reading to find more pet business ideas.
Idea #3. Dog Grooming Business
Pet grooming is most commonly focused on dog grooming, but people also need cats, horses, and other animals groomed. You can either start a mobile grooming business or get a physical location where pet owners bring their pets to you.
Grooming services work with lots of animals all day, so you’ll want to have plenty of crates if people bring their pets to you.
• Average annual revenue: $90K
• Average profit margins: 11.3%
• Start-up costs: $30K
• Time to revenue: 9 months
• Annual market growth rate: 2%
• Best for: People with a soothing personality who don’t mind getting a little dirty while cleaning dogs
Before you become a dog groomer, you will probably want to take a hands-on dog grooming course. This will help you develop the skills and experience to provide pet owners with a safe and reliable service for their pets.
Idea #4. Pet Supply Store
You can create a brick-and-mortar store and an online store to sell pet treats, pet food, or pet clothing. Dog or cat toys, pet beds, and other accessories are also popular.
• Average annual revenue: $1.6M
• Average profit margins: 4%
• Start-up costs: $150K
• Time to revenue: 15 months
• Annual market growth rate: 1.7%
• Best for: People who enjoy providing customer service and running a shop
If you have the space, a pet store can partner with other businesses such as vets, grooming services, and dog trainers.
Idea #5. Pet Products Manufacturer & Seller
Someone has to create products for the pet industry. Why not you?
• Industry annual revenue: $1.6M
• Average profit margins: 12.1%
• Start-up costs: $15K to $165K
• Time to revenue: 9 to 15 months
• Annual market growth rate: 2.7%
• Best for: People with specialized manufacturing or design skills
Manufacturing doesn’t have to be expensive. Vlad Kuksenko started TagPup with just $500. He now brings in more than $60K per month through Etsy stores by creating custom pet tags and collars.
Check out our interview with him below:
If you enjoyed this video, check out Vlad’s Etsy Blueprint course in the UpFlip Academy.
Idea #6. Pet Food Manufacturer
A pet food business focuses on creating healthy food for pets. Many of the major manufacturers include low-quality ingredients that pet owners would rather not feed to their cats, dogs, and other animals.
• Average annual revenue: $27M
• Average profit margins: 8.1%
• Start-up costs: $15K
• Time to revenue: 9 months
• Annual market growth rate: 2%
• Best for: Nutritionists and cooks who understand pets’ nutrient needs throughout their life cycle
You might consider starting a pet business that creates organic pet treats, a pet bakery that serves both people and human food, or a cat café (which we’ll talk about later).
Idea #7. Custom Pet Clothes
While the details on the clothing market for pets aren’t broken down to where we can provide average revenue and profits, it’s a $1.87B industry with a projected 5.6% annual growth rate.
Creating and selling pet clothes can be lucrative. Casey Walters started Shed Defender to keep his Saint Bernard from shedding all over his friends’ couches. Today, it’s making over $1.8 million per year.
Find out how in the interview below:
Idea #8. Pet Insurance Company
According to Grandview Research, the U.S. pet insurance market is worth $2.9B annually with more than 5.3 million insured pets. In addition, it’s growing at a compound annual growth rate of 14.1%.
You can offer health insurance for pets and insurance to protect pet businesses if you want to hit both sides of the market.
Keep reading to find more pet business ideas.
Unusual Pet Business Ideas
Want an unconventional pet business idea? These pet businesses aren’t ones you’d normally think about.
Idea #9. Pet Massage Therapist
This unusual pet business idea involves going to people’s homes and businesses to provide cats, dogs, and other creatures with massages. The target market for pet massage therapists will normally be wealthy pet or business owners who need animals to complete their work.
• Average annual revenue: Roughly $344.6K
• Average profit margins: 80% gross
• Start-up costs: $15K
• Time to revenue: 6 months
• Best for: Massage therapists who prefer working with animals
You might be able to find a high-end pet boarding business or pet sitting service that would like to offer this perk to the clients, but most pet owners are going to think this is a silly idea if they don’t get massages themselves.
Idea #10. Cat Café
Animal lovers enjoy going to places where they can hang out with animals. A cat café is a place where people go to eat food and drink coffee while snuggling with kitties. The business often charges an entry fee, sells merch, and works with adoption agencies to help cats find homes.
• Average profit margins: 10.7%
• Start-up costs: $100K+
• Time to revenue: 9 to 18 months
• Best for: People who love cats and coffee
You may find this to be one of the more challenging business ideas in the pet industry. Many places have health codes and may not love the idea of you serving food and having animals in the same space. This may be why many cat cafés require an entry fee.
Idea #11. Pet Travel Services
When people move, they need to transport their animals. Some people will drive with them in the car, but some prefer to have a moving company handle the transportation. Unlike transporting products you’ll need to make sure the animals stay well fed and have the ability to go potty.
• Industry annual revenue: $1.9 billion
• Average profit margins: 5.9%
• Start-up costs: $15K
• Time to revenue: 6 months
• Annual market growth rate: 9.7%
• Best for: People who are good at logistics or transportation professionals
Keep reading to find more pet business ideas.
Idea #12. Pet Events Planner
Do you want to combine your love for pets and planning? Throwing events to help dogs and their owners socialize can be a great career.
• Average annual revenue: $52K
• Startup costs: $3.5K
• Time to revenue: 3 months
• Best for: People who love planning and pets
You can also help animal rescues and clinics throw adoption parties and fundraisers. You could even plan pet weddings (don’t know if this actually a thing, but I saw it in a movie).
Idea #13. Therapy Dog
Most animal-assisted therapy businesses are nonprofits. As such, they depend heavily on donations to stay afloat.
While this sounds like a fun business idea, it would mostly be for people who want to make a difference without expecting to be paid.
Idea #14. Pet Product Tester
Quality control testing can be a lucrative market, but I wasn’t able to find any reliable reports about pet product testing. You can use automated control testing, test pet food products on humans to see how they respond, or do trials where you test new pet toys for various manufacturers.
Online Pet Business Ideas
Research shows that 16% of pet owners exclusively buy pet supplies online. That number is steadily growing. Another 30% use online shopping but still make some in-store purchases.
Keep reading to find an online pet business idea.
Idea #15. Online Print-On-Demand Pet Store
Print-on-demand stores focus on designing cute designs for clothing and running an online shop. Then when a customer purchases a product, the manufacturer prints the product and ships it to them.
• Average annual revenue: $1.6M
• Average profit margins: 3.1%
• Start-up costs: $300
• Time to revenue: 3 months
• Annual market growth rate: 1.7%
• Best for: People who want to start a pet business with no money
For inspiration, check out some of the print-on-demand products on Printify.
Idea #16. Online Pet Toy Store
An online pet toy store can either sell pet products made by other companies, manufacture and sell their own pet toys, or a combination of both.
• Annual industry revenue: $8.88 billion
• Average profit margins: 5.7%
• Start-up costs: $300+
• Time to revenue: 3 to 18 months
• Annual market growth rate: 9.6%
• Best for: People who like creating promotional videos and graphics involving pets
Idea #17. Animal Blog or Vlog
Creating pet-related content as a blogger or vlogger is a great business idea. You can create videos or blogs, then share them to social media. There’s even the option to monetize your content through ads, affiliate links, and creating your own merch.
• Annual industry revenue: $25.6B
• Average profit margins: 1.9%
• Start-up costs: $1K
• Time to revenue: 3 to 24 months
• Annual market growth rate: 13.5%
• Best for: People who enjoy research and communicating their ideas
Learn more about starting a YouTube channel.
Idea #18. Online Medical Store for Companion Animals
This type of store sells vaccines, prescriptions, and diagnostic tests to pet owners and veterinarians online.
• Average annual revenue: $337K
• Average profit margins: 8.2% (healthcare products)
• Start-up costs: $150K (unless you can secure dropshipping deals)
• Time to revenue: 12 months
• Annual market growth rate: 6.9%
• Best for: Medical professionals who want to work with pets
I used a combination of human and pet statistics in this section because of the limited data on this segment of the pet market.
Idea #19. Online Pet Health Supply Store
Selling food and other pet-related products online can be a great pet business idea. Unlike a true medical store, a health supply store carries items that aren’t medicines or prescription-only products.
• Average annual revenue: $1.6M
• Average profit margins: 4%
• Start-up costs: $300
• Time to revenue: 3 months
• Annual market growth rate: 1.7%
• Best for: People who want to create content about pet health and sell products
I suggest finding drop shippers or affiliate programs to reduce the cost of inventory.
Pet Care Business Ideas
The business ideas below are focused on taking care of animals while you work.
Idea #20. Dog Daycare
According to Leader of the Pack, a doggy daycare franchise, pet daycare owners can take home anywhere from $25K to $149K per year.
• Average annual revenue: $200K to $500K
• Start-up costs: $55K
• Time to revenue: 9 months
• Annual market growth rate: 6.8%
• Best for: People with lots of space who enjoy caring for animals
Your exact earnings will depend on how many pets you take care of each day.
Idea #21. Pet Sitting Company
A pet sitting business focuses on watching animals while the pet owners are away from home. Some people watch pets in their own homes or go to pet owners’ houses.
• Average annual revenue: $20K to $100K
• Average profit margins: 50%
• Start-up costs: $3K
• Time to revenue: 9 months
• Annual market growth rate: 11.8%
• Best for: People who enjoy variety and taking care of different animals
The amount you make depends on the services you offer and how many clients you serve at a time. You can also offer these services on pet sitting sites like Rover.
Idea #22. Pet Adoption Agency
Pet adoption agencies often operate as nonprofit organizations. They accept donations, and volunteers help shelter, care, and rehabilitate strays or neglected animals. These agencies may also be referred to as animal rescues.
• Average annual revenue: $225K
• Average profit margins: 5.2%
• Start-up costs: $50K
• Time to revenue: 9 months
• Annual market growth rate: 1.1%
• Best for: People who are good at helping neglected, abused, and abandoned animals
These agencies commonly offer spaying and neutering in addition to housing and adoption services.
Idea #23. Pet Breeder
Dog breeders choose which dogs to breed, deliver puppies, and wean them off nursing. They also ensure that puppies get their shots before selling the dogs to future pet owners.
• Average annual revenue: $9K (successful ones can make up to $500K)
• Average profit margins: 6.2%
• Start-up costs: $22.5K
• Time to revenue: 18 months
• Annual market growth rate: 0.80%
• Best for: People who like taking care of pregnant dogs and their newborn puppies
Most breeders specialize in a specific breed of dog and often charge anywhere from $300 to $5,000 per puppy. That means each litter could be worth up to $50K.
The industry gets a bad name because there are shady characters who don’t use ethical practices, but there are also some highly skilled professional breeders.
Mobile Pet Business Ideas
Mobile pet businesses are ideal if you don’t want to operate your own facility.
Idea #24. Mobile Veterinarian
Being a veterinarian isn’t necessarily a unique business in its own right, but it is once you put it on wheels. This is an especially innovative business idea for a small town or rural area.
Pet owners in rural areas often have to travel a long distance to access vet care. Mobile services go to them, which adds convenience and allows you to charge higher prices.
• Average annual revenue: $72K
• Average profit margins: 11.5%
• Start-up costs: $1K to $100K
• Time to revenue: 6 to 18 months
• Annual market growth rate: 1.1%
• Best for: Veterinarians and other animal care experts
Of course, this business idea requires you to be a licensed veterinarian. If you already have this training, a mobile business model can be a great way to expand your customer base.
Idea #25. Dog Walking Company
In the United States, 65.1 million households include at least one dog. Many dog owners need help walking their dogs during the workday.
• Average annual revenue: $34K+
• Average profit margins: 16%
• Start-up costs: $500 to $5K
• Time to revenue: 3+ months
• Annual market growth rate: 1.7%
• Best for: Animal lovers and experts, pet owners, and people who like working outdoors
A dog walking business has low start-up costs. You can start quickly by signing up on platforms like Rover.
Idea #26. Pet Photography
The pet photography industry is worth $140.5 million annually and targets mostly wealthy pet owners.
• Average annual revenue: $53.2K
• Average profit margins: 7.6%
• Start-up costs: $3K
• Time to revenue: 3 months
• Annual market growth rate: Nominal
• Best for: People who own cameras and know how to get pets to focus on them
Pet photography has grown more popular due to cell phone cameras and accessories like Pooch Selfie. Check out how Jason Hernandez created Pooch Selfie with less than $8,000 of his own money:
Idea #27. Pet Food Delivery Service
Pet owners live busy lives, and they don’t have time to go to a pet supply store. Delivering pet food is a great way to make money for people who enjoy driving.
This profitable pet business idea might also be a good service to add if you own a pet store, dog walking business, or pet sitting company.
• Annual industry revenue: $3.42B
• Average profit margins: 1.6%
• Start-up costs: $30K
• Time to revenue: 4.5 months
• Annual market growth rate: 15.3%
• Best for: People who like driving
The industry is fairly new, but the average delivery company makes $1.9 million. Pet food delivery is just a small part of the larger industry. Exact revenue and profit numbers for pet food delivery aren’t currently available, so we based our figures on the larger industry as a whole.
Try Our Business Tools
We’ve created tools to help you calculate your profits, discounts, and cash flow. Check out our business tools today.
Pet Business FAQ
How many pet owners are there in the U.S?
According to Market Watch statistics, 86.9 million households in the U.S. have pets, or roughly one in every three households. Pet owners spend an average of $741 per year on their animals. That’s $64.4 billion in revenue that you can get a piece of.
How to start a pet business
You’ll want to follow these steps when you start a pet business:
- Research the market: Learn as much as possible about your target market and competitors.
- Write a business plan: Provide an overview of what your business is trying to achieve and how you’ll get there.
- Build your brand: Create a memorable brand so that people will recognize your products.
- Find a supplier: You’ll want to consider suppliers based on costs, shipping times, ethical sourcing, and sustainability. Don’t forget to ask for samples and test products before signing a long-term contract.
- Create a website: Use search engine optimization to help people find your website.
- Market your business: Market your pet products on social media, Amazon, and other marketplaces to increase your visibility and make your first sale. Then keep them coming back to your website for higher profit margins.
If you need name ideas for your new pet business, try our business name generator.
Closing
Starting a pet business can be extremely rewarding and highly profitable. We provided you with 27 pet business ideas. You also learned how many pet owners there are, how to start a pet business, and how to sell pet products.
Once you’ve decided which pet business idea is best for you, it’s time to start doing market research and create your pet business.
Which pet business will you start?
