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Turning Your Love of Cats Into a Profitable Business

Approximately a third of households in the United States own at least one cat. Additionally, nearly three-fourths of pet owners feel like their pet is a part of the family. With this in mind, now is a lucrative time to begin a pet care business and turn your love of cats into a business opportunity.

Types of Businesses

If you’ve decided to start a business based on your love of furry felines, you’ve narrowed the field quite a bit. However, there are still many options when it comes to what exactly you should do. From crafting to cooking, any passion centered around cats is business-worthy.

• Online store. Generally based out of your home, an online store allows you to sell any number of items for cats. Specialty toys, hats and costumes, organic treats, or personalized collars are some great options. You could also open this as a boutique-type store for in-person shopping.
• Cat cafe. Gaining popularity in the United States, a cat cafe provides a spot for people to get a bite to eat or enjoy a coffee while having a chance to hang out with free-roaming cats.
• Cat sitting or kitty hotel. Even people who adore their pets sometimes have to go out of town. You can become a trusted resource for caring for those four-legged friends while cat owners are away. Cats sit in their home or yours, or create a boarding location where you can house many cats at once. Make sure to have on hand all the cat beds, scratchers, kitty condos, and toys that help the cats feel at home.
• Pet artist or photographer. Use your artistry to your advantage, and provide priceless memories for cat owners. 

These are only a few of the many options available for pet-focused businesses. 

Starting Your Business

Once you’ve decided the type of business you want to open, you need to do some work on the back end to get it up and running. 

• Structure. Decide if a sole proprietorship or LLC works best as your business’s structure. Each has different benefits and tax implications.
• Set up your systems. You’ll need several systems in place to operate your business. For instance, when you make a sale, how do you make sure you get paid? Provide an invoice immediately, with clear terms and multiple ways to accept payments. You can find an online invoice generator that you can customize with your logo and colors to make a professional impression. Also consider shipping, customer service, recording financial information, and other daily systems.
• Insurance. Particularly when dealing with something as irreplaceable as people’s pets, ensure you have adequate insurance to protect yourself in case of emergency. Talk to your insurance agent, and make sure you’re completely covered. 

Your business may require other startup tasks as well, such as establishing inventory, hiring employees, or building and decorating your business location.

Get Started

All that’s left is to get your business off the ground. Whether you choose to sell handmade cat toys or spend your days as a cat sitter, you can’t start making money until you get your enterprise up and running. Check out the blog at Cool Kitty Condos for information on projects, product reviews, or just a bit of cat entertainment.