Starting a new business - becoming a dog walker.

Can't be that much accounting wise to handle, you'll have very few outgoings / costs and payment could be taken instantly using your phone and a mobile card reader. Just keep it simple for now, being part time you only want a few regulars to get you started.

I know a few people who decided to get a dog in lockdown and they keep going on about their dog feeling anxious now that they aren't working from home so much and also regret not socialising the dog more. So play those attributes in to your social media, how your dog walking service helps their pet feel happier and more relaxed around other dogs. Get some nice photos of the dogs playing in the countryside / park on Instagram etc.

Sounds like a nice lifestyle business though, maybe not so much in Winter :p
 
@BadMojo I'm with @dLockers I'm afraid.

As he said hyphens in domains will be an annoyance. If your referral network is largely word of mouth then your domain is effectively cratehyphenescapes.co.uk. You'll struggle to think of any established brand or popular website that contains a hyphen, and I'm not saying your ambitions are that big but the principles are the same; you simply can't say it easily aloud.

Add to that and there's already 4 company's with the same name (I believe)? They're registered companies, but a quick Google and it looks like a LOT of individuals use the same name. SEO will be difficult and the chance of someone landing on someone else's page and getting put off or confused is incredibly high.

The reason it's used a lot is because it's a pun and individual owners like puns because it seems creative. But as above, it's not, and puns don't make for good brand names. Again, can you think of any established brand that uses one? They're divisive in that some people really don't like puns, and generally they seem unprofessional. It can work in some sectors where humour fits or it lightens a dark topic, but on the whole I would suggest it doesn't.

In this specific example I would suggest that the name also leans on a negative; that dogs are kept in crates. Some will be, but even if ALL are, it's still focuses on a negative and it's not a nice aspect to start a customer's awareness of you. Although it's the strap not the name, it'd be like Nike's being "You're fat" rather than "Just do it". Again, I can't think of many brands - either name or strap - that lean on the problem (although they may thereafter sell their product/service by demonstrating said problem).

You can do whatever you want, but it is a classic mistake of owner-run businesses like tradesmen using TLAs (three letter abbreviations) that are totally forgettable. Just bear in mind that re-branding later down the line will be FAR more challenging, difficult and costly than getting things right from the very beginning, even if it does mean you've wasted a few quid on some domain names.
 
Whilst I can't help about running a business, I do use a dog walking service. I have no idea if they use a website or not. We communicate with them via Instagram so I really wouldn't worry too much about the name. The one I use is 'Woofs And Whiskers' and their Instagram is @woofsandwhiskers1. The best thing about them is that they post LOTS of stories on their Instagram. My dog goes once a week on a Tuesday, but I'm on their Instagram every Tuesday looking to see if he's had a snap taken of him and then I often share that with my other dog owning friends. So, consider this as an idea.
We found them from word of mouth, and it was simply asking other dog owners in our local area who we knew and they generally used this mob.

However, whilst I did say the name isn't too important it must still be appropriate. Crate Escapes sounds a little negative. I would never crate my dog, and the only dogs I know who are crated are pretty reactive and I'm not sure I'd want my dog around them without me. It may be a little thing, but you don't want to put off any customers.
 
Thanks to everyone that's taken the time to contribute. It's been food for thought.

I've already got a regular client, walking their Collie 2 or 3 times a week.

I'm now working in my old job part time and I'm close to securing a permanent part time contract. On the days I'm not being paid to walk, I'm walking my own dog and getting my face known in the area as a dog walker.
 
Sorry but Crate Escapes for a dog walking business has to be one of the worst names possible, not sure how you thought it was good. Only thing that comes to mind with that name is a dog inside a crate, trying to escape.

Definitely change that terrible name.
 
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