starting a boarding centre for piggers

[kelly-m-e]

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hi all,
iv seriously started to consider starting my own guinea pig boarding centre. does any body on here own one? if so what are the good/bad points and what do i need to start one (insurance, etc)
also do you think it would be ok for just guinea pigs?

just thinking it over so any ideas/stories would be great! x>>

 

[piggyme234]

The animals you board will have to depend on your ability and knowledge to care for them correctly. I would be unsure about looking after animals I didn't know much about so research would be needed. Can't help with the specifics of piggy boarding businesses but with any new business you might want to see if there are any groups in your area that are set up to help local businesses. My OH went to one when he started a business and he learnt about tax, insurance, how best to promote the company and all sorts of other stuff.

Might this be of any help?
http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdot...tg/action/home&domain=www.businesslink.gov.uk

 

[lulu!]

I think if you were planning on limiting yourself to boarding just guinea pigs rather than small animals in general, you will have to consider the fact that you're not likely to make a lot of profit (if that's important to you). As guinea pigs are small pets, I think a lot of owners ask neighbours, relatives or friends rather than take them to a boarding place- I know I do. You might do better including bunny boarding as well and keeping them seperate from the pigs, it would help to gain publicity and encourage a wider range of people to come to you to look after their animals.

 

[Romily]

I think if you were planning on limiting yourself to boarding just guinea pigs rather than small animals in general, you will have to consider the fact that you're not likely to make a lot of profit (if that's important to you). As guinea pigs are small pets, I think a lot of owners ask neighbours, relatives or friends rather than take them to a boarding place- I know I do. You might do better including bunny boarding as well and keeping them seperate from the pigs, it would help to gain publicity and encourage a wider range of people to come to you to look after their animals.

I would agree, far better to home small animals in general. Have a search online to see what local places provide and go and visit a few as if you were a potential client and ask in depth about their insurance and general provisions. Even offer to volunteer at one to see if it is really the kind of thing you want to do.

The business links is a good place to start from the legal and business side of things. They run a variety of courses both online and in person where advice is given on all aspects of business management.

It is also advisable to check your mortgage and deeds to ensure that you are allowed to run a business on the premises as well as your current insurance.
Also think about your current lifestyle, you would earn your most during school holidays, will it be an issue for you to be at home during those times? What about contingency plans if you take unwell while you have borders with you.

Don't mean to sound gloomy as I think it is a great idea, it is just important to make sure you cover as much as you can before you start to spend money.

 

[Holidayhutch]

We run a boarding business for small furries - have done for the last 4 years and all I can say is it is a lot of hard work. We started at 6am this morning and have finally just sat down and this is an early finish for us. You need hutches that meet minimum welfare guidelines at least, a good piggy/bunny savvy vet close by that can offer you a 24 hour service, somewhere to store copious amounts of hay and the different foods, ability to keep accounts and do tax returns or an accountant that can do it for you, Insurance for the boarding business, defra approved disinfectants, somewhere you can quarantine if required, knowledge on how to recognise illness in the pets you are going to board and how to administer medication, booking forms , advertising, terms and conditions, business bank account and this is just to start.

 

[Claire W]

I have just booked my piggies in to a small animal pet hotel for when we go on holiday in July. The owner invited us to go and have a look around and these are the things I noticed:
1. The hutches were all situated in a large barn.
2. The hutches were a minimum of 4 x 2 although the majority of hutches were double deckers. She is going to house mine in a double decker as I have three.
3. She had two huge runs where each family of animals take turns to have playtime daily. This wasn't including the smaller runs she had dotted around.
4. She pointed out that she does have her own vet but would be prepared to take the animal to my own vet if I preferred IF the animal needed treatment.
5. I have a form to fill out indicating which veggies a particular animal likes.
6. She also boards rabbits and small animals if you take your own cage.

I agree it did look a lot of hard work but I wish you luck with everything