I don’t know about you, but I love animals. I’m not some kind of obsessed animal lover. I don’t picket cow slaughter houses, and I’ve never pondered the idea of joining PETA. They would probably never accept me, because i actually like the zoo. How else would I get to see all of those great animals? Anyway, one of my main philosophies about career coaching and counseling is to follow your passions in order to find and develop your career. One of the best ways to fulfill your calling for meaningful work is to start your own business. So, if you love dogs more than the average dog owner, here are some business ideas that you can start without much capital investment.

1. Dog Sitter: We know a retired guy in Gainesville, Florida who started casually watching dogs during the day and overnight for a very cheap price. He charged $5 a day and $10 - $12 a night. Word-of-mouth took over and before he knew it, he was booked solid for dog sitting. He has a medium sized house with a fenced in backyard and a heart for dogs. Obviously, if you’re going to do this at your residence, you need to make sure that you aren’t breaking any laws in your city or county. The rules and regulations are not the same as starting a child daycare in your home, but I would check with the county first to see if there are any certain restrictions for the amount of adult dogs you can have at your residence. However, many people don’t even keep the dogs at their own house. They visit the owner’s house two to three times a day to check on the dog. Many owners like this, because then the dog doesn’t have to leave his or her comfortable environment.

   What You Need To Start: A website, business cards, a place to keep the dogs, and chew toys of course!

2. Gourmet Dog Treat Manufacturer: I just don’t understand why dog treats can’t have normal ingredients. I know their dogs, but why does there have to be a long list of weird chemicals and preservatives mixed in with most dog treats? Many women and men who love to bake are starting gourmet pet treat businesses out of their home. For those of you that love to bake and love pets, you can combine TWO of your passions to start this business.

What You Need: A kitchen, cooking utensils, original recipes, packaging materials, a website, and business cards.

3. Dog Walker: Do you live in an urban area where fenced in yards are hard to come by? There are probably hundreds of people in your neighborhood that have dogs who need to be walked before 5pm, but they have to wait for their owner to get home. And do you know what dogs do when they get bored and antsy to go to the bathroom? They either destroy stuff or pee in the house. If you don’t want to deal with watching dogs overnight, consider walking them. You can charge anywhere from $5 to $15 for a half hour to hour long walk. And many dog walkers will walk two to three dogs at one time. How many other jobs do you know where you can make $45 dollars an hour having fun with dogs and getting great exercise?

   What You Need To Start: Yourself, good walking/running shoes, business cards, and a website.

4. Dog Trainer: Do you have a knack for training dogs to obey you? People will pay a lot of money for dog obedience school. You don’t need any special certification to do it, you just need to be really good at it! Do your homework first. You’ll have to become an expert on dog behavior and how to modify it. My suggestion would be to find ways to train dogs with less abrasive training methods. Many dog lovers nowadays don’t want to pull their dog back continuously with a choke chain.

What You Need To Start: Training cirriculum, yourself, business cards, and a website.

See how easy it is to turn one of your passions into a business. If you love dogs and you want to leave the office life, stay at home with the kids, or you just want to start making more money, these are all great ideas earn extra income with the potential of turning it into a full-time business.