Focus group for new business!

Hello Everyone,

My husband and I are in the process of writing a business plan for a dog day care and cafe. We need to arrange a focus group to discuss different options and we thought where better that on a forum as you are all the people we would want in a focus group so let me explain what our idea is and I would then invite any ideas, critisisms, thoughts etc from all you dog lovers.

The place will be a similar set up to one of these kiddie play places on industrial estates and the idea loosely based on this premis also.
Any one wishing to use the facilities would first have to register their dog which would subject them to a temperament test to assess their suitability for the environment. Once they are registered the owner is then free to book them in for day care. I already know this business model works as it is already being done successfully over here and in America.
The unique part of the business is that it is open to dog walkers who wish to use it as an alternative to a walk, for instance, terrible weather, owner has an injury that makes it difficult to walk, owner would like their dog to socialise with other dogs, owner would like to meet other owners and chat, owner has some work to do and little time for the dog, or owner just wants to do something different with their dog etc, etc.
On top of this we will have a cafe which would serve human food plus dog treats, cupcakes and filled kongs. They would be able to sit end eat, work or chat while watching their dog play. the cafe would include armchairs, desks, tables and chairs etc and a library and dvd hire (books and dvd's only relevent to positive training methods).
The dog play areas would be supervised at all times to ensure safety, and to actually exercise the dog for the owner. The drop in facility would still require the temperament test and registration so as to keep track of vaccinations etc but once registered they could just book in and turn up.
the centre would run classes in the evenings run by APDT trainers and we would also book seminars, talks etc by qualified behaviourists, local council, vets and anything else we can think of.
The idea being that we have something along the lines of Monkey Bizz/Kidz zone etc but for dogs.
We could also run speed dating evenings to introduce dogs and their owners to others and create a whole community of dog lovers and bring them together.
We have tons of ideas but need to find out what people think and if they would use it in this capacity.
We welcome any ideas, thoughts etc and realise this is going to take some tweeking and a huge amount of planning but I know I would use it, just need to know if anyone else would!
Thank you in advance for your comments.

An interesting project!

Would a dog owner only interested in using your cafe need to register etc? Or would that be open to any that just happen to be passing by?

Hi,

Couple of thoughts:

Re: the location. Have you looked into renting costs of an industrial site suitable enough for what you are proposing? I can't imagine they come cheap. Then you have to consider the impact the location of the business has; industrial sites are usually off the beaten track. You are effectively ruling out people who can't drive. It also may put people off if they live in town and they have to go a long way out of their way to get to you.

Re: the cafe. Don't you have to have special licenses, food hygiene certificates, etc.? who would run the cafe? presumably you would need to be paying someone who is experienced in catering to run this side of the business. Can you afford to employ an extra person? are you happy negotiating with wholesalers for your produce?

Re: the drop in facility. If people can just turn up on a whim, how do you make sure you have adequate staffing on site?

What about competition? is there anywhere else running day care facilities in your local area? is there a demand for this type of service in your area?

How would you deal with dogs of different sizes? will you have separate facilities for small dogs and larger dogs?

If the dogs are in an indoor facility, how will you tackle hygiene? will there also be access to outdoors? would you be offering a pick up/drop off service? will all the staff be trained in canine first aid?

Thank you for your comments guys,

to Muddymoodymoo, It would have to be a case of someone registering first as I would not be able to let any dog in without knowing temperament, vaccination history etc but once they have done this they would then be free to drop in as and when. I would possibly have to state clearly that there might be a chance people would be turned away if there were too many people at one time but that is no different from the kiddie places.
To Labradork, (love the name as a Lab owner too!)we have looked into the licences, not a problem. The cost of the entire project is in the tens of thousands so yes, we have considered the cost of an industrial building. I actually think that is going to be the hardest thing about pulling this off because we would ideally need an outside area as we at least need to be able to discourage soiling indoors and as you say it needs to be convenient for the day care aspect and for people not to have to go too far out of their way so not in a built up area but not too far in the sticks either.
We need to do our market research in the area we are thinking about but there is nothing else like it near us at all. All dog day care is in peoples own homes.
We have planned for a large dog area/small dog/puppy/oldie and isolation area.
We would love to able to include a pick up/drop off facility but were looking at introducing it later on as no money in budget for a van just yet. I would look at full training for all staff but the first aid for dogs is a good point, I had the certificate a while back but probably not valid now so will include in plan. Thanks so much.
Would you use the facility if your dog was suited to it?

I am too far away from you, but the concept of an occasional day care with the cafe facilities is quite appealing.

I do have a reliable dog walker that I can call upon (but she does go on hols), and the kennels that I use for boarding do have day care but no cafe/relaxing/socialising/educational area for owners whilst waiting etc.

So, yes, if I lived close to your facility I would give it a go.

The day care near me (which is run in old done up buildings on a farm..so might be an idea?) allows you to just pop in. You do have to make an appointment first and of course the dog has to be tested (they have a free 1hr trial) - but I used it to just drop my dog off for an hour so that he could socialise.

I would use it if there was something like this near me, not instead of a walk, but for something else to do.

Interesting concept! Will the day care dogs be mixed with the 'walkers'? Have you worked out a dogs to person ratio to keep an eye on them all? I know you will test temperament but that can be a difficult concept to judge for example my dog is daft as a brush but gets annoyed by small dogs - he's never been vicious but it's something to consider.

I would use it depending on costs, wouldn't pay too much but like the idea of me and my sister in law letting the dogs run round and drop hair someone elses floor while we hav a cuppa! I have never put will into day car as we live near a lot of family so I can't comment on that. I do work in a school office tho so from my side of things, in the check in procedure you would need emergency contacts of the dogs staying keeping to hand just in case. Any medication should be written on set forms with very specific instructions of administering it. Consider getting a text system, if you are building a community it means you can text a quick advertisement out or info or use it as an extra emergency contact or specific info "fido is particularly happy today, getting on really well with another dog"
Also if kids are there would they be allowed near dogs? If they get bitten is it your fault, owner or parent? Maybe u18s need a disclaimer.

Sorry if I am stating the obvious, I have no experience with this!

Think you should build it near me would love to work there!

an interesting idea - I have looked at these kids play area things and thought how great they would be for a drop in agility area

Personally I couldnt use it as Mia is very special needs and Ben would just want to sit at my feet anyways
oh and neither of them are vaccinated routinly

Possible issues are of course fights and bullying - big dogs squishing the wee ones, dogs constantly bugging other dogs to play until the loose the rag
The floor surface would be an issue if the dogs were all running about - I wouldnt want mine racing about all day on a hard surface - but hygine would be an issue on a softer surface
Noise - will the cafe area be seperate from the playing area - in a area like that it might get pretty loud with a few barky dogs
Time out areas for dogs there for the full day

Sounds so negative I actually think its a ncie idea - I had looked into daycare when Ben was younger - but it just wouldnt be possible with Mia about now
The place I looked at went out of buisness tho - even tho they looked busy when Ben went for an assessment

Thank you everyone for taking the time to comment, annoyingly I don't have the time to answer every question but you have all given me food for thought which is exactly what I was hoping for so much appreciated.
I will keep you posted on our progress, in the mean time, if you think of anything else, please let me know.
Many Thanks Fellow Dog Lovers

What specific temperament test will you be using to determine suitability of dogs?
Who will administer it?
What experience do the people involved have of temperament testing?

Temperament testing is a contentious subject and rife with pitfalls.


As the following link demonstrates

The subject of temperament testing and behavioural assessment in dogs is fraught with difficulty. Not only is there no consensus in the scientific literature as to the essential elements of any test and its interpretation, but there is also little confirmation of the validity of assessments in predicting future behaviour of a particular dog. The behaviour that particularly concerns us all is aggression.

As is commonly understood, the behaviour of any dog is dependant upon its environment, of which human companions (whether temporary or permanent) are paramount. How significant therefore is an assessment devoid of an owner - either of a dog in rescue awaiting a new family or seized as 'dangerously out of control' under the Dangerous Dogs Act?

The Dog Assessment Focus Group (DAFG) was convened in order to bring together individuals already involved in assessing the behaviour of dogs and who were prepared to sign their name to the conclusion of their assessment, whether for rehoming or legal purposes. Its mission is first to collect, then disseminate, information regarding current methods of assessment and their rationale - even if this involves hefty doses of experience and intuition rather than purely scientifically proven support.

Perhaps this would appeal to you?

http://www.learningaboutanimals.co.uk/dafg.html