How to create dog walking business cards

To many people, their dogs are a massive part of their family. Their pet loves them and, of course, they love them back. So when it comes to choosing who they trust with their furry friends, they need to feel as though they are in the right hands.

Now that you are starting your dog walking business, you need to make sure that you look the part with business cards. 

This guide is going to go over a few topics to help:

• Why do you need business cards?
• What should a dog walking business card include?
• How to order your cards?

As a dog walker, think about your market. Dog walkers are likely to rely on customers who live near them in the same city or town. Unless they are sporting dog-related clothing, it’s not apparent who dog owners are when they aren’t walking their pets. Meaning, any person you come across where you live could be a potential customer.

There is always the opportunity that someone could need your services. Therefore, you want to make sure that you can hand out something that says that you are a business and you are professional when that arises. Besides the benefit of you ensuring you present yourself well, giving a business card allows you to charge a price a business would.

Besides meeting a potential customer, having a business card allows you to find them. You can stick them on boards in community centres and supermarkets. The best way to bring them to your customers would be to either ask a pet store (like Pets At Home) to allow you to put a stack on the counter. Or stand outside the front door and offer them to people.

You could even encourage the customers to find you; if you have a customer, you are doing a service, forgive them an extra card. If they have a friend who also needs their dogs walking, they will hand over your card. Local business like this often relies on word of mouth, so having that extra opportunity is a great way to get the word out.

Knowing the key points to put on a business card is crucial, so we’ve listed them below:

Having a fun dog-related name for your business would be a great indicator to potential customers to show you are as fun-loving as their pets. When coming up with a name, think about the audience, choose one that is going to intrigue or delight them. Make it relevant and friendly.

For more on choosing the right business name, see this article on branding.

Clearly express contact info in your cards — phone number, email, social media (make it something everyone is likely to use). For example, if you have your number and the WhatsApp icon, they could see a logo or a picture of you as your profile picture when they text you.

If you have a logo for your business, definitely include it on your cards. Although, if you don’t have one, you could still add some images. Another creative way to use business cards is to include a QR code. 

A QR code is a symbol you can create online, which the customer scans with their smartphone camera. After scanning, the phone directs users to whichever online location you choose (usually a website).

Now you know why you need business cards and what to put on them, it’s time to make some. Here are some of the best websites that offer you the service of creating business cards.

Vistaprint makes the process of creating a business card easy by providing templates for you. You can use their designs and change the name, logo and contact information. Great for you if you are a little unfamiliar with design. If you have created your own, you can still upload that too. 

The prices start at 250 cards for £15.80. You can also add optional finishes for your cards (making your card look shiny and more flashy). For example, a spot UV finish for more than twice the price or a metallic finish three times. There are many options on the site, and they even have a tool to put QR codes on for you.

The site Banana Print is for those looking for more visual business cards. Banana Print offers a lot of templates, though these have pictures on them. Their templates even have ‘animals and pet care’, meaning a range of dog walking business cards are ready for you to edit.

You can order 250 double-sided cards for £14.85, though you also have the option of just ordering 50 for £8.95. The possibility of single-sided cards also makes each choice cheaper again.

The third site is Moo, which offers business cards in categories based on the type of paper.  The original is similar to the standard options from the previous two. The luxe, made from ‘extra-thick Mohawk Superfine luxury paper’.

This site seems to offer the most luxurious business cards, and the prices reflect as much. The luxe cards are £24.95 for just 50 of them. Costly, but if you want to present your brand as the best in luxury dog walking, this could be an option for you. If you live in an area with many wealthy individuals, this may suit your audience. 

Financial management can be stressful and time-consuming when you’re a self-employed dog walker. One way to make the task much easier is to keep your business and personal finances separate Countingup is a unique two-in-one business current account and accounting software that allows you to keep all of your dog walking costs in one place. 

You’ll know exactly how much is going in and out of your business at any time. And with features like invoicing on the go, receipt capture tools and tax estimates, you can confidently keep on top of your finances wherever you are. The app makes managing the financial side of your dog walking business seamless, simple and straightforward!

Start your three-month free trial today. 

Find out more here.