Think about it. One of the leading reasons why people choose NOT to buy a product or service is they are worried that if the product or service sucks, they are going to lose their money and they will feel like a fool for buying it. And nobody wants to feel like a fool.

Here is an example of the power of a money back guarantee for a product. Let’s say you want to buy a puppy for your kids. Pet store “A” has several very cute puppies and they cost $250 each. Unfortunately, if you buy a puppy from pet store “A” and it turns out the puppy is sick or has a disease, it is your problem. All sales are final. No refunds or exchanges. On the other hand, pet store “B” offer several cute puppies and they offer a full money-back guarantee that states, “Take your new puppy to a veterinarian within the next 14 days and if it is sick or has a disease, you can return it and pick out a different puppy or you can have a full refund.” Now which pet store would you prefer to do business with? Pet store “A” where all sales are final or pet store “B” where you are protected? The obvious choice is pet store “B”. Pet store B is going to get the most business and will easily dominate sales over pet store B, especially if pet store “B” is smart enough to include their strong money-back guarantee in all of their advertising.

A strong money-back guarantee is also an incredibly powerful sales tool in the service industry. For example, let’s say you own a small business and you have several computers. Now computers being computers, from time to time they will have problems and you will need a computer technician to fix them. To find a computer technician, you go to the yellow pages in your phone book. There you see two ads for computer service companies. You read advertisement “A” and the company looks good, they have been in business for 5 years, they have a friendly staff, blah, blah, blah. Then you read advertisement “B”. In this ad you read that all parts and service come with a 90-day guarantee. If your computer has the same problem within 90 days after they fix it, they will come back to your office and fix it for free. Now, which company are you going to call—the company that offers no guarantee or the company that protects you with a strong guarantee? The choice is obvious.

If you want to instantly increase your sales, offer a strong guarantee and display it in all of your advertising. If your competition offers a guarantee, do everything you can to make your guarantee stronger.

Peter Geisheker is the CEO of The Geisheker Group Marketing Firm. Peter specializes in developing and implementing strategic marketing programs for small businesses. For more information and a free marketing plan ebook, please visit http://www.geisheker.com

A grooming business is more than just washing dogs. It can include cleaning ears, trimming nails, brushing teeth, and shaving the animal’s coat in stylish ways. The animal can be a dog, cat, pig or other type of animal.

With an animal grooming business, the choice is yours. You can have the clients drop their animals at our house or you can start a mobile pet grooming business. The options are limitless.

Starting a pet grooming business does not require that you become certified. Research different dog grooming schools in your area, and choose one that fits your needs. Try to find one that offers pet grooming business management classes with the actual pet grooming classes.

Once you are trained, or while you are in training, you should start to create a pet grooming business plan. Since you will incur some start up costs for your training, licenses, insurance, and equipment, having a business plan can help you obtain a loan to get started.

It is estimated that the industry will grow over 10% in the next five years. This means that your grooming business will likely grow quickly as long as you are professional at all times. This also means that you will have to complete some office work daily as well. Owning an animal grooming business is not just animal grooming.

Pricing can be difficult to determine, but a few phone calls to local grooming salons, or individuals who perform grooming, will give you and idea regarding what services you should be providing and an estimation of the fees. You will need also to decide if you business will be just a dog grooming business or if you will groom other pets too.

Because your business is client oriented, you will need to build a clientele list. The best way to do this is to get your name into your community. You can place flyers at pet stores and veterinarian offices, and animal shelters. You can create a press release for local newspapers and radio stations. You can even offer your services to the local animal shelter. If they like your work, they will refer people to you.

To keep on top of animal grooming trends you should plan to attend local dog and cat shows, and go to pet grooming industry expos, and conventions. You should subscribe to industry magazines as well, and check the internet frequently. It is a font of knowledge and there are web sites, such as PetGroomer.com that are there to help people start their animal grooming business, obtain training, and calendars of events.

Since you are working for yourself, you have to rely on your ability to keep customers happy. This means always being available for set appointments, maintaining a clean work area, and being professional at all times. Even though you work from home, or out of a van, professionalism keeps your clients coming to you and not another pet grooming business.

There are many ways to get into this industry. You can purchase a franchise, which give you the credibility of an established name. You can purchase a local pet grooming business that is currently for sale. Of course, you can start your own grooming business.

You should check with your local government for any zoning, licensure, and insurance requirements for your business. This is very important and could be the difference of your grooming business succeeding or failing. A dog grooming business is still a business no mater how much fun you have doing it.

© Copyright Randy Wilson, All Rights Reserved.

Randy has dozens of home based business articles such as Best Home Based Internet Business, Ebay Money Making Tips and Medical Billing Service.

The social ladder for dogs has given them new reasons to dress up. Owners are no longer content with the basics of dog apparel. Today’s fashion hound looks to the top dogs of government, business, the arts, and entertainment to set the tone for fashion.

Dog clothes designers have risen to the occasion to provide us with more dressing options than ever before. A well-dressed doggie these days means more than a quick flick of the brush and a rhinestone collar. At our fingertips is a full spectrum of dog clothes designers creating looks suitable for every lifestyle and level of taste. From leisure wear to formal attire, every occasion is being met with a selection of designs to please anyone and any dog’s need and at prices for all levels of income.

More dogs are involved in civil service, police work, the military, the arts, film, or fashion. The business animal has special needs. Dog clothes have to be beautiful and suitable for the work place. Comfort and easy care are important features.

Dogs are involved in travel, participate in the arts, exercise with their owners, or simply sit at home and watch a good movie. Dog clothes designers are addressing this range of needs with creativity. Dog owners are expressing their good taste in the choice of elegant garments made of beautiful fabrics. Dog clothes are given special attention to quality and detail, and proper fit. Accessories are being used to dress up or down and dogs are beginning to collect a mass of special collars and neckpieces.

Dog clothes designers are departing from the ordinary and creating dog clothes of timeless classics that reveal a careful attention to detail never before seen in dog dressing.

It makes one wonder just who is the leader in fashion today – the dog or the human? It seems human designers are beginning to adapt key looks and silhouettes of dog fashions into versions for people. This is not so surprising either as it has often been said, in the walk of life; man eventually follows the dog……

Connie Limon is a Shih Tzu breeder. Buy Designer Dog Clothes at: http://www.littleguysdogclothesshop.com

Why are big dog clothes becoming more popular? Even big dogs are extensions of ourselves and dog t-shirts with humorous sayings or bright colors show off our own personality as well as the dog’s. Buying big dog clothes is also another way to show them our love. Small dog clothing is now the norm and big dog owners don’t want their big baby left out. What type of clothes look good on big dogs? Big dogs look great in dog t-shirts and tanks. Tanks are much easier to put on the dog because there is little struggle with getting their big paws through the sleeves, and tanks are much easier to take off as well.

The most popular color for big dog clothing whether for a girl dog or boy, is black. The next popular color is pink for a girl and light blue for a boy. Women tend to buy big dog clothing more than men, and big cities such as New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles are more apt to have big dogs clothed in the latest seasonal trend.

If you’re interested in buying your plus sized pooch clothing, make sure that you carefully measure their neck, the girth (the area around the dog right behind their front paws) and the length of their back. Careful measuring insures that the dog has a comfortable fit and will enjoy wearing the clothing. Plus size dog clothing is here to stay so hop on this new fashion trend so your heavy hound is haute for winter!

Lisa Allie is a writer for http://www.PetSaleAvenue.com

This is a designer shopping mall exclusively for pampered pets. The hautest online pet boutiques have the coolest fashion here everyday.

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Train your dog to a crate from the beginning so it will consider its crate its bed. That way you can take that crate into a motel, into the show site, set it out on the grass when it is a hot day and you are stopped at a restaurant with no problems.

Train your dog to go potty on a leash! Flexi leashes are great for this!

Train your dog to “settle” in the crate and in your vehicle. A raging noisy dog is NOT a good advertisement for your breed or yourself. Set up training situations if necessary and reward the dog for quiet behavior.

Always picture yourself in the “winner’s circle” before you go in the ring!

Pick up your armband in plenty of time and check out where the restrooms are the minute you arrive!

Wear appropriate clothing and comfortable shoes.

Be sure your dog is groomed well. A bath and a brush are two key ingredients. Some people spend a fortune on dog show equipment and win nothing. Some people spend nothing (or hardly so) and win a lot. There is a difference in the amount of equipment you will need depending on the breed that you have. Poodles require a LOT more expertise and equipment to groom than German Shorthairs! A minimum for most people is a grooming table and a kit with brushes, wipe rags, etc.

PICK UP AFTER YOUR DOG! BRING ALONG PLASTIC BAGS AND USE THEM. People who don’t do this are giving all dog shows and dog people a bad name and restricting our rights more and more at different motel chains.

If you have a young puppy or a dog that may be coming down with something and you’re not sure, do not walk him in the public areas where other dogs are. Try to find an isolated area.

Be at the ring on time. (Always buy a catalog, it benefits the show giving club and it tells you where to go and when to be there!)

Get show photos if you take a win (blue ribbon or better) especially if the win is worth points. This is your record of achievement just in case the AKC or whatever show club is putting on the event mixes up the records or the records get lost.

Get in a good supply of peppermints (mints absorb the extra adrenalin smell from your own breath and will help to keep your dog calmer if you are nervous).

Watch your dog at all times around the ring, you may have a “good dog” but not everyone else does!

Keep your mouth closed and your eyes open.

Take along your vaccination records. All of them. The best idea is to always keep an extra copy in your vehicle.

Invest in a crate. For the larger breeds, a wire crate is best. Many of the larger breeds are coated and will get hot in an “airline type” of kennel, where a wire crate will give them more air..

Join your local Kennel Club! The people there can help you learn to show. And join your Breed Club if at all possible. These people will help you to learn to show and if you are a member, you will also know when the local shows are coming up!

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Dog Training

But then again, just like any other enterprise, you need to put up a capital, some funds, that you can use in order to purchase the items you need to sell to your potential customers. If you want to save some of your costs, go for wholesaling.

The Concept of Wholesaling Dog Clothes

There’s actually no difference between wholesaling dog clothes and other items. The process remains the same: You will look for manufacturers who can be your wholesale partners. You will then have to communicate with them, so you can express your interest of a partnership. When everything else falls into place, you can start purchasing the products from them and then sell these items from your offline or online store.

The Common Problem with Wholesaling

There is only one problem when it comes to purchasing wholesale items. Since you’re going to purchase the items in bulk, you generally need to buy in bulk. You would then lose a lot if it turns out that the customers don’t like the designs that you have chosen. Returning them may pose some problems too, as usually wholesaling companies will have you shoulder the shipping charges for product returns, unless, of course, the goods arrived damaged or are not the ones that you ordered.

That’s why it’s very important that you establish a peaceful relationship with your wholesaling partner. This is to foster better communication and to allow them to help you out in choosing which of these items are salable in the market these days.

Where to Look for Wholesaling Companies

There are a lot of ways to find companies wholesaling dog clothes:

1. Check out your local directory. A lot of apparel manufacturers are listed in the yellow pages of your telephone directory. You can drop them a call and ask if they are currently selling dog clothes and if they’re willing to strike a partnership with you. Moreover, since they are just within your area, you can conveniently visit their office to further discuss the details of your partnership.

2. Surf the Web. There are a variety of suppliers of dog apparel and accessories on the Internet, and a lot of them are interested in wholesaling. They normally have online forms that you need to fill out. A reply is usually given 24 to 48 hours after the inquiry.

3. Visit your nearest pet shop. Several of these pet shops are manufacturers themselves or have great relationships with their suppliers. You can ask tips from them of good wholesalers.

Are you thinking of selling dog apparel? Get the best deals of wholesale dog clothes from Puppia. They have various affiliated stores located all over the world.

Protecting your dog from the bitter cold is one practical reason for dog clothing. Although your Pomeranian does have a thick coat to protect him, he is sure to appreciate an additional layer against the cold. Your pet is sure to appreciate the extra warmth a dog coat or sweater can provide. If you are taking your Pom for a long walk, you might consider a thick coat, but a quick trip out to do his business may only require a sweater.

You can buy all different kinds of clothes for your Pomeranian. Everything from party clothes, to tuxedos, to raincoats to boots can be found. For girl Poms, you might try a pink sweater with fur on the edges or maybe a Harley Davidson jacket for a boy. Many dogs don’t mind being dressed up and appreciate the extra protection. You want to go slowly the first time you put a piece of clothing on our Pomeranian as they will not be used to it, but after a fashion it won’t bother them at all. For safety sake, make sure to pick clothes that don’t have loose strings that could get wrapped around his neck or legs and no embillishements he could chew off. It’s better to spend more on quality clothes that are safe for your dog.

Most Pomeranian clothes manufacturers keep safety in mind when designing outfits. Many coats have a reflective piece for safety when walking. To keep your Pomeranians paws clean, you can buy boots for dogs that will also give him comfort on cold and rainy days You can get rain slickers for dogs too, and hats to protect them from the fierce rays of the sun. If your Pomeranian like to romp in the woods, a coat will also help keep burrs off his fur and save you the trouble of having to try to get them out.. When choosing a coat, one that has a nylon shell as well as a fleece lining will help keep your pet snug and dry.

If you are dressing your Pomeranian, you need to make sure the clothing is a good fit, not too loose or tight, and also that he has enough room underneath to do his business if necessary. It’s great if you an actually try the clothing on your dog before you buy it, that way you can be sure it fits him well and has no loose parts that may catch on trees and furniture.

Finding Pomeranian clothes that suit your dogs needs should be easy as there is a large variety available both on and offline..

Lee Dobbins writes for The Pomeranian Pages where you can learn more about caring for your pom and how to pick Pomeranian clothes.

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The social ladder for dogs has given them new reasons to dress up. Owners are no longer content with the basics of dog apparel. Today’s fashion hound looks to the top dogs of government, business, the arts, and entertainment to set the tone for fashion.

Dog clothes designers have risen to the occasion to provide us with more dressing options than ever before. A well-dressed doggie these days means more than a quick flick of the brush and a rhinestone collar. At our fingertips is a full spectrum of dog clothes designers creating looks suitable for every lifestyle and level of taste. From leisure wear to formal attire, every occasion is being met with a selection of designs to please anyone and any dog’s need and at prices for all levels of income.

More dogs are involved in civil service, police work, the military, the arts, film, or fashion. The business animal has special needs. Dog clothes have to be beautiful and suitable for the work place. Comfort and easy care are important features.

Dogs are involved in travel, participate in the arts, exercise with their owners, or simply sit at home and watch a good movie. Dog clothes designers are addressing this range of needs with creativity. Dog owners are expressing their good taste in the choice of elegant garments made of beautiful fabrics. Dog clothes are given special attention to quality and detail, and proper fit. Accessories are being used to dress up or down and dogs are beginning to collect a mass of special collars and neckpieces.

Dog clothes designers are departing from the ordinary and creating dog clothes of timeless classics that reveal a careful attention to detail never before seen in dog dressing.

It makes one wonder just who is the leader in fashion today – the dog or the human? It seems human designers are beginning to adapt key looks and silhouettes of dog fashions into versions for people. This is not so surprising either as it has often been said, in the walk of life; man eventually follows the dog……

Connie Limon is a Shih Tzu breeder. Buy Designer Dog Clothes at: http://www.littleguysdogclothesshop.com

First, let’s discuss one of the less glamorous aspects of getting a dog clothing business started – hard work. First of all, you have to set up shop. These days, you can either have a traditional “brick and mortar” store or you could set up an internet business. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, but internet businesses are cheaper to run due to the low overhead. This first step can be complex and difficult, so it’s a good idea to get help and research as much as you can before going for it. An educated business owner is a successful business owner. Once you have set up your store you need to do some product sourcing. Look around for good, quality suppliers that can offer you the most for your money. For a dog clothes store, your suppliers must be able to provide fashionable clothing at a decent price and in a timely manner. If you don’t have enough money to buy a lot of inventory yourself, you might want to find a dropshipper. They will ship the product directly to your customer with your company’s info on it. It’s best if you can find a wholesale supplier that also drop ships. Getting everything started can be a daunting task the feels overwhelming, but if you stick to it, then you will be rewarded in the end.

The payoff for all your hard work is worth it. Last year, pet supplies in the U.S. made about $34 billion. That’s a big enough pie for everyone to have a slice. There’s no sign of this popularity fading anytime soon, either. Now it’s hard to flip through TV channels without seeing something about a celebrity buying expensive things for their pets. Thanks to people like Paris Hilton, dog clothes are going to be around for a while.

Grant Carroll proud father of four dogs and co-owner of http://www.littlepamperedpets.com with Dog Clothes and Dog Clothing

Visit Elizabeth Austin Wholesale for Wholesale Dog Clothing and Wholesale Pet Products

1. Accept what you don’t know. Not everyone who starts a pet-care business is an expert on every type of household pet. Be honest with clients who call requesting care for a pet you’ve never cared for. Your honesty and commitment to learning from them will go a long way in building long-term trust in you and your company.

2. Commit to learning about business. Unless you’ve run a series of successful small businesses before, you must create a self-education plan for yourself. No matter how much you love animals (and they love you) your business will flounder without attention to the mundane details of accounting, sales, marketing and filing.

3. Have a realistic budget. Set up a realistic budget for running your business. Be honest about how much money you need in order to pay your bills and invest in your business. Many pet-sitting businesses close because the owner did not evaluate how many visits they would need to perform in order to meet their basic financial needs.

4. Evaluate the competition. Make sure you understand what the other pet-sitters in your area are already doing, and what you can do better or more efficiently. If there are no other pet sitting companies in your area, find out what your potential customers currently do to care for their pets when they can’t be there.

5. Set realistic rates. Yes, you love pets and you can’t believe that you can get paid to have fun – that’s what a great many star athletes say too, yet they manage to make millions of dollars each year. You won’t likely be able to draw clients in by charging thousands of dollars for your services, but you won’t be able to serve pets well if you quit in 6 months because you need more money to survive.

6. Listen to pet-lovers. Ask pet owner’s what is most important about their pet’s care. Never imagine that you know everything – a pet owner always knows their pet best. Listen and you will learn how to serve them better.

7. Enjoy the people. I often joke that “Until that puppy can write a check, I work for his Mom!” And it’s true. The people who love their pets are your customers – even if you don’t see them. Check in with them and find out how they feel about your service. Make sure they understand that you are happy to work with them and you appreciate being part of their care giving ‘family.’

8. Make business decisions. You are in business, so treat yourself like a business owner. If you intend to work as a sole proprietor, make a decision to work only with the clients that contribute the most to your bottom-line.

9. Build Alliances. Work with the other pet-sitters in your area. If you need a back-up or you are booked, you need to know the other quality caregivers who service your area. You can ruin your great reputation simply by recommending someone who doesn’t live up to your standards.

10. Build alliances with other small business owners in your area. Who better understands the ‘downside’ of pet ownership than the dry cleaner or housekeeping service in your neighborhood? Their businesses are based partially on the pet-owning clients in your area. Ask to place your cards in their shops, or if you can run put a flyer in their monthly bills sent to their clients.

11. Serve the client, not your ego. It’s a heady experience to feel the power of running a business and sometimes you will think you know what’s best when caring for someone else’s pets. Realize that you need to ride the fine line between educating customers and talking down to them.

12. Be genuine. Everyone wants to work with someone “real.” When people are making decisions about letting a stranger into their home to care for their most precious possession, they want to feel that you are a real human being with an understanding and appreciation of their relationship with their pet. You need to be a business person with a heart – have all your forms and policies in place, but let your personality shine through.

13. Believe in yourself. This is the most important success factor I have found. Define your success by your rules and wake up every day with the knowledge that you can and will succeed.

14. Ignore the naysayers. Plenty of people are going to doubt you when you tell them this is your goal. Don’t listen. Surround yourself with people who believe in you and never stop moving forward.

15. Create systems to work smarter. Everything can be systemized to help you get everything done. Make a list of all your ‘must dos’, ‘should dos’ and ‘want-to-dos’ and determine how often they happen (annually, quarterly, monthly, weekly, and daily). Sit down with a calendar and plug in the activities that will accomplish your lists.

16. Network. Just like building alliances, you need to step up your ‘face-time’ in your community. Investigate several networking opportunities in groups that are industry specific (like pet-rescue organizations, pet-sitter networks) and business or community specific (like the Chamber of Commerce, or NAWBO). After visiting several, select the ones that are most effective for your business – both in terms of referrals for new business and for educational purposes.

17. Evaluate. If something is working (or not) for you – find out why. Ask questions of everyone – your happy (and unhappy) clients. Find out what keeps happy customers coming back. If someone decides not to hire you for their pet’s care, ask them what influenced their decision. If their decision was based on an area where you can’t compromise – you won’t provide every other day service for cats – move on. If it’s something you can improve upon – they thought you were too abrupt on the phone – fix it! Get to the heart of what drives your business and take time each day to improve.

18. Set goals and action plans. You must know what your objectives are for you and your business. When you envision your life in a year, three years and ten years, what will you be doing? How will your business be running? Whether you intend to serve ten clients for life, or you want to establish the top pet-sitting franchise in North America and Europe – you need to have a goal and a plan.

19. Find your niche and stick to it. When I started peggiespets.com, I was intimidated by narrowing to a niche. By defining your niche and marketing to them, you are not turning away other business (our niche is big dogs and puppy potty training) you can continue to accept all the business you want that is outside of your niche (ask all the terriers, birds and rabbits we care for!).

20. Strive for success everyday. Never compromise your ideals to meet someone else’s expectations. The reason you started your own business is because of your passion, so always stand by your convictions and work hard to exceed your expectations each day.

NOTE: You’ll encounter people who don’t do business the way you do, and you’ll find clients that don’t live up to your expectations…don’t lecture, don’t get on your soapbox, just politely point them in a different direction.

21. Help someone else succeed. The more you give away, the more you will receive. Whether you are helping another pet-care business get started (with more than 65 million dogs and 77 million cats in American households according to APPMA– there’s room for more pet-care providers!) or you’re helping another person achieve their dream, you will be more successful because you participated!

Follow these tips to achieve your own brand of pet-care business success!

About The Author

Peggie Arvidson-Dailey is the founder of Pet Care Business University and the Pet-Care Business Success System™. She is the author of several articles on small business success and has been radio guest on “This Week in Small Business” on the topic of Customer Satisfaction. As a trainer and coach she has helped people across the country create and build the pet-care business of their dreams. Visit http://www.peggiespets.com for more information.

peggie@peggiespets.com