Setting Up Playgroups for Profit

Last week we discussed whether or not you can safely manage an off-leash play environment with owners present. Hopefully you are willing to give it a try. Keep reading to find some ideas on offering playgroups for profit.

Offering playgroups with owners can be a great marketing tool. You might do this seasonally when bad weather prevents owners from getting outside with their dogs. Perhaps you market it as “an indoor dog park” or maybe you just want to have a safe environment to invite new people into your facility. These are all great marketing approaches to playgroups with owners.

In setting up these types of playgroups, keep the following factors in mind:

• Size of dogs – Set up playgroups based on size. For instance, small dogs on Tuesdays, and larger dogs on Wednesday. Or you might have them on the same date but at different times. If you have a large space and can run two playgroups that will work too. Determine your sizes such as dogs under 19 pounds and dogs 20 pounds and up. If you have a lot of tiny dogs in your area you may consider a tiny tots playgroup for dogs under 10 pounds too.
• Staffing – Initially you’ll want at least one person for every 10-15 dogs. However, if your clients become recurring attendees (which is ideal), and you do a good job of explaining the play to them, they become almost like unpaid staff and will begin to help monitor the play. So you can soon run playgroups with just 1-2 employees and a great team of pet parents who show up with their dogs.
• Timing – For playgroups with owners you don’t need long sessions. 45 minutes will be long enough for the dogs to tire themselves out and also long enough that owners will feel they are getting some good activity for their pet. When I did playgroups, I did 45-minute sessions with a very brief potty break in the middle. The owners had to take their dogs outside during class. This gave everyone a chance to relax and prevented having to do much clean up inside.
• Cost – Determine the cost based on value you are providing to your clients. You are providing pet parents with peace of mind, a disease-free zone for dog play, safe supervision, and dogs who are screened for health concerns. Owners are generally happy to pay for those kinds of benefits and for the fun their dog will have. Playgroups can serve multiple strategies for your pet center including generating revenue. When that is your goal be sure that the cost you charge covers staffing costs and supplies at a minimum plus your targeted profit percentage.

Lastly, be sure to follow up with any new clients who show up at your playgroups. One of the main advantages to offering this service is to get new clients. So be sure to get an email or phone number and invite them to take advantage of your other services. You want to sell other services to your playgroup clients so this becomes a larger revenue stream than just the playgroup itself.