When it rains, it pours....
I just found out a couple of hours ago that my place of employment is shutting it's doors. They say it will close on August 19th, giving us six months, but I think it will unravel fast as 250 devastated and distraught employees try to figure themselves and their lives out. I wouldn't be at all surprised if they close in two weeks, a month, 2 months, whatever. I just can't see it lasting six months as not enough employees are going to be reasonable, and continue to be professional for that long. They have offered some of us, including myself, alternate employment, same seniority, same wage rate, in our other offices, the closest of which being an hour away, the furthest of which being in the Carribean or Philipines. Anything too far is simply not an option as I have uprooted my kids far too many times as it is. I moved to this forsaken town to be closer to my family, so here I will stay. Commuting an hour is certainly an option, but it is on dangerous mountain roads almost always covered in ice and snow with sharp turns, steep inclines and horrible road maintainence. I can't decide if it is really worth it, or even possible since I would have to arrange for someone to take the kids to school and pick them up, not to mention the high cost of gas for my car, and vehicle wear and tear. I don't feel I make enough money for that to be worth all that. My other options include finding another job nearby, which is not hard to do, but it is the hours that are my concern. Not many other jobs would be so flexible as my current one, I don't go to work until I drop the kids off at school, I leave work when it is time to pick them up, I am able to take off days when the kids need to be home for whatever reason etc. I'm not willing to sacrifice my family for the almighty dollar, however, we cannot afford for me not to make at least some money, for one to support my fur addiction 
What I am thinking is perhaps starting my own doggie daycare in my home, as well as offering grooming services. I have no idea what kind of market is available for the boarding aspect, but I do know that to board a dog around here is about 20-30 $ a day, and that is in a caged, kennel type situation. I would offer something in my home, and charge a package price for week long or weekend holidays, when families go away. The dogs would have to be healthy, up to date on all vaccinations, and tempermentally sound, and would be cared for in my home as if they were part of the family. Grooming around here is hard to find, only two grooming salons in town, one out of someone's home and one out of a pet supply store, both exorbitantly expensive. I inquired out of curiosity, and for an OES the cost is between 100 and 150, and that is only if the dogs coat is in pretty much perfect shape to begin with. Most won't even help an owner who's dog has become matted, they will oly shave it down and charge 150 minimum for that. That is the price range for large breed dogs with a lot of fur. I didn't ask about the smaller breeds. This is something I would love to do, and would enjoy, as well as the added bonus of being home with my kids and furkids. I have six months to try and get it to take off financially, if my work stays open that long that is. Anyway, I would like suggestions. What do you like to see in a boarding situation? Would in home care appeal to you more than kennel type care? What kind of set ups do you suggest? What about the grooming aspect? I'm going to look around and see if there is a course available, and then ask about going rates for all other breeds etc.... but do you prefer to take your dog to a business to be groomed, or, would you like the idea of taking the dog to someone's home to be groomed? All suggestions welcome, no experience necessary!  |
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| I'm so sorry to hear of this problem, Willow. It really is a lousy thing to be laid off, but very nice of them to give such a long notice!
1st off, accept the offer of continued employment. It's a good fallback position at the least. You can buy a snowplow vehicle for those mountian runs if need be. In addition, this would seem to me to create an employment contract between you and the employer; they are offering you a continued position if you continue to work with them even though you have a strong incentive to find work elsewhere. This, in my minde is quite similar to the contract that is created when an emplyer makes a counter offer when you inform them of your decision to take employment elsewhere. If they terminate you after you turn down the competitor's offer, you have a winning wrongful termination suit. Of course, this is in the U.S. As far as the rest of your job/life situation/decision goes, I don't know enough to be able to offer any help or guidance. |
| When I have to go out of town, I take Kayli to "Camp Michelle". Michelle used to work at the Yuppy Puppy daycare that Kayli attended 1-2 times a week when she was a puppy, so Michelle knows Kayli and her quirks. Kayli LOVES it there and I have to drag her to the car to take her home. I can't even say the name "Michelle" around Kayli anymore, 'cause she goes nuts.
Michelle boards dogs in her home. I believe they are crated at night, but they are treated like family and get play time with the other dogs. I am more than willing to pay $30 a day for this, so I think you're on the right track. I've only boarded her at a kennel a couple times and she was so stressed for a week afterwards that that is no longer an option. These days, I call Michelle before finalizing vacations - she's getting booked to capacity more often now. Kayli doesn't need grooming, but now that I have Belle, I love the idea of grooming/boarding! I'm so sorry to hear about your company closing - I'm facing the sale of the company I work for so I can empathize with you. The uncertainty is a stressor in an of itself! But I think this is a great idea and if you lived closer, I'd take the girls to Camp Willowsprite in an instant. Oh - Michelle was the savior who came over midday for six weeks to let Belle out while she was acclimating herself to the new routine. Maybe that's another service you could offer? She's also come to the house to feed/potty them if I'm off on a 1-day business trip. Jil |
| So sorry to hear about your situation! Really stinks - especially now.
It sort of sounds like maybe you have thought about going the grooming and boarding route before this came up. It also sounds like something you would really enjoy. I think Ron gave you good advice. I guess, all things being equal you need to figure financially what it would 'cost' you to take the offer to stay within company- daycare, dogcare, gas, wear on your vehicle. I personally would not be able to afford to work unless I made over a certain amount yearly. A lot of people around here are dual income, but mostly to afford the daycare etc, and they aren't really coming out that much ahead. Also consider your benefits - that may make a difference also. Then you need to consider what you would need to start a home based business- doggy daycare/ grooming supplies. I know you probably have a lot of it - but there will be things you need. It would be great if you could work from home and still make a little $$! In the meantime take the offer, you can always change your mind later! At least it gives you something to fall back on. You never know, this might turn out to be a wonderful opportunity. As long as you have something to fall back on you don't have to decide immediately. That at least helps. Shellie |
| I never did say by the way, that I would really love taking my dog to
a home for boarding rather than a kennel or - as I do- to my vet. I also would love to take him to a home to be groomed. I do not have a groomer, but sometimes I would really love a break. I only ever took my dog to a groomer once and they really butchered him  . It looked as if he had been attacked by the 'wild shaver' and had hunks shaved out
randomly. He wasn't even there to be trimmed! just a wash and comb out. I would never go to someone unless they had OES experience, they said they did, but now I know better. I'd much rather take him to someones home if I ever did it again -although you may be too much of a drive! |
| Wow, Stacey, lots of things to think about all at once. First, let me say how sorry I am to hear about your job situation. I know the feeling of having to work and of how stressful it can be when something happens to either you or your spouse's job.
The job offer they made you - is it a definite offer for the location an hour away from you, or can it be anywhere they want to send you? If it's for the one closest to you, I agree with Ron and Shellie - take it, you can always back out later. As for a home doggie daycare, are there any other costs you'd have to investigate? In the U.S., there are all kinds of permits and licenses if you want to run a business out of your house, plus the area you live in has to be zoned properly (i.e., you can't have a home business in a neighborhood zoned residential). If you can open the business, are there any regulations you would need to comply with? As an example, our church wanted to open a daycare a few years back, but the state had all kinds of regulations that we had to come up to code with first - like a certain kind of exterior door with a certain kind of door latch, so many square feet of space, so many bathrooms, etc., etc., etc. Some of those regulations wouldn't be appropriate to a doggie daycare, I realize, but these are just examples. If all this is do-able and you either have the financial resources or can get the necessary financial resources to start the business - go for it! Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right? And like Jil mentioned, have you considered doing pet sitting outside your home? When we go on vacation, we use a retired couple who started their pet sitting business when the husband left his job on disability and the wife needed the extra income. They come in 3 times/day to take Drez out, feed her, and just spend some time with her. They usually stay about 45 min - 1 hour each time, and Drez just loves them. Just some thoughts. Hope any of the info helps. And you know we're all always here for you. Chris |
| Oh Willow, I am sorry to hear about this. A couple pieces of advice: 1)check out the zoning in your neighborhood. Henry's doggie daycare/kennel has been at its current location for ever and they still have complaining neighbors. There will be lots of dog poop, noise, and traffic. Consider how this may affect your neighbors. 2) Although it sounds great to work at home, remember that you will not be able to walk out of the house to get a loaf of bread without some responsible party at your house watching the dogs. That means no driving the kids to school or picking them up. This would not be so true of just grooming but would be if you do day-care or boarding. 3) Also there can be dog fights and you may want to have access to a vet.
If you can find someone around you who does this kind of work offer him/her a nice lunch to talk to you about the pros and cons, and what it takes to do this. Good luck, Henry and I are sending our best thoughts to you -- or I should say I am, and Henry will as soon as he wakes up from his nap. |
| Willow, Good luck in your decision making. It sounds like you have got some really good ideas going. It does sound as though you might have to do some research about licenses and such for an in-house doggy daycare. You might have to carry liability insurance as well. On the other hand if you look into pet sitting and grooming that might not be as complicated. I just left my company after 17 1/2 years of employment. The company was threatening liquidation and started to take away benefits as well as giving out hefty pay cuts. I don't seem to miss the money as much as I thought I would after cutting back in other areas. The biggest drawback was losing family medical, which we replaced with a high deductible major medical plan (much much cheaper). What I can tell you is this: Change is good! After leaving a company where I watched people chase their job all over the country (can you say airline?) I hate to see people chase jobs that usually incur a very stressful commute. Sometimes it is best to just take the risk of staying close to home for the uprights and things will work out. It is also much better on the furry children too. Just my opinion. It sounds that you do belong in animal care though. You would be great! I take my animals ONLY to places where I can feel their love for animals too. |
| Thank you for all the ideas everyone... there certainly is a lot to this!
I am definitely going to accept the offer of keeping my position at the other place, I will be bumping a few and probably stepping on a few toes, but that's only if I actually end up going there. I'm also going to look at other opportunities, however, and just keep what I have to be on the safe side. I haven't even begun to look into licensing etc. I know that to have a kennel license in my area has changed a lot from when I raised cats. They make it very difficult for anyone to raise dogs around here, and for that I am glad. In my opinion it means only the most dedicated will pursue it. I'm assuming it will take something along those lines to be able to have other people's dogs here as well. I'm not interested in doing a doggie daycare in the sense of having someone drop their dog off every day like a daycare, but morei n terms of keeping the dog for the weekend, week, or whatever for vacations or business trips etc. I suppose I shouldn't say I'm not interested, but I just hadn't thought further yet. LOL Even better I should just plan on winning the lottery and not have to worry about any of this. LOL |
| I am so sorry to hear about your situation, I think.
Sometimes, a "setback" like this is exactly what is needed to push us forward or in a direction that we would really rather go (even if we don't know it at the time). A good niche market might be puppy care. For people who work or people who vacation, they need a "special" situation. How valuable would it be to someone who gets a puppy that they really don't have time for who is cared for during work hours and trained during that time. I am not saying that I recommend that anyone acquire a dog that they don't have time for but reality is, that it happens. I had a cruise booked long before Tigerlily graced us with her presence and have been looking for someone who specializes in in home care exclusively for young puppies because a kennel would never do. Another logical extension would be mobile grooming. It is all about convenience. People love their dogs and will pay to have them well taken care of, especially if it is convenient. Market should not be too much of a problem with all the rescue work that you do. Best of Luck, it will work out great!!! |
| I'm sorry to hear about your job - but hopefully you can find another job soon - there are some websites you can look on and they can give you really good job listings in your area if you haven't checked them out yet.
As far as the doggie kennel and groom - it sounds like a ton of fun!  You could make lots of money grooming them (and they could save a lot of money if you groomed them).
The only problem I was concerned with was the dogs being put together. You know how one gets mad - then bites a little too hard and then boom! Something terrible happens. One of my friends (dachshund and Chi breeder) took care of someone's pit and whammo - came into the room and her prized long haired chi was being shaken to death. (shivers) Scarey! However, as long as you know what you are doing and know how to keep everyone getting along and happy - I think that would be great! It would be such a fun job! P.S. $150 for a shave?! What a rip off! |
| Hey. I don't have much time tonight, but I'll post you a longer response tomorrow.
First of all, I'm sorry to hear about your job. Hopefully you will have your 6 months, or longer?, to work things out. I used to be a pet groomer & we boarded pets also. It is fun, but it's a lot of hard work too. You'll also be surprised how many animals like to bite! lol Let's just say I was headed for vet school until I took that job. After working it 5 years, I decided I didn't want to do that. Guess that worked out great though, because I either wouldn't have finished vet school or I wouldn't have my boys (I say that because my husband & I decided I would be a SAHM once we had children until they started kindergarten).
There are a good bit of start up costs...shampoos, dips, insurance, clippers, blades run ya $20-30+ each (and you need several because both Osters and Andis dull fairly quickly when you're grooming 20 dogs a day). Our rates were NO where near what your area is...the most we charged was $55, and that was shaving huge dogs. Our baths for huge dogs were only $15. We did charge $10/hour with a minimum of 3 hours for dematting animals, but we didn't have people want to do that very often. Okay, I'm wanting to type too much tonight, but I need to get to sleep. I have to take my oldest son to preschool in 6 hours. I'll post more to you tomorrow though...promise! |
| I'm sorry to hear that you have to go through this! But, I can sympathise. About 15 months ago, the company that my husband was with for 16 years started laying people off. It was like an umpire throwing people out of a game. Point and toss, "you out, you out." One day of severence pay and a "don't take anything on your way out," was all they got. Half the company, gone.
It was horrifying at first but has turned out to be a great thing. We now have a sound company (when bands play, we put up the sound system) it has always been his dream and he got to fulfill it. Two things that we encountered. One, insurance is something to really consider. Canada is different, I know but, we had to really evaluate insurance. Both expensive and very difficult to wade through. Health, liability all that kind of stuff. Also, being a small business owner means that you also spend more time away from home responsibilities because everything is on you; no sick time and no workmen's comp. You have to ask yourself, if a dog bites me and I am unable to use my hand for a while, what then? Second, since I own the company we are eligible for all sorts of minority business owner perks. (All you have to be is female and you're a minority, guess all those years of repression have to pay off for something!) We are eligible for more grants and city contracts because a chick owns the business. It's also fun to have him "working for me". Make sure you explore all sides of the situation, it was really hard for us because he ended up turning down a lot of good offers for "real jobs" before we decided to do this. If you want to know anything else about how we did it, PM me or drop me a line. Mandy |
| You've gotten some great advice here, let me add something small. Search out a small business guru. Perhaps there's a government agency for small business that will have someone, often a volunteer, who will sit down with you and talk to you about what to think about, costs, business plant, expectations, etc.
Years ago when I started a business with several other people, they "laughed" at the gentleman from SBA and his emphasis on accounting, planning, etc.........but sure enough, that's where we had the most problems. good luck and best wishes |
| Wow, some really great suggestions, and you are all thinking ahead of me by a long shot! LOL
My thoughts had only gone as far as perhaps grooming 4 or 5 dogs a week, or at most 2 a day Mon-Fri. I would only purchase a few more grooming supplies to begin with, and some replacement blades for the 3 sets of clippers I have already. I just want to be home with my kids (though at this moment as they argue I'm wondering why??  ) and my dogs, to have more time to train, and show, and have a little money to pay for those things.
If it took off I would probably hire someone to take over most of it, because I still want my time with my kids, and furkids. Who knows.... |
| Accept small dogs that can be washed in the sink......your back will love you. One dog in a tub is fine, but several and it hurts. A friend has a grooming shop in another nearby town. They just hired another groomer who quit a different shop because the dogs were washed in a shower and her knees/back couldn't do it anylonger....to say nothing of getting wet herself. |
| Hey that sounds good, little shorthaired dogs only,....lol... (that is my inate laziness speaking) |
| Hi Willowsprite,
Sorry to hear about your job woes. On the positive side there is always that antage that states "When one door closes, another opens." Years ago I was laid off my job and thought ...sigh what to do? I had been doing magic shows for years for various groups and people kept telling me I should do it full time. Trouble was I never had the time as I was always too busy working my day job. The situation kinda forced me into it..well not force but made me realize.."now was the time". The Federal government has (had) a program which is called SEEDS which helps first time business owners start up their business. At the time I applied there were over 200 vying for the 25 positions as it included monies to live on for an entire year plus 6 months of training at a business college...all free!!! No Payback!!! Check with your IE office or check out Human Resources Canada - this may open some doors for you for your possible new business venture. The theory behind the government sponsered funding is as most businesses fail their first year of operation they assisted with monies for living and helped with business plans. The money you then made went directly back into your business. When I applied they turned me down flat the first time as most people there were consultants or engineers and I wanted to do comedy magic shows. Nothing motivates like being broke! ha ha Armed with letters of refrences from all the free shows I had done years previously and plopping myself in their office waiting for over 2 hours - in a nutshell I was accepted. As I said nothing motivates you more than when you are broke. That was 7 years ago and for 6 1/2 years I have worked 25 hours a week for the school district and put on aprox 200 shows a year for my own business. (Haven't been able to do it for the last 6 months due to my son's illness.) Currently I'm broke as 25 hours a week and having to support 8 mouths to feed as the soul breadwinner has been a bit rough. Somehow though, I have managed to provide for the 7 furballs and my upright son. You mentioned saving on gas, and other expenses and truthfully you find most of the time you cut corners and can deal with it. Still optomistic however, as when my son is better I am hoping to return to performing again. With the rough times we appreciate the good times so much more. Can you tell I always see the glass as half full - always optomistic. As I said this may open up doors for you which you never knew existed. Best of luck to you! Marianne |
Willowsprite wrote: Hey that sounds good, little shorthaired dogs only,....lol... (that is my inate laziness speaking)
haha...good idea! Just whatever questions you have about it (since we're getting too far ahead), just ask and I'll try my best to answer them for you. I really enjoyed that job, and I've thrown the idea in the air of opening my own shop once the boys start school. |
| I just went through a big job change from 13 years with the goverment I left to be closer to home and took another job and the decision was difficult. I think you are certainly on to something being from this area I know how hard it is to find great care and grooming services. Calling around yesterday to have Molly shaved was a nightmare. I had to make 9 calls - 7 of which would have nothing to do with her - the 8th said they would but I had to wait until they had an appt - March 10! and finally the last one we have an appointment on Monday at noon - and hopefully she will come home in much better shape than she is going. For us the thought of a kennel is not an option - It is like leaving your kids with a babysitter that you have never met before! I say go for it but cant advise on set up as I am not familiar with your property or house layout. I would say though that keeping it family focused is the key and will attract pet owners that care. |
| So March 10th Molly is gonna be nekkid! I can't wait to see pics! I love the look of them nekkid almost as much as in full coat, they're cute no matter what. If I can manage to come down that way before March 10th I can do it for you, but things are so hectic right now I unfortunately can't make any promises.
If not then, hopefully some other time we can get together |
| Willow
Sorry to hear about your job. Maybe you could start small and groom on weekends. That would be a way to slowly build your client base and get a feel for it, to see if you would like it. Daisy had to be day boarded a couple of times and they charged $20.00 per day from 8:00am -5:00pm, I had her walked 3x each day at a cost of $4.00 per walk. I provided her food(not that she ate, she would only eat a roast beef from Subway). They also provided a pick-up/drop-off service for an additional charge. Another aspect could be pooper-scooper. I had spinal surgery a couple years ago and had a compnay clean my yard each day. As gross as it sounds they were a lifesaver because I was in a turtle shell and couldn't bend. I think they charged $10/day for 4 dogs. Well worth it! Best of luck-Holly |
| Sometimes a situation like this enables you to go a different
direction, one that is more in line with what you love to do. Also, a homebased business would be a plus for your family. Seems like you have options,staying with what the company offered and working part time in grooming until you can switch over to the homebased business. I like the doggyday care idea,too. None in our area, just kennels who will throw him in with his food into the kennel. We are still looking for a day care with compassion, exercise, and rest periods-wish we were closer we would sign up with you ! The small business we got a kick out of was one named the Dogfather Bakery, a doggie bakery-they made treats from scratch and had toys/food and other doggie stuff. Best of luck with your choices, it will all work out for the best !!! |
| No actually Molly is going to be Naked tomorrow I found someone who was avaialble at noon on Monday so here we goooo........to the nudy salon! |
| Hi Willowsprite !!
A good reference site for groomers is at www.groomers.com I especially liked the Ask the Groomer, they have lots of topic catagories.... Good luck !! |
| Hi Stacey,
Sorry to be so MIA during all your misfortunes as of late. Hope your hubby is feeling much better. My husband & I are also self-employed. In the US like Mandy said, we have to get our own health insurance which runs about $870/month but I'm not sure if Mandy's aware or not but disability insurance through a private company only runs around $300 a year. I always worry about breaking my wrist or something & being out of work too. Especially since I'm such a clutz. The only upside about us paying out all this insurance money is that it's a big deduction come tax time. So it all kind of balances out in the wash. Also, I don't know how this would effect you in Canada either but there are a lot of things in the US that we declare as tax deductions. Like for me being in the creative field, I actually get a deduction for music and art that I buy as "creative inspiration" which my very ethical accountant says is very legitimate & legal. Certainly there are a lot of perks about being employed, like paid vacations, security, etc., but as long as you're doing something that you love -- nothing will ever replace that. As far as suggestions, what about offering some positive reinforcement training for any problem issues that the owners may have for their dog. You can train them while they are at the day care. Good luck! |
| We're checking into deducting our dogs as "security" for our home business. We have friends that deduct their Rottweiler and Briard. All costs for food, vet and initial purchase.
We're checking into it. I'll let you know what happens. It may be breed specific. |
| That's a great idea Verveup regarding the training, I'd have to get a lot more training myself and for my own furballs before I could offer to help anyone else though...lol....
I am familiar with what I could use for tax deductions, I used to do other people's taxes on the side. I was just floored when I saw the cost of your health insurance! Wow! Here, if you are employed, most employers cover the cost completely, for all dental, prescriptions, eyecare and whatever else, all hospital and doctor costs are covered by OHIP here in Ontario. Some employers charge a small weekly, bi weekly, or monthly fee to help cover the costs. (maybe 5 or 10 dollars) If you are not employed, but are self employed you can pay for your own, usually around 200 a month for a family. If you are unemployed and on some kind of social assistance everything is covered. |
WOW!! I think I should move to Canada. I'm self-employed and pay $1700.00/month for my husband and I.  It is great insurance but I almost hope I get sick so I can use it |
| 170 a month is not bad for the two of you, I don't think it would be a whole lot less here...
It's not all of Canada that has the same amount of covereage though, I'm not sure, but I do believe Ontario has the best health care system in Canada. |
| I think the quote was $1,700, which even amazes me!
(I was paying $928 for just the two of us...) |
|
I read that wrong for sure. LOL |
| Willowsprite- I was just talking to someone and he mentioned he was a pet photographer. If you like taking pictures maybe that's something to consider. He used to do weddings but likes the animals better. He has a regular job and does pictures on weekends. |
| I actually spent a few years in photography and enjoyed it, however there is a huge amount of money that would need to be invested, and I'm just not sure I'd want to deal with stressed out people that much...lol... |
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