Ok, let’s face it. This is not one of the most exciting issues we could talk about today. But it is part of real life.
Dog trainers, at least in many markets, are one of those services which can be feast or famine. There can be times when clients (and their cash) are aplenty. Then there can be times (particularly in the height of vacation season and/or the Christmas season) where business can shrivel or dry up.
If you as a business owner are to survive the down times, you must budget your outflow during the high tides. This isn’t always easy, especially for newcomers. But as your experience grows, and you know what to expect when, it becomes somewhat easier. When is the advertising bill due? When do state licenses etc become due? Sales tax payments? What about unplanned Vet bills or other emergencies?
You will need capital on hand to deal with emergencies, pay your employees, and even cover your own paycheck, the monthly utilities, insurance, etc. Is there any leftover for that new “must-have” deal the telemarketer keeps pestering you about? No? Then it’ll have to wait until your cash flow picks up again.
Of course, there isn’t much of an issue when the floodgates are open and the cash is flowing. But keep in mind that you may hit a dry spell or changes to your website may slow things a bit until Google can recognize those changes, etc.
Now, if you’re like us, you’d rather talk about the thrills and skills of dog training, but real life demands that dog trainers ensure their financial bases are covered. While we love our jobs, it’s still a business. Whether you handle the financial pressures yourself or hire someone else to do it, someone has to keep some sense of sanity and order on the financial side of things. Hence, this article will hopefully help new trainers or those thinking about becoming trainers to get a real-world grasp about some of the pressures faced by business owners.
