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  • October 12, 2015 at 11:12 pm #993013
    HRguy
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    Hi guys,
    I’m exploring a business idea – specifically a dog and cat boarding kennel. I know where my nearest competition is, but I’m not sure how I go about assessing whether there is sufficient population to provide sufficient business. Are there tools or resources available that would help me make an assessment of how viable my customer base is in my local region please?

    Thanks,
    Todd

    October 13, 2015 at 1:50 am #1189346
    kathiemt
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    Have you thought of contacting the local council? They’d have an idea of how many cats and dogs in the area and might be able to guide you.

    October 13, 2015 at 2:53 am #1189347
    HRguy
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    Great idea Kathie- thanks! I have to talk to them about SO many other things so I’ll see if they can give me some numbers of registered pets as well. Thanks allot.

    October 13, 2015 at 3:05 am #1189348
    kathiemt
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    Good to hear!

    October 13, 2015 at 5:16 am #1189349
    bb1
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    These are RSPCA figures for 2014, so if you know roughly the number of houses in your catchment area you may get an idea.

    How many pets are there in Australia?

    Australia has one of the highest rates of pet ownership in the world. About 63% of Australian households own pets. There are an estimated 33 million pets in Australia.
    Dogs are the most common pet, with 39% of households owning a dog. There are estimated to be 4.2 million pet dogs in Australia; 19 dogs for every 100 people. Cats are the second most common pet, with 29% of households owning a cat. There are estimated to be 3.3 million pet cats in Australia; 15 cats for every 100 people.

    October 13, 2015 at 6:46 am #1189350
    affgar
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    My advice would be to try to work out a way to separate yourself from your competition.
    What can you offer that they are not offering?
    What can you do that is an improvement on your competition?
    How can you brand yourself to be offering more for less (so to speak)? – Not saying you should be the cheapest, though you may want to be early on to get your name out there?
    Look at how competition are pricing … is there a way that you can price your service differently that adapts more to your customers needs.
    Can you offer other services like pickup or drop off for example?

    Sometimes simple concepts of value adding & providing little side services or products can really help your business in huge ways. Especially when times are tough or competition seems to be hard fought.

    Though, very wise of you to do your research into the number! Congratulations on taking this vital step. Shows you have your head in the right space for your business.

    Good luck with it!

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