TLC Canine Crusaders Business Hub Calculators
Calculators Overview
These calculators are designed to help professional dog walkers and trainers plan their business, set pricing, and manage income, expenses, and resources. They can all be used together to give a comprehensive overview of your potential earnings and costs. 1. Dog Walking Income Calculator Purpose: Calculates how many dogs you need to walk per day to reach your target income. Inputs: Target annual/monthly income, earnings per walk, working days per year/month. Outputs: Dogs per day needed. Use With: Expenses and profit calculators to see net income after costs. 2. Dog Walking & Boarding Income Calculator Purpose: Combines walking and boarding income to calculate total monthly income. Inputs: Walk rates, number of walks, boarding nights, boarding price, monthly expenses. Outputs: Estimated monthly income and suggestions for extra walks or nights needed to reach target. Use With: Expense calculator to see net profit. 3. Dog Walking Price Calculator Purpose: Helps set walk prices to achieve desired income. Inputs: Desired income, number of walks, hours, total expenses, extras (boarding/ad-hoc). Outputs: Recommended walk price and hourly rate. Use With: Boarding & daycare income calculators to balance pricing. 4. Boarding Licence Income Calculator Purpose: Calculates potential income from home boarding and daycare while respecting licence limits. Inputs: Number of dogs allowed on licence, dogs in home boarding, days/nights, daycare dogs, daycare days, prices, monthly expenses, extras. Outputs: Total income and profit, broken down by service. Use With: Other income calculators to combine total business revenue. 5. Dog Trainer Cost Calculator Purpose: Determines pricing for individual and group lessons. Inputs: Number of sessions, session type (group/individual), session price, total expenses. Outputs: Total potential income and net profit per period. Use With: Overall income calculations to include training alongside walks and boarding. 6. Expenses Calculator Purpose: Tracks weekly, monthly, and yearly expenses. Inputs: Fuel, car care, accountant, treats, bags, clothing, software, cleaning, website, phone, miscellaneous costs. Outputs: Summary of total expenses per period. Use With: Income calculators to determine net profit and margins. 7. Puppy Walking / Development Calculator Purpose: Calculates safe walk times, mental stimulation, socialisation, and sleep for puppies based on age, size, and breed. Inputs: Puppy age, breed size, walking conditions (hills, hard surfaces). Outputs: Weekly exercise plan, including structured walks, play, and socialisation. Use With: Helps trainers/walkers plan safe schedules for clients with puppies. 8. Fuel & Route Cost Estimator Purpose: Calculates fuel costs for walking routes and suggests savings. Inputs: Mileage, fuel cost per litre, route distances. Outputs: Fuel cost per week/month, optimised route suggestions. Use With: Expenses calculator to see transport cost impact on profits. 9. Profit Margin Calculator Purpose: Combines income and expenses to calculate gross and net profit and margins. Inputs: Income from walks, boarding, training, extras; all business expenses; taxes, NI, pension, allowances. Outputs: Profit, margin percentages, and after-tax income. Use With: All other calculators for an overall financial picture. 10. Holiday / Staff Coverage Calculator Purpose: Manages staff availability and client bookings. Inputs: Staff schedules, client bookings, number of walks. Outputs: Daily staff allocations, identifies gaps to avoid overbooking. Use With: Ensures accurate staffing costs and smooth client coverage in income calculations. How They Work Together Set pricing and targets: Use Dog Walking Price Calculator, Trainer Cost Calculator, and Boarding Licence Calculator to determine your revenue per service. Calculate income: Combine walk, boarding, daycare, and training income using the Income Calculators. Track costs: Enter all expenses into the Expenses Calculator, including fuel, treats, software, and staffing costs. Calculate profits: Use the Profit Margin Calculator to see total profit after all costs, taxes, and pensions. Plan staffing & logistics: Use the Holiday / Staff Coverage Calculator and Fuel & Route Estimator to optimise time and costs. Include puppy schedules: Use the Puppy Walking / Development Calculator for clients with puppies to ensure safe exercise and enrichment. Together, these tools give a full picture of business profitability, scheduling, and service planning. Dog walkers can use them to set realistic targets, maximise efficiency, and calculate total potential earnings.
Personal Finance Overview: Understanding How Much You Need to Earn
As a dog walker, it’s easy to fall into the trap of undercharging, especially if you love the job and want to make it accessible to everyone. However, it’s crucial to recognise that undercharging not only harms your business but also the dog walking industry as a whole. It puts pressure on other dog walkers, pulling down rates for everyone and making it harder for professionals—especially those with years of experience and training—to sustain their businesses. In the long run, this practice can push skilled and dedicated professionals out of the industry. To run a successful and sustainable dog walking business, you need to cover all your living expenses—such as rent or mortgage, utilities, food, savings, and personal costs—alongside your business expenses—like vehicle costs, insurance, training, and any other outgoings necessary to operate. The key is to calculate how much you need to earn per walk and overall per month to ensure you're covering these costs. This can be done by breaking down your expenses and matching them with your earning potential. Here’s how you can think about it: Living Expenses: These are the costs you need to cover to maintain your standard of living, including housing, food, utilities, travel, and savings. If you're self-employed as a dog walker, these expenses must be factored into your hourly or per-walk rate. Business Expenses: As a professional, you will also need to cover your business-related expenses. This includes vehicle maintenance, fuel, insurance, equipment, professional development, and any other costs necessary to provide a safe and effective service for your clients. Setting the Right Rate: Once you've identified both your living and business expenses, you can work out how much you need to charge per walk to ensure you're earning enough to cover all these costs. If you don’t charge enough to cover your costs, you risk burning out, compromising on service quality, and potentially going out of business. The Bigger Picture: Remember that your rate should reflect not just your time on the walk itself but also the time you spend running your business—administration, driving, planning, professional development, etc. You are not just being paid to walk dogs, but to operate a business. Sustainable Income: It’s important to set a sustainable income target that reflects the true value of your service. While the love for animals and the work you do may be at the heart of your business, charging appropriately ensures that you can continue doing what you love without compromising your financial well-being.
Tips for Setting Your Rates
Do the maths: Use a calculator to assess all your expenses and figure out how much you need to earn per day, week, and month. Factor in your holidays, emergency fund, and any other personal financial goals. Consider your experience: If you have specialised training or years of experience, your rate should reflect that expertise. Experienced dog walkers with a solid reputation bring added value to clients and deserve to be compensated accordingly. Research industry standards: Look at what other professional dog walkers in your area are charging, but don’t base your rate solely on that. Make sure your rates cover your expenses and provide a fair wage for your skills. Don’t undersell yourself: Charging too little might seem like an easy way to attract more clients, but in the long run, it can lead to burnout, poor service, and financial instability. It’s better to charge a fair rate for the value you provide. Plan for growth: As you gain experience, earn referrals, and expand your business, don’t be afraid to raise your rates over time to meet your increasing expertise and financial needs. By ensuring that your rate reflects both your personal living costs and the expenses of running a dog walking business, you can create a sustainable income that allows you to thrive—both professionally and personally. Take the time to calculate your expenses, set fair rates, and avoid the trap of undercharging. This will ensure you stay in business and keep providing top-quality care for your clients' dogs.
Quick Guide: Self-Assessment for Dog Walkers
If you earn money from dog walking, training, or related services, you need to complete a self-assessment tax return. Key Points: Report all income from clients and related services. Claim business expenses like equipment, insurance, travel, and marketing. Watch deadlines – paper returns: 31 Oct | online: 31 Jan. Keep records – invoices, receipts, and mileage logs. 💡 Pro Tip: Self-assessment can be tricky. Always consider getting professional advice to make sure your finances are correct and you’re not overpaying tax.
Understanding VAT for Dog Walkers
What is VAT? VAT (Value Added Tax) is a tax applied to goods and services in the UK. As a dog walker or a business owner offering services like dog walking, you may need to pay VAT on your earnings, depending on your circumstances. When Do You Need to Pay VAT? You are required to charge VAT if your business’s taxable turnover (income from your services) exceeds the VAT registration threshold, which is currently £85,000 per year. If your turnover is below this threshold, you don't need to register for VAT, but you can choose to do so voluntarily if you wish. How Do You Calculate VAT? If you're VAT registered, you must add VAT to your services. The current standard VAT rate is 20%. This means that for every £100 you earn for a dog walk, you would need to add an additional £20 in VAT, making the total cost £120 for your customer. Example: If you charge £15 for a dog walk, and you're VAT registered, you need to add 20% VAT, so the customer will pay £18 (£15 + £3 VAT). Once registered, you must keep records of all your income and VAT charged, and submit a VAT return to HMRC (HM Revenue & Customs), typically quarterly or annually. Income Calculation and VAT Returns When calculating your income for VAT purposes, you must include all the money you receive for your dog walking services. This includes payments for: Dog walks Additional services like training, feeding, or any other services you provide Remember, if you're VAT registered, you can also claim back the VAT you pay on business-related purchases. For example, if you buy dog food, leads, or equipment for your walks, and these purchases have VAT added, you can potentially reclaim this VAT. When You Don’t Need to Charge VAT: If your income is below the £85,000 threshold, you don’t need to register for VAT and you won’t need to charge VAT on your services. Some services, like dog training (if provided separately) might also be exempt from VAT, but always check with an accountant or tax professional to be sure. Conclusion In summary, as a dog walker, VAT only applies if your annual turnover exceeds £85,000. Once registered, you’ll need to charge VAT on your services, keep track of your income, and submit VAT returns to HMRC. If you are unsure whether or not to register, or how to handle VAT correctly, it’s always a good idea to speak with an accountant who can provide tailored advice.
Is Home Boarding VAT-Exempt? Home boarding (where a dog stays at your home while the owner is away) can potentially be exempt from VAT, but it depends on a few factors. Specifically, VAT exemptions are often applied to services that fall under “animal care services”. However, home boarding is treated differently than regular dog walking or training services. If the home boarding is considered a “pet care” service that is directly related to the welfare of the dog, then it could fall under VAT exemptions. For example: Providing a safe and caring environment for the dog while its owner is away Ensuring the dog receives the appropriate care, feeding, and attention Providing a domestic environment that focuses on the well-being of the dog (not in a kennel-style, commercial setting) When Might Home Boarding Be Exempt from VAT? If the home boarding service is considered a domestic service and involves providing care in a home-like environment (rather than a commercial kennel). If the home boarding is separate from other services like training, grooming, or walking and is classified as animal welfare care. If you're not VAT-registered or your turnover is below the £85,000 threshold, VAT would not apply regardless. However, if the home boarding is part of a more commercial offering (like if you run a large kennel or the service is more "hotel-style" with facilities that cater to multiple dogs at once), VAT could apply. When Would You Need to Charge VAT on Home Boarding? If your business provides home boarding services in a more commercial setting (like a kennel or large business facility). If you voluntarily register for VAT and decide to charge VAT on all your services, including home boarding. Summary: In most cases, home boarding could be exempt from VAT if it’s provided in a domestic, pet care-oriented environment. It’s important to assess how your service is categorized — especially if it’s separated from other services like dog walking or training. For clarity, I recommend speaking with an accountant or tax professional to ensure you're applying VAT correctly to all the services you offer, including home boarding.
