How to Start a Home Made Dog Treat Business

Home made dog treats are all the rage now. Home based businesses are too. How about putting the two together? Starting your own home made dog treat business is not for the faint of heart. I know! But it sure is fun! Of course, the first thing you need to decide is if you enjoy baking - a lot! I will be honest, this business is very labor intensive, but if you organize and prioritize, you are on your way.

Down to basics. You must first check out the business laws and health regulations in your community and state. The Department of Agriculture in Georgia oversees the production of animal feed, and you must have each recipe you use approved by them. Don't let this scare you; all the information you need, and all the forms are available online (although I did get on a first name basis with the secretary in that department). You will need to bake a batch of each recipe, and send a sample to a lab to determine fat, moisture, protein, and fiber content for labeling purposes. Once this is done, the paperwork part is over.

Next you need a really great name for your business, dog loving recipes, packaging and labeling materials, business cards, and a website. You will need to brainstorm all the places you can sell your treats. I found several grooming businesses that were willing to buy my treats wholesale, and I attended craft fairs. There is a creative side to this business that can be a lot of fun. I made lots of different designs, and did some original packaging to increase the treats' appeal to humans. (Dogs didn't seem to care that their treats were shaped like bones!) You will need to purchase your ingredients, packaging materials, dog related cookie cutters, and maybe a dog bone cake pan, as well as funding your website, business cards, advertising, and licensing fees. And then you need to bake, bake, bake! Stick with it; there is a lot of competition. But if you are creative, persistent, and a good cook this can be a very lucrative home business.

There really are many different aspects to this business, and lots of information that you will need to help you on your way to a productive business. I will be adding more Hubs soon with lots more details, recipes, and creative tips.