How to Start a Dog Sledding Business

Start a dog sledding business by following these 10 steps:

1. Plan your Dog Sledding Business
2. Form your Dog Sledding Business into a Legal Entity
3. Register your Dog Sledding Business for Taxes
4. Open a Business Bank Account & Credit Card
5. Set up Accounting for your Dog Sledding Business
6. Get the Necessary Permits & Licenses for your Dog Sledding Business
7. Get Dog Sledding Business Insurance
8. Define your Dog Sledding Business Brand
9. Create your Dog Sledding Business Website
10. Set up your Business Phone System

We have put together this simple guide to starting your dog sledding business. These steps will ensure that your new business is well planned out, registered properly and legally compliant.

Exploring your options? Check out other small business ideas.

STEP 1: Plan your business

A clear plan is essential for success as an entrepreneur. It will help you map out the specifics of your business and discover some unknowns. A few important topics to consider are:

• What will you name your business?
• What are the startup and ongoing costs?
• Who is your target market?
• How much can you charge customers?

Luckily we have done a lot of this research for you.

What will you name your business?

Choosing the right name is important and challenging. If you don’t already have a name in mind, visit our How to Name a Business guide or get help brainstorming a name with our Dog Sledding Business Name Generator

If you operate a sole proprietorship, you might want to operate under a business name other than your own name. Visit our DBA guide to learn more.

When registering a business name, we recommend researching your business name by checking:

• Your state's business records
• Federal and state trademark records
• Social media platforms
• Web domain availability.

It's very important to secure your domain name before someone else does.

What are the costs involved in opening a dog sledding business?

The largest startup expense of a dog sledding business is acquiring dogs. A business can start out with a small team of dogs, but it will need at least a few.

To find dogs, business owners should talk with mushers and contact rescue groups. Retired racing dogs are usually well-trained but not free. Rescue dogs are a low-cost option but may come with behavioral issues. When purchasing dogs, Mushing recommends that business owners ask why the dogs are being sold and request a full refund if the dog doesn’t bond with the existing team well. When getting rescues, business owners, should be prepared to find the dogs different homes if they aren’t suitable for dog sledding.

In addition to dogs, business owners also need:

• sleds (and carts)
• gang lines, necklines and harnesses
• booties and thermal gear
• shelters and pens

Wikihow recommends having at least 1,000 square feet of pens for a team of ten dogs. Each dog would also need their own shelter. Of course, business owners also need land for these facilities.

What are the ongoing expenses for a dog sledding business?

The ongoing expenses for a dog sledding business are substantial. They include the cost of:

• providing dogs with veterinary care
• purchasing food for dogs
• repairing and replacing equipment
• maintaining facilities

Additionally, new dogs must be acquired as older dogs are retired from sledding altogether.

Who is the target market?

The target market for a dog sledding business tends to be vacationers. People on vacation have discretionary income to spend, are willing to spend it and are looking for activities to do.

Within vacationers, dog sledding businesses tend to attract active individuals who love the outdoors, winter and dogs.

How does a dog sledding business make money?

A dog sledding business primarily makes money by offering tours via dog sled. In warm weather, tours may be given on a cart rather than a sled. Offering cart tours helps extend what would otherwise be a seasonal business into a year-round one.

Some businesses also offer tours of their kennels, but many are willing to share their dogs with interested parties for free. Even those that do charge for kennel visits normally only charge adults a nominal fee and let kids in for free. This isn’t a major source of revenue.

How much can you charge customers?

Dog sled businesses charge several hundred dollars for a tour. Peace Pups Dogsledding charges $300 per person for one-hour tours and $550 for longer lessons. Kennel visits are just $20 for adults and free for children.

How much profit can a dog sledding business make?

A dog sled business can bring in a sizable revenue, but much of this isn’t profit. A business that had two people tour five days a week might bring in $3,000 weekly That has to cover all of the above ongoing expenses, though, and most businesses aren’t fully booked during the warmer seasons even if they have carts. Thus, the winter earnings must cover all year-round expenses.

How can you make your business more profitable?

There are three main ways that a dog sledding business can increase revenue and profits. In addition to standard tours, businesses may give longer tours. Multi-day tours that involve camping can attract dedicated mushers who are traveling, and one-day tours that go to a destination (e.g. a restaurant) can attract couples on dates. Many businesses also get into breeding dogs, although some business owners have ethical concerns about this.

STEP 2: Form a legal entity

The most common business structure types are the sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company (LLC), and corporation.

Establishing a legal business entity such as an LLC or corporation protects you from being held personally liable if your dog sledding business is sued.

You can form an LLC yourself and pay only the minimal state LLC costs or hire one of the Best LLC Services for a small, additional fee.

STEP 3: Register for taxes

You will need to register for a variety of state and federal taxes before you can open for business.

In order to register for taxes you will need to apply for an EIN. It's really easy and free!

There are specific state taxes that might apply to your business. Learn more about state sales tax and franchise taxes in our state sales tax guides.

STEP 4: Open a business bank account & credit card

Using dedicated business banking and credit accounts is essential for personal asset protection.

When your personal and business accounts are mixed, your personal assets (your home, car, and other valuables) are at risk in the event your business is sued. In business law, this is referred to as piercing your corporate veil.

Open a business bank account

Besides being a requirement when applying for business loans, opening a business bank account:

• Separates your personal assets from your company's assets, which is necessary for personal asset protection.
• Makes accounting and tax filing easier.

Get a business credit card

Getting a business credit card helps you:

• Separate personal and business expenses by putting your business' expenses all in one place.
• Build your company's credit history, which can be useful to raise money later on.

STEP 5: Set up business accounting

Recording your various expenses and sources of income is critical to understanding the financial performance of your business. Keeping accurate and detailed accounts also greatly simplifies your annual tax filing.

Make LLC accounting easy with our LLC Expenses Cheat Sheet.

STEP 6: Obtain necessary permits and licenses

Failure to acquire necessary permits and licenses can result in hefty fines, or even cause your business to be shut down.

State & Local Business Licensing Requirements

Certain state permits and licenses may be needed to operate a dog sledding business business. Learn more about licensing requirements in your state by visiting SBA’s reference to state licenses and permits.

Certificate of Occupancy

A dog sledding business is generally run out of a physical location such as a lodge. Businesses operating out of a physical location typically require a Certificate of Occupancy (CO).  A CO confirms that all building codes, zoning laws and government regulations have been met.

• If you plan to lease a location:
• It is generally the landlord’s responsibility to obtain a CO.
• Before leasing, confirm that your landlord has or can obtain a valid CO that is applicable to a dog sledding business.
• After a major renovation, a new CO often needs to be issued. If your place of business will be renovated before opening, it is recommended to include language in your lease agreement stating that lease payments will not commence until a valid CO is issued.

• If you plan to purchase or build a location:
• You will be responsible for obtaining a valid CO from a local government authority.
• Review all building codes and zoning requirements for your business’ location to ensure your dog sledding business will be in compliance and able to obtain a CO.

STEP 7: Get business insurance

Just as with licenses and permits, your business needs insurance in order to operate safely and lawfully. Business Insurance protects your company’s financial wellbeing in the event of a covered loss.

There are several types of insurance policies created for different types of businesses with different risks. If you’re unsure of the types of risks that your business may face, begin with General Liability Insurance. This is the most common coverage that small businesses need, so it’s a great place to start for your business.

Another notable insurance policy that many businesses need is Workers’ Compensation Insurance. If your business will have employees, it’s a good chance that your state will require you to carry Workers' Compensation Coverage.

Is this Business Right For You?

Anyone who enjoys being outdoors and working with dogs might like running a dog sledding business. Dog sledding gets you outside in nature, and you get to spend your workdays with dogs.

What happens during a typical day at a dog sledding business?

A day at a dog sledding business is full of activity. Business owners:

• feed and clean up after dogs
• play with and exercise dogs
• train dogs and introduce new dogs
• maintain and repair gear and facilities

Several times a week, business owners will take their team out for a run. Each run may be with or without customers.

What are some skills and experiences that will help you build a successful dog sledding business?

In order to run a dog sledding business, business owners must know how to mush, which takes time to learn. Business owners who aren’t familiar with dog sledding should:

• take at least one mushing class
• connect with dog sledding clubs and organizations
• find a dog sledding mentor
• read books on mushing

Dog sledding businesses like Noble Paws offer basic mushing classes. Some good books include Dog Driver, Culture Clash and The Speed Mushing Manual.

What is the growth potential for a dog sledding business?

Running a dog sled business is time-intensive, and dog teams develop special bonds with their owner. For this reason, dog sled businesses usually have a single location. Business owners can’t work with teams in different locations.