People start new businesses every single day. Likewise, people also adopt new pets every day. But not everybody does both at the same time! After all, these are each major life events and can cause stress in their own ways. But if you take our advice, you can satisfy your startup’s needs without sacrificing your pet’s — and you may even find that the two compliment each other perfectly! Here are some strategies from RESH Global to help you navigate these two new worlds simultaneously.

Take Care of Administrative Duties Early On

Any time you open up a new business, there are some administrative tasks that you have to take care of. It’s best to do these early on, especially if your time and attention will be focused on adding to your family. Spend some time researching your state guidelines and policies for forming an LLC, and don’t be shy about filing yourself using an online formation service. Your LLC provides a protective cushion against legal action against you while also offering some tax advantages, which should be researched as well.

When you’re starting out, you may not have everything you’d ideally like to have to do business, such as invoicing software. In that case, use an online invoice tool to create great looking invoices. You can customize them with colors, text, and even your pet’s picture. Once you have a design you like, you can download it to print and use as needed.

Include Your Pet in Your Marketing

Marketing is meant to grab attention, tug at heartstrings, and reach your demographic. When you plan to have a dog in the office, part of your demographic could easily be dog owners. According to Spots, more than half of all American households own dogs. This means that your new CEO (Canine Executive Officer) could make his way into your marketing materials, especially if your business involves pets in some way.

Prioritize Safety

We’re still working off the assumption that your new pet will be part of your business. As such, it pays to ensure that he will behave in the office. Certain puppy problems, such as leash training in basic commands, are best handled by a professional. An additional step you can take to keep your pet and your office mates happy is to create a separate area for your dog while they acclimate to new people. Now is also a great time to discuss potential problems that might arise if you choose to follow in the footsteps of Amazon, Etsy, and Chewy and allow your employees to bring their own pets to work.

When it comes to pet products, it’s best to choose those that have been approved by veterinarians. You can find and read detailed veterinarian reviews of pet products online. Having a professional opinion can help you make smart purchasing decisions when it comes to your pet.

Set a Schedule

Setting a schedule is important both at work and with your pets. Make sure that the two can intertwine with each other by knowing when your dog needs to eat, play, or take bathroom breaks. Once you have this information, you can begin to schedule meetings and phone calls around their timeline and needs.

Also, since you’ll probably be doing a lot of walking, check out your local walk score (which measures the walkability of an address) to find out in advance how easy it will be to talk your pet on walks during lunch time. If there are parks or dog-friendly restaurants nearby, that’s perfect!

How to Prep the Office for an Animal

The break room is not the only space where your employees will relax as you move toward a pet-friendly office space. If this is your ultimate goal, get prepared now. Office suite community Lakeside Park recommends having gates, dog beds, rollers, leashes, and water bowls along with toys and a way to clean up after the animals in your office. If possible, designate an outdoor area for the roaming rovers and their humans to take lunch.

You should also enact policies on when pets can be in the office and how many. If you have multiple employees that also wish to bring theirs, temperament test them against yours and call in a dog trainer if the paws and claws in your office need a lesson in manners. Also, remember that our pets tend to be very sensitive to our moods — meaning if you’re stressed, your pet will be, too. So keep the workplace as positive and stress-free as possible. Luckily, having pets around will make that much easier!

Life changes often, and when you choose to have two major life changes happen at once, preparation is critical. As you get ready to move forward with a new business venture and add to your family with a furry companion, don’t be shy about letting the two intersect. With a little planning and preparation, you can get the best of both worlds!

RESH Global will help you operationalize your vision and execute your strategy to improve your organizational performance. Call 317-537-7436.

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