Paws & Play Dog Daycare

Words in [brackets] are blanks you fill in with your own details when you adopt this sample in Supreme Plan AI.

Executive Summary

Paws & Play Dog Daycare is a dog daycare and boarding facility in Colorado. We offer daily daycare, overnight boarding, grooming and basic training for dogs whose owners work long days or travel. Dogs play in groups matched by size and temperament, with trained handlers always in the room.

Why this fits. Many owners work away from home and feel guilty leaving a dog alone, and travel makes boarding a recurring need. A clean, safe, well-run facility with handlers who know each dog by name earns long-term, repeat customers. Daycare packs and monthly boarding bring steady income, and grooming and training add-ons raise the value of each visit.

Here is what our numbers show. In Year 1 we plan about 5,132 daycare days (roughly 14 dogs a day), about 1,058 boarding nights and about 728 grooming and training add-ons. That brings in sales of $284,976, growing to $816,312 by Year 5. We expect a profit of about $21,200 in Year 1, a profit of about $71,600 in Year 2, a profit of about $106,800 in Year 3 and a profit of about $190,400 by Year 5. Rent, handler pay and the flooring, kennels and fencing paid for before the first dog arrives are our largest costs, and the plan counts all of them.

We need $195,000 in total. Of that, $133,000 is startup costs (flooring, kennels, fencing, a washer and dryer, a build-out, deposits, insurance, marketing and a cushion), and the rest is cash for the first months. I am putting in $35,000 of my own savings and asking for a $160,000 SBA 7(a) loan.

I am Marcus Webb, the owner and head handler. These numbers are estimates based on the assumptions listed at the end of this plan, not promises.

Company Description

Paws & Play Dog Daycare will be a limited liability company (LLC) in Colorado, owned by Marcus Webb. We will rent about 3,200 square feet of commercial space with separate indoor play areas for large and small dogs, a fenced outdoor yard, a boarding room with kennels, a grooming suite and a check-in lobby.

What we believe. A dog is part of the family, and the people who care for it should treat it that way.

What we offer:
- Daycare by the day, in packs or by monthly membership.
- Overnight boarding with evening and morning walks.
- Grooming and bath services.
- Basic training and puppy socialization classes.
- Daily photo updates for owners.

Safety. Every dog needs current vaccines and a short temperament test before joining a group. Dogs play in groups matched by size and temperament, with at least one trained handler for every 15 dogs. We have a written emergency plan, a relationship with a nearby veterinarian and a first aid kit. We do not give medical advice and we do not accept dogs that fail the temperament test or lack vaccines.

Where things stand today. The safety policy, schedule and budget are written. The next steps are the lease, the build-out and the first 40 founding families.

Problem & Opportunity

Dog owners who work long hours or travel have few good options. Leaving a dog home alone leads to boredom, barking and damage, and a pet sitter can only do so much. Kennels can be stressful, and some daycares are crowded, dirty or poorly staffed.

Owners also worry about safety. They want to know that dogs are separated by size and temperament, handlers know what they are doing and someone will act fast if something goes wrong.

A clean, well-run facility with trained handlers and clear safety rules solves both problems.

Products & Services

Paws & Play will be the safe, clean and friendly place owners trust with their dogs.

What makes us different:
1. Safe play groups. Dogs are matched by size and temperament and handlers are always present.
2. Trained handlers. Background checks, first aid and dog behavior training for every team member.
3. A clean facility. Floors are cleaned and disinfected daily and drains keep the play areas dry.
4. Clear policies. Vaccine and temperament rules apply to every dog, and owners can read them in writing.
5. Open communication. Photo updates and a short report after each visit.
6. Daycare, boarding and care in one place. Grooming and training make one stop easy for busy owners.

Why owners return. Their dogs come home tired and happy.

Market Analysis

Who we serve:
- Working owners who need daycare for their dogs.
- Families who travel and need boarding.
- Owners of puppies who need socialization.
- Owners of older dogs who want a calm group.
- Veterinary and rescue partners that need trusted boarding.

How we sized the market. Our trade area is the neighborhoods within a 15-minute drive. We are not counting on every household with a dog. Year 1 plans about 14 daycare dogs a day, which is a small share of the dogs in our area. Replace this estimate with your own count of homes, apartments and workplaces near your location.

Competitive Landscape

What owners can do today:

1. Other daycares. Some are good, but many are full or farther away.
2. Veterinary boarding. Safe, but expensive and not set up for play.
3. Pet sitters and dog walkers. Personal, but limited to a few hours.
4. Large pet store daycares. Convenient, but rushed and sometimes crowded.
5. Friends and family. Free, but not always available.

Where we fit. Paws & Play offers a clean, safe and friendly facility with trained handlers and a plain safety policy. We will not try to be the cheapest. We will win on trust and care.

Marketing & Sales Strategy

How owners will find us.

Before opening:
- Sign up at least 40 founding families at a reduced first-month price.
- Host a free open house and temperament testing day.
- Meet veterinarians, groomers, rescues and trainers to share our policies. We do not pay for referrals.
- Put up the sign as soon as the lease is signed.

After opening:
- A free trial day for new dogs after the temperament test.
- A Google Business Profile and honest reviews from real owners.
- Daily photos and updates that owners share on social media.
- Daycare packs and monthly memberships with simple pricing.
- Holiday boarding pre-booking and a waitlist.

What we will measure. How families heard about us, how many trial days become members and how often dogs return.

Operations Plan

How the facility will run.

Schedule. Drop-off in the morning, pick-up in the evening and boarding check-in and check-out in the late morning and early evening.

Staffing in Year 1. Marcus handles dogs and runs the business. One full-time and one part-time handler work with him. Pay for each role is listed at the end of this plan.

Booking and records. A pet care system keeps vaccine records, bookings and owner contact details and sends reminders.

Safety. Each new dog passes a temperament test. Groups are matched by size and play style, and a handler is in each room at all times. Gates have double doors, the yard is fully fenced and a camera system covers every room. We keep a first aid kit and an emergency plan and have a veterinarian on call. Dogs that show aggression are removed from group play.

Cleaning. Floors are cleaned and disinfected every day, bedding is washed on a set schedule and water bowls are changed often.

Management & Organization

The people who will run Paws & Play Dog Daycare.

Marcus Webb, owner and head handler. He sets the safety policy, tests each new dog, trains the handlers and runs the budget and the schedule. (Replace this paragraph with your own background.)

Certified dog handlers (one full time in Year 1, more as dogs are added). Run play groups, give meals and medications as directed, watch every dog and keep the facility clean. Every handler passes a background check and training in dog body language, first aid and emergency plans.

Part-time handlers. Cover mornings, afternoons and weekend boarding after the same training.

Outside advisors. A veterinarian who advises on vaccines and emergencies, an attorney who reviews the lease and the service agreement, an insurance broker, an accountant and a free mentor from SCORE or the Small Business Development Center.

Staff pay in this plan is a full year per person: owner / Head Handler (CPDT-KA) $42,000; certified Dog Handler (full-time) $34,000; part-Time Handler $20,000. Replace them with the pay you can offer where you live.

Milestones Narrative

Our goals and when we plan to reach them.
- Before opening (4 months ahead): sign the lease, finish the flooring, drains and fencing, install the kennels, set the vaccine and temperament policy, hire and train the first handlers and sign up at least 40 founding families.
- Year 1: about 5,132 daycare days, 1,058 boarding nights and 728 add-ons; $284,976 in sales and a profit of about $21,200.
- Year 2: about 7,300 daycare days, 1,480 boarding nights and 1,040 add-ons with a second full-time handler; $416,620 in sales and a profit of about $71,600.
- Year 3: about 9,490 daycare days, 1,925 boarding nights and 1,352 add-ons and a larger play yard; $557,704 in sales and a profit of about $106,800.
- Year 4: about 11,315 daycare days, 2,293 boarding nights and 1,612 add-ons and a training class schedule; $683,957 in sales and a profit of about $153,100.
- Year 5: about 13,140 daycare days, 2,660 boarding nights and 1,872 add-ons and a plan for a second location; $816,312 in sales and a profit of about $190,400.
Growth depends on winning and keeping customers, so treat the later years as goals, not promises.

What we check every week: dogs per day, boarding nights, add-ons, incidents and vet visits, handler hours, reviews and cash in the bank.

Funding Request

How much we need and how we will use it. Total we are raising: $195,000.

How we got that number. The Funding Need Calculator in this plan adds up three things:
- Startup costs of $133,000, listed item by item in the Startup Costs section: $22,000 for indoor rubber play flooring, $20,000 for boarding kennels and runs, $12,000 for yard fencing and shade structures, $9,000 for commercial washer and dryer and grooming station, $6,000 for play structures and agility equipment, $5,000 for camera system and check-in kiosk, $25,000 for facility build-out: walls, drains, plumbing and gates, $6,000 for signs, website and opening promotion, $1,500 for pet care software, Year 1, $3,000 for LLC filing, zoning check and lease review by an attorney, $5,000 for business and animal care custody insurance, first year, $10,500 for security deposit and first three months of rent, $3,000 for opening supplies: bedding, bowls, cleaning products and first aid, $5,000 for contingency.
- The cash the business uses before it breaks even, about $0. Sales cover the daily costs once the doors open, so the cash we need up front goes mostly to startup costs.
- A cash cushion of about $39,500: three months of Year 1 operating costs.
- Together, the cash used before break even and the cushion come to about $39,500, and the three pieces add up to about $172,500, rounded up to the nearest $500: $172,500.
We are raising $22,500 more than that, $195,000 in all, to cover a slower first season than planned and the cost of adding handlers as bookings grow. With this funding, the lowest year-end cash balance is about $145,500, at the end of Year 1.

Where the money comes from:
- My own money: $35,000.
- SBA 7(a) loan: $160,000.

Kind of funding we are looking for. An SBA 7(a) loan from a lender that finances pet care businesses, backed by my own savings and the equipment as collateral.

How we will pay it back. We expect a profit of about $21,200 in Year 1, a profit of about $71,600 in Year 2, a profit of about $106,800 in Year 3, a profit of about $153,100 in Year 4 and a profit of about $190,400 in Year 5. With this funding, the business has money in the bank at the end of every year of the plan. Our loan is the SBA 7(a) loan at 10.5% over 10 years, $2,159 a month. That payment is already included in our cash flow. We chose these as cautious planning rates; ask the lender for the real rates, which may be lower or higher.

What we are offering the lender: the facility equipment and my personal guarantee.

A smaller first step, if needed. If we cannot raise the full amount right away, we can start smaller and grow into this plan:
- Phase 1: open with daycare only, the indoor play area and a smaller yard, which lowers the build-out and the loan.
- Phase 2: once daycare is full on most days, add boarding, grooming and training and follow this plan.
To plan the smaller start, make a copy of this plan (use Duplicate) and lower the numbers to match.

All numbers in this plan are estimates. We will update them as real results come in.

Appendix Notes

Documents to attach before you send this plan:

- Your resume and a personal financial statement (a list of what you own and what you owe; lenders usually provide a form).
- Business registration papers and your EIN (your business tax number from the IRS, free at irs.gov).
- The lease or a letter of intent from the landlord and your zoning approval.
- Quotes for the flooring, kennels and fencing.
- Your vaccine, temperament and emergency policies and a letter from your veterinarian.
- Your liability and animal care custody insurance quote and your service agreement.
- A list of founding families or people who have said they will sign up.
If you don't have any of this yet, no worries - let's continue.

The assumptions behind our numbers (change them in the Financials section to match your own):
- Daily Daycare (memberships and drop-in): about $38 in Year 1, rising to $42; about $9 in direct costs, rising to $10; about 5,132 in Year 1, growing to 13,140.
- Overnight Boarding: about $52 in Year 1, rising to $60; about $13 in direct costs, rising to $15; about 1,058 in Year 1, growing to 2,660.
- Grooming and Training Add-ons: about $48 in Year 1, rising to $56; about $12 in direct costs, rising to $14; about 728 in Year 1, growing to 1,872.
- A daycare day is one dog for one day, so 5,132 daycare days is roughly 14 dogs a day in Year 1. A boarding night is one dog for one night. An add-on is one grooming or training service.
- Prices rise about 3% a year.
- Equipment ($74,000 in Year 1) covers indoor play flooring, boarding kennels and runs, yard fencing and shade, a washer and dryer and grooming station, play structures, cameras and a check-in kiosk, and later years ($6,000, $8,000, $8,000 and $12,000) replace and add equipment.
- Pay (a full year, per person): owner / Head Handler (CPDT-KA) $42,000; certified Dog Handler (full-time) $34,000; part-Time Handler $20,000.
- Other yearly costs in Year 1: rent and Utilities $42,000, insurance and Licensing $8,500, supplies and Veterinary Emergency Fund $6,000, marketing and Software $5,400. These grow between 3% and 8% a year.
- Customers and payers pay about 11 days after service, so at the end of Year 1 about $8,549 is still owed to us. Income tax at 21%.
- Every dollar amount is an estimate. Replace them with your own quotes and research.

Startup Costs