How to Start Dog Food Business in Nigeria

The rising need for dogs in Nigeria cannot be underestimated especially as insecurities and loneliness increase every day in Nigeria. Hence the need also for a dog breeding business and most importantly dog food business. We all know dogs are man’s best friend because they keep us company and they protect us from security threats.

But asides from this they are very expensive and are not easy to keep. From the vaccines they take after birth down to their food, there are not easy to keep. Recently, the sales of high-breed dogs have been on the increase in Nigeria and because these dogs need quality food this has brought the need for dog food business in Nigeria.

Is Dog Food Business Profitable?

There are so many reasons why the dog food business is a profitable business in Nigeria. The first reason is the high demand for dogs which I mentioned earlier and you know where there is demand for dogs, there will be a high demand for dog food.

Another reason why the dog food business is a profitable business in Nigeria is that there are only a few entrepreneurs that are into the business. Look around you. How many dog food stores or even pet stores do you see around you? From my findings in my area here, there is only two dog food store.

In fact, the second dog food business just started its business a few months ago. Before this, there was only one and it has been enjoying a monopoly market.

Capital Needed to Start Dog Food Business

With a capital of ₦700,000, you can start a small-scale dog food business in Nigeria. The reason why this capital is big is due to the high cost of dog food or dog feed. Currently, dog food is imported into Nigeria because it is not produced in Nigeria the cost of importation and other duties made it so expensive.

Asides from this, like I said earlier dog food is also expensive because it has quality nutrients. So ₦700,000 is starting capital you need however, if you can afford more you can increase the capital.

How to Start Dog Food Business in Nigeria

Here are the steps on how to start a dog food business in Nigeria.

1. Write a Business Plan

The first step to starting a dog food business in Nigeria is to write your dog food business plan.  You need this business plan because it is going to expose many things you do not know about the dog food business and how you can make profits fast.

For example, your dog food business plan will inform you of different ways you can make profits from your dog food business. You can write your dog food business plan yourself or you can simply get a business plan writer to write it for you at a cost. Asides from this, you need to conduct your market survey.

Your market survey will inform you if the dog food business you are about to start will be acceptable in the area you want to start it. Read our guide on how to write a business plan in Nigeria.

2. Get the Capital Needed

Capital needed for your dog food business cannot be borrowed. It is either you save up for it or you simply ask for financial support from those that can truly help you. If the capital is too much you can start and run your dog food business from home and as time by when the business is making enough profits you can rent a shop.

3. Rent a Shop for Business

When it comes to renting a shop for your pet shop or dog food business you need to make sure the shop rent is not too expensive. Another thing you need to do is to make sure the shop you are renting is located in a popular area. This could be a well-known bus stop, T-junction, or roundabout.

Following all these tips will make it easy for your customers to locate you and this will also increase your profits. Lastly, make sure the shop you are renting is taking more than 30% of your initial capital. This is to make sure you are able to pay your subsequent rent easily.

4. Buy Dog Food Wholesale

Foods like Caucasian dog food can be bought wholesale from any importer or any dog food wholesaler in Nigeria. You just need to do your findings to locate a dog food wholesaler around your area. When you get one wholesaler and you are able to agree on the prices of dog food ranging from puppy foods to adult dogs you can then purchase and get the dog food delivered to your shop.

In fact, as time goes by you can simply order your dog food and get them delivered to you. Dog foods expire because they have manufacturing dates and expiry dates and when they expire you can longer sell them to buyers. So you need to make sure that you check the manufacturing dates and expiring dates of each batch of dog food.

This is to make sure you do not buy expired ones.

5. Start Selling your Dog Food

Your dog food cannot be hard to sell if you are in the right area remember what I said about the market survey and business plan. As long as you are in an area where dog lovers reside you will always have buyers come in to buy dog food from you. Another thing you can do to increase the sales of your dog food is to run adverts.

These adverts can be run online or offline by printing flyers and handbills. If you have enough capital you can start a logistics business alongside your dog food or pet store business so you can always do deliveries too

6. Sell Dog Food Online

Asides from selling your dog food to customers that walk into your shop you can also sell your dog food online and do deliveries. You just need to create accounts on social media apps like Instagram and Facebook, upload content, and as time goes by start taking orders and doing deliveries. You can also sell your dog food on e-commerce websites like Jiji, Konga, and Jumia.

Konga and Jumia are not free because there’s a commission for every product you sell but Jiji is absolutely free.

Dog Food Business Ideas

There are other businesses you can run alongside your dog food business, you can run a pet shop business alongside. A pet shop business is a business where you sell everything from bird cages, dog leashes, pet foods, pet drugs, and others to animal or pet lovers. Another business you can start alongside your dog food business is a pet pharmacy.

In a pet pharmacy, you can sell animal drugs, vaccines, tablets, multivitamins, and more. Lastly, you can start a veterinary business alongside your dog food business. In a veterinary business, all you have to do is make money by treating animals that have diseases and infections.

Conclusion

There are so many ways you can make money from your dog food business or pet shop business in Nigeria you just need to look at the opportunities around you and know how to attract and retain your customers.

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