Starting an Online Business All-in-One For Dummies®, 3rd Edition

Selling the Goods for Pets' Sake

With nearly 73 million U.S. households claiming to have at least one pet, you can bet that plenty of proud pet parents are willing to spend money on Fido. According to the American Pet Products Association, pet owners are expected to expend more than $50 billion by the end of 2011 on everything from food and treats to boarding fees and healthcare — an increase from 2010 of approximately 5 percent. Even in a recessionary type of economy, experts say the pet industry and its niche offspring businesses hold up well. Why?

It turns out that people increasingly treat their pets like, well, people. Some of the recent pet business trends seem to back up this theory. Pet spas, organic pet foods, touch-activated pet toys, and clothing for the four-legged friends have all done well. Did you notice that if the word “pet” wasn't attached to some of these business categories, it would be nearly impossible to decipher whether they are intended for pets or humans?

Let's discuss why turning this lucrative niche market into a Net business is good for you. Consider that pet-related businesses

• Are part of a healthy and growing industry, even during a sluggish economy
• Have a relatively low entry cost
• Contain products and services that are easy to sell and deliver over the Internet
• Are part of a broad enough market that makes it possible to identify a niche segment

When pursuing a serious online pet endeavor, we can offer an important piece of advice: Make sure you ...