Team 1-A
1/28/2013
Market Research Analysis
Services
Sporty Dog Daycare hosts a variety of services to assist dog owners with their dogs both by
monitoring them and by keeping them engaged. This includes many personalized activities
specific to each customer’s dog.
Indoor/Outdoor Facility
Sporty Dog Daycare offers a large indoor and outdoor recreation area for pets to interact. The
indoor facilities include over 2,000 square feet. There is also an outdoor area of the facility that
allows for fresh air when weather permits. Also when weather permits there are outdoor pool
areas for the dogs. All of Sporty Dog Daycare’s facilities are cleaned regularly.
Customized Service
Sporty Dog Daycare ensures each dog’s needs are individually taken care of by sorting them
into play groups by both the dog’s size and its play style. Before a pet’s first visit there are a few
forms that are filled out. These ensure that the dog is given personalized care based on any
allergies and any behavioral traits. This ensures that the dog’s placement is customized
personally to the dog creating a happy and healthy environment. Alongside the paperwork filled
out before the first visit, there is also a first day analysis to establish where the dog will fit in, and
how it would interact with the other dogs. This makes sure that the dog is placed in an
environment most suiting of its personality making their stay more enjoyable.
Professional Supervision
At Sporty Dog Daycare the welfare of the dog is most important. To ensure that the dogs spend
their stay in a safe manner, they make sure to have a staff member with each group to be
established as an “Alpha”. In this technique, a staff member establishes himself or herself as
the leader of the group, setting a pace for the dogs and making them follow the direction of the
staff. The staff establishes this relationship in a kind and friendly manner ensuring that each dog
has both safe and enjoyable experience.
Dog Watching Service
Sporty Dog Daycare offers a weekday service watching your pets while the owner is away. The
hours of operation are from 7:00am until 6:30pm every Monday through Friday. If the customer
only needs half of a day, they can drop off their dogs from 7:00am until noon or from 2:00pm
until 6:30pm. Whenever a customer drops off their dog, all of Sporty Dog Daycare’s signature
services are included. Your dog is not only watched over, but they are cared for in a safe and
enjoyable environment surrounded by others with the same interests as them. Should the
customer need to either request or cancel a service, he or she needs to register 12 hours in
advance. This gives the men and women at Sporty Dog Daycare ample time to create a slot for
your dog in their daily activities.
Deli Baskets
While attending Sporty Dog Daycare, the dogs are offered meals promoting a balanced diet
made with all natural ingredients. While the dog is not in daycare, Sporty Dog Daycare offers
deli baskets. These baskets consist of healthy, all natural treats and a small toy for them to play
with later.
Market analysis
Sporty Dog Daycare currently sits as one of the three major dog care businesses in the area.
Being in a semi-rural/suburban area, dogs are one of the more popular pets, so the opportunity
for new business is always very large. Not only does Sporty Dog Daycare have large
opportunities for new customers, but by nature of their business Sporty Dog Daycare has a
large amount of returning customers. This means that whenever the company receives a new
customer, they can be assured business will be continued on a regular basis allowing them to
retain their position as one of the three major dog care businesses of State College for many
years to come.
Market Segmentation
White-collar workers with day jobs: A decent job means they’ll have money for pet care; Work
creates a need for outside pet care.
People going on vacation: Also likely to have funds for pet care; people don’t usually travel with
pets, so they’ll need someone to care for them while they’re away.
Students: May keep pets in an apartment; students don’t have money, but parents might.
Market Segmentation Strategies
White-collar workers: Billboards along the road. Many people with day jobs commute to work, so
catching their attention on the way there will peak their interest in dog care while they’re at their
job.
People going on vacation: Online advertisements on travel agency websites. Many vacationgoers plan their travel on these websites, so catching their attention and reminding them that
their pets will need care while they’re away during the planning process of their trip could
convince them to use Sporty Dog services.
Students: local newspapers, TV commercials. Some students make an effort to stay up-to-date
on the events in their local area, so they will be likely to see the ad in the newspaper. A huge
portion of students watch TV, so they will also likely see ads there. Students may need the
service for pets while they go to class or work.
Service Business analysis
Watching over pets when an owner leaves is a common business. Pets are unable to care for
themselves and as such, it is mandatory that they are looked after when the owner is away.
When an owner needs someone to oversee their pet, they can call a professional to oversee the
care of the pet. There are a few methods in which the professionals perform their duties. Some
businesses offer lodging for pets while the owners are away, while others will travel to the
customer’s home and perform an in home service.
Sporty Dog Daycare is unique in the fact that their business offers not only a way to look after
dogs while the owner is away, but a chance to have the pets interact with one another. While
under the watchful eye of a caregiver they learn key socialization behaviors in an enjoyable and
monitored environment setting Sporty Dog Daycare apart from everyone else in the area.
Competition and Buying patterns
The main competitors to Sporty Dog Daycare are Stone Valley Pet Lodge and Pet pals Plus.
Both are located in the State College area. Pet Pals Plus is a pet care business that offers in
home visits. During these visits, the caregiver will walk, feed, and get water for the dog. Pet
Pals Plus also includes other home services such as bringing in the mail and taking out the
trash. On longer trips they also rotate the lights so it appears someone is visiting regularly.
Stone Valley Pet Lodge is a boarding of pets for long stays. They offer a grooming service and
for some additional fees, a personal play pal. Their hours of operation are shorter than Sporty
Dog Daycare, being closed from noon to 4:00pm each day. They also offer a day camp option
that is similar to Sporty Dog Daycare.
SWOT Analysis
Strengths
Specialized Staff. Sporty Dog Daycare’s staff is specially trained to meet the needs of all dogs.
Energy Management. The staff at Sporty Dog Daycare work hard to keep your dogs active in
their large indoor facility. Drop your dog off in the morning and the staff will engage the dogs in
various activities including mental, physical and social events.
Clean Environment. Before attending the daycare, all dogs must: use a flea/tick preventative, be
checked by a veterinarian for rabies, bordetella, Parvo and distemper titter. Additionally, dogs
over 7 months of age must be spayed or neutered. Finally all indoor and outdoor facilities are
kept clean and are well maintained at all times of the day.
Supports Healthy Eating Habits. Sporty Dog Daycare sells deli baskets with ingredients that are
homemade from all natural ingredients promoting a healthy dog lifestyle while serving a
balanced diet for all dogs under their care.
Year Round Exercise. The doggy daycare facilitates indoor activities so that weather never
dictates the amount of exercise your dog receives. Utilizing indoor facilities eliminates the
worries associated with snow and other inclimate weather.
Encouraged Socialization. Every day there is a greeting time with other dogs so that your dog
may become acquainted with new friends. After meeting one another, dogs are separated into
play groups by their age, size, and by how well they get along with others. This highly reduces
the likeness of fighting between dogs. Before any dogs are admitted into the daycare they must
pass a pre-enrollment behavior and socialization assessment. This is one of the most vital steps
in the enrollment process. Sporty Dog Daycare will not accept any aggressive dogs or dogs with
bad temperaments.
Behavior Management. Some dogs behaviors need to be adjusted and we know how to deal
with them. Dogs naturally live in packs and are social animals, so the environment that Sporty
Dog Daycare provides will help dogs learn the appropriate behaviors around other dogs and
people.
Weaknesses
Hours of Operation. Sporty Dog DayCare only operates on weekdays (Monday through Friday)
from 7:00am to 6:30pm. This works well for people who have a day job on weekdays, but there
are many other demographics that don’t fit into that schedule. Many jobs operate on shifts, so
the schedule is always changing. Sometimes places of business operate longer or at different
times of the day or night than usual. Someone who works a night job might really benefit from
being able to have their dog looked after. The day ending at 6:30pm also limits opportunities for
people who want to go out. Potential customers who want to spend a night out at dinner while
having their pet taken care of aren’t able to make use of their services. The same situation
arises for weekends. People may want to go out of town or take advantage of a day off in ways
that can’t always include the dog.
Opportunities
House-Sitting If pet owners go on vacation this service is to help look after pets that are still at
home while the owners are out of town. This opportunity allows pet owners who want to leave
town the opportunity to do so while leaving their dog under the care of trusted professionals.
This opportunity would have the employees checking up on the animal, feeding them, and
performing some regular day care services.
Broadening the Deli Basket market. The dogs taken to Sporty Dog Daycare love the homemade
treats in the Deli Baskets. The owner of Sporty Dog Daycare could potentially branch out and
sell these baskets to local pet shops for more revenue.
Threats
Hidden Services. A current threat to Sporty Dog Daycare is the fact that customers do not know
about all of the services the company provides. For example, there are several services the
daycare provides that are not listed on the website including things such as haircuts, dog
pastries, and boarding services. If this is not mended, Sporty Dog Daycare would potentially be
losing many customers, and as stated in the Market Analysis, obtaining a customer leads to a
large amount of business over time.
Lack of Services. Some competitors already offer services including things such as going to the
customer’s home to care for the dog(s) rather than taking them to a daycare center. Some
customers may think this means that their competitors offer a more personal service than Sporty
Dog Daycare because the care would potentially be a one-on-one experience. It is also a
service that Sporty Dog lacks meaning they could be losing business to the competitors. It’s
easier to have all of your dog care come from one location rather than splitting it amongst
multiple businesses, so Sporty Dog Daycare needs to cover as many aspects as possible to
ensure that they appear to be the all-encompassing dog care service.
People who leave their dogs at home. Most of the daycare’s business lies in acquiring new and
keeping old dog daycare clients. If dog owners keep their dogs at home, the business will not
see any profit. This business could advertise more of the benefits gained from leaving their
family pet at an environment like Sporty Dog Daycare’s and attempt to appeal to various dog
owners so that they get the new clientele that they are looking for.
Competitive Edge
Socialization. Teaching dogs the normal way to socialize and behave around both humans and
other dogs means that Sporty Dog Daycare has the advantage over other doggie day care
companies. Dogs must first pass a temperament test before they are admitted into the daycare.
This ensures that all dogs being held in the daycare are manageable and will not harm other
dogs. If a dog does not pass this test, they will not be admitted into the daycare but will be
eligible for training services. If successfully trained, the dog will be given entrance to the
daycare service for the full benefits of Sporty Dog Daycare.
Indoor facilities. The ability to take dogs in at regular business hours no matter the weather
conditions gives Sporty Dog Daycare a strong competitive advantage as well. Other daycares
might be closed on snow days, but as long as the owner sees fit to be open, the facility can be
utilized in any weather conditions.
Marketing Strategy
Sporty Dog Daycare will be able to access a larger portion of the market by adding detail to their
website. This will allow their other services to become apparent to potential customers. With
more detailed information of the services available, customers will become aware of services
they may not have previously known about leading to an increase of business.
Sales Strategy
Sales for Sporty Dog Daycare happen within the facility. This allows for a more personal
experience with customers and to facilitate transportation of the dogs. Pricing is made available
online for customers to look up pricing in advance before arriving to make a final purchase.
Sales Forecast
With their already-established competitive edge, redesigned website, and potential new
services, Sporty Dog will have the ability to become the dominant dog care center in the area.
Sales are expected to increase and the customer base to grow.