It is important to underscore again that business ideas are infinite. If you think they are not you just may not be thinking about it the right way. As the adage goes, think outside the box. Well, it is even smarter to think as if there is no box at all. Today the discussion is on a business idea you may have never thought of. Interestingly, it is not even something particularly new. Some people occasionally do it but do not think of it as a business. Just like you can do property rental business; you can do the same for selected animals. Here is what you need to start an animal rental business:

Key Approaches

The business idea is simple – animal rentals. Simple as that sounds, there are countless ways you can configure that into a thriving business. The most common approach is pet rental. Many animals are considered pets. Some common examples are dogs, cats, and rabbits, amongst many others. Another area is livestock rental.

For instance, one can rent livestock for breeding purposes. One can also rent livestock for weeding a piece of land. It could also be to enrich a piece of land through livestock excreting on it. Animals can also be rented for use in zoos, exhibitions, video productions, and so on. All this just goes to show you that the approaches to the animal rental business are diverse.

Just to paint a picture: You can rent a vehicle e.g. US$40 a day. This depends on the type of vehicle as you may know. You can do the same for your animal rental business; depending on the type of animal as well. For example, it could be a pet rental – you can say US$20 to rent a dog for the day. If it is livestock it can be a once-off payment – which can be in cash or part of the offspring. For instance, you can rent out a boar (i.e. a male pig). Then the sow can give birth to say, 10 piglets. You could then have agreed that they would pay you 20 percent of the offspring. For this example that means you would get 2 piglets.

Financial And Human Capital Needs

This will depend on several variables. What types of animals do you intend to specialize in? Where and for what will they be used? How many will the animals be? Where will you keep them and what specialized care and shelter do they need? These are some of the many questions that speak to the many variables at play. It is these variables that will inform how much financial and human capital you will need. At the very least, it is possible to start and run this animal business solo and with almost insignificant overhead costs. The animal rental business is configured in such a way that anyone can venture into it.

Important Considerations

You have to ensure you are adhering to any applicable regulatory frameworks. For instance, in some places, it is considered illegal to rent out animals. You must ensure you are not breaking the law. Even in areas where it is legal, there are still several regulatory aspects at play e.g. vaccinations, licensing, and so on. It is also important to ensure you are not doing anything that is considered a violation of animal rights. You also have to ensure safety, where applicable, is sufficiently provided for. I am sure you get the idea.

Market Prospects

This will depend on the specific types of animals you will major in. This will also depend on how adept and diligent you are in marketing your business. Especially in Zimbabwe, this may be something new to many people. Thus you would have to invest in comprehensive market education. Think of it this way: in farming communities, people borrow livestock for breeding purposes. This means they have a rough appreciation of animal rental. Thus if you brand your business well, you will generate leads.

What is important here is to conduct thorough market research. You may be breaking new ground so you need to be empirical in your approach. Working with assumptions can land you in disappointment and losses. There is money to be made if you play your cards right. For example in some parts of the world, they use a subscription model – think of when you are renting a property; you pay monthly. Some employ a once-off payment option i.e. one can pay to rent an animal for just a day, a week, or a weekend, and so on.

This is food for thought and for some of you, this can be fuel for something you may have contemplated. Judging by the Zimbabwean context, the animal rental business is largely untapped. This provides limitless potential for those interested to seriously consider starting an animal rental business.