đ Hey, Iâm Casandra. I share research-backed business ideas to help you start and grow a business. This is a đ Premium Edition đ of Really Good Business Ideas.
Sometimes, the biggest opportunities are hiding in plain sight.
Think about it. How many people do you know with pets? Iâm guessing itâs a lot.
The pet industry is huge.
These days, we spend more money on our pets than ever before, and thereâs no shortage of great business ideas that capitalize on this growing demand.
Table of Contents
(PS. Read to the end to see a pic of the worldâs cutest cat).
The Opportunity đ°
The American pet industry is massive and growing.
Pet ownership has exploded over the last three decades, with 66% of U.S. households (86.9 million homes) owning a pet in 2024, compared to 56% in 1988.1
More importantly, 97% of pet owners consider their pets to be a part of their family.2 Most of us will do anything for our family, including spending a lot of money to ensure they are healthy and happy.
Americans spent $136.8 billion on their pets in 2022, up nearly 11% from 2021 ($123.6 billion).3 That number is expected to reach nearly $200 billion by 2030.4
And itâs not just the US. The global pet industry is expected to swell from $320 billion today to nearly $500 billion by 2030.5
Plus, these numbers only capture what people spend directly on their pets: Things like vet appointments, dog food, litter boxes, etc. They donât capture all the additional money pet owners spend on themselves in honor of their pets (like pet portraits).
So, the opportunity is even bigger than you might think.
On top of that, the pet industry is notoriously recession-proof. When times are tough, most Americans cut back on things like dining out, personal grooming, and fitness but maintain or even increase their spending on pets.6
Who Is This Opportunity Good For? đŻ
Someone who loves animals.
The pet industry is a lot of fun if you already love animals. No matter what type of business you start, youâll enjoy the process a lot more if you love animals. Youâll also likely be better at things like marketing and customer service because you understand your audience so well.
Someone who loves to create content.
Someone who loves to create content will have an advantage in the pet industry. Animal lovers also love to consume content about animals. Itâs hard to imagine building a strong pet brand without leveraging animal content. It would be a bit like trying to roll a rock uphill. But if content isnât your strength, you can always hire out for it.
Someone whoâs looking for a full-time business.
If youâre looking for a business that you can scale to full-time rather than a side gig, youâll find plenty of opportunities in the pet industry. Because the industry is so large and there are so many different ways to tap into it, there are ample opportunities to create a business that can scale quickly if thatâs what you want.
Someone whoâs looking for a side gig.
But if you just want a side gig to create extra income while you keep your full-time job (or focus on other things like caring for your family), youâll find plenty of options for that in the pet industry, too.
Someone who doesnât want to be stuck on a computer all day.
While there are plenty of Internet business opportunities in the pet industry, many of the options weâll explore today involve spending time directly with animals or producing physical products with your hands.
17 Profitable Pet Businesses You Can Start Today đ
Coming up with a profitable pet business comes down to understanding pet owners and animal lovers. What problems could you solve, and what would excite them? If youâre an animal person, I bet you have a running list in your head already.
Iâve covered 17 opportunities today, but this list is not exhaustive. For each idea that interests you, consider how to make it more unique by narrowing your audience and offer.
And donât think you have to limit yourself to cats and dogs. While they are the most common pets, other animals are getting more popular with each generation. Plus, unique pets create even more unique needs for their owners.
As always, I focus on lifestyle businesses with higher odds of success and that donât require taking on a lot of risk to start. So, for example, while a new cat food brand may be a great opportunity, the start-up costs and regulatory challenges are too high for me to consider or recommend it.
Here are 17 pet businesses with relatively low barriers to entry that you can get started quickly.