Poll: Is Having an Office/Business Pet a Good Idea?
Tuesday January 13, 2009
Being an animal-loving type, I enjoy sharing my office space with Stevie-Ray, the ‘work supervisor’ as we
call him. Stevie takes his job very seriously and strolls in and leaps into his chosen office chair at the
start of the work day – even if one of us doesn't.
Mainly he sleeps but every now and then he opens a quizzical eye as if to say, "Is it lunch-time yet?" (Hey, he's a cat. Food is his main interest in life.) He accepts petting and (you guessed it) treats.
Now I don't know if it’s a trend or just that I live in an animal-crazy town, but there are quite a few local businesses that have pets of their own. A shoe store has a pair of terriers. A gift store has an adorable little Shih Tzu that has his own basket by the till. A used book store has a tortoiseshell cat that sleeps in the store window. Even my dentist has a little dog in her office.
So what's your take on this? Is having a resident dog or cat on-site good or bad for your business?
And do you have your own office pet? I’d love to hear about him or her. You can comment below or if you like, send me an email with a picture (sbinfocanada.guide(at)about.com). (Change the (at) to the @ symbol.)
Image (c) Susan Ward
Now I don't know if it’s a trend or just that I live in an animal-crazy town, but there are quite a few local businesses that have pets of their own. A shoe store has a pair of terriers. A gift store has an adorable little Shih Tzu that has his own basket by the till. A used book store has a tortoiseshell cat that sleeps in the store window. Even my dentist has a little dog in her office.
So what's your take on this? Is having a resident dog or cat on-site good or bad for your business?
And do you have your own office pet? I’d love to hear about him or her. You can comment below or if you like, send me an email with a picture (sbinfocanada.guide(at)about.com). (Change the (at) to the @ symbol.)
Image (c) Susan Ward
I am in a bit of a different situation, as I work from home, so our dog, Boing, is totally here no matter what! I have clients come in for custom sewing.
If I am unsure about their reaction to having a dog around, I will put her in her kennel with treats while they are here. If they seem to be dog people, they’ll notice her bed and ask.
If they are not dog people, no problem as they don’t even realize I have a dog.
You can see her in action on her blog:
http://boingsaga.wordpress.com/
Hello Susan, I noticed your great knowledge of business in Canada. Im wanting to know if a person that went bankrupt a year ago is able own a business. The thing is I had Revenue Canada Taxes that were claimed from a business that went out of business.
Looking forward to your reply,
John
Boing is so cute, Halyma! Does she enjoy having people come into your home?
Hello John,
You have the right to earn a living, even if you’ve gone bankrupt, so you can still own a business. I can’t advise you about your specific tax situation. You might find some more relevant information on the CRA site though on this page about bankruptcy.
Hi Susan, what a great thought having a pet about the office i think its a great idea. Pets can melt the hardest of hearts and really influence a potential customer. A bit like pat dogs in hospitals and old peoples homes that have such a calming influence and those around them. Apparently in Paris it is very common for people to take their dogs to the office.
Ahh, just one more great thing about Paris!
When I started up a small book publishing company a few years ago, we put it into the business’s manual that office pets were allowed, as long as it didn’t cause problems. Unfortunately, this means no cats since several of us are allergic to them, but my dog Rainier has ruled both as primary office pet as well as my studio dog for years now. (Pic here.)
I too work from home, so our cat-sized toy poodle is the Office Pet when I’m in the office and so is he. Otherwise he’s the house dog.
Kyle
My best friend (who lives alone) inherited his mother’s poodle when she passed away. He lovingly took the dog with him to the office each day (he has his own office so could make his own rules!) to ease his and the poodle’s loss.
The dog kept him company many late night hours when he would otherwise have to work alone. Sadly, the dog recently passed away. My friend found it harder to work without a furry companion so he adopted a rescued poodle and now has someone new to talk with and take break walks with.
I think having a pet at work is a great plus as long as the animal enjoys other people.
That’s a really good point, Lahle. Some animals just aren’t suited to be office pets personality-wise. I have a cranky Siamese cross cat, for instance, that only likes me. He’d be a terrible choice for being in a business where other people would be around.
Yes absolutely pets are a wonderful addition to a business for many reasons, as many people here have already stated. the therapeutic value – this is why we have therapy dogs!! It also helps create a business personality, which can help us create a closer bond with our clients & attrack like-minded people but yet rarely repel clients. But yes the most important aspect is to have the right pet i.e. a well socialized dog who enjoys people & is suited to the environment. This is the biggest mistake that people make i.e having two Chow Chows tied up outside your home hair salon business – BIG mistake.
Cheers,
Perry Musseau
President
Doggone Pawsitive
Positive Reinforcement Dog Training
Moncton, NB
I dont like to go to a business where there are animals. Cats walking and sleeping on the counters is not cute. I have allergies to animals and dont appreciate the cat and dog hair everywhere. Business owners should consider that some of their customers either dont like animals or have allergies to them. Remember that your in the business to attact paying customers.
I was dating a guy who kept his dogs at the business where he worked. One of the dogs – well – farted the most nauseating smell you can imagine. This was an upscale window treatment store – what the heck did customers think?This was actually one of the reasons I stopped dating the guy. I couldn’t have lived with someone who had the world’s stinkiest dog and thought it was funny.While I love having my cats here (I work from home), their demanding interruptions can be annoying, and I think there’s too much chance of allergy problems for a customer-based business. If a business doesn’t have walk-in customers, and all the employees are fine with the pets, go for it!
Well, I am writing my business plan now for opening a retail pet store in our town. I fully intend to have my two little dogs as the “ambassadors” and welcome the guests into the store. Of course, in my situation, if pets are welcome anywhere in the business world, it would be there!