With the popularity of canicross continuing to grow and the number of dog owners looking for different ways to engage with their dogs, now is the perfect time to add to canicross coaching to your existing dog services. To successfully incorporate canicross coaching into your current business there are a number of things you can do to give yourself the confidence to promote your new offering, adding value for your current clients and potentially bringing in a new audience.
Acquire knowledge and experience
1 – To become a canicross coach, it is essential to possess a solid understanding of the sport. Educate yourself about the equipment, the voice cues to teach, training methods, and safety measures associated with canicross.
Get Qualified
2 – Study the sport and get certified with a reputable training organisation like Canicross Coach which is the only OfQual regulated training provider in the sport. They offer training ranging from a weekend intensive to a 12 week qualification including your business plan.
Participate in canicross events
3 – Observe experienced coaches, and gain practical experience by running with your own dog or a client’s dog. The more you immerse yourself in the world of canicross, the better equipped you’ll be to provide effective coaching.
Assess your current dog business and your competition
4 – Identify how you can integrate canicross coaching into your existing business and who in your current client list might be interested. Research your area and see what’s already available, for example, if social runs are offered by a local canicross group, consider offering one to one coaching as your service or adventure runs in different destinations.
Invest in the correct equipment for your classes
5 – You’ll need a range of harnesses for different sized dogs, bungee leads and waist belts for people trying out canicross for the first time and find outlets to recommend owners go for their kit. You could partner up with a specialist kit provider like K9 Trail Time who may offer discounts for bulk purchases.
Explore your local routes
6 – Find areas that would be suitable for Canicross coaching and familiarise yourself with the permissions you’d need and carry out risk assessments to ensure they are safe for your classes.
Get involved in local events
7 – This could be attending running group events where you show how to warm up the dogs to network and build your reputation as the go-to person for Canicross in your area. Consider having a stall at local shows, country fairs and dog events to raise awareness.
Find people who love dogs and runnning
8 – Let your existing clients know you’re training as a Canicross Coach and will be offering canicross as a service. Consider approaching your local running groups as one in three people have a dog so it’s likely they will be keen to learn more.
Promote your business online and on social media
9 – Add your canicross services to your website, tell your newsletter subscribers, approach your local media and let people in your area know how to get involved.
Get social
10 – Bringing a community element to your dog walking or training business will bring your clients and their dogs together, whether it’s online in a Facebook group or through post run social events like coffee and cake or a drink in the local dog friendly pub. This will strengthen your client relationship and increase loyalty.
How can we help at Canicross Coach
At Canicross Coach we offer a couple of courses to teach people how to set up their own canicross coaching business based on their passion for getting people and dogs active.
The first option is the Certified Canicross Coach with all the support and guidance from us and our existing canicross coach community or you can jump straight in (if you already have canicross experience) to our professional iPET Network Level 3 Award in Canicross Coaching to give you the only available qualification in canicross and market yourself as one of the few who have completed this unique Ofqual regulated course.
Get in touch if you’d like to know more!
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