Side hustles: Woman turns dog walking second job into £2,500 business | Personal Finance | Finance

One woman is sharing how she is able to earn around £2,500 a month thanks to her unusual pet-sitting side hustle.

Oliva Thompson, 24, from Edinburgh looks after peoples’ dogs on their wedding day to make extra cash.

Last year, she made money by walking dogs during her lunch break during her job before going travelling.

After returning from her trip, Ms Thompson realised what she wanted to do: combine her love of dogs and weddings.

As of today, she has launched her own business: The Dog Lady. The side hustler attends weddings as the plus one for the couple’s dog.

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Among her many duties include walking the dog beforehand, helping with capturing pet photos and providing care for the dog during the wedding day.

Currently, the young woman charges around £350 for the day and customises her service for each bride and groom.

So far, her side hustle-turned-business is bringing in around £2,500 monthly with bookings all the way into next year.

Prior to making her second job her main career, Ms Thompson was working as an administrative assistant.

For the 24-year-old, the role she has created for herself is her “dream job” and realised there was a market for such a business after seeing outside weddings and pets being present.

She explained: “I’m obsessed with anything to do with a wedding. Everyone you trust to look after your dog is at the wedding.

“That’s where I come in. It’s a dream job. I always wanted to be a wedding planner. But I found it really hard to get a job in that industry without experience.

“At the botanical gardens, you could have dogs there. I thought who is looking after the dogs? I realised the dogs make me the happiest. I love weddings.”

The entrepreneur revealed how she carries out her business in order to make sure the customer’s experience is optimum.

Ms Thompson added: “I always meet the client before the wedding day – to find out anything I need to know and see the behaviour. It’s a kind of custom for the bride or groom.

“Lots of people book me for the photographs. Some people don’t want the dogs at the ceremony – sometimes they want them after.

“Many people find it important to have their dog in their photographs. “Every single dog has been well-behaved so far. I’m dreading the day they are not.”

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