Popular pet products and services include pet food supplies, pet boarding, pet breeding, pet grooming, pet yard clean up (waste removal), pet walking, pet sitting and the selling of pet retail accessories. And many, if not all, of these pet business ventures can be run from home-based businesses.

In fact, pet industry pros say that the pet business in general is increasing on a regular basis. And they place the Pet Care Industry among the fastest growing segments of home-based business opportunities today.

Some important statistics cited include the following:

? Over 37 million homes in the USA alone have at least one dog

? More than $33.5 billion is spent annually in the USA along on pets

? Over 45% of all households in the USA have more than one pet

In short, there's never been a better time to establish and grow a business in the pet industry. And what better way to get your business in gear than to discover some tried-and-true tips from someone who's been there, done that'to help you get started and grow your own pet business.

1) Research different business opportunities within the pet niche to see which type of business you'd like to run. Decide whether you want to offer services or products or both.

2) Get free help and information from the Small Business Administration (SBA(dot)gov) and library books and put together a basic business and marketing plan plus a budget for your pet business.

3) Start searching for pet and business sites on the Internet and book marking favorites. Seek out places with handy business tips and advice, helpful articles, regular ezines / newsletters and pet information.

4) Also seek out networking sites to book mark: forums and chats for home based business owners, for pet store owners, for work at home parents, etc. The goal is to build and grow a network for you self where you can get help and give back, helping others along the way.

5) Start learning about affiliate marketing, if you don't already have basic knowledge. Search the topic in your favorite search engines. Then search for products you can market for other people in your pet niche like name brand pet medicines and foods, for example. One place to sign up for free affiliate marketing programs like this is at Commission Junction at cj(dot)com.

Don't stop here! Print this info and keep it in a handy folder. And keep growing your info folder as you grow your business. That's how to make money in the pet business!