Pet Care Scale & Hire Profitability System — Setup & Support

Start here

Open EXAMPLE first so you can inspect realistic services, team capacity, peak pressure, four active hire scenarios and a completed 52-week ramp. Use CLEAN for your own business data and keep the untouched CLEAN master as a reset copy.

Recommended workflow

If an upstream assumption changes, review the downstream decision again. DASHBOARD is a summary, not a substitute for source inputs.

The 11-sheet system

Prepared model capacity includes 100 service rows, 100 team rows, 100 peak slots, 100 hire scenarios and 100 price/retention tests. RAMP PLAN intentionally uses 52 weekly rows for a first-year horizon.

Capacity and demand proof

SERVICES combines current bookings, turned-away bookings, recoverable demand and confidence-weighted growth with service-level economics. TEAM converts paid hours and productive utilisation into usable capacity and labour cost. CAPACITY then tests whether credible extra demand actually exceeds usable existing capacity.

Use PEAK COVERAGE when timing matters. A weekly total can show spare capacity while weekday midday, evenings or another service window is already constrained.

Hire scenarios

Compare up to 100 staffing scenarios using hourly, per-booking or percentage-of-revenue pay models. Read profitability together with demand coverage and model checks. A profitable-looking hire is not automatically justified when existing capacity can absorb the same demand.

First-year ramp and cash

Steady-state economics and first-year economics are different. RAMP PLAN tests the transition period, onboarding cost, starting cash buffer, lowest cash point, ending cash position and first-year profit estimate across up to 52 weeks.

If the model reports CASH SHORTFALL, test a slower ramp, different staffing model, lower onboarding/weekly cost or a larger starting cash buffer before relying on the scenario.

Price vs hire

PRICE VS HIRE lets you test price-change and expected-retention assumptions beside staffing economics. The workbook does not predict demand elasticity: retention is your assumption. Use evidence rather than treating a hypothetical price increase as guaranteed.

QA checks

QA CHECKS is rule-based and scans the supported model ranges. The control state can show READY FOR INPUT, NO PASS, CORE PASS or PASS - ALL BUILT-IN CHECKS CLEAR. Critical failures should be corrected before the dashboard decision is trusted.

Compatibility

Best experience is Microsoft Excel desktop; Microsoft 365 is recommended. No macros are required. The workbook uses formulas, dropdowns, data validation and conditional formatting.

Choose the Currency Code in SETUP before entering live numbers. Changing the code changes labels/interpretation; it does not convert amounts already entered. Importing into Google Sheets, Apple Numbers or another spreadsheet app may change formulas, dropdowns or formatting.

Troubleshooting

COMPLETE CORE INPUTS

Activate at least one valid service and one valid team row, and complete SETUP assumptions first.

NO CREDIBLE EXTRA DEMAND

Check turned-away bookings, recovery percentage, forecast growth and growth confidence. Do not increase assumptions simply to force a hire.

USE EXISTING CAPACITY FIRST

The model believes existing spare capacity can absorb hire-relevant demand. Review scheduling and utilisation before adding labour.

CHECK TARGET SERVICE / PAY MODEL

Confirm the service is active and unique, the selected pay model is supported and the required pay input is valid.

CASH SHORTFALL

The starting cash buffer falls below the modelled low point. Re-test the ramp or staffing economics.

QA FAIL

Use the Action column on QA CHECKS. Resolve critical failures before trusting the dashboard.

Dropdown option is missing

Add custom Team Type or Time Window values in SETUP. Active services feed the Target Service list automatically.

Currency looks wrong

Currency Code does not convert existing amounts. Keep monetary inputs internally consistent in the selected currency.

File and data safety

Keep the original CLEAN master untouched, work from a copy and make dated backups before major changes. Avoid overwriting calculated cells or restructuring model columns.

The workbook can contain sensitive business, staff, pricing and customer-demand information. Store and share it securely and follow the privacy, employment and recordkeeping requirements that apply to your business and location.

Support and scope

For an Etsy order-specific question, use Etsy Messages so the order conversation remains attached to the purchase. For a technical issue, include the workbook file used (CLEAN or EXAMPLE), the affected sheet, what you entered, the result you expected and the result you observed. Do not send sensitive business data unless it is necessary and appropriate.

This product is a business decision-support spreadsheet. It does not provide legal, accounting, tax, payroll, employment, HR, veterinary or financial advice and does not guarantee business results.