Profit from a pet project (Daily Mail franchise story)

Profit from a pet project

By: Linda Whitney

HALF of UK families own a pet, so there's plenty of potential in a pet care franchise.

'More people are asking for pet care and dog-walking, as families work longer to make ends meet,' says Denis Chirgwin of Animals At Home.

Animals At Home franchisees transport animals to the vet, or around the UK and Europe, and provide all kinds of pet care services.

Investment is £14,000.

It's not just dogs and cats. Mr Chirgwin admits to sitting in a client's home vivarium hand-feeding grapes to an iguana.

But it's not all about cuddling animals. 'You must have sales and marketing skills to grow your business,' says Monica Loosely of Pals4Pets, whose franchisees provide pet care and match pets with families providing home boarding.

'The key is building up relationships with cash-rich, time-poor clients,' says Mrs Loosley, whose customers include celebrities such as Maureen Lipman and members of royal families.

It's about management rather than pet care yourself, and investment is £20,000.

She is also looking for franchisees to run pet 'creches' (£40,000).

Franchisees with Oscar named after the founder's dog — deliver petfoods and accessories to owners' homes.

Being an owner helps build an instant rapport with other pet lovers when selling your services on the doorstep and at game fairs, fetes, and dog shows.

The £14,995 Oscar franchise package includes training and software that plans delivery routes efficiently and a diary system reminding you of customers' preferences to help build up relationships.

Bark Busters franchisees train owners to retrain dogs with problems such as incessant barking, jumping up or destructive habits.

Marcus Woodward, of Bark Busters, says: 'We train you in our system, which is based on dog psychology, but you should also have business skills. It's a full-time business, not a hobby.' Investment is from £20,000.

 Animals At Home, 08701 126 613; Oscar, 0800 068 1106; Bark Busters, 0808 100 4071.

Franchise

JANE PALMER, seen here with dogs Charley and Shakespeare, took over an existing Pals4Pets franchise last June.

'In this business you must be prepared for anything,' says Jane, 41. 'I once arrived to walk a dog but it would not let me in. I talked to it for an hour through the door instead.' As well as looking after pets herself, Jane runs a team of 30 who provide temporary homes for pets while owners are away.

They also offer dog-walking and puppy care. Other services include cat care (with 'cuddle hours'), small animal care, and housesitting for clients with several animals.

'You must be patient and it helps being a pet owner, as you can empathise with others,' says Jane.

'You must be good with people as well as pets, as you have to check out people offering boarding and match them with the right animal.

' It's a lot of hard work, but rewarding when a dog bounds into its home after a happy boarding experience.' Pals4Pets, 020 8201 1606.