Animal kingdom

Get the lion’s share of the profit in the pet care sector, as Vesna Siljanovska explains

 

The pet care industry is vast and diverse. In the UK alone, almost one in two households own a pet, which amounts to an industry worth almost £2 billion.In fact, according to the Pet Food Manufacturers’ Association’s (PFMA) 2009 annual report, its market value has increased by seven per cent since 2008, despite the downturn.

People are willing to invest in their pets and as a result, a number of franchises have sprouted from this sector offering pet care, animal education for children and even pest control.

Many pet care franchises involve working outdoors so are highly suitable for people who want to escape the confined office walls. Most of the franchises ensure you have interaction with animals every day, so it’s perfect for all the animal lovers out there!

 

Bark Busters

Bark Busters is one of the world’s largest dog training companies. The brainchild of Sylvia and Danny Wilson, Bark Busters celebrates its 20th birthday this year since its formation in Australia. It formed its UK master franchise in 1999 and has grown its network throughout the world.
 Bark Busters has established franchises in the US, Canada, New Zealand, Japan, Israel, Taiwan, France and Belgium. Since its inception, it has trained more than 500,000 dogs worldwide and has more than 450 franchises in 11 countries.

The Bark Busters mission is to promote clear communication between owners and their dogs, using simple, effective and natural training methods, and voice tones and body language that appeal to the canine psyche.
Bark Busters also works to enhance the human-canine bond and to reduce the possibility of maltreatment, abandonment and euthanasia of dogs.
As a Bark Busters franchise owner, you can tap into the large and fast-growing pet market. With a staggering eight million companion dogs in the UK, according to the PFMA report, a Bark Busters franchise is a tremendous opportunity to make a difference in your own life and in the lives of dogs and dog owners in your community.

Marcus Woodward, managing director, says: “We’re always seeking individuals who are passionate about dog welfare and have good people and communication skills. Dog-loving entrepreneurs are immediately attracted to our positive approach to dog training. Our call centre phones are consistently ringing with curious dog owners seeking an effective way to address their dogs’ behavioural problems. They call us for hope, and we deliver that hope – right to their homes.”

As a Bark Busters behavioural therapist, you face each day with new and exciting challenges. You will work with a variety of clients, network with veterinarians and other pet industry business owners and, of course, our canine companions.

A three-hour, one-on-one training session, conducted in the dog owners’ home, ensures that both owner and dog learn interaction and communication skills in the most comfortable environment available. The unique Bark Busters system is so fast-acting, the majority of clients require only the one three-hour home visit from their dog behavioural therapist.

Investment level:
From £18,000 plus VAT
Website: www.barkbusters.co.uk
email: franchise@barkbusters.co.uk
Phone: 0808 100 4071

 

Animal In-tuition

Animals In-tuition provides animal-based workshops to schools, and links its programmes with the ‘Life Processes and Living Things’ section in the science curriculum. Children of all ages and abilities, across all the key stages, have the opportunity to handle many of the animals. They can watch them move and eat, feel feathers, fur and scales. It’s an experience that really brings learning to life.

Franchisees present workshops to children that may cover topics such as mini beasts, where you will introduce the children to cockroaches, tarantulas, millipedes and scorpions. Another workshop might involve a rainforest topic where you will allow the children to handle snakes and lizards, and engage with the children to provide what is invariably an unforgettable experience for them. 

Established in 2006, Animals In-Tuition was initially run on a part-time basis. However it soon became apparent to founder Jo Speight that there was a real opportunity in providing educational-based workshops that visited schools.

Formal qualifications and previous experience are not essential attributes to operate this franchise. Rather, it is important that you are confident and outgoing, and you can communicate well with children and adults, and that you have a passion for children and animal welfare.

Animals In-Tuition fully commits to the requirements of each individual franchisee and provides a continuous structured training programme in all areas of the business including planning, accounting, sales and marketing.
Franchisees benefit from an exclusive territory and receive support and training in relation to workshop presentations along with animal handling and welfare. Franchisees also work towards acquiring a recognised animal husbandry qualification.

Operating from a low cost base, franchisees can run their business from home on either a full or part-time basis, benefiting from multiple income streams in an environment that provides high levels of job satisfaction. The financial rewards can be significant and the business is largely unaffected by recessionary pressures.

 

Investment level:
£11,950 plus VAT
Website: www.animalsintuition.co.uk
email: info@animalsintuition.co.uk
Phone: 01757 270 425

 

Oscar pet foods

An Oscar Pet Foods franchise offers a pet care home delivery service to some of the country’s 17 million domestic pets. Working with animals can be fun and interesting, but you do no’t have to be a pet lover to enjoy the rewards.

By cutting out the middleman, we are able to supply a comprehensive range of high quality pet food and operate our honest label policy. We also supply a varied selection of pet accessories and health care products, which combined with food sales helps to achieve good sustainable margins of up to 45 per cent. This is a low mileage, low cost franchise, operated in your own exclusive area and with a unique brand.

Oscar Pet Foods is a business opportunity that comes complete with back-up and support. Its team of experts remains on hand to help franchisees manage their commitment professionally, while extending the facility directly to its customers with experts in behaviour and nutrition. There is also a veterinary advice line available to franchisees to establish further confidence in the Oscar Pet Foods products and service.

As a franchisee you are in charge of your own destiny, so you must be prepared to commit maximum time to starting your own pet franchise business – ambition, self-motivation and enthusiasm are all part of the discipline.

Anyone can apply to become an Oscar Pet Foods franchisee. Current franchisees include previous bank managers, accountants, teachers and manual workers to farmers wishing to diversify. Oscars is ideal for those retiring from the service sector, police or IT workers.

Investment level:
£10,000 – £20,000
Website: www.oscars.co.uk
email: discover@oscars.co.uk
Phone: 0800 068 1106

 

Pals4pets

Pals4Pets literally provides pals for your pets. The business involves walking people’s dogs, feeding cats, pet visiting and even looking after smaller animals. Founder Monica Loosley describes it as a “dating agency” because “if you find the right carer for the client you have a partnership for life.”
The home-based business started in 1998 on Monica’s kitchen table and franchised five years later, after it started generating good figures and the business model was fully formed and robust.

Monica spotted the gap in the market when she observed: “There was no service like this at the time, plus more and more people are treating animals like children, therefore are willing to spend money on them.”

This pet care service is marketed towards professionals that are “cash rich, time poor,” as Monica describes. Therefore, when it comes to establishing franchisee territories, each franchise has a large area – at least 150,000 ABC1 houses in each. There are also resale opportunities available, particularly in London.

Franchisees are responsible for building the structure of the core staff who go out to care for the pets. Franchisees can expect to manage up to 15 people and, “the more your carers earn, the more you earn,” explains Monica.

Leads are generated from places such as vet and dog kennel referrals, and it is up to the franchisees to establish good relationships with these organsations. “It’s the franchisee’s responsibility to market the business,” says Monica.

With regards to training, Pals4Pets offers a programme that is tailor-made for each franchisee. Monica adds: “It lasts for eight days and very much depends on what the franchisee wants to cover. We cover the manual procedures and account management, however we also offer an additional package where franchisees can have a bookkeeper if they so wish.”
The business suits both parents with young children and entrepreneurial types. “There is an element of flexibility and you can do the paper work later in the evening if you need to. It is however a full-time business,” adds Monica. The only ‘must’ is that prospective franchisees have to like animals!

 

Investment level:
£11,000 plus VAT, plus £5,000 working capital
Website: www.pals4pets.co.uk
email: monica@pals4pets.co.uk
Phone: 020 8201 1606

 

NBC Bird and Pest Solutions

NBC Bird and Pest Solutions is a unique franchise opportunity for outdoorsy types. There are three different areas to the business. Firstly there is the pest control side, which includes rodents, mice and flies for example; secondly, bird scaring, which involves using falcons or hawks to clear landfill sites or costal areas of pigeons and seagulls; and thirdly, bird proofing, which involves installing wire fencing to prevent pigeons from nesting on the sides of buildings.

Franchisee Kim Lester recently renewed his contract and has now been running his business for six years. Operating the franchise with his wife, Kim is based in the Portsmouth, Southampton and Bournemouth areas. Now employing eight members of staff his business has experienced significant growth. He says: “NBC has given us huge rewards both personally and financially, and combines our love of the outdoors with a healthy turnover.”
Franchisees start out by owning and operating the franchise themselves, but as the business grows they will take on a management role and employ staff to carry out the work for them. This generally happens within the first year.
This franchise opportunity is perfect for someone looking for a lucrative business that does not involve sitting in an office. Prospective franchisees should also have business acumen and good sales ability. Current franchisees have come from a range of backgrounds, including bank managers, college lecturers and building traders.

The tough economy has had minimal effect on NBC Bird and Pest Solutions. Marketing Manager Kelly Smith explains: “The network has now doubled with a year-on-year increase of 100 per cent and overall leads are up!” The recession doesn’t appear to have had a deep impact, pests need to be dealt with, credit crunch or not!

You do not need to be an experienced falconer to operate an NBC Bird and Pest Solutions franchise. New franchisees will take part in a four-week training programme to achieve qualifications in LANTRA, a nationally recognised qualification for falconers, and franchisees will also attend a training course with the British Pest Control Association where they will gain a BPCA/RSPH (level 2) certificate in pest control.

 

Investment level:
£15,000 franchise fee plus £8,000 set-up costs, plus
£15,000 working capital
Website: www.nbcbirdandpest.co.uk
email: franchise@nbcbirdandpest.co.uk
Phone: 0800 169 9646