Here at the Franchise Blog, we like to take a lighter look at things every now again. Examining the difficulties in the global economy can be a grind, so it’s nice to highlight a positive story, and they don’t get quirkier than this: a retired Memphis mailman has opened a dog day care business.
That’s right. Dennis Diffie and his wife Terrie opened a Camp Bow Wow franchise two weeks ago. Dennis obviously has buried the hatchet with man’s best friend, who certainly terrorized him during his career as a postman. It’s nice to see that franchising has provided him with a way to make peace with canine race.
“We looked for buildings to rent and possibly renovate,” Diffee told the Memphis Daily News. “The cost was anywhere from $100,000 to $200,000 to put it in somebody else’s building so we just decided to build our own.”
Diffie, who was considering buying a pizza franchise. has made a big investment in Camp Bow Wow and is already reaping the rewards. Customers have been enjoying Camp Bow Wow’s technological innovations, which include laptops that allow them to check on their pets from long distances.
If a former mailman can start a second career with Camp Bow Wow, then almost anyone can enjoy success through franchising in this dog-eat-dog world.
One franchise sector we’re watching with great interest during the economic downturn is pet franchises. In many ways, the extensive boom of pet franchises over the last decade was one of the clearest indicators that we were all flush with cash. Not only were we pampering ourselves, but the explosion of niche pet businesses showed how willing to pamper the animals we love as well.
Polls of consumer attitudes across the board show that people are spending much less than they were in the past and trying to make their money go further. And so perhaps consumers are not buying that new car, but where do they draw the line where their pets are concerned? There are so many different pet franchises now, with everything from pet food courier services to mobile pet cleaners on offer. But can they survive?
Over on the Small Business Trends blog, which is one of our favorite small biz blogs, Joel Libava has an interesting breakdown of the industry and lends his own opinion on a variety of pet franchise concepts. Joel doesn’t offer any direct advice about whether or not to buy a pet franchise, and instead provides analysis as a pet-lover with a grasp of the business world. Readers considering buying a pet franchise will come away with some common-sense wisdom.
“If you are a pet owner, you know the costs involved in keeping your pet happy and in tip-top shape. Franchises can delivery the quality and consistency you crave,” he says.
Many of these new pet franchises take the work out of owning a pet. Yet some of these statistics from the American Pets Production Association are staggering:
- 62% of U.S. households own a pet, which equates to 71.4 millions homes
- $45.4 billion will be spent on our pets in the U.S.
- $3.4 billion of that figure will be spent on grooming & boarding
The fascinating thing is that even when the economy is down, America’s love affair with their pets goes on and on.
We all know Camp Bow Wow® is one of the market-leaders in the pet franchise sector. With 90 locations and a further 115 camps being developed across the US and Canada, Camp Bow Wow® has obliterated the old notion that dog kennels are akin to a short-term prison sentence for your pets. Camp Bow Wow® gives your dog the freedom to romp, while staff provide oodles of attention.
So we were very interested to read about the launch of Camp Bow Wow’s® latest franchise concept, Home Buddies. As the name suggests, Home Buddies is a home pet care franchise, geared towards the entire range of pets that people keep. From a read through of their press release, it sounds like Home Buddies – an in-home pet sitting service - will become the authoritative, one-stop pet franchise concept.
Home Buddies services include dog walking, daytime and overnight care and poop scoop clean-ups; pet taxi services to camp or vet appointments; administering care to special needs pets; and Dog Adventure outings. Some will also offer mobile dog grooming and in home training. Complimentary services include small, but necessary tasks, such as bringing in newspapers and mail.
It’s promising to hear companies in the pet franchising sector expanding, rather than contracting during this economic moment. Heidi Flammang, founder of Camp Bow Wow®, says that American spent $43billion on pets last year. While people are certain spent less in 2009, we can be sure that consumers will continue to invest in their pets. Camp Bow Wow® and Home Buddies seem like two concepts certain to stay strong.
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