If you’ve already decided to pursue a franchising career in the dog daycare industry, the next step is selecting the right dog daycare for you.

The pet industry continues to grow and generate success year over year, and in particular, the dog daycare market is seeing success as more individuals become pet parents. However, not all dog daycares are created equally. As you continue forging your path to becoming a franchise owner, you will likely come across various dog daycare franchises that may or may not align with your needs and goals.

Below are some of the components to consider when selecting the right dog daycare franchise for you.

CONSIDER YOUR LIFESTYLE AND AVAILABILITY

Before you begin the selection process, an important first step to consider is your lifestyle and availability. This will help you narrow down the dog daycare brands that can provide the flexibility you are looking hoping to achieve.

If you come from a corporate role, the structure you are used to will likely change when you become a franchisee. Similar to an owner of a start-up, many franchisees may need to work on weekends or during business hours that do not necessarily align with the typical 9 to 5 schedule. For dog daycares in particular, pet parents may want to drop off their pups early in the morning and pick them up later in the evening. If this schedule does not align with your lifestyle, you may want to consider dog daycares that provide greater flexibility in hours or ownership models.

Franchise ownership models are pathways that a franchisor provides for their franchisee that determine the amount of involvement a franchisee has in running the location(s). This is something that is agreed upon at the start of the franchise agreement and allows a franchisee to either be completely involved in the running of their location (owner-operator), partly involved (semi-absentee), or not at all (absentee).

Your availability may determine which dog daycare franchise you should pursue. This is why it is important to determine the ownership model(s) each dog daycare franchise offers before proceeding with your selection.

DETERMINE INITIAL AND ONGOING FRANCHISOR SUPPORT

You may have a passion for working with dogs and may even be a pet parent yourself. However, running a dog daycare and providing services for customers and their furry family members is pet care on a much larger scale than pet ownership. This is why training and support that can get you started and keep you going throughout the entire process is essential.

Most franchisors will offer initial training to ensure operations run smoothly. However, determining how much training, the type of training, the steps the franchisor has put in place, and the ongoing support beyond opening are all important factors to consider when selecting the right dog daycare for you. Having guidance on key components of running a franchise business, such as marketing, vendor relationships, and employee acquisition is imperative.

Pet parents instill their trust in a dog daycare to properly care for their pup a responsibility to not to be taken lightly. This is why ensuring you have enough support and training to perform the responsibilities to a high standard can allow you to reassure your customers that their dog is in good hands. Overall, this will keep them coming back. If you find a dog daycare franchise does not offer such training/support, you may want to eliminate it from your choices. In other words, you want to feel confident that you are providing quality service and care in your dog daycare, starting with the amount of training, support and safety guidelines they provide.

FIND A BUSINESS MODEL WITH MULTIPLE REVENUE STREAMS

Dog daycare can be a broad sector in the pet industry, as there are many avenues a franchisor can take to offer additional services to customers. For example, offering spa treatments, training, and overnight stays can be services that pet parents can add to their dog’s daycare stay, which not only benefits them and adds to their pup’s experience, but it also benefits franchisees.

Multiple services equate to multiple revenue streams, which can be a highly beneficial way to ensure there is steady profit. Especially during times of economic uncertainty, multiple streams of revenue can provide variety to the business that can attract a broader range of customers with varying needs.

When selecting the dog daycare franchise for you, exploring the services offered by each and how it can diversify your revenue stream can be a great way to position your location for long-term success. On the contrary, if a franchise lacks multiple services or doesn’t have a strong plan in place for each service in order to carry them out successfully, you may want to consider dog daycares that have a proven track record of success for each service.

ASSESS YOUR FINANCES

One of the sure-fire ways to select the right dog daycare franchise for you is by assessing your finances and narrowing down your search to franchises that fit within your budget. After all, the right franchise for you is the one that you can afford and/or successfully receive enough financing to get started.

As you begin your selection process, compare the different prices of each franchise, including the initial franchise fee, net worth requirement, and the liquid capital required. From there, you can narrow down which are out of budget and which you can receive financing for (if warranted).

CONSIDER THE REPUTATION

One of the positive aspects of franchising is that customer recognition and reputation of the business are already established. And while this can be particularly helpful for franchisees as they open their location(s), it is important first to do your due diligence and ensure the franchise’s reputation is positive; an established reputation doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a good reputation.

As you select the right dog daycare for you, research the various locations and find out what their customers say. You can turn to social media or search engine results. Ideally, you will want to see positive comments, as this can indicate that the business model the franchise has established works well to meet the needs of their customers and can be something you can carry out in your location.

MEET WITH DOG DAYCARE FRANCHISEES

Meeting franchisees before you narrow down your options can be a great way to assess the business landscape and see first-hand how operations run. Many franchisees would be more than happy to chat if they know you are considering joining their network and likely have great advice because they were once in your shoes. It is worth noting that you should schedule a meeting with them at a convenient time, as their day is likely very busy. However, if you want a general feel of the daycare, going as a customer can help you achieve that.

Going to the dog daycares that you are considering and getting a glance at what your future role can look like can be extremely beneficial in your selection process, as you will determine if the atmosphere is right for you.

FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITIES WITH DOGTOPIA

If you are considering Dogtopia as a franchise, we encourage you to review our Why Dogtopia? and Services pages to gain a better insight into what a Dogtopia daycare offers. Our Support page is also a great look into what a Dogtopia franchisee can expect when becoming part of our growing franchisee family, while our detailed FAQ page is chock-full of key details about the franchising opportunity.

Ready to take the next step? Use our convenient online inquiry page to reach out to our franchising team today!