Whether you are about to join our growing franchisee family, or are interested in learning more about the process, we at Dogtopia welcome you wherever you are on your franchise journey with us. In our efforts to make the entire process as seamless as possible, we provide support to our franchisees every step of the way. This helps ensure you are set up for success from the start.

This article will detail what kind of support you can expect as a Dogtopia franchisee, but we first encourage you to review our next steps page, where you can find an overview of the steps involved to become a Dogtopia owner.

Initial Support

It is first important to highlight the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), as this is what you will receive relatively early on in the process. An FDD is a highly detailed, multi-page document that includes a wide range of topics, such as background information about the company, legal responsibilities, franchisee obligations, and more.

Within the FDD, typically in Item 11, you will find how the franchisor provides the franchisee pre-opening assistance, and any other ongoing support long-term. This is a key component within an FDD, as it provides some insight into what you can expect as you move throughout the franchise process.

Once you receive the FDD, which is only after you are approved for financing, your franchise representative at Dogtopia will take time to answer any questions you may have. If you are a first-time franchise owner, this kind of support can be extremely helpful, especially if you are not familiar with specific franchising terms and concepts.

Following this, we arrange a Discovery Day, where you can get a “behind the scenes” tour of a headquarters, meet our company executives, and have the chance to talk with a current franchise owner to learn more about our brand and see what your future as a franchisee can look like. We find this support beneficial for our prospective franchisees, especially since it is a more hands-on approach than others.

Choosing your Dogtopia Location

Location can play a major role in the success of a franchise, which is why selecting a site can require a great deal of support. With the expert franchise business model that we have in place, we have the experience necessary to support our franchisees with this step.

While this will vary by franchise, franchisees may either be assigned a location, get to choose from a list of pre-approved locations, or obtain franchisor aid to find a location that is suitable for all of the services Dogtopia has to offer. Site selection is something that we at Dogtopia consider carefully, and with our plan to open 400 dog daycare centers by 2024, we have devoted an extensive amount of research to ensure that each of our locations meets the Dogtopia quality standard we have set for ourselves.

Most locations will require some construction. And while this may seem like a lot of work, we are here to help provide franchisees with recommended suppliers and retailers to accomplish this step successfully. No matter what Dogtopia location our pet parents enter, we want to ensure there is a consistent experience, which is why we support our franchisees with each of the design aspects, such as color schemes, quality materials, logos and signage, and more.

Training

To run a successful franchise, training is extremely important not only for the franchisee, but also for the employees, as our Dogtopia team engages with our pet parents and their furry family members on daily basis.

To ensure we provide quality care, we offer a 30-day initial training program at Dogtopia University, which consists of two weeks in a classroom, and two weeks of in-store training. We also provide multiple online modules that consist of training for our valued Canine Coaches, in addition to General Manager training, and more.

We are here every step of the way for our franchisees, which means six days prior and four days after opening the door to your Dogtopia location, our team offers hands-on support to help you through this important time.

Once your location is up and running, we also provide quality field operation visits, weekly one-on-one coaching calls with our franchisees, monthly webinars and seminars, and quarterly regional workshops – all designed with your success in mind.

When you join our family of Dogtopia franchise owners, you also gain access to a network of franchisees, which is a hub for shared best practices and ongoing support.

Digital Support

Our online presence is what helps our pet parents find out more about Dogtopia and the services we offer, and we like to ensure any digital material across all of our locations is detailed and up to date with location-specific information. With our support, franchise owners have their very own website to help bring in pet parents in their community, as well as a presence on social media. For instance, our Support Office creates a Facebook page for each new franchise location, where our national team will create engaging posts and information about your services, which also helps keep the page active and operating for current and prospective pet parents who come across it.

Operating Supplies and Vendor Support

Maintaining quality across our locations is extremely important to us, and that is why we offer our franchisees support when it comes to vendors and business suppliers. From our list of approved vendors, franchisees can access supplies needed to operate their location, and because of a pre-established relationship with our vendors, franchisees can purchase in bulk that is priced at a greater value.

Marketing Support

For any business owner, marketing and advertising to the public is important. At Dogtopia, we help franchisees participate in national campaigns, online marketing, social media marketing, and more. This support is ongoing, which means that our franchise locations can receive consistent exposure over time. More details of this support can be found in the Franchise Agreement, which is given to franchisees during the last steps of the entire franchise process.

Franchise With Dogtopia

If you are ready to franchise with Dogtopia, please check out our FAQ page that includes detailed explanations about our franchise process, and be sure to fill out our online inquiry form to get in contact with a member of our franchising team.