Franchisee Profile: Peggy Kennedy of Los Angeles, CA

Name:  Peggy Kennedy

Opening Date: March 2006

Brand:   Fetch! Pet Care

Location: Los Angeles, CA - West Hollywood, Hollywood Hills, Sherman Oaks of North Hollywood

After spending numerous years in the retail management and financial industries, local business owner Peggy Kennedy realized that she needed a career she was passionate about. After taking a two month leave of absence to intern at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, UT, Peggy finally realized where her heart belonged – with animals. Leaving the retail management and financial industries for good, Peggy moved to LA from Boston in order to pursue her new found passion. After being employed as a pet sitter with Fetch! Pet Care, the nation's largest and most trusted franchisor for professional pet sitting and dog walking services, she finally decided to open her own business.

Q: Where are you from?

A: Although I was in Boston for 14 years, I’m originally from Rochester, NY. I moved to Boston to attend college and fell in love with the city. In fact, I would still be there if I could.

Q: What was your career before franchising?

A: Before I got into franchising, I was involved in the retail management industry and financial industry. I began selling industrial equipment for a small family owned business in MA, but wasn’t thrilled with my career. From there, I got into the financial world and worked for Capital One for six to seven years. However, I became antsy and couldn’t stand being confined in the office anymore. In search of another career, I took a two month leave of absence to intern at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, UT to see if I wanted to work with animals. Although I loved it, the location was very remote and not a place where my husband could sustain his career. Shortly after my internship finished, my husband and I decided to move to LA, which was much more appropriate for him. We’ve been here since 2005.

Q: How did you learn about the brand?

A:  I learned about the Fetch! Pet Care brand from the existing location in west LA. I worked with that location as a sitter and finally decided to open my own pet sitting business!

Q: What was appealing to you about joining a franchise system?

A: The most appealing aspect of joining a franchise system for me was the fact that everything was already in place. I didn’t have the time or money to invest in my own business, so the turnkey operations aspect was also attractive.

Q: With regard to your previous experience, what skills do you feel helped you in your business?

A: While in the industrial equipment sales industry and financial industry, I was able to gain a lot of customer service experience. As a result, I’ve become successful at diffusing situations and giving customers what they need. In addition to customer service skills, I was also able to gain administrative operation skills which have helped me become extremely organized. By becoming organized in my professional career, I’m able to work more quickly and efficiently.  

Q: What makes your business different?

A: I believe my business’s communication skills set us apart from others. As a business, we try to respond to every voicemail and email within an hour in order to acknowledge our customers in an appreciative manner. By doing so, we keep an open flow of communication. It’s what makes or breaks our business.

Q: How does your business connect with the community?

A: Our biggest contribution to the community is my involvement with the local Animal Rescue. I also do some free walks myself and try to donate my time and money.

Q: Are there any prominent industry trends that you are experiencing right now?

A: The industry has seemed to follow the economy. For instance, I grew significantly from 2006 until 2008. By the time September 2008 came around, I noticed our business slowly declining. Our business kept declining in 2009, but we managed to get by. By 2010, we started to see the industry slowly picking up. Now, in 2011, business has gone bonkers. I’m not sure if more people have found a need for mid-day walks, or if people are taking more vacations, but it seems as though people are back to traveling.

ABOUT FETCH! PET CARE

Fetch! Pet Care was founded in Berkeley, Calif., in 2002 by Paul Mann, who wanted his pets to remain in his home instead of kenneling them while he traveled. Finding no professional company suitable to the task, Mann started his own firm with the goal of providing as-needed, reliable, and loving care to pets of all kinds. Today, there are more than 3,000 Fetch! professionals operating in 1,500 U.S. communities. FETCH! Pet Care is the nation's largest and most trusted provider of professional pet sitting and dog walking services, serving thousands of pets and pet parents from coast to coast. Comprised of pet lovers turned business owners, each independently and locally owned Fetch! focuses on taking the stress out of finding a sitter and adding convenience to customer’s lives by doing all of the legwork for them. Fetch! matches you and your pets with the most qualified, experienced pet professional possible. For more information, visit www.fetchpetcare.com.