Fetch! featured on Fox Small Business Center

Fetch! Pet Care was recently featured on Fox Small Business’ website in an article titled, "How Walking the Dog became a Franchise."  The article details the inception of Fetch! Pet Care and Paul’s original idea behind the business. Cindy goes on to write about the development markets Fetch! is looking to expand into, and discusses the fees associated with starting a Fetch! franchise. Jamie and Sandy are quoted on their experience of running a Fetch! franchise, with Sandy noting the support and training Fetch! provides its franchisees. Harry Loyle, chairman of Fetch!, is also quoted about the Fetch! growth potential.  Click here to read the entire article or begin below.

How Walking the Dog became a Franchise
By: Cindy Vanegas

With approximately 78.2 million owned dogs in America, the pet care industry is flourishing with puppy-loving entrepreneurs looking to service dog owners, who now account for 39% of U.S. households, according to the American Pet Products Association 2011- 2012 National Pet Owners Survey. In this week’s American Franchise Spotlight, we find out how one business owner scaled his pet sitting and walking service into a national franchise.

According to Paul Mann, the company’s founder and CEO, Fetch! Pet Care grew out of a simple need. “I was looking for pet care and couldn’t find someone who I felt comfortable giving the keys to my house to and entrusting with my pet,” said Mann.

Mann said his background in business process re-engineering inspired him to create a highly automated business for pets everywhere. He spent two years developing the concept and launched the first service out of San Diego in 2004.

Since then Fetch! has grown to 124 franchises in markets made up of baby boomers, young working professionals and dual-income family households. The company is looking to expand in California, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Illinois, Texas, Ohio and from Florida up to the northeast.

Fetch!’s initial franchise fee is $15,000 for a territory of 50,000 households. Franchisees pay a 5% royalty and a 1.5% brand development fund, both paid monthly.

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Franchisee Profile: Jerry Dean of Sacramento, California

Name:  Jerry Dean 
Opening Date: March 2011
Brand:   Fetch! Pet Care
Location: Sacramento

Q: Where are you from?

A: I moved to Sacramento from Redding, Calif., six months ago to invest in a Fetch! franchise.

Q: What was your career before franchising and why did you decide to open your own business in this industry?

A: I was a full-time driver for the past 10 years with two different companies – most recently FedEx. I was making 100 stops a day in six hours.  I got tired of doing that every day and I wanted a change from the corporate America lifestyle.

I’ve always loved animals and I have three cats, five dogs and a boa constrictor. I said, “The heck with it, I’ve got the money. I want to invest in a Fetch! franchise.”

Q: How did you learn about the brand?

A: I was walking through Costco one day on a (FedEx) delivery, and I saw a magazine with a list of franchises, and Fetch! was near the top of the list. I held onto that magazine for three years – I still have it – and I told myself one day I would own one. I kept that magazine where I could find it and used it as motivation. I was determined to make my dream become a reality.

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

A: At first, I thought about opening up a pet care service by myself, but after looking into it more, it seemed financially impossible. When I looked at Fetch!, I saw how structured, organized and efficient they were. They had a brand name that was dialed in, they had the software in place – everything was set up for you to hit the ground running, ready to go. It’s a beautiful setup.

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

A:  My previous job required me to be very efficient and organized and those are two skills that are absolutely necessary when starting a new business and making it successful.

Q: Why did you choose to enter the pet care industry?

A:   I have a huge passion for animals and really enjoy working with them every day. Pet care is an industry that is important to people who have animals and as a pet owner, I understand how important it is to give them the best care possible.  

Q. What service does Fetch! predominately provide?

A: One of our more popular services are daily visits to take care of pets..  Most people work nine to five and don’t have the option to run home to let their pet out so we visit the pets, let them get out their energy, feed and walk them for their owners. We also provide private boarding, which a lot of people don’t know.  Owners bring their pet to a Fetch! sitter’s house for overnight sitting.

Q: How does your business connect with the community?

A:  Everyone loves their pets, so I think we connect with the community on that personal level.  Fetch!  allows us to really get to know the community on a much deeper level than other businesses because we work with their pets.  Anyone with a pet knows that they are much more than an animal; they are a family member.

Q: What’s the most outrageous pet you’ve tended to?

A: I walked a tortoise for a lady once for an hour a day in the backyard of her house.  He was surprisingly very energetic and I had to keep a close eye on him so he wouldn’t end up missing.

Q: How many clients do you have so far and what are your expansion or development plans for the next year or two?

A: Right now we have around 140 clients. In my first year of business, I would like to see steady growth.

ABOUT FETCH! PET CARE

Fetch! Pet Care is the nation's largest and most trusted franchisor for professional pet sitting and dog walking services, serving thousands of pets and pet parents from coast to coast. They take the stress out of finding a sitter and add convenience to your life by doing all of the legwork for you. With over 3000 Fetch! Pet Care professionals in 1500 communities, they match you and your pets with the most qualified, experienced and loving pet professional possible. Whether you need a daily dog walker or last-minute pet sitter, Fetch! Pet Care has got your tail covered with a bonded, insured, background checked expert!  In 2011, Entrepreneur Magazine ranked Fetch! Pet Care in its Top 500 Franchises, Low-Cost Franchises, Top New Ranking, Top Home-based Franchises and Fast-Growing Franchises.  Fetch! Pet Care also ranked as the top-ranked pet-care franchise on AllBusiness.com’s AllStar Franchise List for the current year. For more information, visit www.fetchpetcare.com.  

Fetch! Pet Care feature in EntrepreneurStartups Magazine

Recently EntrepreneurStartups Magazine featured Fetch! Pet Care franchisee Peggy Kennedy in an article called “How Social Media and a Sprinkle of Stardust Led to One Franchisee’s Success,” which published this month.  Peggy had made an amazing transition from the corporate finance world on the East Coast to Fetch! franchisee on the West Coast.  Since moving and starting her business, she has adapted to a great lifestyle where she does what she is passionate about and leads the lifestyle she wants. Click here to read the entire article.

How Social Media and a Sprinkle of Stardust Led to One Franchisee's Success
By: David Port

When Peggy Kennedy says she's working near capacity, she's no longer talking in terms of late nights at the office, polishing PowerPoint presentations. For Kennedy, who formerly worked in financial services on the East Coast and found refuge as a West Coast pet-care industry franchise owner, nowadays it's about the time she and her staff spend caring for clients of the four-legged variety.

"I'm working all the time--weekends, vacations, I'm always checking in. And I'm adding administrative staff just to keep up," says Kennedy, referring to the Fetch! Pet Care franchise she's been running in the Los Angeles area since 2006. Buoyed by a largely word-of-mouth clientele sprinkled with Hollywood celebs and their pets, her pet-sitting and dog-walking operation hit all-time highs this summer for monthly revenue, grossing more than $30,000, up from $1,500 in its early days.

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