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.
