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: Chris Pulliam of Fort Worth, Texas

Fetch! Pet Care – Chris Pulliam

Franchisee Since: 2007

Location: Fort Worth, Texas

Q: What was your career before franchising?

A:  Before franchising with Fetch! Pet Care, I was working for a company that trains commercial truck drivers. My wife and I wanted to look into a business where I could keep my job and the benefits that they provided my family. I wasn’t ready to venture out on my own with a business.

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

A: My family has been always been entrepreneurs. My great grandfather started a swimming pool business which has been in the family for years. Swimming pools weren’t something that interested me so out of college I began thinking about the pet care industry and opportunities to start a business in that field. After my wife and I got married and had children, we were looking for something that we could do that would still allow me to keep a full time job. Going back to the pet care industry, I found Fetch! and decided it was an affordable opportunity in a field that I cared about.

Q: Regarding your previous experience, which skills do you feel helped you in your business?

A:  I think my previous experience managing people has really helped me. I have 8 contracted employees and I have had to be very selective with who I hire. You must have good pet sitters to run a successful business and be able to trust them. You have to have a good relationship with them so they can provide the best customer service.

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

A: We chose to enter into the pet care industry because we love pets! The people that use Fetch! are the type of clientele that hold their pets in high esteem, and since I have always had an interest in this field, it seemed like a natural fit that I would help care for other people’s animals.

Q: What makes your business different?

A:  Most pet companies are one person operations. We have many different pet sitters so no matter what you are going to get a qualified and trusted sitter from us. We will never have to turn a pet away because we are prepared to handle many different clients.

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. 

Franchisee Profile: Libby Mitchell of Dallas, TX

Name:  Libby Mitchell

Opening Date: May 2009

Brand:   Fetch! Pet Care

Location: Dallas, TX

Q: Where are you from?

A: I am originally from New Jersey but went to college in Massachusetts before I began working for the Forest Service.   I worked in a variety of different fields from computers to finance and moved to Texas 13 years ago.

Q: What was your career before franchising?

A: I received my degree in biology and worked for several companies before I decided personality-wise that I was better suited to working for myself.  I actually opened a small independent film business in 2002 and we do work on feature film, short films, and industrial work. 

Q: Why did you decide to open your own business?

A: I was very interested in running and managing a company. Corporate jobs do not offer a lot of freedom, so I wanted to do something that would allow me to use my ideas and personality. I have experience as an entrepreneur from owning my production company and have a love for animals, so I wanted to explore my options with a business that could combine the two.

Q: When choosing a franchise, what was appealing to you about Fetch! Pet Care?

A: I was looking at franchises on MSN and Fetch! kept coming up as a successful and thriving franchise business. I decided to look into it and met with Fetch! executives in May 2009. The ground work was already laid out and the name alone has a great reputation. Although no business is completely recession proof, it was clear they are expanding at a steady rate. I have worked with rescue animals since I was a teenage and have several rescue dogs living with us and also take care of my mom who lives with us.  I needed a business which focused on the well-being and care of others and something I knew I would enjoy.

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

A: I worked with a woman who owned five businesses and I was her operations manager charged with keeping everything on track. I own a small production company as well, so I have a lot of experience when it comes to managing and running a company.

From my experience as a leader, I have a good sense of how to encourage everyone to work as a team and for a common goal, which, in this case, are happy clients and pets!

Q: What makes your business different?

A: The sitters and I really connect with the clients, and they are very appreciative and loyal. All of our sitters are pet  first aid trained in case of an emergency; they know what to do and how to handle an urgent situation. Everyone that works with me is happy and upbeat. What is most important to me is are  sitters who can work with animals and understand people because those are the two most important qualifications in our line of work.

Q: How does your business connect with the community?

A: We reach out to the community in a variety of ways. We handle from different angles  from attending events to social networking such as posting on blogs. We work with adoptions and non-profit pet organizations, such as Garland Pawsibilities, Linens for Animals, and Richardson Animalluv.

Q: What are some of your achievements (professionally or personally) that you think will help you along the way in your business?

A: I set goals every year, and I do my best to achieve them every year.  I may not make it right on the time period I want, but they do happen.  I think it is important to set goals because I always have the motivation to work harder and make my business the best it can be.

Q: What are your expansion or development plans?

A: I would probably like to expand in the future. I’m really interested in Allen and McKinney (Texas), so I plan to put out some feelers and see what happens.

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.