Pet Franchise

Is Doggie Daycare a Lucrative Franchise Opportunity?

Doggy daycares seem like the perfect franchise opportunity when you are looking for a way to secure your future by owning a business. You may have this vision in your head of playing with dogs all day long and having a really great experience. While this can be true in many instances, there are a few things you should think about to understand whether this can be a lucrative business opportunity for you.

 

The New Trend

Doggy daycare is a new concept. Over the last few decades people have started treating their pets like family. People are starting to put off having a family until later in life and choosing a dog that they spoil like family. The hectic lives people lead today has made pet ownership more difficult. This is where doggy daycares emerged. This is a service that allows dogs to get the exercise and attention they need while their pet parents are working. This relatively new concept has become popular mostly in large cities though there are smaller communities where you may still find a doggy daycare.

 

The Benefits of Owning a Doggy Daycare Franchise

The biggest benefit of owning one of these franchises is that you can jump on an industry that is hot at the moment. It can be a lot of fun as well. Depending on where you live, there may be a lot of potential for you in regards to customers.

 

The Drawbacks of Doggy Daycare Franchises

There are a few drawbacks that you will want to consider with this. The cost is one of the first things to think about. Generally, doggy daycare franchises are more expensive to start up, though it should be noted that each franchise has its own fees associated with the opening.

Another thing to think about with this is that you will need significantly more staff than you would if you were opening another pet franchise. This is because you will need more people to care for the dogs than you would need with a Splash and Dash Groomerie & Boutique. This can be very taxing as an owner because you will spend much of your time here and have to hire several employees. 

Marketing costs are generally higher for these companies or franchises because there is not as much known about doggy daycare as there are other pet businesses. This is another way that this franchise opportunity may bring your costs up.

 

The Conclusion

There is no denying that this is a hot industry. There is potential to make money if you are in the right location with the right company. However, there is a lot more that goes into finding the right franchise. You want to have a company that has a proven business model for bringing in revenue, such as the recurring revenue model with Splash and Dash.

How Social Media and Word-Of-Mouth Better Your Franchise

Word of Mouth Marketing (WOMM) is consistently ranked as the number one way for businesses to secure new customers. And shouldn’t it be? Customers report time and time again that they are more likely to purchase a new product if a trusted family member, friend, or coworker were to recommend it, rather than if a company were to push the product out in in traditional advertising outlets such as print or digital. To put this in social perspective: WOMM is the most cost effective and successful way of bringing in new customers to a business. This is to say that the power of WOMM is greater than that of Internet and television marketing, both multi-billion dollar advertising industries.

So how can you wrangle WOMM and use it in your favor to bring in new business?

Social Media.

Social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, are great ways to interact with customers by creating an honest dialogue. In order to create a long lasting relationship with customers, and therefore in order to retain business, transitioning from a “Like” to love relationship is imperative. This means that though it is important to develop a strong base of followers, reaching out to customers in an individualized manner is a great way to earn a customer’s trust while helping them feel valued. Responding to comments on Facebook and YouTube, or tweeting back at customers praises, complaints, and questions are ways to show customers that you care. In this way, a two-way dialogue helps the customer think of your business as more humanized entity that they will be more likely to remain loyal to, especially if the product continues to please.

So, while creating a product or providing quality services are what initially attract new customers, creating a dialogue through social media engagement helps create a loyal following that will help do a little (free) advertising for you. With these two components, it is only a matter of time that customers who love your product begin to spread the word, more or less signing on as trusted brand ambassadors for your business by recommending your product or service to their circle of friends, who are then in turn more likely to consider purchasing your product. If you open a pet store franchise it might be a wise decision to use social media to your benefit.