Pets-At-Work Programs Becoming More Popular

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Pet Franchise Applauds Business Efforts to Make Pet-Friendly Design of Corporate Offices

There is a reason that the pet franchise industry grew strongly in enterprise during the Great Recession. When the economy makes individuals more frugal, they turn to their pets for comfort—a less costly and very loving way for one to enjoy themselves. Instead of buying a sports car, people pet their dogs.

The numbers in the pet franchise are continuing to rise, and more business venturists are seeing the value of dogs. Many corporate offices are implementing pet-friendly designs, both in architecture and in company policy.

Having pets in the workplace helps strengthen company culture, increases employee morale, and productivity, and decreases stress– taking advantage of the therapeutic aspects of animals.

One of the pioneers of pet-friendly philosophy in the office is Vincent Bradley–CEO of Banfield Pet Hospital, a division of Mars. INC. Bradley and his dog Bingo (mixed breed Labrador), have opened the doggie doors for pets to be involved in places of business.

This pet franchise article discusses Banfield’s model of Pets-at-work program (PAWS).

Shake PAWS at the Top

For a company to have a successful pet-friendly atmosphere, the company needs to embrace new policies holistically. Bradley suggests a rearrangement of cultural aspects of the company like new design elements, a commitment from employees, and most importantly leadership at the top.

A pet franchise, of course, has built in features for pet friendliness. Most office jobs do not. It takes executive leadership fully backing the changes for all levels of employment to accept dogs at desks.

Once a CEO and management are on board, everything falls into place. “You need buy-in at the top right from the get-go,” Bradley tells INC. writers.

Design for the Dogs

Banfield hosts three interconnected buildings linked together with walking trails within the 18 acre and wifi enabled workplace. These walk ways encourage collaborative work efforts, and gets employees away from their desk for dog walk breaks.

Breaks are imperative for corporate offices when protecting eyes from straining on computer screens, and allowing variations of posture to decrease chances of employees developing Carpal Tunnel.

Plus, it’s great for the dogs.  

The offices also feature a three-story dog ramp which helps make all areas of the building accessible to dogs and their parents. Button activated watering stations pump hygienic water for thirsty dogs.

Banfield also incorporates a bring-your-own-bed policy for dogs to lay in while their owners work and an on-site dog park for dogs to exercise and play.

Sounds like paradise to those in the pet franchise.

Implementation of PAWS; All Dogs Go to the Office

Bringing your dog to work can be problematic. Ask any Splash and Dash Groomerie & Boutique shop owner, dogs are amazing, but require some accommodation to make sure dogs and employees are comfortable and safe.  Again, this is a cornerstone for the pet franchise, but will take some evolving for other sectors to pursue. Company-wide policies that are concise and enforced must take place for a pet-friendly culture to exist.

How Banfield did it:

  • In-depth behavior assessment of dogs to certify them for the workplace which is conducted by a dog trainer.
  • Vaccination requirement.
  • Leash policy with a color code system that visually shows dog owners that other pets are certified, and the approachability of the dog.
    • Green Leash=Pet is routinely friendly with people and dogs.
    • Yellow Leash=Suggests it’s best to ask pet owners before petting or allowing dogs to say hello.
  • Associate education to safeguard that dogs are house trained and have proper obedience training.
  • Additional training is provided for pets that do not receive certification their first time.
  • An on-site animal behaviorist is available to assist with pets.
  • A PAWS committee settles any disputes or issues involving a dog in the building.

Assessment is completed by a professional dog trainer, and currently, 200 of Banfield’s employees have their dogs certified.

61% of dogs certified received green leashes, with 34% receiving yellow leashes. Bradley has a yellow leash, “to give him a little more space and to let other associates see that there’s nothing wrong with having a yellow leash,” Bradley tells INC writers.  

We in the pet franchise at Splash and Dash Groomerie & Boutique cheer on Banfield Pet Hospital for innovating the workplace, and praise Vincent Bradley and others for making this happen.

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Why Project Managers are Leaving Corporate

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Pet Franchise Offering More Stability and Freedom Allowing Many Disgruntled Employees Options

Are People Happy with Their Career?

A saturation has occurred in the American workforce. Too many corporate employees are insecure about their job stability, feel overqualified for the position they work, and are less than happy about the company culture that does not appeal to them. According to a Gallup survey, 70% of workers are not engaged at work, with 52% of respondents being “less than thrilled with their jobs, and 18% reporting to outright hate their jobs.

This is unsettling. Especially in the pet franchise where statistics show the opposite.

The reason this is happening is because of a generational trend toward education. Today’s workforce is more educated than any other generation preceding the millennials. According to CNN, 48% of individuals born after 1882 hold a college degree with 11.9% of which ages 20-24 are unemployed. Overqualified workers are being forced to take lower positions in companies.

The job market is too scarce and too competitive.

Competition to maintain a stable job is too high, leaving overqualified and underpaid workers troubled with the future of their career. According to the Center for College Affordability, 50% of the population state they are overqualified for their position.  A viable option many project managers have found is breaking out into the pet franchise sector–becoming their own bosses, and owning their own business.

Boomers and High Level Employees

The higher pegs in the corporate ladder are also being scathed by these facts. Career security is just as shaky at the top. During mergers, buyouts, and downsizing many middle and upper level management employees are being laid off. Company consolidation has become the method of success, over innovation and enterprising. A third of Americans are reporting to feel less secure about their job than they did a year ago according to a Bankrate Poll published through Fox Bus Business.

This article outlines details of corporate America that are unfortunate and a new trend that provides a possibly better alternative.

The pet franchise.

Why Project Managers are Leaving

Being a certified project manager is a prestigious title and a challenging career. Companies need project managers to minimize risk and help advance them into the digital world by implementing more cloud based software. The need for project managers is so great many work freelance, and even emigrate to countries like Brazil and Russia in pursuit of work. It is a stressful and high-paying career with the national average salary being $91,440, according to Glassdoor.

Still, many project managers are opting into the pet franchise over being a certified special project manager.

  • Accountability for every question on the project and new changes in company processes make the job extremely stressful. Project managers have to answer to everyone.
  • Uncertainty about project success makes for ambiguous results that many project managers have to contend with.
  • Project managers have a hard time achieving a desired life work balance and normalcy because of the traveling involved with their job.
  • Many project managers report resistance from all levels of employees. Higher level management resent project managers, and low level employees don’t like the change PM’s are implementing.
  • Delays, high cost of operation, and expanding company systems are out of project manager’s control, but they are often blamed for them.
  • The temporary nature of the job makes leaving the project and team a difficult thing to let go of.
  • One third of projects have no baseline–creating stress and unpleasant work environments because there is no standard of evidence of the projecting working in the past.
  • 50% of project management offices close within 3 years, according KeyedIn

Project Managers are Prime for Franchising

Aside from project managers not being content with their job, there is another reasons project managers are making a shift into franchising–the money. Owning a single unit pet franchise can yield a franchise owner salary–that is on average–matching what they currently make without professional growth limits, and the stress. Depending upon how hard a franchise owner works determines their salary, so there is huge room for financial growth. Owning two units can make their salary more than double. Multiple unit franchisees have no cap to earning. The sky’s the limit.

Another important factor that creates fulfillment in careers is passion. The pet franchise offers the opportunity to work in a field you love. Project owners find great joy out of taking their skill-set and applying it to see financial success, growing that skill-set everyday. But no amount of financial success can bring the fulfillment of working in an industry of animals. The pet franchise is booming because many have found routes to happiness with their pets.

“There’s lots of bad reasons to start a company. But there’s only one good, legitimate reason, and I think you know what it is: it’s to change the world.” – Phil Libin, CEO of Evernote.

The pet franchise route may present you with path to do what Mr. Libin is talking about. You can be a leader in your community, bring smiles to people everyday by taking care of the animals they love, and provide a service that betters this place.

We at Splash and Dash Groomerie & Boutique love what we do. We want you to love what you do too.

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