The Checklist for Opening a Pet Care Franchise

When you want to open a franchise, there are many aspects you will need to think about in order to get to just the store opening. Once you have found the franchise that is right for you and signed the franchise agreement, then the real work begins. Here are some of the tasks you do not want to overlook when opening your pet care franchise.

 

Finding the Right Location

This is one of the easier tasks to check off your to do list as most franchisors will help you with this. They have a specific location in mind for the pet franchise which is why they are ideal to help with this. For instance, the franchise may want to have locations in a strip center in a neighborhood where the average income is at least $75K/year. If so, then they can help you find the locations that are right. You should find out what you will be looking at in terms of location before you even sign the franchise agreement.

 

When you have a great franchisor they will also help you with lease negotiations. This is not just about getting a cheaper price. Rather this is also about finding a spot that works for what you need with the accommodations required to be successful. This may mean having a larger sign on the strip center signs or other things.

 

Create Business and Marketing Plans

You should also have a business plan and marketing plan in place for the pet care franchise. Some franchisors will require you to have one or both of  these in place with your franchise before you even sign the agreement. You may also need these to secure the funding you need to get the pet business off the ground. These are great tools to help you understand what you will be doing with your business to reach your goals.

 

Go Over the Franchise Manual

This is an important aspect of owning a pet care franchise because you want to make sure you understand what the expectations are of you as a franchisee and how the business practices here work. The main reason most people buy a franchise is to have a model that is already ready to go and without reading through the manual you will not be able to have this model implemented.

 

Find Your Dream Team and Get Them Trained

You need to find the team for your pet care franchise no matter how small or large this team will be. It is a good idea to have them ready to go weeks before the store even opens. This will ensure that they are properly trained and ready to go when the store opens. Just make sure you are honest with them about the hours they will get before and after the opening so there are no issues down the road.

 

Take Care of Licensing

This is another aspect that you need to keep in mind with the pet care franchise. This may require inspections and other formal documentation that can be hard to take care of if you wait until the last minute to get together. The first step to this is to understand the licensing requirements of your area and from there get the needed licensing.

 

Get Inventory Under Control

You should not wait until the last second to order the inventory you need for your opening. While you generally want to wait until after construction is done, if you have the storage space for the inventory somewhere else then you should think about utilizing it. If you wait too long to order inventory you may find that you have a half stocked shelves come opening day which is something no one wants with their pet grooming business as this creates a ton of stress and many new issues to contend with.