How Women are Dominating the Pet Business Sector

Cracking the Glass Ceiling: Women in Business Continues to Rise with Growth in the Pet Industry

Amidst all the turmoil seen in headlines lately, there is good news. A force that was once marginalized, women in business are becoming a strong force. There are over 11.3 million women-owned businesses in the United States, making up 38% of all U.S. businesses, according to The 2016 State of Women-Owned Business Report. This is a 45% spike from 2007, compared with 9% increase in overall U.S. business. As the fiscal year draws to a close in 2017, many are anxiously waiting for reports of women in business statistics continuing to show growth. Women-owned businesses are vital to the country’s economy. They employ almost 9 million people and generate over $1.6 trillion in revenue every year. Just as importantly, women business leaders help spread equality in the workplace as we continue to chip away at the glass ceiling.

There is still a long way to go but the increase in women-owned business is a good sign. 61% of women in business can be found in one of four sectors—administration, professional technical services, health care, and the pet industry. Business growth in these individual sectors has widened the margins for women to own their own business. Another reason 3.5 million women-owned businesses have opened in the last decade is many women possess innate skills that make them strong business leaders. Women are often adept with priority setting, people coordinating, and communication. Driven by tenacity and proficiency—more than half of the estimated 9.72 million new small business jobs and one-third of total anticipated new jobs will open from a women-owned business in 2018, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

A company making huge ripples in the pet franchise industry, Splash and Dash Groomerie & Boutique have been able to open doors for many women looking to escape the inhibitions of corporate America. Women like Natalie Dufek who worked as a nurse before opening her own shop in Meridian, Idaho. “The last few years I was in nursing I got into the management side of things, so I didn’t have as much hands-on nursing with the patients. It was more like sitting in meetings and managing. I just kind of lost some of the passion. There was an organizational restructuring in the company I worked for, and everything just kinda changed for a while. So I was like I need to do something different.”

Natalie, among other women, found a new promising venture in the pet industry, an industry that is growing itself by over 62% since 2007, and ended with $66.75 total U.S. Spending.

Women-Owned Business in the Pet Industry

Based in Portland, Oregon, The Earth Friendly Pet Company Cycle Dog is owned by Lanette Fidrych. Her company stated in 2009 and has since recycled hundreds of thousands of used bike tubes. Cycle Dog’s business model takes old bike tubes—made from rubber that would otherwise sit in a landfill—and figured out a way to handcraft dog collars and leashes. The collars are antibacterial and her line has increased to harnesses, toys, and beds. Cycle Dog is a company within the pet industry that is pioneering the way for women-based businesses with strong values.

Another company founded by a woman that is partnered with Splash and Dash Groomerie & Boutique is Kelly K. Ison’s company, Einstein Pets. Einstein Pets’ treats are made with only seven ingredients including the superfood Chia Seed. The aim of the company is to provide pet owners with an all-natural responsible diet that is as delicious as it is healthy.

Splash and Dash love to give back and try to do our part in not only partnering with women in business but with women-led companies who are choosing to lead with corporate social responsibility. Companies that are using eco-friendly recycled materials to make pet supplies are strong partners. Dog food supplies that use all-natural holistic ingredients in their formulas are traits Splash and Dash values. Providing both Cycle Dog and Einstein Pet products in our shops is a point of pride.

Women in Franchising

In the franchising segment, women have also been able to gain more traction. With the ‘boy’s club’ networking schematic still ingrained in the corporate ladder, many women opted out of lower salaries and condescension—in favor of the freedom of franchising. 21% of all U.S. franchises are women-owned. An additional 43% are co-owned between men and women, making two-thirds of franchises controlled by a woman in some capacity.

What makes franchising appealing for women, is that franchising gives them the ability to choose who they hire and work with. Franchising allows one to become their own boss. The benefits of this are that a franchise owner can control life-work balance, schedule, salary, location, and other important aspects of their career. For some women in business, owning a franchise gives them autonomy in the workplace they want.

Recent Survey published by the Franchise Business Review show that female franchisees are generally happy across the board. 90% of women stated they enjoyed operating this business while 74% stated they would “do it again.” Franchising, like all business, is a calculated risk. What separates owning a franchise from traditional career pathways, is that when you sit down for an interview with a franchisor, you are assessing their values as much as they are assessing your own. A reputable franchise has a business model that operates as two-way street—franchisee success is company success.

What Splash and Dash Has to Offer

Splash and Dash Groomerie & Boutique is a unique pet salon grooming and retail franchise. The company has proprietary software that simplifies every aspect of owning a pet store. Business operations like client booking, automated marketing, and employee management are all handled by the company’s terminal software. On top of this, an advantage Splash and Dash owners benefit from is having a recurring revenue source. The signature service is membership-based and is completely unique to Splash and Dash. This makes it a win-win for franchise owners and customers. Splash and Dash is the only franchise able to provide a recurring revenue stream with the signature service.

The company is also proud to have franchise owners from diverse professional and cultural backgrounds. Before opening their shops many of the women franchisees worked in industries unrelated to pet care. Franchise owners like Sandy Yueng who opened her Splash and Dash in Suwanee, Georgia. “I always loved dogs,” Sandy says. “I was thinking since I have to pay someone to do this. Why don’t I just do it?” Sandy’s inspiration to open a pet shop was caring for her three Shelties. “With the boutique, I can educate people on high-quality food, how they can help their dog’s health. I am happy to hear to when customers tell me their dog’s skin-health gets better after switching foods and getting [spa] services.”

Another woman who converted her grooming shop to a Splash and Dash Groomerie & Boutique is Jaime Meyer from Coppell, Texas. I was looking for a way to stay current in our technologically driven society,” Jaime says. “It was extremely hard as an independent to find that technology.” After opening her Splash and Dash, Jaime has found a new ease with owning her own small business. “The transition was fun, I really enjoyed all the additional technology that was afforded to us. I enjoyed being able to provide the friendly user experience. I thought it was nothing but positive,” she says.

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