How to Start Your Own Dog Daycare Franchise

Are you passionate about adorable pooches AND turning a profit as a business owner? Then why not start your own dog daycare franchise? It’s a fantastic way to combine your personal passions with a lucrative business move, making every working day a canine-filled joy to experience. Read on, and find out exactly how to start your doggy daycare off on the right paw.

Dog ownership rates reached an all-time high in 2020, rising to over 10 million canine pets owned across Britain [PDSA]. As new dog owners up and down the country return to work post-pandemic and seek to offer their new furry friends the best possible care while they’re away, reliable and quality dog daycare services are hugely in demand. There’s never been a better time to invest with one of the top dog daycare franchises in the UK.

What does a dog daycare business do?

Dog daycares look after dogs physically and emotionally when their owners are away, either at work for the day or overnight elsewhere. Some networks consist of franchisees who work from home, bringing dogs back to their humble abodes for sitting. Some franchisees work out of business premises like kennels. Some work in the homes of their clients, housesitting simultaneously. Whatever the type of dog daycare you invest with, your regular responsibilities as a franchisee will include:

• Meeting with, communicating with and regularly updating clients
• Caring for dogs - feeding, exercising, playing, grooming, etc. (dependent on whether you make a more hands-on or managerial investment)
• Cleaning out kennels/maintaining a clean environment for the dogs in your care
• Handling and monitoring dogs’ health, including administering medication when needed
• Managing your franchise (operations, finances, inventory management employee management, so on)
• Marketing your franchise and attracting new clients

Why consider running a dog daycare franchise?

Running a dog daycare comes with a million different benefits. Even beyond the high level  of demand mentioned above and all the advantages inherent to franchising (access to a proven business model and existing customer base, ready availability of training and support, etc.), there are many advantages to running a dog daycare franchise specifically. Advantages like:

• The chance to pursue a true passion
• The ability to work flexibly/in a range of different ways and settings depending on what works for you
• The high potential for loyal clients and repeat custom
• The varied, dynamic working life
• The company (if you love dogs, what’s better than spending all day with them?!)
• The availability of low-cost investment options
• The endless room to grow and develop with time

How to start a dog daycare franchise

1. Complete plenty of initial research to find your place in the industry

Dog-focused businesses span the entire spectrum, with everything from dog daycare franchises to dog walking franchises like Dogknows on the scene. Before you head into an investment or start to narrow down your options, do your research and find out where you think you could fit into this landscape.

What do you want each working day to look like, what transferable skills could you bring to the table, and where would they be best placed? Plus, which industries are thriving in the current landscape, which companies are at the top of their game right now, and why? Bring your knowledge of the industry together with your knowledge of your own strengths to find your place among the canines.

2. Ensure the franchise you invest with is a financial match 

Finding a list of franchise businesses that are a professional match is one thing, but your next step should be to ensure that these franchises have been narrowed down in terms of their financial suitability. Investing out of your conceivable price range will only come back to bite you and your franchise in the long term, so it’s definitely not a wise move. To give you a sense of the costs you can expect to come across when starting a dog daycare, here are a couple of examples from the industry:

• PetStay - PetStay requires a minimum initial investment of £9,995.
• Friends for Pets - Friends for Pets requires a minimum initial investment of £8,995.

3. Do your due diligence before signing the franchise agreement

This one might seem obvious if you’ve already done some research, but if you’re brand new to the world of franchising and just finding your footing, take note. Due diligence is the way in which you ensure that a franchise investment is a GOOD investment. When you fully assess an opportunity and review the business’s FDD, you know that what you’re paying for is what you’re getting. You’re not caught off guard by hidden clauses or undisclosed issues.

Beyond the obvious legal aspects like reviewing the FDD and having a legal professional look over a franchise agreement before you sign, you should also make sure to communicate with the franchisor as much as you can, getting answers to every question you have. Plus, don’t forget to speak with existing franchisees in the network - nobody will have a better perspective than them on what it’s like to invest!

4. Dog daycare franchise investment opportunities

There are many amazing investment options in the world of dog daycare, but one you should definitely check out is Barking Mad, established in 2000 and now “the UK’s most trusted pet sitting service, rated no.1 by Trustpilot” [Barking Mad]. 

• Becoming a Barking Mad franchisee: You don’t need previous industry experience to invest, but you should love working with animals and be looking to build a flexible business and commit to a long-term investment.
• What you need to invest: You’ll need to make a minimum initial investment of £10,000, with a total investment cost of £14,995.
• What you get for your investment: You’ll be guided through every step of the start-up process. You’ll be able to make use of expert guides, training and support - all designed to help you move towards that dream six-figure Barking Mad turnover. 

Join the thriving pet boarding industry today when you become a franchisee with a dog daycare franchise

You should now have a better idea than ever of how you can start running your own business in the dog daycare sector. If a love of dogs is your overarching priority, make sure to check out the wider world of dog and pet franchise investment opportunities, as you might decide to make a career change with a dog grooming franchise or become a dog trainer, instead.