Why we love to do what we do...
Case Studies - Suzanne Reid
Having gone through school knowing exactly what I wanted to do when I “grew up”, it was a major blow to find that that my skills in the Chemistry department were nowhere near the A grade A-level standard required at that time to enter veterinary college! This devastating realisation forced me to completely re-evaluate my goals and aspirations, and having initially worked for a major London law firm as a secretary and studying part-time, I eventually qualified as a lawyer. Looking back, I think I was probably Barking Mad from the outset!
Following a fairly long break from the work force to care for my young family including a three year stint in Hong Kong at the time of the handover (with my husband’s career) and several uninspiring part-time jobs later, it was my husband Colin who first happened upon Barking Mad. Facing the possibility of redundancy he had begun contemplating a complete change of direction for himself. He initially spotted the Barking Mad franchise on the BFA website and then applied to our franchisor Lee Southern for a franchise pack. We were immediately smitten by the whole concept of Barking Mad and arranged to meet Lee just after Easter 2005.
The period leading up to that meeting was extremely hectic – not least because Colin was offered a couple of other opportunities and chose to take one of them. Despite this, we decided to go ahead with the meeting and consequently went to Head Office with a very open mind – and with very little market research completed! We were extremely impressed by Lee, our franchisor, who seemed extremely organised, well-focused and very professional. The fact that she had started, run and built up her own business gave her an extra credibility that can only be gleaned from having experience on the “shop floor”. By the time we had driven the six hours back home, Colin and I had decided that Barking Mad was an opportunity that we did not want to pass up – I had talked myself into a full-time doggy business!
Armed with the information from the initial meeting, we set about our market research and customer profiling. Colin initially telephoned almost all the boarding kennels in our area to try to give us an idea of what we might be able to charge for our service – about 50-100% more than the kennels - whilst I spoke to dog trainers, vets and groomers to discover their views on the provision of an alternative in the market. The feedback was very positive with many of the other doggy professionals telling us that people desperately wanted an alternative to conventional kennelling and that the few people offering home sitting services were invariably solidly booked particularly through the summer months. We then spoke to as many dog owners as we possibly could, often complete strangers whilst we were out walking our own dog Kelly, to try to gauge their reactions – particularly on the question of possible costs. It soon became clear that the proposition was extremely viable with many owners being willing to pay whatever it cost to ensure that their dog was properly cared for whilst they were away.
Once we had made the decision to go ahead with the franchise we were able to contact other existing Barking Mad franchisees to discover more about their experience of building their businesses. Whilst these conversations were obviously very helpful, it was a day visiting my nearest franchisee and seeing what the job entailed on a day to day basis that really confirmed this decision.
Despite my legal qualifications, we felt it necessary to have a specialist franchise lawyer to look over the Franchise Agreement for us. Although we appreciated that the Franchise Agreement would not be altered specifically for us we felt that we needed someone who was familiar with franchise law to advise on its content and to point out any potential problems with legal interpretation. The lawyer also advised that although the business was to be run solely by me, it would perhaps be prudent to set it up as a partnership so that, in the event my death, the agreement could be transferred more easily to Colin should he wish to continue running the business himself.
I joined the Barking Mad training week at the beginning of September 2005. The training was a comprehensive residential course at Head Office in Lancashire primarily carried out by Lee herself. The course was a good mix of both theoretical and practical training with each part of the process being covered from the manual in the morning and then practically with role plays and visits out to new customers and hosts in the afternoon. Accounts and sales and marketing were also covered towards the end of the week, at which point the new franchisees were despatched to their various territories to begin trading on the following Monday.
The initial challenge is to recruit suitable host families – I found that there were many newly retired people in my area who, having had a dog of their own for many years, had taken the decision (for various reasons) not to replace their last one but who also felt that they had been robbed of their “excuse” to go out for a walk, or missed the companionship. Our hosts are very special people, many of whom are prepared to go way beyond the call of duty with their visiting canines (spending Bonfire Night under the table comforting a petrified dog or sleeping on the couch to keep them company on their first night away from home).
Having recruited host families, it is a continual function to keep marketing to ensure that there is an ongoing influx of enquiries (hosts who have no dogs to stay often lose interest quite quickly). Marketing includes getting out regularly and seeing all the vets, trainers, behaviourists, groomers and animal welfare centres in the area and putting up posters in shop windows, village notice boards – and talking to lots of people!
I have been amazed at just how quickly my business has grown – satisfied customers not only book again and again but they tend to spread the news of their wonderful find with everyone they meet. Whilst this is the best job that I’ve ever had it is certainly very hard work and, with the best will and diary management in the world, does encroach into evenings and weekends as, for many working people, this is the only time that they can get to meet you to register their pet.
As the network has expanded Barking Mad has introduced a system of local meetings with about 8-10 local franchisees getting together once a quarter - this is an added form of communication between head office and the franchise network with one member being nominated each year to act as a conduit for information (in both directions) and reporting into an advisory group at head office. This, together with being able to contact fellow franchisees and/or head office directly, is an invaluable part of the Barking Mad support system. There is nothing better than to be able to speak to someone who has “been there and done it” when you come across a problem with a particular dog or a procedural difficulty. Personally I have contacted head office when faced with a custody dispute between a customer and his ex-wife and a biting dog (not at the same time!). Even when the answers only confirm your own views on the situation, it is helpful to have a second opinion or a calming voice! Our franchise development manager is also on hand to give advice on questions relating to business growth, sales and marketing, budgeting and planning – and visits annually to help set future goals and business plans. For my own part, the most frustrating aspects of running my own business have been fairly technical ones – having to be your own IT support department when you are used to a large corporation or partnership with a separate IT department is very daunting and car breakdowns such as I experienced last summer with my own fairly new car are horrendous (and costly). That apart I have always found that there is someone on hand to offer advice or assistance and feel that this is the reason I could always recommend the franchise route to someone considering it. However a prospective franchisee should ask as many questions as possible of their franchisor – if answers are not forthcoming then you have to ask yourself why this is the case. It is also very important to feel personally comfortable with the franchisor as their input and views will have an enormous impact on the whole franchise network.
In summary I feel that Barking Mad and franchising generally chose us rather than the other way round as we were immediately smitten by overall concept of ensuring that our dogs have a lovely holiday, are happy and well looked after. Franchising does offer the chance to run your own business but with the added support of a network and a growing brand name. Having now taken on my first member of staff to assist during busy periods and also to ensure that our dog Kelly gets to take advantage of the Barking Mad service (we would like our holidays too!), I am aiming to continue the rapid growth of the business in my own area and hope that I can persuade some other Barking Mad souls to come and join me in East Anglia! My friends and family have always said that I was barking mad ... there must be some others out there too ....
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