4 Tips for Running a Dog Training Franchise

Elliott Fudge, writer

Published at 09/02/2022, Updated on 04/05/2022 , Reading time: 4 min

4 Tips for Running a Dog Training Franchise — Photo © 4-Tips-for-Running-a-Dog-Training-Franchise.jpg

Running a franchise is the best way to cash in on the benefits of being your own boss and running your own business. And, in a sector as satisfying and enjoyable as dog training, what better incentive is there for running a dog training franchise?

Working with dogs is surely one of the best ways to run a business that combines profitability and job satisfaction. As a dog training franchisee, you’ll be working up close with dogs, ensuring that they get the right support to help them live healthy and active lifestyles.

But the dog training sector is competitive, and while franchising certainly helps you reduce the common risks associated with running your own business, you need to make sure you’re constantly looking at ways to keep your dog training franchise ahead of the curve. To help give you some pointers, here are our top tips for running a dog training franchise.

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Why start a dog training franchise?

The UK is a nation of dog lovers. With families around the country spending more and more on pampering their furry friends, it’s no surprise that franchises working in sectors like dog training, dog grooming and dog day care are seeing record levels of demand.

And while there are plenty of small and independent dog training businesses, only a franchise helps you join this sector at the top. With a whole range of training and support at your disposal, you’ll be able to get straight on with finding new customers and earning some excellent revenue - all while skipping out the common pitfalls that your competitors will be faced with. So if this all sounds like the right opportunity for you, here’s what you need to know about running a dog training franchise.

4 tips for running a dog training franchise

1. Get your finances in order

For all the advantages that running a dog training franchise opens up to you, you need to make sure that you’re running everything smoothly in order to truly make the most of this exciting opportunity. And when it comes to efficiently - ensuring your finances are working for you should be top of the list.

You’ll need to make some minimum financial commitments when it comes to getting your dog training business up and running, but each franchise you consider will have a different level of investment for you to meet. For example, Barking Mad franchisees need to make a minimum investment of £10,000, while Dog Knows requires an investment of around £7,500.

On top of paying ongoing franchising fees, you’ll need to be mindful of repaying any loans you took out to get your business started. In short, having made a wide range of financial commitments, you need to make sure to keep on top of things.

2. Recruit wisely

Employees are the face of your businesses, and when they’re working with customers and their pets on a daily basis, you need to make sure that they’re the right fit. In a customer-facing role such as this one, ask yourself whether new employees:

Should have previous experience in dog training or not?
Have previous experience in a customer-facing role?
Have a good way with people?
Are confident when it comes to working with both dogs and their owners?
Are organised?
Are capable of working under pressure?
Can meet expectations?

Nail down the best employees and you’re on the right track when it comes to running your own business.

3. Market effectively

As already mentioned, this is a competitive sector. Not every business person can be a success and not every business will work out. To give your franchise the best chance of being the success everyone wants it to be, pay attention to your marketing.

There are lots of expert tips for marketing your dog training franchise - even if you’re a total newcomer - so take a look at what you and your franchisor are doing to market your franchise and have a look to see if there’s anything you could be doing better.

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4. Choose the right franchise

It might sound obvious, but choosing the right franchise for your needs is more often than not one of the keys to success. There are a few different dog training franchises to choose from, but not all of them will be right for you. Before committing to any franchise and signing your franchise agreement, ask yourself the following questions to narrow down your shortlist of potential franchise businesses:

What kinds of franchisees are dog training franchises looking for? Are there certain skills or experiences that work to my advantage?
How much training and support is on offer?
Can I afford the initial and ongoing franchising fees?
How comfortable am I running a multi-unit franchise?

Each franchise you research will have different answers, meaning that you will then be in a great position to decide which business is right for you.

Start a dog training franchise today

These are only some suggestions for running a dog training franchise - there are many more besides. If you’ve decided that this fast-growing and profitable sector is the right avenue for you, make a career change with a dog training franchise today. You won’t be disappointed.

If you’ve decided that perhaps looking after dogs isn’t quite the right place for you - don’t worry. There are hundreds of franchises on the UK franchise directory that work in a wide range of industries and who are always on the lookout for new and ambitious franchisees to take them forward.