Buyer Beware
Working with the pet owners and the pets. Providing high-quality services and ensuring the pets are receiving the best care possible.
Support from the Franchisor is extremely limited or virtually non-existent. They have various contracts for different locations and continually seek new ways to increase charges. Their monthly minimum fees range from 21% to 28% of gross profit, excluding expenses like marketing, insurance, taxes, and more. Owners are fortunate if they manage to achieve an 8% net profit, and many find themselves in significant debt due to their initial purchase costs and the demanding monthly minimums, which are charged weekly. The Franchisor is unconcerned about the financial success of individual locations. Furthermore, a substantial number of franchise locations that they claim are active and operational have actually been taken over by the corporate office. This occurs when the owners are consistently losing money and unable to make their businesses succeed. Instead of allowing owners to return the locations, the corporate office takes control of them, making it seem as though the original owners still manage them, all in an effort to improve their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD). Before purchase, the Franchisor makes grand promises, assuring potential franchisees that they can gross over a million dollars within the first couple of years. In reality, only a small fraction (less than 1%) of the 150-plus locations have ever achieved this level of revenue, and it took them approximately 15 years to do so. The Franchisor seems primarily focused on selling franchise locations at a cost of $60,000 each, with little to no substantial support provided to franchisees once they are up and running.
Create a business model that enables owners to achieve profitability and move away from the practice of maximizing revenue at the franchisees' expense. Focus on offering better support for owners and delivering the benefits that are expected when owning a franchise. It's about prioritizing the success and well-being of franchisees over constantly seeking ways to extract more money from them each month.