With almost a quarter of households having a dog, dog boarding is becoming a vital service that dog owners need on a regular basis. According to the UK Pet Report 2016, there continues to be a strong growth for pet care as pet owners start to perceive their pets as real members of the family. What this means is that the traditional kennel is no longer seen as the ideal place to house a dog whilst their owner is away. Instead, dog owners are wanting a more personable and bespoke experience. Who wants to think of their furry friend being locked in a kennel for two weeks when they can easily be bounding around fields, enjoying life?
What this means, is there has been a market need for people who run loving dog boarding services over the past few years. No one can be more certain of that fact than Barking Mad.
Here at Barking Mad we are dog home boarding specialists and we give budding entrepreneurs, such as yourself, the opportunity to run a dog boarding business from home. As a franchisee, running your own branch, you will benefit from our award winning support, so you’re never alone. We are widely regarded as the UK’s leading dog care franchise and have a growing family of dogs, dog-lovers, and business owners up and down the country.
Barking Mad was founded as the result of a dream that could be similar to yours – the dream of working with dogs by running a dog boarding business.
Back in 2000, Lee Dancy was going away on holiday and hated the idea of her Dalmatian, Bronte, ending up in kennels. Likewise, Lee wasn’t keen on the idea of paying someone to come into her home every day to look after Bronte in her absence. Instead, Lee wanted home boarding, where she knew Bronte would be cared for by the owners as if she was one of their own. If Lee was on holiday, then why shouldn’t Bronte be on holiday as well?
- Lee Dancy, Founder and M.D.
Almost 20 years down the line, Barking Mad has grown exponentially. Now covering over 80 core areas across the UK, providing top quality to care for dogs from Dundee to Torquay, Barking Mad continues to grow. It continues to offer fantastic opportunities to dog-lovers who want to run their own dog boarding business from their home and give dogs that holiday experience whilst their owners are away.
Becoming a Barking Mad franchisee has a lot of benefits, most obvious of which are the facts you get to work with dogs and work from home. Dog boarding as a career has a fantastic work/life balance, allowing for you to work the way you want to. It is not a seasonal business and provides plenty of repeat custom meaning it is a reliable business model as long as you choose the right path.
The most notable ways that Barking Mad can help you run your own dog boarding business goes beyond the basics. With the Barking Mad name, franchisees become a part of a reputable brand (and family) that is well established among dog lovers in the UK. We work with you, and define the geographical area of your business and business plan.
We help you with developing your business plan further and the marketing within your territory. We actively help you market your dog boarding business in your local areas. We will liaise with press in your area to help get the word out about your dog care business. You will receive your own page on our website, with your own blog, and we set you up with all your social media linking in to the national brand. You will develop your online community around your services. All this helps build up your authority as a professional dog boarder.
From your very first training session at our Barking Mad HQ, we are always happy to help. We also put you in contact with over 80 individual franchisees going through the same journey, and you are never alone.
According to research by the BFA, up to half of all SMEs are said to fail within their first year. With a larger franchise, that number drops to as low as 5%. You become a part of something bigger, whilst having the authority to develop your business to fit you.
“I used to run my own business however being part of the Barking Mad organisation is like night and day from being out on your own. The head office team are incredible and just the knowledge that they are there to listen, help, advise and support is a massive bonus to your daily life. Having the network of franchisees to what with and bounce ideas off is hugely rewarding too and whilst we face different challenges, we support and feed off each other. I now have an incredible team of people who are there for me at any time and I never feel alone”
– Brad (Barking Mad Dundee)
In a growing market place, and with a strong brand, we believe you could have what it takes to own your own dog boarding business with Barking Mad. If you also believe that you could have what it takes then please feel free to download our brochure by clicking on the button below.
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