“What really impressed me was that it was a ‘business in a box’. Everything I needed to start a dog walking and pet care business was provided, and I wouldn’t have considered it if it was not such a complete package, which overcame many of the difficulties of starting my own business.”“What I really like is that I feel part of a team and can call on expertise and support if I need it. Being a part of a well-established brand is a great help and the excellent website is also a big plus as this generates the bulk of my enquiries.”In her area of Reading, dog walking is Tracey’s most popular service. Most of her customers get to work early in the morning and require dog walks or pet visits around midday, and the concentration of custom in those few hours give Tracey the flexibility to help look after her Nan – something she couldn’t have even considered before! In addition to dog walking, Tracey offers pet

“One day I was feeling extremely unmotivated and unhappy and I wondered, ‘am I really going to carry on doing this for the rest of my life?’ On a whim I Googled pet care franchises, happened to land upon We Love Pets, and that was it. It took me a while to officially decide and commit, but I thought to myself, ‘if I don’t take a risk, I’ll never know – and I don’t want this to be something I regret in ten to twenty years.’” With an entrepreneurial spirit, Jon wanted to take control of his future and find a way to be his own boss. “For a long time, I had been thinking about setting up a business, and I knew I wanted to be my own boss rather than working for a large employer. I eventually decided that I specifically wanted a dog walking business, but I didn’t know where to start. There are already so many pet-care companies out there, and I figured that starting on my own would be really tough. So, I made the decision to join a franchise, as it provides an established brand and successful network.” And when considering which franchise to pursue, We Love Pets stood out to Jon for a multitude of reasons.“On the day that I was really investigating dog walking franchises, We Love Pets was one of the first companies I saw. I sent an enquiry through the site and Ryan called me back immediately. Straight away I got the sense that it’s a very close-knit, family orientated environment, and I was impressed that it ranked well in the Elite Franchise Top 100 list. After speaking with Ryan, I phoned other franchisees to ask about the network, and every single one of them spoke really highly of the company, boasting that becoming a We Love Pets franchisee was the best thing they’d ever done! After that, I was sold.”Using transferrable skillsIt can be quite daunting to start in a new career after establishing a different path, but Jon found that his previous experience was well suited to becoming a franchise owner.“I’m currently the manager of a team of five, in a very fast-paced industry, so as you can imagine it gets quite stressful. I think that the skills that I’ve gained from learning how to adapt and adjust in managerial situations will put me in a very good position as a business owner. I know that there will be stressful times, but after learning how to handle the stress in my previous role, I feel like – ‘bring it on.’” With the added support from our expansive franchisee network, team of marketing and pet experts, high-quality training materials, and experience in the industry, you’ll have all the tools and resources you need to be successful.Best part of the job?“I think the best part will probably be working with a large number of dogs – I’m a huge dog lover so that’s really enticing for me. But working with all animals, in general, will be a good challenge. I’m also looking forward to running my own business and having the flexibility to be my own boss, while doing something that I feel passionate about and enjoy.”