How to build your own business empire and scale it to success through franchising
28th January 2022
Petpals Director, Kevin Thackrah and Franchisee Peter Lea feature in ‘What Franchise’ magazine.
Lifestyle franchisees can go multi-unit too
Many lifestyle franchises are traditionally owner-operator models, where the franchisee does the work themselves, albeit often aided by staff. But that does not mean you cannot grow your business by taking on new franchise areas.
Kevin Thackrah, director of the Petpals pet care services franchise, has seen an increase in the number of franchisees in his network expanding to multiple locations and thinks this is just the beginning of the trend in his company.
“This increase has been caused by the rise in demand for expert petcare, which has also been triggered by the spike in pet ownership during the pandemic,” says Kevin. “We now offer both an owner-operator model and a management model to prospective franchisees who want to employ managers to expand their business, so whatever your aspirations are, we can support you. Offering multiple business models allows franchisees to focus on building the business they want, while also getting support from our wider franchisee network.”
Going multiple was a pet project for Peter
Peter Lea’s experience as a customer of Petpals led to him becoming a franchisee with two franchise areas: Petpals Bracknell, and Wokingham and Sandhurst.
“I’d been a Petpals customer for 12 years before I purchased the franchise in February 2018,” says Peter. “The franchisee at the time, Ruth, had brilliantly cared for my dog and so I was confident that Petpals offered a fantastic service and business offering to its customers.”
Once he had committed to taking over the two areas, he had a handover period with Ruth. “She gave me valuable insight into how to run the day-to-day operations of the business effectively. I also found the Petpals head office very supportive,” he says.
Since taking over Peter’s business has grown, with his pet-care team doubling in size.
To read the full article, please click on the link below.
