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Melbourne, Australia

If you love dogs, try this franchise!

An Australian Franchisee Case Study

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Name: Sue Bowes
Location: Erina
Franchise: Aussie Pooch Mobile

Why did you go down the franchise route? And why did you choose Aussie Pooch Mobile franchise?
I didn’t particularly look at buying a franchise. I hated my previous job that I had been in for nearly 15 years and was thinking about other options..

I have always loved dogs and had replied to an ad in the local paper about 12 months earlier. The ad was from a guy wanting to split his existing independent dog wash run. However I was too nervous to give up the security of my job so stayed there even though I hated it. Later down the track I found out that a person I know through a mutual friend was selling her Aussie Pooch franchise. I felt much better “taking the plunge” when the person selling their franchise was someone I knew and with a company with a reputable reputation.

What did you do before taking up yur Aussie Pooch Mobile franchise?
I worked for an insurance loss adjusting company for nearly 15 years. I worked 6 years in Newcastle as an office assistant and then 8 years in Sydney in the IT department.

How did you raise the finance?
I was lucky enough to have enough funds in my mortgage to redraw.

What training and support did you receive initially and ongoing?
I spent about 3 days out on the road training with an operator in Sydney and then about 10 days with the operator I was purchasing the franchise from. Then the operations manager would periodically meet me out on the road for the first 12 months. Continuing support is only a phone call away when required. There are also a few meetings a year and a conference once a year that offers continued learning and support.

What is a typical day for you as an Aussie Pooch Mobile franchisee?
The majority of the time I leave home between 7 & 8 am to start washing dogs. Generally I get home anywhere from 3 – 5 pm. Once home I write all the days appointments forward to their next date, organise everything for the following day eg refill shampoos, place any orders for replacement items and perhaps make some “chase up” phone calls.

What challenges have you faced?
The only major challenge that I can recall was probably about 5 – 6 years ago. During this year a lot of customers’ dogs “went to the kennel in the sky”. It took me a while to replace these customers and get my income back up to where I wanted it.

Has becoming a franchisee changed your life, if so how?
My life now is much more relaxed. I basically don’t feel like I go to work anymore and I know that how well I succeed is entirely up to me.

What advice would you give to someone thinking of buying their first franchise?
Make sure you “do your homework” and preferably have some money behind you in case money is initially slow to come in while you are growing your business.

What are your plans for the future?
I am planning to continue with the Aussie Pooch Franchise into the unforeseeable future. As mentioned earlier I don’t feel like I go to work anymore so why change that? On a personal level I plan to have some more overseas trips.

Would you do it again?
My answer to this is “I should have made the move earlier”.

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Aussie Pooch Mobile Dog Wash franchise