The DogSmith- Dog Training and Pet Care
Whatever you need, whenever you need it.
Recession? Not here!
The pet industry is exploding, with no end in sight!
The pet industry is one of the fastest growing industries in our economy today. In fact, as our economy continues to tighten and American families begin to look inward to home and family for comfort, spending on pets has actually increased!
· Over 110 million American households own at least one pet.
· The pet industry is a 43 billion dollar industry annually.
· Well over 3 billion of that is spent on dog training and billions more on pet care.
· And most importantly, experts project an annual growth rate of 10-15%, for the pet industry, even during a recession!
So, why is the pet industry on such an unstoppable trajectory? There are two reasons.
1. Everyday, more Americans own more dogs than ever before. The U.S. leads the world in its growth of dog ownership. Don’t believe us? Just look around you. Count the number families on your block that own a dog or a cat. What will you find? That it just may be easier to count those that don’t own a dog or a cat! Not only are dogs and cats becoming a more common fixture within the framework of the American family, households that own multiple pets, especially multiple dogs, are increasingly common.
2. Not only do more Americans own more dogs than ever before, they are spending more money on their dogs and other pets than ever before. Why? Our culture is changing. No longer do we relegate our dogs and cats to second-class citizenship in our families. Our pets are, more and more, being recognized as members of our families, due all the respect, rights, and privileges previously reserved for only our children.
How many 4-legged children are you the proud parent of?
Introducing The DogSmith
The tremendous growth in the pet industry as a whole has us very excited. But The DogSmith franchise model is specifically designed to take advantage of 2 intersecting phenomena in our customer’s lives.
First, as our dogs become less pets and more members of our family, we, as their parents, are requiring a modicum of behavior and manners. In other words, if dogs are going to get all of our love and a lot of our time and attention, we expect them to behave. After all, if our dogs are like our children, they need to act like it! The DogSmith’s dog training business model helps families own dogs on their terms, maintaining order and sanity in the household. Like our customers, we believe a family’s relationship with their dog should be enriching, not another hassle to be heaped on your ever-growing pile of responsibilities. Dogs should mean fun, love and laughter and we believe it is our job, through our dog training, to make sure they are exactly that.
Secondly, more than ever before, we are busy. Dual incomes are the norm. Second jobs are common. And technology has made sure it’s harder than ever to leave work at work... How do you provide the care and time that your beloved pets deserve day in and day out when your schedules keep you away from home so much? The DogSmith’s pet care business model was created to solve that exact problem. As Dorothy once said, “There’s no place like home.” And we know your dog would agree. By delivering pet care, provided by certified professionals, The DogSmith is able to offer the expertise and quality often only associated with expensive, off-site daycare programs, but at a much more cost-effective price and, most importantly, in the safety and comfort of your own home.
Two trends. One Solution. The DogSmith.
Dog Training and Pet Care
It’s a killer 1-2 combination
The Dog Training Business Model:
· Nationally, the average dog trainer charges between $80 - $200 per hour, putting your hourly rate right up there with doctors and lawyers.
· It’s a true home-based business, with very little overhead.
· Your marketing is based upon referral and reputation, meaning there is very little marketing expense.
· Your hours are set by you. Set your training schedule for times that are convenient to your customers – and yourself.
· You become recognized as a true expert in your field. Customers come to you for all sorts of pet information and advice outside the world of dog training.
The Pet Care Business Model:
· Pet care is performed by employees that you manage. You don’t do all the work, and leverage your time and effort via employees.
· Pet care affords a repeat business model. Customers need your services day-in, day-out, week-in, week-out, making your revenues consistent and predictable.
· Pet care is also a true home-based business, with very little overhead.
· It’s an industry filled with teenagers and part-timers simply looking to make a few extra bucks, making it easy to stand out above the crowd.
Dog Training and Pet Care is the perfect combination. While you earn significant upfront fees as a dog trainer and build your reputation as an expert in your local dog community, your pet care business allows you to capitalize on your growing credibility to take advantage of all those referrals most dog trainers have to pass on to someone else. More importantly, while racking up those hefty hourly rates in your dog training business, your pet care business allows you to build a residual monthly income. It’s truly the best of both worlds.
For your $24,900 initial franchise fee, you receive . . .
Grand Opening Preparation and Assistance – First impressions last. So why not make an impression your territory will never forget? In addition to your initial training all new franchise owners participate in our industry-acclaimed FastStart program. Each franchisee receives a FastStart guide to your pre-opening and grand opening responsibilities. Our FastStart program gives you step-by-step instructions for everything from setting up your business entity to researching your local marketing media. More specifically, as a participant in our FastStart program, you will be given numerous assignments to complete BEFORE you attend training. You will be asked to research the offerings of your local competition, to list all area referral sources, and dozens of other critical topics. These assignments are designed to give you a real “FastStart” on your start-up but more importantly, our FastStart package enables you and our trainers to completely remove your training from the realm of the theoretical and to apply each and every training module to the realities of your market. Each subject is outlined in an easy-to-follow template form, with helpful examples, useful phone numbers and numerous online resources. Under our tutelage, you will become expertly at ease with all of your training materials, operational issues, and marketing strategies in order to seamlessly launch your successful new business.
Marketing Assistance – Every smart new business owner worries about one thing – “how am I going to get customers?” All of our franchise owners are trained in TheDogSmith’s proven marketing approach and given access to our professional-grade marketing collateral. More than merely telling you what to do, we’ll explain why some things work and others don’t. From the perspective of a new business owner, one of the most attractive features of this industry is that we acquire most of our customers through word-of-mouth referrals from people and organizations who inhabit the world of dogs and pets. We’ll teach you exactly how to approach these people, show you what they look for in a dog trainer, and give you the tools to not only effectively create these critical relationships but to maintain them long-term as well. You will learn the skills you’ll need to measure and manage your marketing efforts from a financial standpoint. And you’ll gain professional insight into choosing market specific advertising venues that may be unique to your territory.
The DogSmith’s Proprietary Seminar Marketing –Your DogSmith training will teach you how to market TheDogSmith’s free educational seminars to your local community. These seminars are recognized as standard destinations for dog lovers and are a fantastic marketing and networking forum. Our seminars are incredibly effective at positioning you as an expert in your industry to large segments of your target market.
888 Toll Free Number – All franchise owners are able to locally advertise our convenient and easy to remember toll free number – 888DogSmith. Studies prove that toll free numbers lend instant credibility because consumers associate them with bigger, more reputable companies. Toll free numbers also improve call-in rates, since a good toll free number is more easily remembered.
Personalized Webpage – Every DogSmith franchise owner gets their own personalized webpage as part of our bigger www.888dogsmith.com. More importantly, we’ll teach you how to list, link it, and optimize it for maximum exposure in your market.
Fully Integrated Reporting Suite – With a DogSmith franchise, you’ll be provided with a full integrated suite of software designed to facilitate every aspect of your business life. From scheduling and customer profiles to tracking your marketing and your financials, you’ll have everything you need.
Training and Pet Care Equipment – The DogSmith has put together a complete equipment package that includes everything you’ll need to professionally perform your training and pet care services.
Health Insurance – Making the leap into business ownership is an exciting, sometimes overwhelming time. Knowing what a big concern your family’s health coverage can be, The DogSmith has listened to the needs of our franchise owners and researched the health care industry on their behalf. The result is a program that gives you easy access to leading health care providers with packages and plans that should best meet your needs as the proprietor of a new, small business.
Financing – Capitalization can be one of the most worrisome aspects of starting a business. If this is the first time you’ve seriously begun considering business ownership, you probably have a lot of questions. How much money do I need to get started? How hard is it to qualify for financing? How much working capital should I set aside? How do I apply for a loan? What does a good business plan look like? In order to ensure that you’re going to be adequately funded for your start-up, The DogSmith has assembled a number of attractive third-party financing options. With interest rates lower than they’ve been in decades, financing at least a portion of your initial investment or supplementing your working capital can be a wise investment. We can help you find a financing option that meets your requirements both commercially and personally. We can also walk you through the application processes.
You’ll also receive . . .
Demographic and Market Analysis Exclusive Territory
Manuals (Operations, Marketing, Training) Our Name, Trademarks, Logos
Employee Hiring Packet Quality Controls
For your $14,900 initial training fee, you receive . . .
2 weeks of award-winning onsite start-up training - Every new franchise owner flies to our industry-acclaimed initial start-up training program taught by Niki Tudge, America’s #1 dog trainer, and her team of business experts. The DogSmith Training Center is situated in beautiful Bonifay, Florida where Niki has assembled a peerless team of instructors that include dog trainers, pet care business professionals, marketing specialists, franchising experts and more. Your training will cover every aspect of owning and operating a DogSmith franchise. Our expert instructors will thoroughly teach you how to masterfully perform every one of your dog training and pet care responsibilities. You’ll also be trained to market your new business using DogSmith’s proprietary marketing system, how to create and maintain relationships with referral sources, how to coordinate your day-to day work schedule, and how to manage the administrative and financial, all in a very comprehensive, very intense 2 weeks.
Room and board – Your stay at the National DogSmith Training Center includes 14 nights of local hotel accommodations, as well as breakfast and lunch during training.
Training materials, equipment and most importantly dogs! – The DogSmith will provide everything you need during your 2 weeks of initial training. Your training equipment, learning materials and, most importantly, untrained dogs to train. Because Niki Tudge sits atop the board of her local humane society, The DogSmith Training Center has access to a steady stream of untrained dogs for training use. Franchise owners will see a variety of breeds, temperaments and behavioral issues. And the best part is, while you’re learning you’re helping the dogs. Once the dogs are trained, they are far more likely to be adopted by new parents. Talk about win-win!
Kenneling and boarding facilities – For many, the hardest part of the 2-week initial training will be finding quality care for your own dogs while you’re away. Heck, even if you do have quality care, you’re going to miss them! With The DogSmith, don’t worry about it. You’re welcome to bring your own dogs with you, whether they are trained or not. We have kenneling and boarding facilities right onsite and acres of beautiful land for the dogs to run around on. Your dogs may end up enjoying your 2 weeks of training more than you!
12 weeks of follow-up correspondence training – After your 2 weeks of initial training at The DogSmith Training Center, you will be fully prepared to competently launch your new business. But we don’t expect you to be an expert. In fact, we believe that your initial training merely lays the foundation upon which your real learning can begin. Upon graduation from The DogSmith Training Center, you’ll begin 12 weeks of long-distance coaching and mentoring. Scheduled weekly phone consultations, recommended readings, and question and answer forums, are all designed to bolster you from newbie to new superstar during your first 3 months in business.
For your 7% ongoing royalty contributions, you receive . . .
Expert Support Hotline - Our support hotline gives our franchise owners direct access to experts in every aspect of their DogSmith franchise. Whether you’re calling for marketing advice or help with a particular training challenge, our support number gives you easy access to the answers you need, when you need them.
On-Going Training – The backbone of any successful franchise is training. And when your business is dog training, the learning never ends. We view dog training as a true academic discipline and, like any academic discipline, it’s always evolving. With the most highly respected assembly of industry experts on staff, The DogSmith is committed to ensuring that our franchise owners are perpetually at the forefront of our industries as innovators and trendsetters.
Preferred Vendor Savings – All of our franchise owners enjoy the “economies-of-scale” savings provided by our bulk ordering of marketing and support materials. Because we negotiate with all of the vendors on your behalf, you are able to buy ongoing supplies at considerable discounts.
Marketing Development and Guidance – As you begin to master our marketing systems, you’ll want to develop new and creative ways to reach beyond your local market. Our resident experts can help you negotiate booths at a local fair or help you produce a new mail-out idea. As you expand, you’ll have complete access to our catalogue of flyers and brochures, coupons and direct mail pieces, newspaper and periodical literature, camera-ready ads, press releases, broadcast quality audio and video infomercials and, much, much, more!
You also receive . . .
National Training Conferences Online Discussion Forums and Download Section
Online Franchisee Bulletin Boards
The DogSmith Difference
For years, we’ve lived at on the cutting-edge of the dog training industry. As we made the decision to franchise our concept, we set out to be the same trendsetting innovators as a franchise. It’s the only way we know. As a result, we have put together a franchise offering that is truly unique. Take a look.
You learn to train more trainers. Dog training is a fantastic business. One in which you can follow your bliss and create a significant revenue doing it. But someday, you may have aspirations to build a bigger business than just yourself. You may want to leverage your time by hiring trainers underneath you instead of having to perform all of the dog training duties yourself. The DogSmith is the only dog training franchise in the U.S that allows you to have employees. Not only do we allow it, we encourage it. With The DogSmith, the growth of your business or the size of your revenue will never be limited to how much you alone can do.
Not only do we allow you to hire trainers to work for you but, instead of having to send all of your trainers to our national training center, The DogSmith, through our ongoing training program, actually allows you to become certified to train your own trainers!
As time goes by, what each of us wants from our business changes? Our dreams change, our goals change. And The DogSmith is committed to helping you realize those dreams; whether you remain happy running a lucrative “one-man-show” or decide you want to dominate a major market with your team of highly trained DogSmith trainers. We’ll be there to support you.
You can own more than one territory. The DogSmith is the only dog training franchise in the U.S. that allows you to own more than one territory. If your business is successful and you want to move into other markets, we’ll be more than happy to help. In fact, we’ve developed a territory reservation system for existing franchise owners that rewards their hard work and proven success. Make sure to ask about it.
The DogSmith marketing magic. The DogSmith is the only dog training franchise in the U.S. with proven marketing strategies based upon years of experience running humane societies, shelters, and rescue networks. Unlike other dog trainers, DogSmith franchise owners aren’t simply handing out business cards and asking for referrals. Based upon years of experience, The DogSmith equips franchise owners with the knowledge and tools to walk into humane societies, animal shelters, and rescue networks and offer proven tools to help them run their organizations more efficiently and effectively. These non-profit organizations are like any business, they are constantly under pressure to perform at higher levels and with fewer resources. Once we show them how we can help them- for free, their doors fly open to us. And from there, our credibility and their referrals take care of themselves.
The DogSmith Certification Levels
As the only U.S. dog training franchise that allows and encourages our franchises to hire employees, we have developed a rigorous and standardized set of certifications for our franchise owners. As the core of our ongoing training program, these certifications allow franchise owners a clear path to the skill sets they will need to take their business to the next level.
Level 1 – Novice DogSmith – CTA Certified Training Assistant
A Novice DogSmith is qualified to be a Training Assistant for Group Classes only from the service offering list.
Level 2 – Apprentice DogSmith – CDT Certified Dog Trainer (Franchise Owner Entry Level)
An Apprentice DogSmith is qualified to hold Group Training Sessions and Private Consultations from the DogSmith service offering list.
Level 3 – Journeyman DogSmith – PDC Pet Dog Counselor
A Journeyman DogSmith is qualified to hold Group Training Sessions and Private Consultations from the DogSmith service offering List. They also holds the AKC “CGC Evaluator Title and are an Associate Member of the APDT. They are qualified to certify a Level 1 Novice DogSmith Trainer for their own business.
Level 4 – Master DogSmith – MCB Master Canine Behaviorist
A Master DogSmith is qualified to hold Group Training Sessions and Private Consultations from the DogSmith service offering List. They also hold the AKC “CGC Evaluator Title and are a Professional Member of the APDT. They are qualified to certify a Level 1 Novice DogSmith Trainer for their own business.
The DogSmith
A life and a business filled with passion.
How do you know if this business is for you?
As you make a decision to change the direction of your life, there are many variables to consider, many factors to weigh. Starting a business is a big step. It can be exciting and exhilarating. It can also be scary. We at the DogSmith feel that, when pressed, we can reduce why we love our industry, our franchise and our business so much.
Passion. We’ve all heard the adage, “Love what you do and you’ll never work a day in your life.”. Well, we’re living proof of that. The first question you need to ask yourself is, “Are you a dog person?”. Not, “Do I like dogs?”. Not, “Do I own a dog?”. You need to ask “Do I really love dogs?” “Do I have a true passion for them?” If the answer is yes, then we’re off to a good start.
If you’re a dog person that loves dogs, this can be a fantastic business. We’re able to wake up and spend our day doing something that we have a true passion for – dogs. There are plenty of other industries that will allow you to capitalize on the booming pet industry. And if you’re purely interested in the economics of the pet industry, we suggest you check them out. We’re looking for people that have a good business mind and want to be successful business people, but who also want to combine that money-making endeavor with a true passion for working closely with dogs and other dog people, day in, day out.
Quality of Life. As you’ve read above, we’re looking for franchise owners that are motivated by money, but also more than money. A happy DogSmith franchise owner appreciates the flexibility and freedom that a true home-based business like dog training and pet care can provide. Don’t get us wrong, as a DogSmith franchise you will work hard. But we truly believe that a successful business life depends on a successful personal life. And we believe that our home-based business model give franchise owners a real chance to achieve exactly that.