Innovative Pet Service Poised for Growth
Waggin' Tailz | 25 Jul 2008
Waggin’ Tailz is a Houston native, but may not be staying home for much longer. The premiere petsitting service, which already cares for hundreds of pets in the Houston area, has sold its first two franchises, and founder Karen Cockrill has reason to hope that this is just the beginning. The expansion of Waggin’ Tailz could span the United States and beyond, as interested parties have come forth in several other states and Canada.
Putting a fresh face on the well-known and well-used service of petsitting and dog walking as an alternative to kennel boarding, Waggin’ Tailz has, since 2006, been reaching beyond the basics to offer enhanced services like a pet taxi, spa escort, and field trips.
“We are a high-quality, professional service that recognizes the responsibility we have when we enter our clients’ homes,” says Cockrill. “Anyone that works with Waggin’ Tailz must pass a drug screen, a background check, and complete our training program.” In addition, the company has accounts with local emergency vet clinics, carries full bonding and insurance, and operates an online scheduling system whereby clients can view their upcoming and past visits, make schedule changes, and pay their bill.
Last year, Cockrill decided to offer franchises because the business took off rapidly and she was receiving service requests outside of her coverage area. She wanted to make Waggin’ Tailz available to a broader market. Offering a franchisee package that includes training (including pet CPR), software, supplies, marketing and advertising assistance, and a website, Cockrill has worked tirelessly to make owning a franchise a feasible accomplishment for fellow entrepreneurs with a passion for animals, as they are able to detour around the risk and expense of starting a business from scratch.
Signing on this month as the first franchisee of this dynamic enterprise, Cleveland Wheeler is eager to help continue the company’s success.
“Animals have always been the balancing factor in my life,” says Wheeler, “so it seemed only logical that, when I left my former business, I turned to the only other thing that gave me a more meaningful satisfaction.”
Impressed with Cockrill’s business model, Wheeler purchased the first Waggin’ Tailz franchise to serve even more of the 50,000 pet owners in his territory, which is the area of Houston south of NASA Parkway. He views Waggin’ Tailz as not only a practical financial investment, but as an investment in the quality of life.
“In the pet services business, you are entrusted with the care of the pets that people consider to be like members of their family,” he adds. “Going the extra mile to win that kind of consumer trust is where Waggin’ Tailz excels. It is a great feeling knowing that you can provide a service that is so close to someone’s heart.”
In determining if an area is a good market for Waggin’ Tailz, Cockrill indexes factors like human and pet populations, cost of living, crime rate, local veterinary offices and boarding facilities, and commuter times.
And when Cockrill does her homework, people like Karen Gambrell benefit. Gambrell is the company’s second franchisee, and will cover Houston north of Nasa Parkway.
“The franchise has a strong foundation with an extensive marketing structure, and I feel that my marketing experience will expand its existing client base even further,” says Gambrell. “Animal care and rescue has always been a very important part of my life. This business will give me the opportunity to love what I do for a living.”
For more information on services and franchise opportunities, visit www.waggintailz.com or call 281-316-9082.
###
uCertify, a leading provider of exam preparation software for IT certification exams, today announced huge discount of 37.23% on the entire range of its practice tests. This discount offer is valid only until Sunday, November 30th, 2008. uCertify also off [read more]