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Posted:13-October-2022

Former digital forensic and cybersecurity expert invests in a Petpals franchise

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  • Name: Sharren Redmond
  • Location: Sefton
  • Franchise: Petpals
  • Date launched the franchise: December 2018

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and what you were doing prior to buying your Petpals franchise business?

“I’ve always cared about pets. I used to volunteer at the local animal shelter, and according to my parents I was always going to ‘live on my own with 10 dogs’. To this day, one of my favourite things to do is to go for a walk with my dog, Lucy. However, despite this passion for the welfare of animals, my dream at school was to join the police force. After joining the police force as a civilian, I trained in digital forensics. Then I was headhunted to work on implementing software for an innovative cybersecurity system – helping the police with investigations nationwide. I’ve always been very tech-savvy, so this was a natural fit for me.

“I loved my time working in this sector. During this period, I was leading the UK team as the Technical Support Services Manager. We were doing amazing work in helping solve cases and, as a result, we were making a real difference to the day-to-day lives of people in this country. Being able to use my unique skill set to help others was very fulfilling.

“After 22 years in digital forensics and cybersecurity, I was made redundant after the company was purchased in 2018 and restructured. I knew it was coming, but nothing can prepare you for when redundancy happens. After a long time in one industry, I knew I needed a fresh start.”

Can you also tell us about the Petpals franchise? 

“Petpals is proud to be the longest-established full-service pet-care company in the UK. The brand was founded in 2001 and since then has grown into 50+ individually owned businesses, operating under the Petpals franchise brand, across the United Kingdom.”

Why did you go down the franchise route? What made you choose the pet care industry? And why Petpals?

“I always liked the idea of franchising. I knew how difficult starting your own business could be, so I could see the benefits of joining an established network. I started putting a spreadsheet together of all the potential franchises that I was interested in. I ranked them all on the spreadsheet, using various ratings and, by the end of my search, Petpals stood out as the clear favourite.

“After I decided to invest, I participated in the training, which was very insightful. From the proven systems they supply you, to the discovery day with another franchisee, every aspect is valuable. I always look back to it now, and I am so thankful for having that period of training. I look at other pet-care businesses struggling around the area and I think… that could have been me if I hadn’t decided to go with a model like Petpals. The experience you gain from joining a proven network is invaluable to your business.”

What training and support did you receive initially and ongoing?

“The best part of being a franchisee in the Petpals network is that you feel part of a team. Whenever I have had any issues to solve, I know the network will be there to support me. Everyone wants the same thing. We all care deeply about offering the best pet-care services possible, and it’s wonderful to be part of such a caring franchise. The conference is an integral part of this. It’s a time when we all come together to share stories and advice.

“Leaning into the support on offer from our head office from marketing to business coaching will ensure that I continue to grow. When we chat at these events, the solutions that come from our natural conversations lead to exciting growth and innovation. What I love is that you can use the success stories in the franchise network to leverage your own growth, as there is always someone who has more experience or has achieved success with a new strategy.”

Provide information on challenges overcome as well as your key successes to date. Please also detail the steps you have taken to manage the business during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The pandemic had a huge impact on the entire pet-care sector. In fact, we lost 90% of the business in our 50+ locations nationwide overnight. One way I succeeded was through the assistance I gave to key workers during the pandemic. Sefton is an area with a high proportion of medical professionals and teachers. Instead of shutting down due to the uncertainty of the pandemic, I continued to support my clients throughout. This allowed them to continue the important work they were doing. For me, it was vital to support my community during an unprecedented time. By offering my services I knew I could contribute in a small way to the ongoing threat of the COVID-19 pandemic. This trust I built in my community continued throughout the pandemic. Now 56% of my clients are key workers. My success in navigating the pandemic was acknowledged at the Petpals internal awards, where I won the Business Recovery Award for 2021.”

Has becoming a franchisee changed your life, if so how?

“After leaving my corporate career, I knew I wanted a career and lifestyle change that encompassed my love of being outdoors, keeping fit and my passion for animals. It’s a physical job, but very rewarding. I now have a fleet of vans outside of my house, and it is amazing to have built something so significant. In 2021, we went on 3,576 dog walks and visited cats 626 times in the Sefton area. I know this is just the start for Petpals Sefton, and I am very excited to see what the future has in store for us.”

If you have staff, how do you retain your best staff and keep morale high and productive; how do you incentivise your staff and recognise success?

“I believe a big part of being a great leader is going that extra mile for your staff. I am now up to 12 staff members, and they know that I wouldn’t ever ask them to do anything that I wouldn’t do myself. This has made us a very close team as there’s a level of trust in my staff that means we are all moving in the same direction. Delivering the best quality of pet care is a value that ensures we continue to be a success. I make sure that I am involved in the training of all my staff, so they continue to deliver the level of service that is expected of my business.

“It’s also important to me that my new staff have an opportunity from day one to flourish with Petpals Sefton. For the first few weeks of their time with us, new recruits will shadow one of our experienced staff members to ensure they see the best practice for the job role. There are a lot of different services on offer at Petpals, from pet taxis to expert dog walking, so this shadowing allows our staff to get hands-on experience, but also in a way where their confidence will not be impacted. I am also passionate about my staff completing both dog and cat first aid courses, so we can provide the best level of service to the pets in our care. We also collaborate with an external trainer to support staff members in the handling of difficult dogs. Finally, for me it’s important that no staff member meets a dog for the first time alone. Although our training teaches you a lot, I am aware that every animal is different. Therefore, it’s important to me that our staff training is implemented in a safe and fulfilling way, where no one feels like they are ever out of their depth or comfort zone.”

Can you tell us about any community involvement, including any local partnerships, incentives or charity work you are involved in? 

“I am a firm believer in using my business as a force for good. During 2021, we published and petitioned for various local and national causes that impacted the welfare of animals. In March, we supported a campaign to stop the closure of a local dog-walking park in Bootle by sharing the petition with our customers on our social media platforms. Being from the area, I am aware of the need for green spaces for the growing pet population, and I am passionate about maintaining these spaces for the next generation of animal lovers. Continuing with this trend, we also campaigned against Highway England’s proposal to build a road through the popular local green space of Rimrose Valley. I believe that by uniting the community of pet lovers we are connected to through our business, we can make a difference both nationally and locally.

“Our community work didn’t stop at just campaigning. We also raised funds for notable causes. At the start of the year, we raised funds for Hearing Dogs for Deaf People through 28 separate dog tricks videos, encouraging our customers to donate to the charity. By the end of the campaign, we reached our goal of raising enough money so we could sponsor Hearing Dogs for Deaf People to train a new puppy. At Christmas, we got involved in the local tradition of accompanying Santa on his sleigh as we went door-to-door raising funds for the local Rotary club. I think as a franchisee you have a commitment to your local community, and you should give back to the people that give so much to you. I believe collaboration is a big part of achieving this goal, therefore I cross-promoted with a variety of local and ethical pet services to make sure the people of Sefton and the surrounding area received the highest level of pet care available.”

What is the most invaluable piece of advice you could give someone looking to buy their first franchise? 

“I would say you need to lean into the franchisee support. If you put in enough effort the model works extremely well. However, with a young family you need all the help you can get. The support of my family has also made a massive difference to me, and without their backing it would have been more of a challenge. It takes a lot of determination to start a franchise business. It would be even more demanding if you didn’t have the right people around you in your personal and business life. However, you get back what you put in - if you work hard enough you will achieve great things.”

In your opinion, what makes a successful franchisee?  

“A franchisee should always be integrated within their network and make efforts to offer their support as well as receive it. I am always open to mentoring newer franchisees as you can learn from their approaches as much as they learn from you. I know how valuable it was for me when I first started, so to give back in any way is brilliant. If I come across a new way of increasing productivity or even a book that I think will be useful to the network, I am always willing to share it with other franchisees as I know we are all stronger together. Recently, I shared “The E-Myth Revisited” by Michael Gerber with the network – the book highlights why most small businesses don't work and shares strategies on what to do to change it. I believe contributing in this way is part of building a successful franchise, and I will continue to do this with my time at Petpals.”

What are your plans for the future?

“I want to develop my team to enable me to have a better insight into the long-term strategy of the business. By adding more members to the senior leadership team, I will be able to have more flexibility to drive the business forward - so I am not the entire business. We’ve built a very loyal customer base that relies on the services that we have developed at Petpals Sefton. I want Petpals Sefton to last past my working life, therefore our services can continue to make a difference locally for generations.”

Interested and want to know more about Petpals ?

The Petpals profile outlines all aspects of their franchise opportunity and allows you to contact them for further information or to ask a question.

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