Groom to Grow
Animal grooming is more than a pet project for a former HR executive.
When Kerri Evans transitioned from corporate lifer to
entrepreneur, she literally went to the dogs. Evans, 40,
investigated several small businesses before enlisting the help of
a franchise broker that led her to Aussie Pet Mobile. Upon
discovering the mobile pet-grooming service, the former HR
executive was immediately sold. "When we initially started
talking about Aussie Pet Mobile, I thought it was a very
interesting concept and a viable business," she explains.
Talk about jumping in with both feet: After conducting her due
diligence, Evans refinanced her house to secure roughly $250,000 to
purchase the highest level of ownership, buying six territories and
one trailer. She opened for business a year ago and has been
thriving ever since. Sales for July 2004 exceeded $18,000, and she
has consistently achieved 14 to 20 percent monthly growth since
opening.
Evans has purchased three additional territories and currently
employs a staff of four groomers and one dispatcher. Multiunit
owners like Evans don't groom animals, but instead manage the
business. During the day, you'll probably find her developing
business relationships with organizations like the Humane Society
of Silicon Valley or managing and organizing daily operations.
"My job for the groomers is to clear all the hurdles for them
to go out and be able to do their jobs," she says.
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Staffing, ironically, was the biggest concern coming into the
business for the former recruiter, who has found that her HR
background has come in handy. She has never lost an employee and
believes her hiring and employment policies are largely responsible
for her high staff-retention rates.
Evans plans to grow the business to nine to 12 trailers within
the next several years and is proud of reaching her goal of
becoming a business owner. She's also quick to state that her
success wasn't by chance. "I don't believe in
luck," she says. "I believe in myself."
For more information on Aussie Pet Mobile, visit Entrepreneur.com's
Franchise Zone.