Start a Pet Passages Franchise in 2024

Franchise 500 Rank: N/R Not ranked last year

Initial investment: $71K - $449K

Units as of 2024: 17 54.5% over 3 years

Pets may teach us the meaning of unconditional love, friendship, and responsibility. Without them, some believe that their lives lack purpose and hope. Pet Passages is a company that was inspired to fill a gap in the care of beloved pets with dignity and professionalism.

Founded in 2009 by Mike Harris, Pet Passages strives to offer quality care to families and veterinarians looking for compassionate end-of-life pet care. With customers seeking honorable ways of saying goodbye to their pets, Pet Passages wants to provide unparalleled care and satisfaction.

Pet Passages may be a beacon of hope for pet owners. Their contributions to the pet funeral and cremation services industry may offer a noble pursuit for franchisees.

Why You May Want To Start a Pet Passages Franchise

If you share a deep love for animals and believe that they need the highest levels of care, even at the end of life, then a Pet Passages franchise could be an exciting opportunity for you. Pet Passages has positioned itself as a provider of pet funeral and cremation services. Other services include ‘Secure Passages,’ a pet tracking tool, and ‘Pet Tales,’ a digitized obituary system to memorialize pets.

While Pet Passages franchisees don’t typically need a background in funeral direction, some experience might be highly beneficial. Opening a Pet Passages franchise may offer a more predictable outcome than investing in a completely new brand that could struggle to thrive in an already crowded and competitive industry.

What Might Make a Pet Passages Franchise a Good Choice?

Pet Passages operates in a market that it believes lacks adequate federal and state regulations, meaning that some service providers may work with gross negligence. The brand differentiates itself from the pack by leveraging expertise in service level and assuring quality end-of-life pet care.

Pet Passages’ commitment to honoring and preserving the stories of beloved family pets may make it a compassionate and socially responsible brand. Franchisees will be expected to meet customer expectations by creating unique and meaningful ways to pay tribute to pets. This is a great responsibility that can be fulfilling for the franchisee as they work in their community.

To be part of the Pet Passages team, you should make sure you’re financially ready for an initial investment made up of a franchise fee and other startup costs. In addition, you should prepare yourself for ongoing fees that will include advertising, royalty, and potential renewal fees. Franchisees will also need to meet the company’s set net worth and liquid capital requirements.

How To Open a Pet Passages Franchise

Pet Passages strives to be a leading authority in the pet funeral and cremation industry. To build the brand image, it provides franchisees with comprehensive support. All franchisees receive training and expert assistance to ensure that every franchise location upholds quality care.

Before making any financial commitment or signing an agreement, you must perform your due diligence and establish if this is the right opportunity for you. As part of your due diligence, you may want to speak to existing franchisees and ask the Pet Passages franchising team questions.

Company Overview

About Pet Passages

Industry	Pets
Related Categories	Miscellaneous Pet Businesses, Miscellaneous Services
Founded	2009
Leadership	Mike Harris, Founder & President
Corporate Address	348 State Rte. 104 Ontario, NY 14519
Social	Facebook, Instagram

Business Overview

Franchising Since	2016 (8 years)
# of employees at HQ	6
Where seeking	This company is offering new franchises throughout the US. This company is offering new franchises in the following international regions: Canada
# of Units	17 (as of 2024)

Information for Franchisees

Here's what you need to know if you're interested in opening a Pet Passages franchise.

Financial Requirements & Ongoing Fees

Here's what you can expect to spend to start the business and what ongoing fees the franchisor charges throughout the life of the business.

Initial Franchise Fee Definition: The initial fee paid to a franchisor to join their system What you need to know: Found in Item 5 of the FDD, this may be a flat fee, or may vary based on territory size, experience, or other factors.The franchise fee is an up-front (one-time) cost that a new franchisee pays to the franchisor. This fee is usually due at the signing of the franchise agreement and covers the right to use the franchisor's trademarks, name, and related business systems.	$55,000 - $75,000
Initial Investment Definition: The total amount necessary to begin operation of the franchise What you need to know: The initial investment includes the franchise fee, along with other startup expenses such as real estate, equipment, supplies, business licenses, and working capital. This is outlined in a chart in Item 7 of the FDD, showing a range of possible costs from low to high.	$71,150 - $448,900
Net Worth Requirement Definition: The minimum net worth you must have in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company What you need to know: Net worth is the value of a person's assets minus liabilities. Assets include cash, stocks, retirement accounts, and real estate. Liabilities include items like mortgages, car payments, and credit card debt.	$300,000
Cash Requirement Definition: The minimum liquid capital you must have available in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company.	$50,000
Veteran Incentives Definition: A discount or other incentive offered to military veterans who buy a franchise with this company.	10% off franchise fee
Royalty Fee Definition: A ongoing fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis. What you need to know: Most franchisors require franchisees to pay an ongoing royalty fee, which is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD. This fee is typically a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales, but may also be a flat weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	6%
Ad Royalty Fee Definition: An going fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis to support advertising or marketing efforts. What you need to know: This may also be called advertising fee, marketing fee, brand fund fee, and more, but the basic purpose is the same-- to support promotion of the brand systemwide. As with the royalty fee, it is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD, and can be a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales or a weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	1%
Term of Agreement Definition: The length of time your franchise agreement will last. What you need to know: Franchise terms are typically anywhere from 5 to 20 years in length, but are sometimes instead dependent on factors such as the term of your lease. Once your term is up, you may have the option to renew your agreement, typically for a smaller fee than the original franchise fee.	10 years
Is franchise term renewable?	Yes

Financing Options

Some franchisors offer in-house financing, while others have relationships with third-party financing sources to which they refer qualified franchisees.

Third Party Financing	Pet Passages has relationships with third-party sources which offer financing to cover the following: franchise fee, startup costs, equipment, inventory, accounts receivable, payroll

Training & Support Offered

Franchisors offer initial training programs and a variety of ongoing support options to help franchisees run their businesses.

On-The-Job Training	81 hours
Classroom Training	26 hours
Ongoing Support	Newsletter Meetings & Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security & Safety Procedures Lease Negotiation Field Operations Site Selection Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform
Marketing Support	Co-op Advertising Ad Templates National Media Regional Advertising Social Media SEO Website Development Email Marketing Loyalty Program/App

Operations

Additional details about running this franchise.

Is absentee ownership allowed?	No
Can this franchise be run from home/mobile unit? Definition: The business can be run from your home and/or a vehicle, and it is not necessary to have a retail facility, office space, or warehouse.	No
Can this franchise be run part time? Definition: This business can be run by the owner on a part-time basis (less than 40 hours per week) and/or as a side business; it is not necessary for the business to be open/run full-time.	Yes
# of employees required to run	1-5
Are exclusive territories available? Definition: An exclusive territory is a fixed area in which you are given the right to operate and in which no other units of the same franchise may be opened. What you need to know: Territory size may be based on factors such as radius, population size, zip codes, and more. Details can be found in Item 12 of the FDD.	Yes