| Mobile Pet Grooming More than Just a Wash | |
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Aussie Pet Mobile Only Franchise of Its Kind In U.S. Copyright © Fishman Public Relations 2003, all rights reserved http://www.aussiepetmobile.com/ |
Dana Point, Calif. - Ian Moses and Vivienne McIntosh used to have to hide their Jack Russell Terrier and Golden Retriever from guests who would come stay at their Hunter Valley, New South Wales, Australia bed and breakfast. Because of the couple's busy lifestyle, they never found time to bathe the canines- who had free reign over their farm, which was also a thoroughbred horse breeding enterprise.
In 1996, Moses found a local woman who had an old rusty van with an antiquated bath tub thrown in the back that she had converted into a makeshift pet mobile grooming service. She was willing to come out to his farm and bathe the two dogs for a small fee.
Today, he has taken this woman's simple concept of a bathtub on wheels and turned it into Aussie Pet Mobile Inc, the world's first mobile pet grooming service franchise that is projected to have more than 500 operating units in the United States by the end of 2003.
"Mobile pet grooming services have always been considered a Mom-and-Pop industry," Moses said. "As the first company in the United States to franchise the concept, we have developed a stronghold on a recession-proof industry where the demand continues to outweigh the supply."
Aussie Pet Mobile Inc., was founded by Moses and McIntosh in Australia in 1996 as a way to help busy families like themselves keep their pets bathed and groomed without the hassle of scheduling trips to the groomers. Just three years later, after learning of an even greater demand for such services in the United States, the couple sold the rights to the concept in Australia and moved to the United States to begin meeting the demands of pet owners nationwide.
Today, the Aussie Pet Mobile trailer, which arrives at pet-owners' homes complete with a heated hydrobath, blow dryer and even treats for after the bath, has become a nationally recognized name in the pet grooming industry with more than 198 units sold in the United States.
"According to the Humane Society of the United States, there are currently about 62.5 million dogs living in the United States, which adds up to one dog for every four and a half people," Moses said, noting that annual pet spending was more than $30 billion nationwide in 2000. "This overwhelming popularity of companion animal ownership has created a major and rapidly expanding industry for our services in the United States."
It is these statistics, in combination with the busy lifestyle of the typical American family that makes Aussie Pet Mobile, Inc. a unique franchise opportunity for entrepreneurial corporate executives looking to change their lifestyles, by investing in their future.
Unlike most franchising options, the Aussie Pet Mobile concept has no retail real estate or build-out costs, allowing area developers to start doing business the day they receive their trailers, which are custom-built for the climate that they are working in. Area developers are sold a minimum of three Aussie Pet Mobile trailers and assigned exclusive territories to work in, which usually have between 25,000 to 30,000 dogs in them.
The pet-pampering process performed by Aussie Pet Mobile groomers usually takes between one to one and a half hours and is done in trailers in the driveway of pet owner's homes to keep the pet's close to their home environment where they feel safe and secure. The trailers, which are custom designed trailers or "pet spas," are climate controlled and have windows on all sides so that pets can keep a constant eye on their surroundings. During the 15-step spa treatment, pets are given a shampoo, a massage, a blow dry, a brushing, a nail clipping and get their ears and eyes cleaned.
"Our exclusive treatment has made a mark on the mobile pet grooming industry from California to Conneticut," Moses said. "Because of the booming pet care market we are opening approximately 15 new units a month throughout the United States and plan to begin a European expansion in the next two years."
Aussie Pet Mobile Inc., the fastest growing mobile pet grooming franchise in the United States, serves approximately 200 cities in 16 states nationwide with their exclusive 15-step pet spa treatment. The company was ranked the #1 miscellaneous pet franchise in the January 2003 issue of Entrepreneur Magazine, and was listed as # 107 in Entrepreneur's top 500 franchises nationwide.
http://www.aussiepetmobile.com/