Latest News from The Cat Butler Franchise

The Cat Butler Franchise Package

When you become a Cat Butler franchisee, you’ll receive absolutely everything you need to hit the ground running.

As a franchisee, you will benefit from the following

 Access to our systems and brand materials.  Access to all our recruitment materials and staff contracts  Your own mini-site on The Cat Butler website  SEO activity  Digital Marketing  High online visibility and social media presence  Hundreds of online 5-star customer reviews  Access to the online member franchisee portal  Ongoing HQ support and advice

Your Initial Cat Butler Startup Package Includes:

 Exclusive use of The Cat Butler® brand in your franchise area  Comprehensive induction programme  Step-by-step operations manuall  Accredited Pet First Aid training  Your own mini-site on The Cat Butler  The Cat Butler email address  Professional PR launch in your area  Initial supply of promotional leaflets, stationery & business cards  Three-month business launch marketing programme  10,000 leaflet delivery in your local area  A pack of branded clothing  Branded livery for your vehicle  12 months subscription to operational software

Why this may be the WORST time to set up your own business … but the BEST time to buy a franchise

By Sandra James, Founder of The Cat Butler

Recently we read an article on Start Up Donut which stated that, according to online accounting software provider FreeAgent, even though 55% of people dream of setting up their own business in the future, ‘70% of British people were reluctant to start their own business in the current economic climate. ’ (Aug 2022).

The Results: (FreeAgent 2022):

• The financial burden of setting up (50%) • Confidence (35%) • Managing business finances (31%) • Dealing with tax (31%) • Complying with regulations (26%) • Lack of government support for freelancers/small businesses (26%) • Finding available staff (18%) • Dealing with technology (10%)

As a business trying to sell franchises, we won’t deny, our hearts sank a little when we read the headline until we read further into the article and realised it was actually, inadvertently, advocating franchising. Almost every single thing they listed as a negative was something bypassed or made much easier by owning a franchise.

As you can see, the survey listed the exact reasons people were afraid to start up their own business, and without the backing of a franchise, we’d tend to agree there are some pretty compelling reasons not to, but as you will see in our responses, we’ve been able to dismiss, debunk and destroy almost all of those fears and demonstrate that selfemployment is still within people’s grasp but in a much safer way, using the franchising system.

Our response:

1) The financial burden of setting up (50%)

When you buy a franchise, all the big expenses have already been taken care of: we have built the brand, the logos, the systems, the website, marketing materials,the legal documents (contracts, agreements, insurance etc), PR and advertising etc. We’ve established our position on Google, optimised the website for SEO, built the social media platforms, got the followers and we know our marketplace inside out. We’ve made all the costly mistakes, many over the years, precisely so you don’t have to.

Essentially, when you buy a franchise, you are buying a “business in a box” which includes all the above and more including initial training and an operations manual. We also include a three-month marketing campaign to get your business off the ground.

All of this is usually included in your initial franchise fee, and then an ongoing monthly MSF (Management Service Fee), which is based on a percentage of your turnover, to cover the ongoing support services provided to all franchisees. At the Cat Butler, we waive your monthly fee for the first three months while you get started.

2) Confidence (35%)

Starting a business on your own can indeed be daunting, but not with a franchisor next to you. From the moment you pick up the phone to make that first enquiry, they are in your court. They wouldn’t let you buy one of their franchises if they didn’t think you could succeed. No franchisor wants failures on their hands, it’s bad for business, bad for the brand and bad for their reputation, their success is dependent on yours, so they will be with you every step of the way, helping you to build a successful business that suits your goals. It’s like having your very own business coach right beside you, cheering you on.

3) Managing business finances (31%)

When you first buy a franchise, you have a period of training with us. During this time, we teach you how to manage your business finances – we may even have an accounting package for you to use and we are always on hand to answer questions. Remember, we’ve been running this business for years and helping other franchisees through the system; even franchisees who had never done any finances before, are now happily looking after their own accounts with our help and guidance.

4) Dealing with tax (31%)

As above, we will guide you through this process, introducing you to an accountant if you don’t already have one.

5) Complying with regulations (26%)

We’ll have all the regulations and processes nailed. If you need a license, a registration, or a permit, we’ll get them for you and let you know the rules and regulations you must adhere to. We send you away from your initial training with a large manual, explaining every single detail about how to run your franchise, so you can either look up the answer or give us a call.

6) Lack of government support for freelancers/small businesses (26%)

This was disappointing, but it was really only a problem during COVID. Global pandemics aside, the UK is well set up for small business owners. There are many tax breaks you can benefit from[ including - including hiring other family members, splitting your income in different ways, buying equipment or restructuring your home and benefitting from tax advantages in doing so. Check with your accountant or financial advisor.

7) Finding available staff (18%)

Not all franchises need staff, or certainly not at the beginning. When you are ready, we can advise you on the best places to advertise for staff (who will be self-employed), how much to pay them and all the legal requirements when it comes to recruitment.

8) Dealing with technology (10%)

Although you will need a basic working knowledge of computers and emails, remember we have done all the hard technology work for you. We have built a website that we maintain, you don’t need to do anything. We’ll build a page for you on the website that your clients will be directed to when looking for your service and we will maintain the company’s social media channels. From day one your business will look highly professional.

Continue reading the full article on the Cat Butler website.

Interested in running your own business backed by a leading, supportive franchisor? Get in touch with The Cat Butler and request a franchise prospectus.