Franchise Euphoria Understanding Your Target Market with Neil Gill of Dogtopia
Founded in 2002, Dogtopia is the nation’s leading franchises dog daycare, boarding, and spa facilities offering an experience focused on trust, safety and transparency. With an emphasis on education, exercise and socialization for dogs, pet parents have the assurance of leaving their beloved furry family members in the hands of highly trained professionals in an environment created with the well-being of dogs in mind. Each facility averages between 3,000–10,000 square feet and is specially designed to provide dogs and pet parents with the best experience while creating an environment that is ideal for your pup. With over 100 locations across North America, the brand continues to expand through franchising with successful entrepreneurs.
Key Takeaways:
[0:18] Today’s episode of Franchise Euphoria is brought to you by IndyFranchiseLaw.com, a leading resource in the franchise space. Head over to IndyFranchiseLaw.com learn more!
[0:59] Josh introduces today’s guest, Neil Gill, the CEO and president of Dogtopia.
[2:34] Josh welcomes Neil to Franchise Euphoria.
[3:03] Neil gives a brief overview of his business background, which is layered with involvement in several franchise systems. The he discusses what led him to create the Dogtopia concept.
[6:46] Neil shares that 74% of millennials are dog owners, and this individual is who Dogtopia targets.
[9:02] When Neil came back to the US after he came out of retirement, he recognized that pet care was a growing sector.
[10:40] While Neil believes that you can teach anyone to sell in the restaurant industry, he has found that in the lead generation business, you have to find individuals who can provide a level of service that is more innate.
[12:23] Neil and Josh discuss the art of closing the deal in business culture. Neil remarks his original sales team was “afraid of the ask.” However, in the lead generation business, this is the key to success.
[15:21] Dogtopia is the only brand in the US that specializes in dog daycare services.
[17:42] Dogtopia focuses on three services for the dogs they care for: socialization, education, and exercise.
[20:38] The Dogtopia philosophy surrounds the idea that they are creating better canine citizens and therefore give back to the community.
[21:37] Neil explains how their dog training programs can actually benefit children who are learning to read with a program called Sit, Stay, Read.
[23:43] Dogtopia currently has 115 locations and another 250 in the pipeline to open.
[26:47] At the level of growth Dogtopia is at, the franchise team can be very selective about the type of franchisees they bring into the system.
[30:08] If you want to learn more about Dogtopia, visit www.Dogtopia.com/franchising.
[31:00] Thanks for listening, and please, reach out to Josh anytime through email at josh@franchiseeuphoria.com. If you enjoyed this interview, please leave us a review on iTunes.
Mentioned in This Episode: