Franchising is full of astonishing brands. Expertly operating in a variety of sectors and industries, they empower franchisees to build profitable enterprises by delivering an incredible service or product to their core customer base. A proven and robust business model, ongoing support and an engaged and valued network are some of the key areas where a franchise can elevate itself to become an industry leader. However, perhaps the most important part of being a standout franchisor is a commitment to a clear and ethical values structure. This should remain at the centre of your business, no matter the size of your franchise. Here, Kevin Thackrah, Director of Petpals, describes how he has harnessed his 20+ years’ experience with his award-winning pet-care franchise to ensure that the ethics of his brand stay at the forefront of his network’s business offering.
Make your values shine through
What are your values? If you haven’t established this, it may be time for a cultural reset. If you are stuck, look at a brand from another sector you admire. Consider how you can learn from their values and ethics to make your business stronger. We have two cultural strands at Petpals: the ethics of being a franchisee in the network and the ethics of being a pet-care provider. We make sure that these ideas not only co-exist but also support each other. It’s also crucial that you don’t overcomplicate your concept. It’s easier to follow a brand that has a clear set-out vision of the ethics of their business, rather than an overly complex statement.
Recruit those who are barking up the right tree
In recruitment, honesty is key. It is a pre-requisite for anyone involved with Petpals to be genuinely passionate about providing the best pet-care possible. This can be done by running a more “hands on” owner-operator model, or a more strategy-based management model. Whichever way you decide to run your territory, a passion for the best possible care and service is key. We believe strongly that Petpals is not just a business but also a responsibility – honesty and integrity are vital ingredients of everything we say and do. So, in the interview process, I am very clear about the realities of the role and what is needed to be successful. We do not believe in luck but believe that the successful outcome of everything we do is directly related to the quality and amount of effort we put in. Setting this standard and key culture points to those joining our business means that our franchisees build a team of like-minded pet carers who reflect and embody our core values. Leadership is not just about creating loyal followers, it is about empowering people to be leaders themselves – and recruitment plays a big part in this process.
Maintain your ethics
It is imperative that our franchisees put the welfare of pets at the centre of any business decisions they make. To make sure this happens, we must keep our ethics integral to our offering. At our annual conference and franchisee meetings, we always refer to our ethics and mission statement to keep our 50+ franchisees on the same page. We are also continuing to raise the ceiling for ethical pet-care by collaborating with other ethical franchise brands to launch the Pet Care Franchise Association (PCFA). Together we represent in the region of 227 franchisees, 4,200 members of staff and 91,000 customers across the UK. Continued growth is the only way we will achieve our vision of being the UK’s leading provider of ethical pet-care services. We can only do this by ensuring that all pets have access to care at the highest welfare standards. This can only be achieved if honesty, integrity and a shared mission are at the heart of our offering.
We will continue to use our ethics as a starting point in everything we do as a brand. They act as the perfect building block for all elements of innovation within your franchise. In business, sometimes ethics can be lost when the focus is placed too heavily on the bottom line. In my mind this is wrong, as a brand with a strong ethical culture will always find ways to thrive.
