Jane Hotz, in a complete career change, decided to leave behind a 36-year career in the fashion industry working for international brands to become a franchisee with The Cat Butler. Here she shares her path to becoming its franchisee in Radlett, Hertfordshire.
Jane Hotz
“I was coming towards the end of a two-year contract and was asking myself if, at 57 and years of moving all over the world for my job, if I really wanted to dive back into the world of fashion or did I want to do something completely different? One of my last jobs was working in a £500m turnover a year company with 70 staff reporting directly to me, which can be quite full on, so I felt I needed a change.
A chance mention on BBC Radio 2’s Zoe Ball breakfast show from someone who had just done their two cat visits for the day gave me a lightbulb moment and I thought I could do that. When I ‘googled’ cat care in Radlett, The Cat Butler came up and I saw it had franchise opportunities.
As a businesswoman, I did huge amounts of research into the franchise, even before contacting the franchisor Sandra James. I am a stickler for good grammar and, of course, presentation. I went through the website with a fine-toothed comb.
If you are going to invest in a business, much like a garment, it is important it is well made on the inside and looks great from the outside too. Due diligence didn’t stop there, doing a business plan as well as retaining franchise specialist solicitors to review the franchise agreement.”
‘Brand bible’
“All the research I did into The Cat Butler told me it was a good franchise to invest in and so far nothing I’ve seen has changed my mind. The moment I saw Sandra had a brand bible I knew she took this very seriously. Obviously, in fashion the brand is everything and I was happy to be working with someone who had invested so much time and money into it and took it so seriously.
Sandra has been incredibly supportive from day one and made it a very slick and easy process to join the Cat Butler. I have just completed my training and feel very confident to launch my new business. Sandra has built a terrific brand and everything I have seen of it has really impressed me, from the operations manual to the CRM software and all the marketing materials. The website is fantastic too and takes a weight off my shoulders knowing it has all been done for me. I really am super impressed.
My cats (nine-year old George and Sophia) are my complete world, and I totally understand how stressful it can be for cats and their owners when they want to go away for a weekend or on holiday. I’ve tried everything and know that my cats are happiest when being looked after in their own home, so I’m really looking forward to providing that premium, in-home visiting service I would want for my two.
I’m going to spend a few months getting comfortable running my business, then think about taking on staff in some outlying areas. After all, you can’t know how to run a good business unless you’ve spent plenty of time on the shop floor.”
About the franchise
The Cat Butler in-home cat sitting service allows cats to stay happily in their familiar home setting whilst their owners are away, offering an alternative to boarding at a cattery. Franchisees can visit once or twice a day to feed, groom and provide general cat care, in addition to its complimentary home services such as watering plants and taking in deliveries.
franchise@thecatbutler.co.uk
www.thecatbutler.co.uk/franchise-opportunity
Posted: 14th March, 2023