Interested in learning more about becoming an Instinct Dog Behavior & Training® franchise partner? Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions.
We look for franchise owners who will be dedicated to daily operations of their pet care franchise, and who are, of course, passionate about dogs. We seek like-minded professionals who can demonstrate an ethical approach to business overall, and who can adequately manage business operations, client interaction, staffing, and more. We provide options for a range of franchisee profiles: from single-unit franchises, to conversions of qualified existing dog training and boarding facilities, to add-ons for veterinarians to create an adjacent business to their current practices. Certifications from IAABC, CCPDT, Karen Pryor Acaademy, The Academy for Dog Trainers, and CATCH are highly desireable.
Headquarters-based training will be provided to you as the franchise owner, lasting for two to three weeks. In addition, we provide training for your director of training and your director of operations, lasting one to two weeks. We will also spend time at your location to provide on-site training for up to one week at the time of your Grand Opening. Of course, after you are open for business, we will be there to provide remote support and ongoing guidance, and answer questions you may have. And, we will present you with a copy of our confidential operations manual to help you run your franchised center properly on a day-to-day basis.
The projected investment for a start-up pet care franchise location is between $132,415 and $887,480; a conversion franchise is estimated to be between $89,040 and $406,730. This investment amount includes an initial franchise fee of between $35,000 and $45,000, with discounts available for add-ons, conversions, and veteran-owned franchises. As with any new business venture, it’s important that you have the capital needed to adequately fund your new business. Note that we now offer a phased approach which allows you to operate with private lessons and virtual services for up to 4 years prior to moving into a full Instinct Facility or smaller Instinct Studio. This
Franchisees will pay the higher of an 8% of gross revenues or a flat fee per payment period. These fees allow us to fund our ongoing support services and the continued development of program resources, marketing tools, training programs, and systems upgrades, as well as the use of our centralized call center to assist with prospective customers.
Franchisees will be required to contribute at least $2,500 per month to our system-wide marketing fund: $2,000 is allocated directly to managed digital marketing activities, including location-specific ad-word purchase and optimization efforts, and the remaining $500/month is used for brand-building efforts including the production of advertising and marketing materials that can be used for local marketing efforts. In addition, during the first three months of operation, franchisees must spend at least $18,000 on brand-awareness marketing; during the remaining months of the first year of operations, the franchisee must spend at least $300/month, on their own local marketing efforts.
We do offer financing for a portion of the franchise fee for qualified individuals on a case-by-case basis. We may be able to provide references to qualified financing or lending resources, on a case-by-case basis.
The initial term of your franchise agreement is seven years, with three subsequent successor options of five years each.
