Start a Woofie's Franchise in 2024

Franchise 500 Rank: N/R Not ranked last year

Initial investment: $160K - $274K

Units as of 2024: 47 1,075.0% over 3 years

Woofie’s began in 2004 in Ashburn, Virginia. Woofie’s was founded by Amy Reed and Leslie Barron, who were constantly asked to pet sit for their acquaintances. The duo realized that this type of business didn’t exist in their community and launched Woofie’s to fill the need. Woofie’s primary mission is to offer a personalized and exceptional experience to their clients and pets.

Starting with the pet sit service, Woofie’s expanded to a boutique mobile grooming in 2011, and, in 2015, they moved to a corporate office where they offer training, including CPR and first aid, to pet owners. Nowadays, Woofie’s services are composed of pet sitting, dog walking, and mobile pet spa. Also, Woofie’s pet specialists take care of all kinds of pets, from cats and dogs to iguanas and fish. The Woofie’s brand focuses on the pets’ needs and the clients’ convenience.

Why You May Want To Start a Woofie’s Franchise

To own a Woofie’s franchise, you should love all types of pets, be trustworthy, and respect your clients’ wishes when related to their pets. You may want to open a Woofie’s franchise because they strive to embrace the latest technologies, bring professional expertise and passion for pets, and care for the pets as if they were their own.

What Might Make a Woofie’s Franchise a Good Choice?

Opening a Woofie’s franchise may offer a more predictable outcome than investing in a completely new brand that could struggle to thrive in an already crowded and competitive industry. Also, pets are present in nearly 70% of U.S. homes, meaning that the pet industry is expansive and potentially a good one with which to become involved.

If awarded a Woofie’s franchise, franchisees receive a great deal of support from the Woofie’s brand throughout the franchising process. In addition to a two-week training program where the corporate staff ensures the franchisee understands and utilizes the Woofie’s business model with their standards of excellence, franchisees receive support through marketing assistance and pet CPR and first aid training.

How To Open a Woofie’s Franchise

As you decide if opening a Woofie’s franchise is the right move for you, make sure you take time to explore the opportunity. Research the brand and your local area to see if a Woofie’s franchise would do well in your community. As part of your due diligence, you may want to speak to existing franchisees and ask the Woofie’s franchising team questions.

As a Woofie’s franchisee, you will receive ongoing use of Woofie’s brand, systems, and processes; as well as access to their extensive operations manual; ongoing training and marketing support; and direct communication with the Woofie’s management team.

To be part of the Woofie’s team, you should make sure you’re financially ready for an initial investment made up of a franchise fee and other startup costs. In addition, you should prepare yourself for ongoing fees that will include advertising, royalty, and potential renewal fees. Franchisees will also need to meet the company’s set net worth and liquid capital requirements.

Company Overview

About Woofie's

Industry	Pets
Related Categories	Pet Care
Founded	2004
Parent Company	Authority Brands
Leadership	Amy Addington, President & Cofounder
Corporate Address	7120 Samuel Morse Dr., #300 Columbia, MD 21046
Social	Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube

Business Overview

Franchising Since	2018 (6 years)
# of employees at HQ	5
Where seeking	This company is offering new franchises in the following US states: Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming
# of Units	47 (as of 2024)

Information for Franchisees

Here's what you need to know if you're interested in opening a Woofie's franchise.

Financial Requirements & Ongoing Fees

Here's what you can expect to spend to start the business and what ongoing fees the franchisor charges throughout the life of the business.

Initial Franchise Fee Definition: The initial fee paid to a franchisor to join their system What you need to know: Found in Item 5 of the FDD, this may be a flat fee, or may vary based on territory size, experience, or other factors.The franchise fee is an up-front (one-time) cost that a new franchisee pays to the franchisor. This fee is usually due at the signing of the franchise agreement and covers the right to use the franchisor's trademarks, name, and related business systems.	$57,500
Initial Investment Definition: The total amount necessary to begin operation of the franchise What you need to know: The initial investment includes the franchise fee, along with other startup expenses such as real estate, equipment, supplies, business licenses, and working capital. This is outlined in a chart in Item 7 of the FDD, showing a range of possible costs from low to high.	$160,123 - $274,351
Net Worth Requirement Definition: The minimum net worth you must have in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company What you need to know: Net worth is the value of a person's assets minus liabilities. Assets include cash, stocks, retirement accounts, and real estate. Liabilities include items like mortgages, car payments, and credit card debt.	$400,000
Cash Requirement Definition: The minimum liquid capital you must have available in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company.	$80,000
Veteran Incentives Definition: A discount or other incentive offered to military veterans who buy a franchise with this company.	30% off first-unit franchise fee
Royalty Fee Definition: A ongoing fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis. What you need to know: Most franchisors require franchisees to pay an ongoing royalty fee, which is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD. This fee is typically a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales, but may also be a flat weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	6.5%
Ad Royalty Fee Definition: An going fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis to support advertising or marketing efforts. What you need to know: This may also be called advertising fee, marketing fee, brand fund fee, and more, but the basic purpose is the same-- to support promotion of the brand systemwide. As with the royalty fee, it is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD, and can be a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales or a weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	2%
Term of Agreement Definition: The length of time your franchise agreement will last. What you need to know: Franchise terms are typically anywhere from 5 to 20 years in length, but are sometimes instead dependent on factors such as the term of your lease. Once your term is up, you may have the option to renew your agreement, typically for a smaller fee than the original franchise fee.	10 years
Is franchise term renewable?	Yes

Financing Options

Some franchisors offer in-house financing, while others have relationships with third-party financing sources to which they refer qualified franchisees.

In-House Financing	Woofie's offers in-house financing to cover the following: franchise fee, startup costs, inventory, accounts receivable, payroll
Third Party Financing	Woofie's has relationships with third-party sources which offer financing to cover the following: equipment

Training & Support Offered

Franchisors offer initial training programs and a variety of ongoing support options to help franchisees run their businesses.

On-The-Job Training	76 hours
Classroom Training	10 hours
Ongoing Support	Newsletter Meetings & Conventions Grand Opening Online Support Security & Safety Procedures Field Operations Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform
Marketing Support	Co-op Advertising Ad Templates National Media Regional Advertising Social Media SEO Website Development Email Marketing Loyalty Program/App

Operations

Additional details about running this franchise.

Is absentee ownership allowed?	No
Can this franchise be run from home/mobile unit? Definition: The business can be run from your home and/or a vehicle, and it is not necessary to have a retail facility, office space, or warehouse.	Yes
Can this franchise be run part time? Definition: This business can be run by the owner on a part-time basis (less than 40 hours per week) and/or as a side business; it is not necessary for the business to be open/run full-time.	No
# of employees required to run	3-5
Are exclusive territories available? Definition: An exclusive territory is a fixed area in which you are given the right to operate and in which no other units of the same franchise may be opened. What you need to know: Territory size may be based on factors such as radius, population size, zip codes, and more. Details can be found in Item 12 of the FDD.	No