It’s now a year since former solicitor Bev Stait became a Scamps and Champs franchisee. We caught up with Bev to see how she feels a year into her new business and new way of life.
17 years as a solicitor, in a very high pressure role, had taken its toll on Bev’s health. That, coupled with the knowledge she’d missed out on the formative years of her children’s lives having returned to long hours in the office when each was just 6 months old, prompted her to make a change.
“Having left my role, I initially took some time out and decided to do some dog walking for Kayleigh who runs the Tameside branch. She’d looked after my dogs for a few years.” Bev explains.
“As I have some chronic conditions I initially doubted whether I could do this kind of work but found it massively helped to be out in the fresh air, getting exercise rather than sitting in a stuffy office environment all day.”
After a few months of working for Kayleigh at Scamps and Champs Tameside, Bev, who’d always been naturally ambitious, decided that because it was helping improve her health and she was enjoying it so much that owning her own franchise area would be a logical next step.
With the full support and guidance of Scamps and Champs founder, Lesley and her partner John, Bev setup her franchise in December 2016.
“Lesley and John provide a great package, and are very supportive. They provide great training and support in how to start and build the business. My main area of weakness was marketing so their help with this, and their proven formula of a marketing plan was a great help,” Bev explains.
Fast forward 12 months and Scamps and Champs Oldham is the only franchise to beat Lesley’s own first year figures from when she set up the original business in Stockport! Bev has worked hard, through a series of major challenges, including a small stroke in March and ultimately enjoyed her first year in business.
“Because the business is flexible I have seen far more of my kids than I have ever done previously, I love doing what I do, spending time with all the pets, and making friends with their owners.”
The Oldham based franchise has now grown to include 2 regular dog walkers, 4 home boarding families and 2 pet sitters with plans already in place to continue to grow the team and the business in 2018.
“The first year in any business is hard work but it has been easier knowing that I have the support of not just Lesley & John but all the other franchisees, who are all lovely & approachable. The big pool of knowledge has helped a great deal and with each new franchisee the path for the next is made better because of that extra support available. It has been a very busy year but I’m looking forward to the next one!”