So far with Husse
I’m Tom, Husse Franchise owner for West Wiltshire & Bath and this is a little information about why we joined Husse, how we found things and what’s currently happening.
The journey so far has been great, initial training was a breeze, a lot of information to take in but plenty of resources and information to access after, so retaining all the training material in the two days was not an issue, gradually reading it and referencing back to it after training is all that’s needed.
Due to the time of year we joined (mid-August) it was all a little rushed as the shows in our area finish around September time so we had to get all trained, stocked and everything sorted out so we could attend the first show just 2 weeks after! Tight, but we managed it.
We now focus marketing efforts online, offline and through developing word or mouth and offering special incentives to current customers and have found unique ways in which to get customers, all shared within the franchise network so that it benefits everyone, we’re also trialling a radio advert too.
My wife and I have a young daughter so joined the Husse franchise as a way to spend more time at home with them both, I was previously running a very successful vehicle valeting company which I started from scratch but the working hours were not what we wanted, Husse appealed to us as it encompasses our love of pets, family life and meeting like-minded pet lovers, it really wasn’t a difficult decision for us.
Below is an idea of a standard working day for me, I suppose every ones day is different but this suits us:
10:00 -Take dogs for a walk, maybe chat to a couple of walkers
11:00 - Dinner dates around the area
14:00 - Make any deliveries
16:00 - Make phone calls, emails and follow up previous enquiries
17:00 - Plan for tomorrow
17:30 - Finish for the day
This works for me and my area and allows me to spend time at home with my wife and daughter as family are very important to me, I will need to spend more time working but as I get more customers in set areas I will be able to concentrate on one area per day as currently when I deliver, I may visit 3-4 different towns in my area so wasting a lot of time travelling, when I reach the stage of visiting one town per day then I will get many more deliveries accomplished in the same or less time.
Our franchise area is growing all the time with becoming more recognised and more people mentioning it it’s getting easier. The reason we chose Husse was not only the quality of food (my dogs love it) but when we researched Husse worldwide we realised just how big it is and how long it had been running and for it to be that successful it had to be good. In my area we have around 30,000 potential customers (Cats & Dogs) and my business plan is to reach around 350 active customers, it can (and will) be done and our goal is to do this within 24 months, and we currently have around 50 customers and have been with Husse for just over three months so I am ahead of my personal target.
All in all, we’re pleased to be part of Husse and as it’s so new to the UK we’re constantly developing the way we work as a whole, with Husse you’re not alone, you have the backup of a growing network of people who are all friendly and willing to share information and best practice to ensure the success of the UK franchise as a whole.
All the best
Tom, Sarah & Millie
Mistie & Bella (the Dogs!)