2021 is already off to an exciting start for the Hounds Town USA doggie daycare business pack! Just two weeks into the new year, we’re celebrating what will be the first of many grand openings in 2021, and where better to kick things off with a bang than Las Vegas? That’s right- Sin City is now a Hounds Town, thanks to Franchise Owners Jamie and Jessica Enders.
Situated in the Vegas suburb of Henderson, NV, our newest Hounds Town doggie daycare business officially opened its doors to a whole new community of wagging tails and wet noses, much to the delight of Vegas-area pet parents in need of a caring and affordable doggie daycare business in their neighborhood.
The demand for quality pet care in Henderson is so great, in fact, that after just five days in business, Jamie and Jessica’s Hounds Town location had already performed over 150 temperament evaluations, with over 20 canine campers reporting to their doggie daycare business per day, 6 overnight boarders booked for a stay, and even a few spa appointments in the bag!
Jamie and Jessica Enders talk with Mike and Jackie about their experiences opening their Henderson doggie daycare business on our weekly Dish on Dogs podcast!
We got to know Franchise Owners Jamie and Jessica in late 2019, when they sat down for an interview with us shortly after signing their franchise agreement. At the time, Jamie, a former employee with grocery store giant Publix, shared how he and Jessica decided to make their move to the Las Vegas area after she received a job offer for a position as a registered dietitian.
Wishing to make a change from his current career with the grocery store chain and still being years away from retirement, Enders first tried his hand at casino dealing, working in the famed Excalibur Casino on the Las Vegas Strip and working his way up to management, but wasn’t finding fulfillment with his work. “It just wasn’t as fun,” he admits in his Dish on Dogs interview with Hounds Town USA Founder Mike Gould, adding, “I went there to play games, and it stopped being fun.”
It was on a trip to Belize when Jamie and Jessica chanced to see an in-flight magazine article about franchising, and the idea of owning a business appealed to them both. Through more research, Jamie discovered that he could roll his retirement savings into opening a franchise, but still weren’t sure what type of business they wanted to own.
“We looked through a bunch of franchises,” recalls Jamie. “After going through numerous sites, looking at different things, I realized I didn’t want to get into retail again- I’ve been dealing with that all my life! I didn’t want to deal with fast food or anything like that. Then I saw the pet industry and I was like, ‘I like playing with dogs!’ That’s really how it kind of started out.”
After researching several different doggie daycare business opportunities and a few additional franchises in the pet care industry, Jamie decided that Hounds Town USA was the ideal choice for them. “Jamie brought this up as an idea, and I thought that was kind of cool,” says Jessica, who helps Jamie with Hounds Town part-time and is still working full-time as a dietitian. “We both love animals, so when he brought up doggie daycare, I was like, ‘Sure! OK, let’s make it work.”
Just one full week past the opening of their doggie daycare business, Jamie and Jessica have seen a steady stream of canine customers, welcoming more than 20 furry guests per day, and maintaining an incredible 98% show rate among scheduled appointments!
Despite having no prior experience with operating a doggie daycare business or any other aspect of the pet care industry, the Enders are poised for tremendous growth and success in 2021 and beyond thanks to the corporate support and training they have received from Founders Mike, Jackie, and the rest of the Hounds Town crew!
Mike, who describes a franchise as “ a Mom and Pop business with the support of a corporate team,” makes it part of the Hounds Town USA culture to make Franchise Owners feel like part of a caring, supportive family from Day One.
Through his four decades of extensive experience working with dogs, including his 20 years in business as the “Mayor of Hounds Town USA,” Mike is uniquely qualified to share his expertise, both with canine handling and with the doggie daycare business at large, with his Franchise Owners.
Since Jamie and Jessica’s appearance on Dish on Dogs coincided with their immersive one-week corporate training session at Hounds Town USA’s corporate headquarters in Ronkonkoma, New York- the second of two comprehensive training sessions that each Franchise Owner receives prior to and soon after opening their doggie daycare business.
As Jamie puts it at one point in his Dish on Dogs podcast interview, “You’re like a black belt in dog training. We’re all white belts. And you’re teaching us!”
With family-style support comes family-style competition- Jamie and Jessica spent some time during their interview laughing with Mike about their drive to keep up with their fellow Franchise Owners at the Hillsdale, New Jersey location, whom they jokingly refer to as their “nemesis,” in terms of weekly numbers.
By keeping in close contact with Franchise Owners at other Hounds Town locations through Facebook groups, Jamie and Jessica have found inspiration, support, and fun that an independently-owned doggie daycare business wouldn’t get to experience.
We’re so excited to have a Las Vegas-area Hounds Town open for business, and we wish Jamie and Jessica all the best as they bring their doggie daycare business to life in Henderson!
Hounds Town USA is making pawprints across the country, and we’re selling out fast! If you’re ready to trade the corporate grind for wagging tails and belly rubs, our doggie daycare business opportunity is not one to be missed! Visit our franchise website for more details on how to bring Hounds Town to YOUR town!