Mitch Kahn Trades Home Renovation for the Dog Daycare Business in Philadelphia!
Look out, Philadelphia -one of Hounds Town USA’s newest dog daycare business owners is the City of Brotherly Love’s very own Mitch Kahn.
Owning a franchise, especially a dog daycare business like Hounds Town USA, is a new experience for Mitch, who started out in the home renovation business.
“I have worked in both the commercial and home contracting and renovation space for the majority of my professional career,” said Mitch of his professional background, “I have experience as a small business owner in the construction industry but have since moved into my recent role in trade sales at Pella Windows and Doors to give my body a break.”
Deciding it was time to be his own boss and try something new in his career, Mitch decided to get involved with a franchise and began to conduct a thorough search through a variety of different brands. He first heard of Hounds Town USA when he began his search for a franchise outside of the food industry.
“I was looking into the food industry but didn’t love how competitive that would be, plus COVID-19 has really changed the game for restaurants,” said Mitch of his search for the perfect franchise, “I came across Hounds Town USA because I take my dogs to a doggie daycare and they love it. I looked into different doggie daycare brands to franchise with, but Hounds Town was the most appealing. Their low cost of entry and support for newbies really stood out to me. Once I met with the brand’s Founder and CEO Mike Gould and President Jackie Bondanza, I was further sold. Plus, I get to bring my dogs to work every day!”
Mitch also liked the fact that Hounds Town is still in its growing stages as a national dog daycare business and that he had the opportunity to become part of the Hounds Town family earlier rather than later. He wasn’t interested in being just another number– and upon meeting Mike and Jackie, it was clear that the Hounds Town USA brand was created from a personal passion. Mike’s professional background with canines impressed Mitch, as well as Jackie’s knowledge of the dog daycare business.
“Mike and Jackie were extremely open and honest, answering all of my questions and obviously they know their business,” he recalled. “They were very patient and I never felt rushed. Mike took me on a tour of four different locations so I could see the different types of locations and various store designs.”
Mitch may be beginning with a single Philadelphia location, but he has a keen interest in becoming a multi-unit Franchise Owner and sees our low cost of entry and support for new Franchise Owners as particularly attractive motivators for opening more than one dog daycare business.
Fueled by a need to take back control of his financial future, Mitch Kahn’s decision to become a Franchise Owner with Hounds Town wasn’t just a casual decision. After a layoff in 2016 from a financially successful position, Mitch learned that ageism in the business world was a reality. The best option that he could see was to take full control of his income and work for himself, rather than someone else.
“Being in business for myself but not by myself is the only way that I believe I could reach my maximum earning potential,” said Mitch, “I have been successful in my own businesses in the past, so I have an idea of what it takes to run my own business. I have a do whatever it takes attitude and I’m not afraid to work hard to get what I want.”
The idea of having franchise support for marketing and accounting, among other types of ongoing assistance from our corporate team, was one of the many reasons Mitch decided to get involved with our franchise. The low cost of entry relative to other dog daycare business competitors was also a big deal for Mitch, as well as our flexibility and willingness to listen to our Franchise Owners’ suggestions and input. Many franchises are very rigid in their rules, especially when it comes to design. With Hounds Town USA, Franchise Owners are able to bring their own design elements into the mix and incorporate a bit of unique local flair into their locations.
Upon working with the Hounds Town USA corporate team, Mitch noted the excellent responsiveness that the team boasted, saying, “They have been super responsive to my needs with regard to site selection and I really like that they work to keep the Franchise Owners on point and moving forward in a sequence to keep the process moving in the right direction to help get to opening day.”
Mitch grew up with dogs and says that they were instrumental in bringing him into the franchise. He also noted that he wants to help the local community by launching his branch of Hounds Town USA and also wants to build a legacy business that he can give to his children in they decide to take it.
Mitch spends his free time with his girlfriend Cheryl and his children Katie and Ben. He’s a natural dog-lover and owns two playful pups named Luna and Moose. Mitch also enjoys traveling and golfing– though he admits that he’s not quite good at the latter. Luckily, there’s no need for golfing skills in the dog daycare world. We can’t wait to see how Mitch’s business grows!
Are you ready to launch your own dog daycare business and become a Hounds Town USA Franchise Owner? Get in touch with our team today and visit our franchise website for more information. We can’t wait to welcome you into the dog daycare business!