An Interview With The Coo Of The Zoom Room � An Eco-friendly, Solution-oriented Dog Training Franchise

Almost 40% of U.S. households own at least one dog according to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association, and the $48 billion pet industry got a welcome addition in 2007 when the Zoom Room� was opened. As the world's first dog agility training franchise, the Zoom Room focuses on the bond between the owner and their dog by offering an array of classes and activities for energetic dog owners in a modern, social atmosphere.

The Franchise Hound got the opportunity to speak with one of the founders of the Zoom Room � Mark Van Wye, Chief Operating Officer of the Zoom Room and husband of CEO and dog training expert Jaime Van Wye.

Franchise Hound: Where did the idea for the Zoom Room originate? Mark Van Wye: Well I really have to give all of the credit to my wife, Jaime. She has a wealth of experience in the pet industry and, at the time, was running a very successful, upscale pet boarding facility in L.A. Her clients kept asking her about where to go for dog agility � it's the number one dog sport in the country as well as the fastest-growing. The closest facility had hours once a week with a 6-month waiting list.

Jaime made of list of everything that she disliked and liked about owning a pet business. She then took just the list of likes and created a business around that. She took out the whole boarding element that most pet businesses include which allowed her to operate with a much smaller footprint. She streamlined the business model so that each Zoom Room could be run by just one person limiting the amount of staff needed. And by requiring owners to stay with the dogs throughout the classes she was able to solve the liability dilemma that so many pet businesses struggle with. Essentially she wanted to create an exciting new place that encourages lasting friendships with other like-minded pet owners. She pitched the idea to me and I loved it. I quit my job in the branding and marketing world to partner with her.

FH: Did you always intend for the Zoom Room to be a franchise? MVW: Yes. As a national authority on dog training, people were always coming up to Jaime with ideas to start their own pet businesses or asking her questions about how to run a business. She wanted to design something that could be replicated � a brand that could have a national presence.

Jaime ran our first site (opened in 2007 in Culver City, CA) for two years to tweak the curriculum. In September of 2009 we began franchising. In the one and half years since then we have earned recognition for the fastest expansion of any pet business with 11 locations.

FH: What were some of your challenges when starting the business? MVW: There is always so much paperwork and red tape for a franchisor to go through. You really need to get all of your ducks in a row before you start opening franchises. The first certified audit can be a challenge because you have practically empty books. There's a steep learning curve because there are so many moving pieces to be worried about. At the beginning there was also the challenge of educating entrepreneurs interested in the business model. It was a new concept that needed explaining, so we really tried to anticipate the questions that we would receive in order to be prepared.

FH: In the four years that you've been operating what have been some of your successes? MVW: We have gotten a great deal of positive reviews for our trainers. Many are considered the best in town. Our customers also say our curriculum is the most effective way to train dogs. And this year we were named the Best Pet Boutique in L.A. We're not the stereotypical pet boutique so we were proud to receive that recognition. We don't carry rhinestones. Everything we sell is eco-friendly, made in the U.S.A. and has a practical use.

Beyond the number of locations and clients, one of the biggest components of our business is raising awareness about rescue organizations and general issues of animal welfare. We're proud to be working closely with so many rescue organizations. We've helped to raise thousands of dollars for charities and promote responsible pet ownership. As we continue to expand we'll be able to reach a larger audience with those messages.

FH: What makes a good franchisee for the Zoom Room? MVW: We actually prefer someone who doesn't already consider themselves a dog trainer. Someone that's been training dogs for 20 years doesn't necessarily have the people skills to run a Zoom Room. Many don't have that charm and charisma to teach adults how to handle their dogs. A person who has coached his son's baseball team may be the perfect fit for us; they know how to coach and train people. The recent down economy has been great for us. We've seen a lot of interest from people with solid business experience � sales, marketing, customer relations. The key attributes that we look for in a franchisee are attention to detail, education, communication skills, and a natural born teacher.

FH: What is the startup cost of opening a Zoom Room? MVW: $100,000 � $170,000 which includes a franchise fee, three months of operating costs, travel to L.A. for training, marketing materials and a whole lot of extras including free use of a national PR firm. We provide a full range of products to be sold though inventory at each franchise may vary. Product mixes are dependent upon community preference. For example, in Colorado we sell snow hiking booties for dogs. It doesn't make sense to offer those items in Florida. Instead, we offer life vests for dogs since boating is so big there.

We provide an online curriculum for franchisees which takes about 12 weeks. It's akin to a college graduate course. This allows our franchisees to continue with their current jobs while they train or work at finding a location and get the business in order. There is also a three week on-site training in L.A. as well as some required volunteer time at local shelters.

FH: What are your future plans and goals for the franchise? MVW: Our initial focus is on reaching major metropolitan areas in the U.S. We hope to see Zoom Rooms in Chicago and Denver by end of year. After that we're looking into possible international expansion. We've already gotten some interest from the United Kingdom, Australia, Spain, Brazil and Canada. We plan to do that at the same time as we move into smaller cities across the U.S.

FH: What advice would you give to someone interested in starting their own franchise or small business? These are actually two different questions. With a small business you only need to know one thing. The franchise industry introduces an entirely new set of questions. You need a comprehensive knowledge of the regions in U.S. and whether or not your idea could all be replicated. You need to ask yourself if you've written everything down in case I get hit by a bus tomorrow. Many successful entrepreneurs do everything by instinct. What they don't realize is that it is so important to write everything down. What may be intuitive to you is not to someone who may need to takeover further down the road. Asking for help and teaching others how do to it successfully is the only way to expand a business.

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