In this FDD Talk post, you’ll learn the following:

• Section I – Background information on the Pet Butler franchise opportunity, including relevant news updates

• Section II – Estimated initial investment for a Pet Butler franchise, based on Item 7 of the company’s 2020 FDD

• Section III – Initial franchise fee, royalty fee, marketing fee, and other fees for a Pet Butler franchise, based on Items 5 and 6 of the company’s 2020 FDD

• Section IV – Number of franchised and company-owned Pet Butler outlets at the start of the year and the end of the year for 2017, 2018, and 2019, based on Item 20 of the company’s 2020 FDD

• Section V – Presentation and analysis of Pet Butler’s financial performance representations, based on Item 19 of the company’s 2020 FDD, including information on the:

• 2019 average and median revenue per customer for all 22 Pet Butler franchised businesses that were in business for 1 full calendar year or more as of December 31, 2019 and operated for the full calendar year in 2019

• 2019 average and median revenue per stop for all 22 Pet Butler franchised businesses that were in business for 1 full calendar year or more as of December 31, 2019 and operated for the full calendar year in 2019

• 2019 average and median stops per hour for 19 out of the 22 Pet Butler franchised businesses that were in business for 1 full calendar year or more as of December 31, 2019 and operated for the full calendar year in 2019 (the remaining 3 franchised businesses do not currently use Pet Butler’s tracking software)

Section I – Background Information

20 Things You Need to Know About the Pet Butler Franchise

On National Mission to Make Pet Ownership Virtually Care-Free

1.  In late February 2020, Pet Butler announced that it was launching an aggressive expansion strategy along with the addition of complementary services – pet sitting, dog walking, and pet shuttle service – to meet the growing needs of its current and future customers. The company’s ultimate goal is to not only expand its national footprint, but to make pet ownership easier and stress-free.

2.  Pet Butler is looking to add 60 franchises during the next five years to its existing roster of 30 franchises in 26 states (at the time of the announcement). The company is targeting pet-friendly communities in the North East, Midwest, as well as the Southeast regions of the country. The change of seasons creates a good opportunity for Pet Butler businesses to enter the market and “clean up” the piles of poop that often are left in the yard over the winter.

3.  The parent company of Pet Butler, Spring-Green Lawn Enterprises (SGE), also operates Spring-Green Lawn Care, ranked #27 on the 2019 Top 100 Lawn & Landscape companies nationwide. SGE was established in 2015 and sought to add another consumer-focused brand and to leverage its proven operating and marketing platforms.

4.  SGE became a Pet Butler franchise owner in 2015 with the plan to acquire the system if it proved a worthy investment once operations were thoroughly vetted. Satisfied once its due diligence was complete, SGE acquired the Pet Butler franchise system in June 2017 and now offers a modernized model for prospective franchise owners with large protected territories that offer scalable growth and attractive recurring revenue.

5.  Pet Butler’s client acquisition strategy centers on the tremendous response to the Plainfield, IL location and data from several sources putting the number of dogs in American households at 83.7 million. Pet Butler franchisees have the opportunity to provide weekly service eliminating the burden from a homeowner and providing a safer and poop-free environment for their four-legged friends and family members.

6.  Pet Butler is also expanding its services. It is currently offering pet sitting, dog walking, and pet shuttle services at its company-owned Chicago-area location and expects a national rollout at its National Training Conference in August of 2020. Lawn disinfection, deck and patio washing, flea and tick spray, and goose poop removal are also offered regionally.

7.  James Young, president of Pet Butler, said, “With the continued growth in pet ownership and the trends in pet parenting, Pet Butler is well positioned to be the go-to service provider for your pets’ needs. Our expansion of services is really about meeting the demand of our current and future customers, and we have been reinvesting in our marketing and technology systems to deliver a world class franchise model at a time where consumer demand is rising for these services. It is a great time to look at joining the Pet Butler organization.”

8.  With an affordable initial investment, Pet Butler also offers an attractive opportunity for existing business owners who already provide pet sitting/boarding, veterinary services, dog training, or even specialty pet stores looking to add to their service offerings.

9.  One of the biggest values recognized by both pet industry business owners and entrepreneurs looking to scale their business is the back-office support. Pet Butler supports franchise owners by answering all sales calls, customer service calls, and scheduling and payment processing. This allows the franchise owner to focus on building the business locally and developing their operations team to meet the demand for service.

Newest Locations

10.  Even during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Pet Butler is continuing to push its aggressive growth strategy and has opened several new locations in the first quarter of 2020. Pet Butler opened two new locations in April in Wisconsin and New Hampshire. The Waukesha, Wisconsin location is owned and operated by Aimee Braatz, while the Londonberry, New Hampshire store is owned by Mike Gillespie.

11.  Braatz has spent the last 16 years in the rental property business, renovating homes and renting/reselling them in the greater Milwaukee area. She comes to Pet Butler as a lifetime pet lover and community contributor, having volunteered at her local humane society many times in the past. Being hands-on is something Braatz loves, so when she read a Pet Butler advertisement online, she was immediately intrigued by the idea of combining her love for pets with her love of being active in her community. Her family includes her wife Agnes and their six foster children, all boys ranging in age from 12 to 26, plus their five dogs.

12.  Braatz used a similar pet waste removal service and thought to herself, “this is something I could do.” Once she learned of the Pet Butler franchising opportunity, Braatz was hooked. The chance to bring those services to her community with the support of the franchise system behind her, along with being involved in Pet Butler’s social mission to support and partner with local animal rescues, made it a clear choice as her next career step.

13.  Braatz joined the Pet Butler Support Center for a Discovery Day and was quickly impressed by the transparency from the Pet Butler staff. “I left with a great understanding of the business and how the system worked with each franchise owner,” said Braatz. “I liked the financial part of it, how economical it was, and that we could grow the business and ease into it.”

14.  Mike Gillespie comes from a background in healthcare, having been a Registered Nurse for many years, before becoming an Administrator for a local hospital. He plans to step back into an RN role as he starts his Pet Butler business, with the help of his wife Brenda and daughter Ally. Brenda Gillespie owns and operates her own business, Happy Days Mobile Dog Grooming, but will help with Pet Butler as it grows. Once the business becomes large enough, Mike plans on taking a full-time role.

15.  Mike got his first taste of the business world when he owned and operated a swimming pool safety business a few years ago. After seeing Brenda’s jump into the pet industry, Mike wanted to start a business that would allow him to work with pets. Not long after beginning his search, he found Pet Butler. “I was excited about the franchising opportunity, the recurring revenue, and the many levels of support the Pet Butler system offered,” said Mike.

16.  He added, “The National Call Center, the Support Center, and the people at Pet Butler is what really drove my decision of owning and operating a Pet Butler franchise. I continue to be impressed by how the support center team listens and addresses all of my questions and concerns.”

Company History

17.  Pet Butler was founded in 1988 in the Chicagoland area to provide professional pet-waste clean up and removal to residential yards, parks, and multi-family communities. According to Pet Butler, the company was formed to solve two objectives:

• To serve pets and their people, making life easier, more enjoyable and safe.
• Provide a meaningful business opportunity to pet lovers who are looking for a way to give back to their community in alignment with Pet Butler’s social mission.

18.  Much of Pet Butler’s history prior to being acquired by Spring-Green Lawn Care Corp. in 2017, is not publicly available. However, Pet Butler did start franchising in 2005 and grew slowly around the U.S.

19.  One of the first things that Spring-Green did after taking over Pet Butler was to establish the first Pet Butler leadership group. This volunteer group of franchise owners from across the country was instrumental in helping Spring-Green during the transition to ownership. Spring-Green has also made other changes to help fuel further franchise growth.

Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500

20.  Pet Butler did not rank on Entrepreneur’s 2020 Franchise 500 list.

Section II – Estimated Costs

• Please click here for detailed estimates of Pet Butler franchise costs, based on Item 7 of the company’s 2020 FDD.

Section III – Initial Franchise Fee, Royalty Fee, Marketing Fee, and Other Fees

• Please click here for detailed information on Pet Butler’s initial franchise fee, royalty fee, marketing fee, and other fees, based on Items 5 and 6 of the company’s 2020 FDD.

Section IV – Number of Franchised and Company-Owned Outlets

Franchised

2017

• Outlets at the Start of the Year:  27
• Outlets at the End of the Year:  26
• Net Change:  -1

2018

• Outlets at the Start of the Year:  26
• Outlets at the End of the Year:  23
• Net Change:  -3

2019

• Outlets at the Start of the Year:  23
• Outlets at the End of the Year:  23
• Net Change:  0

Company-Owned

2017

• Outlets at the Start of the Year:  1
• Outlets at the End of the Year:  1
• Net Change:  0

2018

• Outlets at the Start of the Year:  1
• Outlets at the End of the Year:  1
• Net Change:  0

2019

• Outlets at the Start of the Year:  1
• Outlets at the End of the Year:  1
• Net Change:  0

Section V – Financial Performance Representations (Item 19, 2020 FDD) and Analysis

• Pet Butler uses historical financial information submitted by its franchisees to compile the information contained in the table below. The financial information submitted by its franchisees is also used for calculating the Royalty described in Item 6. Pet Butler did not independently verify the accuracy of the information.

• Franchised Businesses did not typically submit copies of all of the invoices for each customer or list each customer in their period reports to Pet Butler. The information contained in the table is based upon the financial information and other data entered by each Franchised Business into the software system described in Item 11.

Statement of the 2019 Revenue Per Stop, Revenue Per Customer, and Stops Per Hour for Independent Franchised Businesses in Operation for 1 Full Calendar Year or More as of December 31, 2019

Revenue Per Customer for All 22 Franchised Businesses