Whilst a home boarder for another We Love Pets branch, Julie started thinking about possibly launching her own franchise – but never felt like it was the right time. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, however, she started to re-evaluate her career future and is kicking off the new year as We Love Pet’s newest franchise owner.
Growing up, Julie had pets of all shapes and sizes, from pigeons, dogs and ferrets, to chickens, fish and rabbits – it’s no wonder she’s now the proud owner of a We Love Pets franchise! With a background in community support and social work, she’s bringing her compassion, organisation, and energy to this new role as the Bolton branch director.
Julie became familiar with franchising early on, whilst working for a large fast-food franchise chain as a teenager. Fast forward a few years, and she’s back in the franchise market, only now she’s heading her own branch! Julie says she knew straightaway that pursuing the franchise route was a no-brainer, especially as she knew how successful We Love Pets was from her time as a home boarder with the Chorley branch. “Buying a franchise is like getting a ‘business-in-a-box,’ and We Love Pets has done all of the time-consuming prep work, so it’s easy to get yourself started,” she says.
While working with the Chorley branch, Julie started thinking more and more about owning her own WLP franchise, but never felt like the time was right. She really enjoyed working with young people and families within her community, but the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic forced her to re-evaluate her long-term career goals. She began researching franchise opportunities and kept coming back to We Love Pets, being especially drawn to the fact that We Love Pets makes animal welfare a priority, and ensures that all staff are DBS checked, pet first aid certified, and given comprehensive training prior to start. One day Julie thought to herself, “if I don’t do it now, then I’ll regret it forever.”
Julie lives with her husband, two children, and their fur baby Tilly, just outside the centre of lovely Bolton. She loves that the Bolton area is chock full of parks, which are perfect for dog walking, and gives her the opportunity to get outdoors and take advantage of the nearby countryside. Luckily, most of the parks and trails are central to town, and almost all are pet friendly and fully accessible. Jumbles Country Park, Moses Gate Country Park, and Moss Bank Park are among some area favourites, but Julie admits to being, “garden obsessed,” and is constantly on the lookout for new gardens while on walks with her family!
In spite of the challenges and uncertainties that 2020 brought, Julie is energized and optimistic about finally starting her dream career in 2021. Of the franchise model, she said, “to me, ‘franchise’ means tried and true,” and, “We Love Pets, as a brand, stands head and shoulders above the competition.” We feel incredibly grateful and proud to have such a resilient and amazing national franchisee network, and we’re especially excited to welcome Julie and the Bolton branch into the We Love Pets family!
