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Dog Training Elite is Coming to Columbus, OH!
Dog Training Elite is finally coming to Columbus, Ohio! Our newest Franchise Owners are father-and-son business partners Dan and Brennan O’Malley.
Like many Franchise Owners who started working with Dog Training Elite, Brennan and Dan began work in very different industries. Dog Training Elite is an excellent choice for career switchers, including those with no business experience, because of the hands-on support that the corporate team offers to first-time business owners. For this pair, however, some business experience was involved– including franchising experience.
“I was at Marco’s Pizza for twenty-eight years working as a franchise owner and for corporate,” Dan told us in an interview.
“I have a degree in Resort and Attraction Management from Bowling Green State University while working in a variety of hospitality and guest service positions for Cedar Fair and Marco’s Pizza,” said Brennan.
That experience in franchising is undoubtedly beneficial. However, the pet training industry is quite different from the restaurant world. The pair had some serious entrepreneurial aspirations and decided that they wanted to move towards a different, exciting industry.
“I have always had entrepreneurial aspirations, and I just did not know my path to getting there until Dog Training Elite,” said Brennan, “I wanted to be an entrepreneur because it holds me more accountable for myself, continuously grows my drive to succeed, and allows me to build something for myself and my family.”
“I do not have the skill or talent to build buildings, but I can build businesses and enjoy creating opportunities for people to be great,” said Dan, “I like serving my community, and people that value and appreciate what I am doing. I like coaching, developing, and supporting future leaders. I like the flexibility of owning my own business.”
Entering the Dog Training Elite World
Dan and Brennan heard about our brand after evaluating a few different opportunities in the pet care industry, according to Dan.
“Near the end of my college career, I was still unsure where I wanted to take my career path but knowing I had entrepreneurial dreams, I had an idea,” said Brennan, “After long talks with my dad, he put the idea out there, and we started the process and ended up finding Dog Training Elite to be a great fit for both of us.”
So why exactly was Dog Training Elite the right fit for these two? According to Brennan, it fits their interests from the business model to its training methods.
“We wanted to be in the pet care business,” said Dan, “We appreciated the process and care during discovery. We like the people driving the brand.” Specifically, the pair were attracted to our unique business model, approach to franchising, and approach to training dogs with a no-frills approach.
“The business model was very appealing at first because of the low cost of entry and the potential for high-profit margins,” said Brennan, “But what sold us was the availability to grow at our own pace while building up the franchise location. The business model allows us to meet the criteria we were looking for when looking for franchises. We wanted fewer employees and the availability to pay them and treat them well. We wanted time to grow at our own pace. A good support system.”
“The model ticked off all of our boxes - serve our community, work with dogs, serve the Malinois Foundation, home-based business, unlimited business potential, relatively simple business to operate, few employees needed to operate the business, etc.,” said Dan.
After attending their Approval Day, the father and son duo was finally wholly sold. An Approval Day is an opportunity for potential Franchise Owners to visit a brand’s facility, mingle with the Founders and corporate team, and network with existing Franchise Owners.
“Approval Day was amazing, '' said Brennan, “We were grouped with the owners up in Michigan, and we had similar backgrounds and interests. It was nice being a smaller group because we could get to know everybody and have all the questions we had answered. We enjoyed the group outing to see what training was like and what training clients’ dogs will entail.”
“During the discovery process, we were able to verify that the business was the right fit for us'' said Dan, “Once we were able to understand the financial return, we decided to attend Approval Day and make a commitment to contribute to the brand.”
Welcome, Dan and Brennan, to the DTE Family!
Outside of running their franchises, Brennan and Dan expressed joy in spending time with family, friends, and dogs. The pair enjoy teaching their dogs new tricks, traveling, and spending time at the lake with loved ones.
“My dogs, Remi and Bolbi, are family, and family is the most important part of life for me,” said Brennan, “My day starts with them and ends with them. They keep us active, joyful, and of course, sometimes annoyed. The endless love and loyalty they show is something you never want to leave, and that is why I am excited to start Dog Training Elite because we won’t have to!”
When asked if they had any advice, they would give potential or new Franchise Owners, Dan gave some pretty profound advice: “Understand exactly what you want first. Make sure there is a high level of passion around what you want to do. Be willing to run through brick walls to get things done. Understand the worst-case scenario. Know your numbers, especially the important ones that drive the business.”
We wish Brennan and Dan luck as they launch their Columbus location!
Do you want to launch your own Dog Training Elite franchise location? Get in touch with our corporate team today to learn more about why DTE might be your best franchising opportunity.
