MYWAGGYTAILS LAUNCHES PET CARE FRANCHISE

The franchise market has a new entrant. Chinnor-based MyWaggyTails is helping dog lovers turn their passion for pets into a business-in-a-box franchise, designed to care for the nation’s nine million pet dogs.

MyWaggyTails was founded by marketeer and business consultant Randle Stonier, inspired by his sister Mitch Howey.

Mitch wanted a job to fit in around her family and set up her dog-care business MyWaggyTails in 2017. After five months, she asked her brother for help.

Randle had a successful career leading award-winning marketing and events agencies, including several start-ups, and working with brands such as Vodafone and Virgin Media.

Fast-forward 18 months and Mitch begged Randle to stop promoting her business as she couldn’t cope with the demand.

However, she did ask him if he’d help her prepare for the new licensing regulations and audit.

Randle’s assistance led to Mitch receiving a five-star rating and being granted a home boarding licence for 10 dogs, along with some five-star customer reviews on Google, Facebook and Yell.

Randle is now using his new-found knowledge of the sector to help others start their own dog businesses and provide a range of pet-care services through MyWaggyTails, by establishing a business franchise.

Randle says: “MyWaggyTails offers a dog-focused “business in a box”.

There are now nearly 50,000 franchise businesses collectively contributing more than £17 billion and 710,000 jobs to the country’s economy, according to data from the British Franchise Association and NatWest.

In the last two years, more than onequarter of franchisees starting their business were aged 30 or under at launch, and 37 per cent of all newer franchisees are women.

Equestrian brand teams up with Cheltenham

Harwell-based equestrian brand Ariat has teamed up with Cheltenham Racecourse in a one-year deal.

The Ariat Leading Jockey Award will be awarded for the first time at the November Meeting which runs from November 15-17.

Ariat is building on an established partnership with champion jump trainer Paul Nicholls to widen its relationships

New toll houses open for business, thanks to Beard

Oxford-based construction company Beard has completed a major project at Bristol’s historic Clifton Suspension Bridge. It involved buiding new toll houses and refurbishing existing Grade 1 listed Victorian structures for The Clifton Suspension Bridge Trust.

The seven-month project involved Beard demolishing and replacing both of the outdated 1950s toll booths on the Clifton side of the bridge and a 1970s building on the North Somerset side. The Victorian toll houses on the Leigh Woods approach have been refurbished.

Beard Director, Mike Hedges said: “We overcame the complexities of working in a hugely sensitive spot while minimising disruption for up to 10,000 vehicles a day which use the bridge.

“Having just completed the Being Brunel Museum alongside the SS Great Britain, we brought our expertise to another one of Brunel’s flagship projects, fulfilling Purcell Architect’s meticulous design to provide contemporary buildings that are sympathetic to Brunel’s original vision.”