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Just Dogs! Gourmet�
is the public trade name and mark of Just Dogs! Barkery, Inc. The
following are frequently asked questions and answers. As with any
franchise offering, you should obtain the Uniform Franchise
Offering Circular (UFOC) and review it with your advisors. The UFOC
contains all the required information for owning a Just Dogs! Gourmet�
franchise in your state.
Q:
How do I get a copy of the Uniform Franchise Offering Circular (UFOC)
for a Just Dogs! Gourmet� franchise?
A:
You must complete our Confidential Questionnaire (2
pages) and return or fax it back to Just Dogs! Barkery, Inc.; C/O EVP
Franchise Sales and Marketing; 5101 Cyrus Circle; Birmingham, Alabama
35242 or FAX (205) 453-0132. You may request a questionnaire by email:
[email protected]
or by phone (205) 332-0367 or Toll Free (888) 332-0307.
Q:
How much does it cost to open a Just Dogs! Gourmet� franchise?
A:
The detailed answers to these questions are in the UFOC.
Costs vary widely from location to location. Of the
most recent mall kiosk stores to open, the owners tell us they have
needed approximately $75,000 (this includes the $22,500 franchisee fee
and working capital) additionally you need to plan for the first
year�s rent. We estimate in our UFOC it will cost between $94,000 and
$177,500 to open a Just Dogs! Gourmet� franchise. Again, we
stress these figures are to be used as a guideline and are not
all-inclusive. Expenses such as leasehold improvements, store build
out, accounting, advisors and attorney fees, etc. will vary case
by case.
Q:
What is the monthly royalty a Just Dogs! Gourmet� franchise?
A:
We collect a three percent (3%) royalty on all sales
net of tax monthly from each franchisee. This royalty is paid in two
parts: For sales 1st� 15th, this fee is paid not
later than the end of month and for sales 16th� month end
are to be paid not later than the 15th of the following
month.
Q:
How much can I earn owning and operating a Just Dogs! Gourmet�
franchise?
A:
Franchise Law does not allow us to project earnings and
we truly cannot answer that question because many factors that neither
you nor Just Dogs! Gourmet� can control that will affect your
profitability including sales volume, store location, product
availability from vendors, rent structure, market timing, seasonality
fluctuation of store traffic and sales, your managerial skills,
economic factors and marketing efforts. Because you will be starting a
new business from the ground up, it is realistic to plan for periods
of no income from the business. As with any new business you should
have sufficient capital to sustain your needs for at least one year.
Q:
Where can I open a Just Dogs! Gourmet� franchise?
A:
Upscale pet product stores (boutiques) require
excellent foot traffic or advertising to create a customer base.
Advertising can be expensive and somewhat difficult to measure
results. Our experience tells us that you should locate your store in
a mall or highly visited shopping or tourist area. Mall developers
study market trends and locate their malls convenient to area
consumers and we believe you should take advantage of their research.
As with any business, your location is maybe one of the most important
decisions you will make. We recommend that you select at least three
malls and determine the one with the highest foot traffic, sales per
square foot, and average consumer income. We can help you with this
research, but you are required to select and negotiate your
location.
Q:
Will I have a protected territory?
A:
As a franchisee you will receive an exclusive territory
delineated by boundary streets, highways or zip codes as per our UFOC.
Multi-unit franchise ownership is encouraged within a market; however
each franchise agreement stands on its own for a particular store.
Generally speaking, we are not looking to develop Master Franchisees.
Q:
What type of location should I select for my store?
A:
The theory of "location, location, location" applies
when finding good sites for stores. We recommend that you consider a
custom kiosk in a Mall first as these stores have the highest traffic
without added advertising expenses. The disadvantage with Malls is
that dogs usually cannot come into the Mall. Next, we recommend a
store front in a tourist area or well known boutique area where dogs
can come into the store; however, this type of location will most
always require an advertising budget. Lastly, co-location with a
groomer or veterinarian will also allow dog access and have a traffic
pattern that may meet your needs, but expect to advertise here too.
Q:
What is the term of my Franchise Agreement?
A:
The initial term is ten (10) years. You may renew for
additional 10 year periods for a small fee of $2,500. (See UFOC)
Q:
What type of training is provided?
A:
See the Franchisee Training section of this brochure.
Q:
Will Just Dogs! Gourmet� provide ongoing operational guidance or
support?
A:
Yes. You will receive an Operations Manual, regional
training, conventions and onsite support as requested. Also see the
Franchisee Training section of this brochure.
Q:
How long does it take to become a Franchisee?
A:
The application and approval process can be completed
in as little as 45 days, but we recommend 60 days or longer. During
this period, you should be able to find a location, construct your
store, complete training and order your products for grand opening.
Q:
Once open, can I sell products other than Just Dogs! Gourmet� in my
store?
A:
You must purchase all treats from Just Dogs! Gourmet�
and all merchandise from approved vendors. We do accept
recommendations from the franchisees and if the product or service
meets our requirements as to quality, price and image, then we may
make it available to all franchisees under the aggregated buying
strategy.
Q:
How many staff do I need to operate a franchise?
A:
It varies by store - the size of your store, customer
traffic count and day of the week are some of the factors that will
dictate how many employees you will need to provide exemplary customer
service. Usually with a kiosk this will be one person per shift and
two shifts per day. You manage the day-to-day operations of your store
and the Point-of-Sale system will provide you with reports to help
make these decisions. You will also need one or two people trained by
our home office staff to decorate your treats as well as a dedicated
area to perform this task (see the Franchisee Training section of this
brochure).
Q:
Will I be able to wholesale products and services to other accounts?
A:
Yes, we do offer a wholesale program for the Barrel
treats only. This strategy will be covered during your interview with
Just Dogs! Gourmet�. No royalty is due on wholesale or
fundraising strategies.
Q:
Will I be able to sell franchise products on the web?
A:
No, not at this time. Just Dogs! Gourmet� does provide
a website at no additional cost to you to locate your store and offer
certain products via the web to customers not serviced by a local
franchise. Should the local customers order from the web and we find
this affecting the local store sales, we are committed to helping our
stores earn the maximum profit and will address that issue then.
Q:
Is
the custom kiosk the only option I have to open a store?
A:
No. Currently, we offer three types of stores. First,
and most popular is our custom kiosk in the 10� X 16� design although we offer several other sizes if required by the mall. Second,
we have inline store designs for strip centers or stand alone stores.
Lastly, we offer the ability to have a Just Dogs! Gourmet franchise as
a �store within a store�, meaning that if you are an industry
professional such as a groomer, kennel, or veterinarian with an
existing store, you can operate our store in your location under a
special agreement as to which products and services are subject to
royalty.
Here are some sample store pictures:
Sample Custom Kiosk:
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Click on any image to
enlarge. |
Sample Inline Store:
Q:
Who do I contact to discuss this opportunity further?
A:
Please call our EVP Franchise Sales and Marketing at
(205) 332-0367, Toll Free (888) 332-0307 or email your questions to
[email protected]
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