At Business Fuel, we love celebrating Australian’s who’ve had massive business wins – regardless if we helped them with small business financing or not. Not only do these committed entrepreneurs motivate us to keep helping businesses make money happen, but they also serve as inspiration for small business owners like you to keep pushing forward.
Today, we wanted to touch on the rise of Queensland business, Hydrodog. A business we don’t have any commercial or business relationship with, but just simply love the story – and think you will too.
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There’s every chance you’ve driven behind one of their big blue trailers. There’s also a high possibility that if you own a dog and live in Australia, you’ve used the mobile grooming business to keep your pup looking clean. Because what started out as Anthony Amos’ side project whilst he was playing professional rugby, has fast grown into the market leader.
As a professional rugby player straight out of high school, a young Anthony had a lot of spare time on his hands. So, along with his brother, they decided to open up a mobile dog grooming business. Armed with a prototype grooming trailer, a newspaper ad and a rented mobile phone, they set out to wash a few dogs and make a few bucks.
Before long, they were getting so much work they had to invest in another trailer. Which increased the demand, and in turn increased the fleet. After only a few years in business, Hydrodog boasted a strong, regular customer base, 7 trailers, and a full team of staff.
They were clearly doing something right, but there was a glaring problem. The nature and demand of the business meant that they needed staff who were as dedicated and passionate about the product as they were, and this was proving difficult.
So, they decided to ditch the staff model and adopt a franchise model. A change that effectively empowered each and every Hydrodog advocate and ensured the quality and integrity of the service remained intact.
Since then, it never looked back. The business grew to over 200 franchises in Australia and NZ and has recently ventured into the US market, with initiatives like The Bathe to Save Tour that helps to promote dog rescue and adoption. You can read more about that here.
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So, why do we love it? Well, two reasons. One; it’s such a simple idea executed extremely well (with a healthy dose of grit, determination and passion thrown in for good measure).
And secondly, Hydrodog’s ability to adapt its business model to solve a problem is a great case study for any small business owner. In business, as you know, problems arise consistently. But it’s how you manage and respond to these opportunities that can create a really positive impact.
Are you faced with a problem that’s difficult to overcome? Perhaps getting advice from one of our experienced lenders can help. To speak to someone that’s there to help you make money happen with small business financing, call 1300 660 681 or simply click here.
