It’s the sweet smell of success for Jupiter entrepreneurs Tim and Jessica Vogel.
Scenthound, their dog grooming companywith 40 employees and four rapidly-growing locations in Palm Beach County, has announced it is now offering franchises for entrepreneurs and investors sniffing for the next big business opportunity.
It’s the company’s wellness-focused and membership-based model of pet care that will make the grooming “scenters” so successful for business owners, according to the husband and wife team.
The Scenthound concept differs from most groomers that focus on time-consuming, expensive haircuts, the Vogels say. Most breeds (80 percent) don’t need their coats trimmed, but all dogs require regular grooming, such as bathing, ear cleaning, teeth brushing and nail trimming to stay healthy.
These SCENT (skin, coat, ears, nails, teeth) services allow dog owners to schedule quick, convenient, less expensive regular visits to keep their furry family members smelling clean and feeling good all the time.
“We’re entrepreneurs and dog lovers,” said Tim Vogel. “So we’re very excited not only to offer other business owners a chance to join the Scenthound pack, but also to spread better health and well-being to our best four-legged friends.”
Vogel was vice president of operations with a national direct marketing firm before he co-founded a mobile pet grooming business in 2005 with Jessica, who had a career in design and marketing.
That first grooming business grew into a Jupiter brick and mortar location in 2010. The Vogels rebranded the company into Scenthound in 2015 and opened “scenters” in West Palm Beach and Boynton Beach later that year.
The newest Scenthound opened in Wellington in 2017.
The company’s goal is to have 65 franchise locations nationally in the next two to three years, with the first 10 to 15 “scenters’ in South Florida. The Vogels project 1,000 Scenthound locations in about 10 years.
An average “scenter” will be about 1,200 square feet with four to 15 employees. On a busy day, a location can serve more than 100 dogs. The basic member BENT (bath, ears, nails, teeth) service costs $25 for any dog.
The company already has interest from entrepreneurs who want to open franchises in New York and Virginia. However, the initial franchise rollout is limited to South Florida so the Vogels can quickly respond in person to franchisee needs.
“I know how valuable mentoring and support can be when your starting and running any business,” said Tim, who is a board member of Entrepreneurs’ Organization South Florida (EO SOFLO). “In this case, I’ve created and managed the exact business, so I can teach new franchisees all the tricks I’ve learned over the years.”
Vogel credits EO SOFLO, which has 190 members in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties who run companies with 10,000 employees and $2 billion in annual revenues, with much of Scenthound’s success.
“Tim has an especially keen nose for operations and efficiency, as well as overall entrepreneurial vision,” said Jerry Katz, president of EO SOFLO. “Scenthound franchisees will be in great hands to make their businesses a success.”
Vogel leads EO SOFLO’s Accelerator program, which is designed to help start-up and first-stage entrepreneurs grow their business through the most challenging early steps and to $1 million in annual sales.
“I’m an Accelerator graduate, and Scenthound couldn’t have gotten this far, this fast without the expertise and experiences shared by my EO SOFLO peers and mentors,” Vogel said. “We have a ferociously loyal pack mentality to help boost each other’s businesses, and that’s the approach we’re taking with Scenthound franchises.”
Visit www.scenthoundfranchise.com for more information. For more details on EO SOFLO, go to www.eosoflo.com.
