Before opening her DoodyCalls franchise in Omaha, Nebraska, Melissa Dalziel built her career in leadership and operations. She now provides pet waste removal services for local homeowners and is steadily growing a route-based business built on recurring customers.
A Navy veteran, Dalziel later moved into management in Omaha, working as an office manager before becoming the general manager of a retail chain location. Those years gave her hands-on leadership experience and pushed her toward a bigger realization: She wanted to own the business, not just help run one.
“It took me a while to figure out what I actually wanted to do and to take that first step,” Dalziel said. “I was terrified to make the jump. I probably could have done it a few years ago, but I was scared, to be perfectly honest with you. Finally, I decided I was done with what I was doing, and it was time to do it. So I went all in on my goals.”
For Dalziel, franchising made sense because it removed some of the early lift that comes with starting a business from nothing. She saw the appeal of building something on her own, but she also knew how many decisions have to be made before a new business starts to feel established.
Franchising offered her a shortcut on the pieces she didn’t want to rebuild. More importantly, it offered a support system she could actually use in real time, not a binder of generic advice.
“I really liked the help DoodyCalls gives you,” Dalziel said. “I work really closely with my Franchise Business Consultant, and I love that I can call her with any questions. I considered doing it on my own, but with franchising, the branding is already there and I don’t have to do any of that. The wrap for my truck was already done, and I really appreciate the way they support marketing.”
Even after deciding franchising was the right direction, Dalziel still had doubts as she looked at different opportunities and tried to figure out which brand felt like the right fit. Those conversations gave Dalziel a better sense of how the business worked in practice and what kind of support system would come with it. The more she learned, the easier it became to picture herself moving forward with the brand.
“The Franchise Development Manager for DoodyCalls gave me a completely different perspective,” Dalziel said. “I really connected with what the company stood for, and after that, I felt confident this was the right fit for me.”
The first stretch of ownership, Dalziel said, was about turning a new operation into a routine. That meant building enough demand to create the consistency that lets an owner plan, budget and grow.
Marketing was part of that early effort. So was patience. Early traction came through online search visibility, and then the business started to benefit from the oldest marketing channel in any local service business: customers talking.
“Google helped so much with gaining the customer base I needed just to get started,” she said. “Now I’m getting to the point where word is getting out and new leads are coming in that way.”
Dalziel went into the business expecting some people might question her as a woman in a service-based field. That has not really happened. If anything, she said the experience has been a reminder that once the work speaks for itself, most of those worries start to fade.
“I was definitely fearful of that perception coming into it,” she said. “I guess it’s almost like a personal thing where I’m afraid somebody’s going to choose a man over a woman. But I really have not run into that at all. It’s been quite pleasant as far as that goes.”
That calm confidence shows up in how she talks about leading: staying clear about what she wants, refusing to shrink the expectations for her business just to make other people comfortable.
“Knowing what you want, going for that, and standing your ground,” Dalziel said. “There are certain ways I need things done or want things done, and I’m not willing to bend for anybody. It’s my business, and I’m going to do it how I want.”
For Dalziel, one of the biggest lessons of ownership has been that independence does not mean isolation. She wanted to build something of her own, but she also wanted a network of people in her corner who could answer questions, troubleshoot problems and help her keep going through the rough days.
When Dalziel talks to other women about ownership, that support system is one of the first things she brings up. She sees it as something that can make the process feel less overwhelming, especially in the early stages.
“I really like the support DoodyCalls gives you, and I would never tell people not to go with a franchise at this point,” Dalziel said. “There are so many people I can call within the franchise if I need help, people who are there for me and can offer a shoulder to cry on if I’m having a rough day. I’ve got people there to support me, and I think that’s huge in a business like this.”
Dalziel also hopes her story resonates with other women who may be considering business ownership but aren’t sure about taking the leap. For her, the biggest hurdle wasn’t the work itself. It was deciding she was ready to try.
Dalziel is still growing the business while juggling the responsibilities that come with raising a family on her own. That reality has shaped the way she thinks about risk, resilience and what it takes to bet on yourself.
“I’m a single mom,” Dalziel said. “I’ve got two boys — my 16-year-old still lives with me — and if I can do it, anybody can. I wasn’t brought up with everything handed to me. I worked my way up, got a small business loan and made it happen.”
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/doodycalls/info.
DoodyCalls
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Drawing on her military background and management experience, Melissa Dalziel found a path to small business ownership through franchising and is now building a recurring-service business of her own.
Before opening her DoodyCalls franchise in Omaha, Nebraska, Melissa Dalziel built her career in leadership and operations. She now provides pet waste removal services for local homeowners and is steadily growing a route-based business built on recurring customers.
A Navy veteran, Dalziel later moved into management in Omaha, working as an office manager before becoming the general manager of a retail chain location. Those years gave her hands-on leadership experience and pushed her toward a bigger realization: She wanted to own the business, not just help run one.
“It took me a while to figure out what I actually wanted to do and to take that first step,” Dalziel said. “I was terrified to make the jump. I probably could have done it a few years ago, but I was scared, to be perfectly honest with you. Finally, I decided I was done with what I was doing, and it was time to do it. So I went all in on my goals.”
For Dalziel, franchising made sense because it removed some of the early lift that comes with starting a business from nothing. She saw the appeal of building something on her own, but she also knew how many decisions have to be made before a new business starts to feel established.
Franchising offered her a shortcut on the pieces she didn’t want to rebuild. More importantly, it offered a support system she could actually use in real time, not a binder of generic advice.
“I really liked the help DoodyCalls gives you,” Dalziel said. “I work really closely with my Franchise Business Consultant, and I love that I can call her with any questions. I considered doing it on my own, but with franchising, the branding is already there and I don’t have to do any of that. The wrap for my truck was already done, and I really appreciate the way they support marketing.”
Even after deciding franchising was the right direction, Dalziel still had doubts as she looked at different opportunities and tried to figure out which brand felt like the right fit. Those conversations gave Dalziel a better sense of how the business worked in practice and what kind of support system would come with it. The more she learned, the easier it became to picture herself moving forward with the brand.
“The Franchise Development Manager for DoodyCalls gave me a completely different perspective,” Dalziel said. “I really connected with what the company stood for, and after that, I felt confident this was the right fit for me.”
The first stretch of ownership, Dalziel said, was about turning a new operation into a routine. That meant building enough demand to create the consistency that lets an owner plan, budget and grow.
Marketing was part of that early effort. So was patience. Early traction came through online search visibility, and then the business started to benefit from the oldest marketing channel in any local service business: customers talking.
“Google helped so much with gaining the customer base I needed just to get started,” she said. “Now I’m getting to the point where word is getting out and new leads are coming in that way.”
Dalziel went into the business expecting some people might question her as a woman in a service-based field. That has not really happened. If anything, she said the experience has been a reminder that once the work speaks for itself, most of those worries start to fade.
“I was definitely fearful of that perception coming into it,” she said. “I guess it’s almost like a personal thing where I’m afraid somebody’s going to choose a man over a woman. But I really have not run into that at all. It’s been quite pleasant as far as that goes.”
That calm confidence shows up in how she talks about leading: staying clear about what she wants, refusing to shrink the expectations for her business just to make other people comfortable.
“Knowing what you want, going for that, and standing your ground,” Dalziel said. “There are certain ways I need things done or want things done, and I’m not willing to bend for anybody. It’s my business, and I’m going to do it how I want.”
For Dalziel, one of the biggest lessons of ownership has been that independence does not mean isolation. She wanted to build something of her own, but she also wanted a network of people in her corner who could answer questions, troubleshoot problems and help her keep going through the rough days.
When Dalziel talks to other women about ownership, that support system is one of the first things she brings up. She sees it as something that can make the process feel less overwhelming, especially in the early stages.
“I really like the support DoodyCalls gives you, and I would never tell people not to go with a franchise at this point,” Dalziel said. “There are so many people I can call within the franchise if I need help, people who are there for me and can offer a shoulder to cry on if I’m having a rough day. I’ve got people there to support me, and I think that’s huge in a business like this.”
Dalziel also hopes her story resonates with other women who may be considering business ownership but aren’t sure about taking the leap. For her, the biggest hurdle wasn’t the work itself. It was deciding she was ready to try.
Dalziel is still growing the business while juggling the responsibilities that come with raising a family on her own. That reality has shaped the way she thinks about risk, resilience and what it takes to bet on yourself.
“I’m a single mom,” Dalziel said. “I’ve got two boys — my 16-year-old still lives with me — and if I can do it, anybody can. I wasn’t brought up with everything handed to me. I worked my way up, got a small business loan and made it happen.”
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/doodycalls/info.
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