For more than two decades, Wayne Christie built a career in information technology, working for the same company for 22 years. But when his position was eliminated in 2022, he saw an opportunity to rewrite his future.
“When that happened, I got a severance package and had some savings and then decided it was time for something new,” Wayne said. “We started looking for something to do. I knew I wanted to do a business because I didn’t want to go back to the corporate world.”
Like many corporate professionals exploring their next chapter, Wayne turned to franchising for a structured path to business ownership. “A franchise recruiter was in touch with my wife and he sent a few options,” he said.
Initially skeptical, Wayne admits he had misconceptions about franchising. “I wasn’t sure about franchising at first, but I didn’t realize that the industry was more than fast food. When we saw all the different options, it really opened up our eyes,” he said. “Franchising is kind of like a business in a box, some guidance to get started and people to help you through the journey, because it’s definitely a journey.”
After researching multiple brands, DoodyCalls, the pet waste management franchise under the Authority Brands umbrella, emerged as the clear choice.
“We whittled it down to about three or four franchise brands, looking at cost of entry, whether you needed staff and a brick-and-mortar, etc. DoodyCalls was small enough that we could start it by ourselves and scale without the crazy investment,” Wayne said. “It seemed like a better choice because the inventory wasn’t a lot and there were several factors that made it ideal for us.”
Wayne launched his DoodyCalls franchise in October 2023 in West Chester, Pennsylvania. “The business is coming along. Being a business owner is challenging but all in all, I’m in it to win it and excited to take it as far as it can go,” he said. “It’s working, and we are growing.”
Wayne runs a lean operation, managing everything himself with occasional help from his family. “Right now I am still scooping. I am pretty much doing everything, and my family helps me out,” he said. “For the day to day, I’m doing around eight to 10 hours in the field, and the rest of the day is following up on new customers and looking at different marketing tactics.”
His efforts are paying off. “I am currently at 71 residential and five commercial properties. Revenue-wise I am doing well and on track to the year three target,” he said. “The response has been great. Nobody really even knows this industry exists. Once you start getting the word out there, it picks up steam.”
According to Wayne, the service resonates with busy pet owners who value their time. “We have three dogs, and if I knew I could hire someone for about 25 bucks to come in and clean the yard every week, it would have been a no-brainer,” he said. “You get that time back.”
DoodyCalls is one of the fastest-growing pet waste removal franchises in the country. With a recurring-revenue model, low overhead and the backing of a national support system, franchisees like Wayne are finding both freedom and scalability in the business.
“My favorite part of being a franchise owner is all of the relationships I am making with the other franchise owners,” Wayne said. “I’ve met some great people and they are always willing to help. You can always pick up the phone and call on other franchises, whether they are new or legacy franchises. They are really the biggest asset in trying to build the business — they’ve already gone through what you are going through.”
Wayne has a clear vision for where he wants the business to go. “My long-term goal is to bring this into a million dollars a year in revenue,” he said. “Eventually, I want to be able to separate myself from the business and maybe hand it down to my kids and sell it.”
As pet ownership continues to rise, with over 96 million households now owning at least one pet, and the demand for convenience grows, DoodyCalls franchisees like Wayne are proving that even the simplest services can create meaningful careers and strong communities.
For more information on franchising with Doody Calls visit: https://1851franchise.com/doodycalls.
DoodyCalls
SPONSORED
Former IT professional Wayne Christie found his second career and entrepreneurial path by leveraging the structured support and winning model of the DoodyCalls franchise.
For more than two decades, Wayne Christie built a career in information technology, working for the same company for 22 years. But when his position was eliminated in 2022, he saw an opportunity to rewrite his future.
“When that happened, I got a severance package and had some savings and then decided it was time for something new,” Wayne said. “We started looking for something to do. I knew I wanted to do a business because I didn’t want to go back to the corporate world.”
Like many corporate professionals exploring their next chapter, Wayne turned to franchising for a structured path to business ownership. “A franchise recruiter was in touch with my wife and he sent a few options,” he said.
Initially skeptical, Wayne admits he had misconceptions about franchising. “I wasn’t sure about franchising at first, but I didn’t realize that the industry was more than fast food. When we saw all the different options, it really opened up our eyes,” he said. “Franchising is kind of like a business in a box, some guidance to get started and people to help you through the journey, because it’s definitely a journey.”
After researching multiple brands, DoodyCalls, the pet waste management franchise under the Authority Brands umbrella, emerged as the clear choice.
“We whittled it down to about three or four franchise brands, looking at cost of entry, whether you needed staff and a brick-and-mortar, etc. DoodyCalls was small enough that we could start it by ourselves and scale without the crazy investment,” Wayne said. “It seemed like a better choice because the inventory wasn’t a lot and there were several factors that made it ideal for us.”
Wayne launched his DoodyCalls franchise in October 2023 in West Chester, Pennsylvania. “The business is coming along. Being a business owner is challenging but all in all, I’m in it to win it and excited to take it as far as it can go,” he said. “It’s working, and we are growing.”
Wayne runs a lean operation, managing everything himself with occasional help from his family. “Right now I am still scooping. I am pretty much doing everything, and my family helps me out,” he said. “For the day to day, I’m doing around eight to 10 hours in the field, and the rest of the day is following up on new customers and looking at different marketing tactics.”
His efforts are paying off. “I am currently at 71 residential and five commercial properties. Revenue-wise I am doing well and on track to the year three target,” he said. “The response has been great. Nobody really even knows this industry exists. Once you start getting the word out there, it picks up steam.”
According to Wayne, the service resonates with busy pet owners who value their time. “We have three dogs, and if I knew I could hire someone for about 25 bucks to come in and clean the yard every week, it would have been a no-brainer,” he said. “You get that time back.”
DoodyCalls is one of the fastest-growing pet waste removal franchises in the country. With a recurring-revenue model, low overhead and the backing of a national support system, franchisees like Wayne are finding both freedom and scalability in the business.
“My favorite part of being a franchise owner is all of the relationships I am making with the other franchise owners,” Wayne said. “I’ve met some great people and they are always willing to help. You can always pick up the phone and call on other franchises, whether they are new or legacy franchises. They are really the biggest asset in trying to build the business — they’ve already gone through what you are going through.”
Wayne has a clear vision for where he wants the business to go. “My long-term goal is to bring this into a million dollars a year in revenue,” he said. “Eventually, I want to be able to separate myself from the business and maybe hand it down to my kids and sell it.”
As pet ownership continues to rise, with over 96 million households now owning at least one pet, and the demand for convenience grows, DoodyCalls franchisees like Wayne are proving that even the simplest services can create meaningful careers and strong communities.
For more information on franchising with Doody Calls visit: https://1851franchise.com/doodycalls.
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