South West 'ethical' pet care business turns over £70k in first year
South West business owner Tina Byatt (50) celebrated the first anniversary of owning a We Love Pets pet care franchise and turning over an incredible £70,000 in her first 12 months.
The pet care business, which covers Clevedon, Portishead, Nailsea, Backwell, Yatton, Congresbury and surrounding areas, offers a variety of services from dog walking and boarding to cat visits and care for all other pets including fish, reptiles, parrots, hamsters, horses, chickens, ducks etc.
We Love Pets, a member of the BFA (British Franchise Association), was recently awarded ‘ethical’ status by The Good Shopping Guide for their “rigorous animal welfare standards, such as their ‘No Pack Walking’ policy, and their commitment to minimising their environmental impact.”
Tina now employs nine members of staff including daughter Jennifer, plus regular help from husband James and occasionally sons Owen and Fraser, and sister and brother-in-law, Sarah and Gary.
Tina said: “I knew that to make a big success of a business like We Love Pets, I would need to build a team from day one, so I started recruiting as soon as I opened, and I haven’t stopped since. My daughter Jennifer was my first member of staff and should take much of the credit for helping me to get the business to where it is today, and although my husband James’ name isn’t on the paperwork, he is every bit as involved as I am too.”
But it hasn't all be plain sailing. In January 2024, James was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, something the family are tackling together.
Tina says: “Working has been great for me over the past few months, giving me something to focus on. It really helps being with the animals, getting out on walks and having the support of my clients and my team around me. James is not only my husband but also my best friend; we may not know what the immediate future looks like, but I do know that I wouldn’t be where I am today without his love and support and any success I am celebrating today is because of our teamwork.”
Explaining why she chose to buy a franchise rather than start up her own business Tina explains: “I wanted to buy into a sustainable, reliable, professional business where I could build a large team. We Love Pets stood out from the competition because of their excellent support, strong stance on pet welfare and all the things they offer. Experience has taught me that you need to be able to offer your clients a broad range of services to build and maintain a robust business.”
Ryan White, managing director of We Love Pets, said: “All credit to Tina, James, Jennifer and the rest of the team for the wonderful job they have done over the first 12 months. It is testament to Tina’s determination and dedication that despite the issues James is facing, she hasn’t taken her eye off the ball and is still doing an incredible job; we are so proud of her. We send them all our love and very best wishes and look forward to celebrating more successes with them over the next 12 months.”
