Country Living - The Whippet Hotel

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DREAM
BUSINESS
The Whippet Hotel
THE DOG HOTEL
OWNED BY
A passion for pets inspired one ex-office worker to set up a smallscale home-boarding service in the West Sussex countryside,
offering her canine guests everything they could wish for
WORDS BY RUTH CHANDLER
ASK CAROLINE YOUR QUESTIONS
AT 1PM ON 23 SEPTEMBER 2014.
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october 2014
LAUNCHED
January 2013
TALENTS BEHIND
THE BUSINESS
PHOTOGRAPHS BY ALUN CALLENDER
reshly baked biscuits, luxurious beds,
bespoke accessories and access to a private
500-acre estate: perks that any boutique-hotel owner
would be proud to offer their guests. But these benefits
come as standard at the establishment run by Caroline
Patey-Johns, who is passionate about catering for the
needs of her canine clients. Based in a semi-detached
tile-hung cottage in the West Sussex countryside, which
she shares with her partner Ben, daughter Robyn, 19, and
son Charlie, 16, Caroline earns an income by caring for
other people’s pets while they are away.
“The idea came to me after doing a dog-grooming course
and being made redundant from my job at a financial
services recruitment company,” says Caroline, sitting at
her kitchen table, as Basil – one of her whippets along with
Flippit and Seb – rests his chin on her knee. She strokes his
silky-smooth blonde ears and continues: “I found that fellow
owners were as reluctant as us to go on holiday and leave
their dogs in a large-scale kennel – there was a gap in the
market for a home-boarding business in my area. Initially,
I offered to look after small dogs, but limited our intake to
sighthounds, a group that includes whippets, greyhounds
JOIN OUR TWEETCHAT
Caroline Patey-Johns
Being good with
animals, a flair
for social media,
organisational skills
and lurchers – as they share the same gentle temperament,
so would get on with our three. I also wanted to keep to a
manageable size and decided on an average of five guests.”
Indi, a small blue whippet with patches of white fur and
particularly soulful brown eyes, is Caroline’s most frequent
visitor, arriving at 8am every weekday to enjoy the hospitality
on offer as her Brighton-based owner drops her off on the way
to work. Most of Caroline’s business is from holidaymakers,
however. The combination of The Whippet Hotel’s proximity
to Gatwick Airport, its growing reputation and strong
presence on Twitter and Facebook means that her bookings
come from as far afield as Berlin. “Some people travel from
abroad to see family and leave their dogs in our care, while
others bring them on the way to catching their flight.”
Set-up costs for this kind of enterprise are low – Caroline
used around £3,000 of her savings to prepare her home
to receive canine visitors. The largest outlays were the
installation of wooden gates to secure the garden from
the drive that leads to the farm – two to create a vestibule
in between, which provides another layer of security – and
adding closed-board fencing around the perimeter – though
the cottage’s position away from a busy road makes its
location ideal. Additional purchases since opening include
tags that read ‘Guest of The Whippet Hotel’ and bear its
telephone number and postcode (in case a dog bolts on a
walk), and the design and printing of business cards. She
also needed to take out general liability insurance to cover
any accidental damage to her house and its contents,
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october 2014
63
and obtain a home-boarding licence from the local council.
“There’s very little regulation in this industry, so you have
to rely on your common sense and understanding of a pet’s
needs to ensure you’re offering a good service.”
Within the first few weeks, Caroline felt confident about
the appeal of her business: dozens of owners booked their
pets into the small-scale home-boarding service, relieved they
no longer had to ask family members to look after their dogs
and willing to pay £20 for an overnight stay so they didn’t
have to use large impersonal kennels. The fact that Caroline
is happy to cater for every whim only increases its popularity:
“If a dog sleeps on its owner’s bed and they want it to do so on
“I enjoy getting
to know the
nature and quirks
of each dog”
ours, that’s absolutely fine.” And regular visitor Stanley must
always have his daily treat of a chew – his steady stare at the
customary time means there’s no risk of this being forgotten.
“I love getting to know each dog’s idiosyncrasies,” Caroline says.
She begins each day by serving her guests breakfast using
food provided by the owners – “It’s never a good idea to switch
to a different kibble, just in case it doesn’t agree with them”
– and takes them into the garden, two at a time so she can
keep an eye on their behaviour. With the help of Robyn, she
walks the dogs twice a day on the lead through the land of
the nearby farm. Then there is time for administrative tasks
such as taking bookings, responding to enquiries and billing
clients, plus social media, and tea at 6pm. Due to the nature
of her business, she works a seven-day week and must be
at home during all that time except for the occasional two
or three hours when Robyn or Ben can step in. Does she
feel trapped? “Never. I love being based at home and it still
doesn’t feel like a job,” says Caroline, as she removes a tray
of freshly baked peanut butter bone-shaped dog biscuits
from the oven. “I’ve been asked in all seriousness by dog
owners whether we can take human guests. They like the
idea of a restful retreat complete with the soothing company
of whippets! We might consider it one day.”
For more information about The Whippet Hotel,
call 01444 258339 or visit thewhippethotel.co.uk.
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october 2014
THE PATH
TO SUCCESS
What has been your
biggest challenge?
Social media. I knew it would
help me make a success of my
business, but I didn’t understand
how to use it. Robyn and
Charlie helped and I initially
invested four hours a day on
Facebook and Twitter. Now I’m
much quicker and receive about
70 per cent of my business
through these networks. Plus,
anxious owners can log on
to see pictures of their dogs
and feel reassured.
What do you wish you’d known
before starting?
That so many people wanted
this kind of service. I was
prepared for quiet spells but it’s
been busy from the start and
we’re booked five months ahead.
What are you most proud of?
Hearing from a Brighton-based
woman to whom my business
had been recommended by
three different Whippet Hotel
clients. I also had a booking
from someone in London who
had heard about us from a
fellow sighthound owner while
walking her dog on Hampstead
Heath and another had a
recommendation in Hyde Park.
What do you love most about
your job?
Earning a living working
from home in the countryside
surrounded by my favourite
kind of animal. I really couldn’t
ask for much more and I’m
aware of how lucky I am.
Do you have any advice for
CL readers who would like
to do the same thing?
Specialise in a particular breed
or family of animal. Sighthounds
are non-confrontational, so
there is less chance of conflict
than with some other dogs.
There is a natural limit for
the business – the maximum
number of pets you can take
in comfortably – so work out
if you can make a living based
on this before you begin.
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Simple steps for
SUCCESS
Keen to offer a pet-boarding service or looking
for a new pastime? We asked the experts for their
tips on how to make the most of your talents
GET
STARTED
Fiona Davies,
business manager
of Women in
Rural Enterprise
(WiRE), shares her
practical tips for turning
your ideas into a reality...
TRY TO BE OBJECTIVE
Retain your business head
– it’s easy to forget about profit
when looking after pets, as they
inspire so much warmth and
affection in us. Remember that
you need to earn a living.
GAIN NEW SKILLS
There aren’t any specific
qualifications required for
working with dogs or other
pets; however, this doesn’t
mean you shouldn’t grasp
any opportunity to gain a
kitemark, certificated practical
experience or a diploma,
which will all prove your
passion and conscientiousness.
LEARN ABOUT PETS Reading
widely to gain an understanding
of canine communication and
behaviour patterns will make
your work easier and is a great
way to attract new customers.
ABIDE BY THE LAW As the
business owner, you should be
aware of the legal and practical
issues concerned. Read all
66
october 2014
relevant parts of the Animal
Welfare Act 2006 (search the
title at legislation.gov.uk) and
reference it in your marketing
material – it will be a comfort
to pet owners that you
understand the regulations.
Ensure you have the correct
insurance and have all
eventualities covered.
DO THE PAPERWORK Any
facility looking after animals
must hold a licence that has
been granted by the local council
under the Animal Boarding
Establishments Act. This will
ensure you have achieved the
national standards regarding the
space per dog, health and safety,
disposal of waste, feeding, illness
and accident reporting.
GROW YOUR HONE YOUR
BUSINESS
TALENT
Nigel Baker, chief
executive of
trade association
Pet Industry
Federation
(petfederation.co.uk),
advises how to take your
enterprise to the next level...
SET UP A SHOP Bring in extra
income by selling luxury canine
accessories, toys and treats that
customers can reward their dog
with at the end of their stay.
PROVIDE SERVICES Become
qualified in grooming on a City
& Guilds course and offer to
pamper pets while they are in
your care. Services could range
from a wash and dry to pedicures
and full-body treatments. Find
courses at petfederation.co.uk.
BE PERSONAL Make a note
of each dog’s birthday and send
a card or gift, using a photo of
the customer’s dog or their
name. A little investment will
result in loyalty and a more
secure income. Treat clients
well and they will return to you.
ENCOURAGE
RECOMMENDATIONS
Introduce a referral rewards
scheme so your satisfied
customers will encourage their
friends to use your business, too.
Whether you want to start a
business or develop a skill,
there’s a course for you...
JAN FENNELL, THE DOG
LISTENER, NATIONWIDE
Jan’s trained Dog Listeners
teach foundation courses in
her approach called Amichien
Bonding, which is a way for
owners to understand and
address canine non-medical
behavioural problems and assert
your position as pack leader.
Online sessions and other courses
to become a professional trainer
are also available (01724 761764;
janfennellthedoglistener.com).
THE COLLEGE OF ANIMAL
WELFARE, NATIONWIDE
Discover how to become a
professional dog groomer,
animal handler, care worker
or RSPCA inspector, and gain
City & Guilds qualifications at
this dedicated learning centre
(01480 422060; caw.ac.uk).
TRUFFLE HUNTERS DOG
SCHOOL, SOMERSET Marion
Dean shows you how to train
your hound in unearthing these
culinary treasures by scent work.
Advanced sessions to enable dogs
to work in a commercial setting
are also offered (01935 824316;
trufflehuntersdogschool.com).
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