Training and support

In business for yourself, never by yourself

From your first day of training to the day you take on your tenth team member, there is always someone in your corner who has done it before.

Do I need pet care experience?

No. Most of our franchisees had never worked with animals professionally before they joined. Nurses, teachers, bankers and retail managers have all built successful branches.

Before you open, your training gives you the Level 2 Canine Care Award, the We Love Pets Certification™ in Dog Care, Cat Care and Small Animal Care, and pet first aid. What matters far more is a genuine love of animals and a reliable, caring nature, and that's something we can't teach.

Do I need business experience?

No. Plenty of our franchisees had never run a business before. Your training covers pricing, winning customers, recruiting a team and managing your finances, and the systems, policies and templates are already built for you.

After that, our support team, Business Reviews and Planning and a network of 115+ franchisees are there to help with every decision. As Mark in South Cambridgeshire puts it: “I'm not naturally entrepreneurial, but I've learned that resilience, determination and a willingness to keep improving matter just as much.”

Your support, step by step

Here is how we take you from wherever you are today to running a business you're proud of, and what stays with you once you're up and running.

Step 1

Before you launch

Help securing your funding through our pre-approved Start Up Loan route, then full business training and animal care training, including the Level 2 Canine Care Award, the We Love Pets Certification™ in Dog Care, Cat Care and Small Animal Care, and pet first aid from our sister company, Dog First Aid Training.

Step 2

Your launch

Your online presence, Google Business Profile set-up and optimisation, a launch campaign for your territory, Meta and Google advertising and SEO support, so enquiries start arriving from day one.

Step 3

Every month after

Regular support calls throughout your first year, Business Reviews and Planning, a resource and support hub, your personal CPD programme, live training sessions and webinars, and the annual conference, including your yearly first aid refresher.

Step 4

As you grow

Recruitment, onboarding and HR support for your first team members, and high-potential programmes if you want to build beyond the VAT threshold.

 

Training

Everything you need to know, taught properly

Your training covers both halves of the business: caring for animals brilliantly, and running a profitable business.

Animal care

  • The Level 2 Canine Care Award
  • We Love Pets Certification™ in Dog Care
  • We Love Pets Certification™ in Cat Care
  • We Love Pets Certification™ in Small Animal Care
  • Pet first aid from our sister company, Dog First Aid Training, with refresher training every year at our annual conference
  • Behaviour, welfare and safe handling

Building your business

  • Sales, pricing and winning your first customers
  • Recruiting, onboarding and leading a team
  • Finance, compliance and planning for growth

Free, unlimited online training, exclusive to We Love Pets franchisees

Every franchisee gets free, unlimited access to online courses with our sister company, Animal Ed, including a suite of courses created specifically for We Love Pets.

Learning that keeps going

Once you're open, every franchisee has a personal CPD programme, with live training sessions throughout the year, regular webinars from our Director of Education, vets and dog trainers, and the annual conference, so your skills keep growing alongside your business.

We Love Pets team member handling a small animal during training

WLP Connect

Your whole business, in your pocket

WLP Connect is our own business software, built around the way a pet care business actually runs. A single dashboard shows you how your business is doing at a glance, and AI suggests the most profitable routes and services, so you can spend your time with customers and their pets rather than on admin.

Franchisees get it at a discounted rate of £30 a month.
  • A business dashboard to manage everything in one place
  • AI-suggested profitable routes and services, so every day earns as much as it can
  • Rotas and bookings for you and your team
  • Automatic invoicing, so you stop chasing payments
  • Staff pay and tracking, with simple check-ins at every visit
  • Your customer pipeline, so every enquiry is followed up
 

People in your corner

Someone at the end of the phone when you need help

Our support team is focused on helping you reach your goals. In your first year you'll have regular support calls, alongside Business Reviews and Planning tailored to what you want from your business.

You'll also have buddies and mentors who have run their own branches, and someone at the end of the phone whenever you need help.

Your resource and support hub takes care of the paperwork that worries most people when they go it alone. It's all there, ready to use:

  • Health and safety policies and procedures
  • Contract templates
  • Terms and conditions
  • Insurance details

For the moments that can't wait until Monday, there's 24/7 veterinary advice, plus access to a 24/7 HR and health and safety support line at massively discounted rates. So when a dog you're boarding is unwell at 11.47pm, you're not on your own.

We Love Pets support team with franchisees
 

Community

115+ franchisees who've been where you are

One of the biggest advantages of franchising is that you're not building alone. Whether you're launching your business or scaling a team, there's always someone who has faced the same question and is happy to share what they learned.

  • The franchisee WhatsApp community for quick answers, any day of the week
  • PawTal, our franchisee portal for resources, guides and updates
  • Webinars and events throughout the year
  • The annual conference, where the whole network comes together
We Love Pets franchisees laughing and chatting together at the annual conference
Corrina, owner of We Love Pets Braintree

“From helping me secure my business loan, to my training at Fritton Lake, and those first nerve-wracking days waiting for the phone to ring, I never felt like I was doing it alone.”

Corrina

Former teacher of 30 years, We Love Pets Braintree

Mark, owner of We Love Pets South Cambridgeshire

“The support from the WLP family has ensured that there's always someone to turn to, always someone who's faced a similar challenge in their franchise journey, and this is a great comfort.”

Mark

We Love Pets South Cambridgeshire

Bryan, owner of We Love Pets Livingston

“Starting alone can feel overwhelming. Making the leap into franchising was one of the biggest decisions I've ever made, but it's also been one of the best.”

Bryan

Former retail manager, We Love Pets Livingston

Training and support questions

See the full support package

Our free Franchise Information Pack sets out the training, the systems and the support in detail, and a chat with Jasmin is a relaxed chance to ask us anything. No pressure and no hard sell.