31: Building a Leading Dog Daycare in a Fragmented Industry with Alex Samios

<p>A fragmented industry has no real major players that dominate the industry. There are few barriers to entry, and it allows you to become a disruptor—<em>someone who comes in and shakes things up</em>. If you implement a platform that does a better job of meeting demand, you could be well on your way to becoming a power-player in the market. </p> <p>Alex Samios is the VP of Franchise Development with Dogtopia, the fastest growing franchise in the Pet Industry. Alex boasts over 25 years in the industry with experience on every side of franchising, from franchisee to franchisor. He shares his wealth of knowledge in this episode of Franchise Secrets.</p> <h2>Outline of This Episode</h2> <ul> <li>[0:35] Alex Samios of Dogtopia joines me</li> <li>[1:35] His background in franchising</li> <li>[4:15] Pet grooming to Health and Wellness</li> <li>[5:45] The purchase of Dogtopia</li> <li>[8:40] Acquiring a brand: Day one</li> <li>[12:30] Building a dream team</li> <li>[14:50] humanization of the dog </li> <li>[16:55] What is Dogtopia?</li> <li>[23:35] Real estate and construction</li> <li>[34:30] Managing a changing industry</li> <li>[37:55] The concept of emotional Intelligence</li> <li>[40:00] Sales process of the emerging brand</li> <li>[45:35] Alex’s final advice</li> </ul> <h2>Growing emerging franchises</h2> <p>Alex got his start working with Papa Johns as a franchisee. In 4 short years, he had grown to 34 franchise locations. After 11 years in the pizza business, he was ready for the next thing. He knew he enjoyed the emerging franchise world and launched his own franchise, which he grew and sold 6 years later. </p> <p>4 years ago, the investment group he is a part of purchased the Dogtopia franchise. At the time, it consisted of 26 locations. The founder wasn’t at a point where they could continue to grow the franchise. Alex and his fellow investors <em>knew</em> they could take this franchise and help it become a key player in the industry. </p> <p>To hear their growth projections and how he made it happen, chec