In a complete career change, Jane is leaving behind a 36-year career in the fashion industry to run her own franchise
Cat care franchise The Cat Butler has awarded a new franchisee in Radlett, Hertfordshire.
Jane Hotz, 57, has joined the growing cat care franchise to visit cats in their homes across Radlett, Shenley, Borehamwood and Elstree, Bushey, Watford, Rickmansworth, Abbots Langley and Kings Langley.
South African-born Jane said: “I was coming towards the end of a two-year contract and was asking myself if, at 57 and years of moving all over the world for my job, if I really wanted to dive back into the world of fashion or did I want to do something completely different? One of my last jobs was working in a £500m turnover a year company with 70 staff reporting directly to me which can be quite full on, so I felt I needed a change.
“A chance mention on Radio 2’s Zoe Ball breakfast show from someone who had just done their ‘two cat visits for the day’ gave me a lightbulb moment and I thought ‘I could do that!’ When I googled ‘cat care in Radlett’, The Cat Butler came up and I saw it had franchise opportunities.”
As a businesswoman, Jane did huge amounts of research into the franchise, even before contacting owner Sandra James. She shared: “I am a stickler for good grammar and, of course, presentation. I went through the website with a fine-toothed comb, checking to see if all the links worked and if it was written properly. If you are going to invest in a business, much like a garment, it is important it is well made on the inside and look great from the outside too.”
Her due diligence didn’t stop there, doing a business plan and retaining franchise specialist solicitors to review the franchise agreement.
Talking about the support she received from her franchisor as she launches her new business, Jane continued: “Sandra has been incredibly supportive from day one and made it a very slick and easy process to join the Cat Butler. I have just completed my training and feel very confident to launch my new business. Sandra has built a terrific brand and everything I have seen of it has really impressed me, from the operations manual to the CRM software and all the marketing materials including flyers, business cards, welcome home cards, and even sympathy cards for when a cat dies. She has thought about absolutely everything.”
Naturally, Cat Butlers must also be cat lovers too and Jane ticks this box with her two nine-year-old cats, George and Sophia: “My cats are my complete world, and I totally understand how stressful it can be for cats and their owners when they want to go away for a weekend or on holiday. I’ve tried everything and know that my cats are happiest when being looked after in their own home, so I’m really looking forward to providing that premium, in-home visiting service I would want for my two.”
Looking to the future, Jane said: “I’m going to spend a few months getting comfortable running my business, then think about taking on staff in some outlying areas. After all, you can’t know how to run a good business unless you’ve spent plenty of time on the shop floor.”