Launch Requirements
What start-up expenses can I expect?
This depends on the business model you implement: completing training at a client’s home and/or conducting training at your own facility. Either way, you will need to attend our 3-week training course in Las Vegas. The initial fee ranges from $15,000 to $35,000 (not including the cost of travel to and from Las Vegas, meals, or incidentals).
Once you complete training, you’ll be equipped to start your business. Training equipment for your inital Sit Means Sit training is included. But budget $1,500 for equipment and supplies to get started — you’ll need a variety of supplies including: goods for resale, affiliate program kits, and branded apparel among many others.
Many SMS franchisees start by doing all training at a client’s premise or in a public venue like a public park. Other than the expenses associated with a home office, this business model lets you minimize out-of-pocket expenses and some on-going overhead expenses. There are advantages to operating from a commercial facility. Visibility is a marketing advantage. It signals stability and a higher level of professionalism. Business affairs are not interrupted as they can be in a home office so your efficiency tends to be greater when working out of a commercial facility.
If you rent a facility, you’ll have deposits with your landlord and utility providers. You’ll need office equipment and supplies, extra business permits, and more. These launch costs mount up and is what motivates most SMS franchisee to start with a home office and “grow” into a commercial structure when it enables the business to reach the “next stage” of development. But you may have no choice, as your home may not be zoned so you can operate a dog training operation there, mandating the use of a commercial facility.
