With several excellent DogWatch Dealership opportunities currently available, we have been thinking about the attributes of successful DogWatch Dealers. According to “Married to the Job (And Each Other)” a February 14, 2011 Wall Street Journal article, “about a third of all family businesses are husband and wife teams.”  The article refers to these working spouses as ‘copreneurs,’ noting that “many couples say the complimentary personalities that brought them together make them logical business partners.”

It’s probably not surprising that copreneurs have a significant presence in the DogWatch Dealer network and are at the center of many successful Dealerships. Chicago, Atlanta, Pittsburgh and Columbus, Ohio are but a few of the many markets where husband and wife owned DogWatch Dealerships have been recognized for outstanding sales growth and customer service.

Glenn Muske, a small business specialist who has studied coprenuers for 15 years, says that while not every couple is cut out for the demands of running a business together, others are perfectly suited to becoming business partners. These couples are “so in sync with one another that the business becomes an extension of the relationship…Those couples succeed as business partners because they bring trust, communication and commitment to the table.” Muske adds that these successful copreneurs have “clearly defined roles within the company and consider the business a ‘way of life’ that gives them more flexibility as a family.”

Liz and Jack Goetz, receiving their “Top Dog” Award at the 2015 DogWatch Dealer Meeting

Jack and Liz Goetz of DogWatch of Greater Pittsburgh didn’t initially set off to become copreneurs. While the decision to enter into the pet containment business 13 years ago was a joint one, Liz kept her job as a CPA while Jack ran the new business. After working on a five-year plan, Jack decided he needed to hire help to run the office and manage customer service while he traveled to customers’ homes for estimates, worked with the dogs and trained his installers. Jack was surprised when Liz told him, “How about me?” While her previous job was more focused on number crunching than answering phones, Liz quickly excelled in the customer service role, and the Goetz team grew to be one of DogWatch’s top-selling Dealers. While they try to keep their work and home life separate, the nature of working with dogs means that “shop talk” can actually be enjoyable. Some of their clients have come back to DogWatch of Greater Pittsburgh for their second or third dogs, and Jack and Liz love seeing these generations of family dogs and knowing that they have helped keep them happy and safe.

The West Family of DogWatch of Columbus

Like Jack and Liz, Emily and Pat West of DogWatch of Columbus didn’t start off as copreneurs but once they joined forces, they found out that they were a great team at work as well as at home. Describing themselves as outgoing “people people,” the Wests both enjoy interacting with their clients. Pat is often the one going out in the field for estimates and installs, while Emily works in the office, handling customer calls, managing finances (she was also a former CPA!) and maintaining DogWatch of Columbus’ active social media presence (on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram, among others). A recent home show gave the couple the opportunity to meet with current and new potential customers together, which they both enjoyed. “We both help each other out all the time, picking up the ball for each other to help keep the business running and growing,” says Emily. “Plus I’m really good at remembering people’s names, while Pat is great at remembering all the names of our clients’ dogs, so together, we’re the perfect team!”

Would you and your “other half” make good Copreneurs? Do you know someone else who is looking for this kind of opportunity? Northern New Jersey is one example of an available market that is well suited to a dog-loving ‘Copreneural Couple’ with strong customer service skills. For more information about New Jersey or other opportunities, contact Charlie King at (800) 793-3436 ext. 616 or charlie.king@dogwatch.com or go to our website.