The Digs for Dogs team is made up of some fantastic members of both sexes, but on International Women’s Day it’s all about the girls!

We have many female franchisees from all walks of life. Despite our fight for equality, many women still face a daily battle with getting the work life balance right, more often than not shouldering the load when it comes to childcare. Several of our ladies have let their career take a back seat after taking time off to raise a family. Others have tried to be Superwoman, resulting in both their work and homelife suffering as they tried to be all things to all men.

Franchisee Carrie is just one of these people – and here is her story:

“I worked for Tesco for 17 years, starting as a Christmas temp and making my way through the ranks, eventually being promoted to Senior Night Manager. It was always hectic, particularly in Summer and at Christmas. On a good day, I’d work a 12-hour shift, but more often it was shifts of up to 15 hours. Juggling work and family life was an uphill struggle and I missed countless school plays, concerts, sports days and nativities.

I was made redundant and while deciding what to do next, I happened to see a leaflet advertising Digs for Dogs franchises –  and it was a Eureka moment. As a life-long dog lover, my shifts had meant I couldn’t have my own dog – but now I have been given the opportunity to work with them all day long – as well as being my own boss!

I started out as a host and then took a dog walking franchise and its grown from there. My son-in-law now works for me, along with my step-daughter in the holidays. The support from head office has been incredible and I’ve made lots of new friends.

What’s more, I’ve made a great success of my business. My walking franchise has grown way beyond my projection and is 25% up this year, and my home boarding side is up by £5,000 on last year. That’s serious money and it’s great to know that when I retire, I’ll be able to sell a profitable business.

The flexibility and change in lifestyle is amazing. For the first time, I have a weekends off, and I’m home every night at a decent hour.

Being made redundant was incredibly stressful – but it turned out to be the best thing that’s ever happened to me, thanks to my new career with Digs for Dogs.”