Life begins at 50

An OSCAR Pet Foods delivery franchise kick-started Nick Blakemore’s career following 23 years in the pharmaceutical industry

Nick Blakemore came across OSCAR Pet Foods at a local show and, following a sample taste test with his two Whippets, Mollie and Trevor, there was no looking back.

“That was five years ago,” Nick says. “Never far from my thoughts, OSCAR was gradually becoming a promising contender for my future, albeit the future for our dogs. “Over the years I visited the OSCAR website, keeping an open mind on what I would do when I reached the magic age of 50.”

Personal goals

50 was the age at which Nick wanted to change his career and lifestyle, pursue some personal goals, make his own decisions and enjoy more time with his family. He had spent 23 years in the pharmaceutical industry and his job involved flying around the world on a regular basis.

Nick explains: “I was tempted to follow my wife, Sarah, into teaching, but OSCAR once again came my way when a very well established OSCAR franchise business became available.

“To receive an excellent rating from the British Franchise Association was a recommendation in itself, but I knew enough about the company to want to follow up.

“The flexibility of the business offered me the opportunity to suit my plan of mixing business with pleasure and family. Having a good local community, I could see the potential to continue the growth of OSCAR in my area, and more so to share the family atmosphere, which helped me to focus my business directly on the customer and their families, ultimately fulfilling the needs of their pets.”

Key qualification

Nick gained his Ofqual qualification in companion animal nutrition, which gave him the additional nutritional knowledge to translate all the benefits of the service with even more confidence to his customers.

“Rotating my time as a magistrate, I am also able to attend local networking groups,” he says. “It’s a step outside the box of my normal approach, but the love of animals resonates with any business owner, providing me with a great platform to reach a varied audience in one session.

“By keeping a firm focus on how I want to manage my OSCAR business, I can now value the time I have for myself and my family and appreciate a different side of going to work.”