“We knew right from day one that OSCAR would give us the work-life balance we aspire to”

Nigel and Sally Bragg of OSCAR Pet Foods Bridport admit taking on a new venture during COVID-19 is an anxiety, but a "good anxiety"

“As fate would have it, our decision to take on an OSCAR resale business coincided with COVID-19 and we found ourselves launching our franchise during lockdown!” says Nigel Bragg, OSCAR Pet Foods Bridport. “A ‘second wave’ COVID-19 redundancy felt like a double-edged sword – but having experienced redundancy before (this was my fifth!) it was like water off a duck’s back and I was able to pick myself up and channel my energies into something I love.

“We first discovered OSCAR as customers ourselves, and the key thing was we knew right from day one that OSCAR would give us the work-life balance we aspire to – as well as an incentive!

“With backgrounds in sales and human resource management, we’d always valued the importance of customer care, but aside from being impressed by OSCAR’s friendly, helpful approach, we were bowled over by their product detail.

“In all honesty, with a global pandemic unfolding and unprecedented lockdown measures, the marketing side of things was certainly different from what we had anticipated.

“Luckily, both Sally and I are realists and it was just a case of getting on with it. Being newcomers to franchising, we had no preconceived ideas and I’m pleased to say we’ve done quite well.

“At the moment, out of lockdown, some of our more senior customers love the company and it’s the little things about the service they enjoy – whether it’s having their bag of food carried in, or placed somewhere convenient.

“Taking on a new venture during COVID-19 is an anxiety, but it’s a good anxiety – an energising one – and your hard work and endeavour will get you to where you want to be.”