OSCAR Pet Foods offer hope to workers fearing redundancy

For those that are reassessing their work-life balance and want the comfort of a stable income, OSCAR makes the case for why pet care is the ideal choice

The furlough scheme ends in October, and for the nine million workers furloughed as a direct result of COVID-19, the prospect of redundancy is real.

Facing an uncertain future means that finding a stable income will be high on the agenda and from past experience, OSCAR Pet Foods knows that opportunities in pet care can hold the key to finding that stable income.

Franchising tends to perform well in a recession thanks to tried and tested business models, trusted brand names, shared marketing potential and competitive trading opportunities – and the pet care sector is a shining example. Globally, pet care is one of the largest and fastest-growing e-commerce categories and being awarded essential business status throughout this pandemic means its resilience continues.

Pet care is always a popular choice. No matter how long this recession lasts, dogs still need walking and much-loved pets still need loving and feeding. In fact, with recent figures from the Pet Food Manufacturers’ Association (PFMA) confirming 9 million dogs, 7.5 million cats and 400,000 guinea pigs are owned throughout the UK, demand is at an all-time high!

This is great news for those who may well be re-evaluating their work-life balance after COVID and have the desire and energy to work their way out of a recession.

If making an investment during a recession seems daunting, it’s important to remember that franchising is seen by banks as a low-risk investment, and many UK banks have dedicated franchise units. Andy Brattesani, UK head of franchising for HSBC reports: “At the HSBC franchise unit last year, we lent 400 million in the franchising sector … and this year we will do half a billion.”

With investment security at your fingertips, finding the perfect franchise to fit your skills and lifestyle is also key.

OSCAR is much more than a franchise, it is a business format franchise – just like some of the most famous brands you know – which means it provides outstanding ongoing support, advice and training so that franchisees can grow their business with a safety net of expertise stretched out beneath them.

OSCAR franchisee, Richard Hebden, found security in OSCAR when planning his future: “… my enthusiasm, shared with fellow franchisees, helps me to grow my business quicker, with better ways to achieve results. The products are easy to talk about and by supporting a local pet rescue charity I have found yet another avenue that produces follow ups.”