Q How is Longcroft different from other existing Cat Hotel businesses?

A It’s all about the detail. We are incredibly detail-oriented, from the choice of bedding to the materials we use in our hotel construction. Every element has been chosen for a very specific reason. Every Longcroft hotel looks beautiful, but most importantly the behind the scenes processes have been honed to perfection with animal welfare being at the forefront of our mission. We never sit still and are constantly innovating and tweaking things, which is the main reason have won so many business awards.

Q Why is Longcroft particularly suited to being a franchise?

A We structured Longcroft around our franchisees’ busy lives. Our mission is to create an enjoyable, profitable and sustainable business that is run from home on a flexible basis.

Q What support does Longcroft offer franchisees?

A Longcroft has a dedicated PR team who create a launch plan for each hotel. We use our press contacts to arrange for franchisees to get featured in the local press, on the radio and potentially TV. This ensures that their Longcroft Hotel opening gains an immediate high profile within their region. We also have an annual marketing plan which includes month by month campaigns to ensure bookings are kept at full volume. Finally we have fully designed promotional templates – for local advertising, leaflets and email newsletters for franchisees to make use of, plus a supportive network of head office team and other franchisees.

Q What advantages will franchisees have over starting their own cat hotel brand?

A Joining an established multi award winning business is a great comfort for cat owners wishing to use Longcroft hotels. This in itself is invaluable. To launch as a solo cat hotel and build these elements of your business from scratch, including creating and registering a business and domain name, building a website and social media network, designing stationery, and commissioning photographers, writers, PR and Marketing, would be very time consuming and expensive. There are other networking benefits that come from joining the Longcroft family, such as the reassurance that there’s always someone to reach out to when needed. It’s a ‘mini’ business network with those who have an intimate knowledge and understanding of your business.

Q Do you have any criteria you look for in a potential Longcroft franchisee?

A Firstly they must be personable and animal loving. We make sure we conduct all of the interviews personally and prefer it if franchisees have no previous experience as we do things so differently at Longcroft. Of course there are other elements to consider like the type of property- some properties would never obtain planning permission around the constraints of licensing etc. Planning is very involved, and can go wrong very early on which is why we take care of it. Funding is another hurdle for some people, but most of our franchisees are profitable within year two, making business plans robust and commercial loans easier to obtain.

Q I am really interested in becoming a Longcroft franchisee. What do I do now?

A Get in touch with our Franchise Team by email (franchise@longcroftcathotel.co.uk). They will guide you through our application process.