OSCAR by the sea

For Donna Harris a move to another part of the country was meant to be, and more so with a new OSCAR franchise business.

“Fulfilling my dream of moving from the Midlands to Cornwall was a turning point in my life,” Donna says, “I could not stay away; Cornwall made me realise that the corporate politics of the design, media and visual communications industry was becoming less of an inspiration.

“I had a keen interest in pet nutrition because my Siamese cat, Lola, suffered with chronic kidney disease, which required nutritional support. The possibility of setting up my own business using this knowledge would not only help other owners with pets in a similar situation but also give me a base for self-employment. Searching the Internet for pet health, I came across OSCAR, only to find nutritional training with a ready-made pet food business opportunity. All it took was an information pack and an OSCAR discovery meeting for me to make a commitment.” Donna says, “Franchising was furthest from my mind but OSCAR offered quality products, training and support throughout, as well as a greenfield area in Cornwall – perfect!

“A well established British company with a professional approach gave me the assurance I needed to make the move. I left work on the 8th July, relocated on the 9th July and opened my business on the 15th August, after the initial OSCAR training. However, in such a short space of time the impact of a complete change, combined with self-employment, required time for adjustment, during which OSCAR – from Head Office to neighbouring franchisees – became my family of support and I soon gained confidence.

“My background prepared me for business management and presentation, incorporating finance, budgeting and communication skills. While working in conjunction with the OSCAR system I’m establishing the OSCAR brand locally and networking with other partners, such as breeders, walkers and even local farmers. But so much of my business is evolving naturally because dog walks on the beach with Tilda-mea, my very special Beagle, become a chance to mix business with pleasure,” says Donna.

“Appreciating just how much I am enjoying my work I’m looking forward to the summer show season, which offers a great platform to meet new people. This combined with the potential my business has for further development I’m also excited about starting the COAPE Companion Animal Nutrition course in order to gain an industry recognised qualification and further my expertise in pet nutrition. By helping to improve customer satisfaction it will in turn continue to generate quality recommendations.

“If asked, I would do it all over again; fabulous job, great benefits from being self-employed and all with a complete change of lifestyle.”