--- title: "Who Runs the World? Hounds Town USA Empowers Female Business Owners in a Male Dominated Industry" url: https://burnaze.com/article/1d0980f7-d573-473e-9383-e4a9962a5e99 source: "1851 Franchise" original_url: https://1851franchise.com/who-runs-the-world-hounds-town-usa-empowers-female-business-owners-in-a-male-dominated-industry-2715748 category: "Daycare & boarding" industry: "Pets" segment: "Daycare & boarding" published: 2021-05-17T20:15:00.000Z modified: 2026-11-01T02:25:24.327Z image: https://newimage.1851franchise.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=85,format=webp,width=1280,height=720/story/featureImage/8237b85ec227d8a6205e4fcbaba92a579868.jpg --- # Who Runs the World? Hounds Town USA Empowers Female Business Owners in a Male Dominated Industry **TL;DR:** Hounds Town USA, a pet care franchise, empowers female business owners in a male-dominated industry. The brand has over 28 units across the country and prioritizes inclusion and equality. *originally published in 1851 Franchise on 2021-05-17. [Read the original](https://1851franchise.com/who-runs-the-world-hounds-town-usa-empowers-female-business-owners-in-a-male-dominated-industry-2715748).* ## Key facts - 41% of new franchises in the past 24 months were women-owned - Hounds Town USA has over 28 units across the country - The brand prioritizes inclusion and equality ## Story Lauren Southard, Leslie Bottesch and Jane Banke all come from different backgrounds, but these three female franchisees do have two things in common: a love for dogs and a determination to be strong Hounds Town USA leaders. Hounds Town USA, which was founded in 2000 and has grown to more than 28 units and counting across the country, is home to the happiest dogs — and franchise owners — on Earth. Southard, Bottesch and Banke can all attest to the core value of inclusion, and they each have unique beliefs about how the brand empowers female business owners. ## Franchise history and growth The drive to franchise the successful brand came from its current CEO, Jackie Bondanza. Bondanza was a book editor and journalist when she became a Hounds Town USA customer and fell in love with the brand. When she happened to meet Mike Gould, Hounds Town USA’s founder, she asked him if he had ever considered franchising the business. Now, eight years later, she leads the system and inspires its franchise owners. “Hounds Town USA was founded on the concept of inclusion, whether that be for our four-legged guests, our employees, our customers or franchisees,” she said. “We are lucky enough to have smart and hard-charging women entrepreneurs at the forefront of our system who have helped pave the way for success not only in their own businesses, but for the entire system. As a female-focused brand, we appreciate and applaud our owners and give a special shout-out to those women owners and partners who juggle it all and make it look easy!” ## Female franchisee experiences Island Park, NY-based Southard and her dog Willie were loyal customers of Hounds Town USA before she moved away. “When I decided to move further west, I wondered why there weren’t any Hounds Town USA locations out there,” she said. “So I went to their website, and that’s when I saw the opportunity to franchise.” After seven years in medical sales, she decided it was time to make a change. But to succeed as a franchisee and female entrepreneur, Southard had to work hard to earn respect and authority from her staff and other franchise owners — and this requires striking a balance between being a friend and a manager. “You have to walk that fine line between being an authority figure and getting close with your staff members. You want to earn their respect but also respect them.” Bottesch and Banke, owners of the Hounds Town USA location in Rockledge, Florida, met in 2000 at a school where they were both working as teachers. Today, they apply their teaching experience to their role as franchisees. “In 2005 we decided to start our own child development center,” Bottesch said. “We had therapy dogs, sign language classes and offered different styles of learning. We did that for almost 16 years before realizing we needed a change of pace. There weren’t any quality dog boarding and daycare programs in the area, and we felt dogs deserved the same quality of care as the children we used to teach. That’s how we found Hounds Town USA.” Like Southard, Bottesch and Banke believe franchise owners should have strong relationships with their employees based on mutual respect. The three franchisees believe that mindset is what led them to success with the brand. “You have to be able to listen to your staff, make them feel like they are valued and make them feel more like a family. As female business owners, being a minority and understanding you’re underrepresented in this industry makes you treat others with respect,” Bottesch said. ## Industry trends and impact Franchising is undoubtedly a male-dominated industry. But times are changing; out of all new franchises that opened across multiple industries in the past 24 months, 41% were women-owned businesses. For Southard, it was easy to invest in a brand with a woman at the helm. Bondanza is not only a friend and mentor, but a role model, too. “She’s a good example of someone who has established a perfect balance between being the CEO of a company and holding franchisees accountable and being a friend that you can honestly confide in. That’s how I try to be at my location.” Southard advises future female franchise owners to embrace the same mentality and run the business in a way that reflects their role as both an authority figure and friend. Bottesch and Banke believe it’s important to focus on being educated business owners by mastering the job and strengthening the business, as well as being open to sharing their experiences with other female franchise owners. “That’s how you change stereotypes,” Banke said. “We are business owners, and we just happen to be women. It’s great to focus on having a woman-owned business in stories like these because it can inspire and empower other women.” Bottesch’s advice comes from her own personal experience. “As a female business owner, you may hear voices that make you doubt yourself. But when you keep going through the water of everyday business ownership, focus on the small wins and what you did to get closer to your goal every day,” she said. “Know you’re moving forward and moving in the right direction. Stay positive, but pragmatic.” For all three franchisees, equality is a priority within their own Hounds Town USA locations. As female business owners and leaders, they all strive to establish an inclusive and nondiscriminatory environment for their staff. “We value equality in our hiring,” Bottesch and Banke said. “We base it on ability, attitude and what individuals can contribute as people. We say this as leaders: ‘We see you. We see your kindness, your value, your work. We don’t see anything else but your character.’ And we transfer that to our clients. We embrace dogs, but we also embrace their families.” *The overall investment to open a Hounds Town USA ranges from $265,800 to $492,500 and includes a one-time franchise fee of $45,000 for a single unit. For franchising opportunities, please visit* * ## Entities - 1851 Franchise (publication) - franchise growth (topic) - Pets (sector) - industry trends (topic) - Hounds Town USA (company) - pet care (topic) - Jackie Bondanza (person) - female empowerment (topic) - inclusion and equality (topic) --- Originally reported by 1851 Franchise (https://1851franchise.com/who-runs-the-world-hounds-town-usa-empowers-female-business-owners-in-a-male-dominated-industry-2715748). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/1d0980f7-d573-473e-9383-e4a9962a5e99).