Sometimes working to pay the bills can get in the way of your true destiny and this seemed to be the case for Mark Franks. Needing work just to get by in life, for some time, Mark was struggling to find suitable employment. Passionate about dogs and a qualified dog trainer and canine behaviouralist with over 30 years’ experience, Mark decided to take matters into his own hands and seek help to start his own business. He soon found support to realise his business dream through the Australian government funded Self Employment Assistance program, delivered by BUSY At Work in his regional area of Cairns.
With mentoring support from his dedicated Small Business Coordinator at BUSY At Work, Hilde Brunnbauer, Mark has since launched Doctor Dog, a Personal Dog Training service specialising in behavioural problem solving.
Mark said of his initial journey, “Before I started this program, I was looking for work and couldn’t find it. That’s why I created work for myself. BUSY’s Self Employment Assistance has helped me in lots of ways. My mentor, Hilde, has been invaluable, not only because of her enthusiastic support of what I do but also her guidance, her honest criticism and her knowledge of digital marketing.
“Doctor Dog is a dog training business that offers a range of services and products related to all thing’s ‘dog’! The biggest challenge in my business was to make it viable. I always knew it was feasible, but I found myself ‘chasing my tail’, to use a dog analogy.”
The Self Employment Assistance program and his mentor Hilde was Mark’s answer in turning his business from feasible to viable!
Hilde said of Mark’s journey in the program, “Mark’s passionate about what he’s doing. He really loves helping the dogs that have had a hard life. They may now have a loving home, but they’ve got behavioural issues – and he really wants to help those dogs.
“Through the Self Employment Assistance program, I help small businesses to get off the ground. Participants come to us with an idea that they’re passionate about and we help them to develop a business plan and coach them throughout. We help turn their idea into a profitable business.”
Mark’s business is really gaining traction and he now spends his day doing what he loves!
“The best part of owning my own business is the flexibility of how I work, who I work with, when I work – but also the actual joy that I get out of doing what I do!
“I would encourage anybody who was thinking of starting their own business to really look into the market, see what is actually viable, not just feasible, and get as much help and advice as you can!”
Find out more about Doctor Dog and his services.
Find out more about eligibility and how BUSY At Work’s delivery of the Self Employment Assistance program can help turn your business idea into reality.
Watch Mark’s journey with Self Employment Assistance and how it helped him launch Doctor Dog.
