Major expansion plans for self-service dog cleaning venture

Pawfectly Clean Cymru is run by husband and wife time Mike and Josienne Hoover

A South Wales sel- service dog cleaning station venture is planning a major expansion.

Barry-based husband and wife team Josienne and Mike Hoover launched Pawfectly Clean Cymru after spotting a gap between washing a muddy dog at home and booking an appointment with a professional groomer.

The business currently operates stations at Caerphilly Mountain, Pontcanna Fields in Cardiff and Clydach Vale Lakes. It has a number of potential new locations in the pipeline, including sites in Barry and Newport. They are aiming to have 10 stations across Wales within the next year.

Pawfectly Clean Cymru has recorded more than 1,000 washes since its first station opened and is projecting turnover of more than £100,000 this year.

The couple initially funded their first installation themselves before securing a Start Up Loan through the British Business Bank, which helped fund the expansion into their second and third locations.

Without prior trading history for Pawfectly Clean Cymru, they said the funding provided a crucial opportunity to grow the business at a stage when securing finance through traditional lenders could have been more difficult.

Starting the business has been a labour of love alongside the couple holding down full-time jobs. Josienne works in educational safeguarding with Mike having a background is in finance and sustainability-focused investment

Between them, they have four children, three cats and three dogs – including Caesar, a street dog Michael rescued while living in Jordan.

Josienne said:“We loved the idea and knew we would use it ourselves, so we thought other dog owners would to,“There’s that moment after a walk when you’ve got a soaking wet, muddy dog and you know what’s waiting for you when you get home. We wanted to make that part of dog ownership easier.

“We’ve both put a huge amount of time into getting the business off the ground alongside our jobs, but seeing people use the stations and hearing how much they love them makes it all worthwhile.”

On funding from the British Business Bank, the economic development bank of the UK Government, Mike, said: “The team listened to what we wanted to achieve and took a personal approach to understanding the business.

“The funding meant we could go from having one site to building a network. Without it, we simply wouldn’t have been able to grow the business at the pace we have.”

Jessica Phillips-Harris, director for Wales at the British Business Bank, said: “Pawfectly Clean Cymru shows how a simple idea, based on solving a problem that many people experience every day, can develop into a growing business with the right support.

“Josienne and Michael have shown real ambition in taking their idea from a single site to three locations in just six months, while building strong relationships with the communities and businesses around them.

“Through the Start Up Loans programme, we’re proud to support entrepreneurs across Wales as they turn their ideas into businesses that can grow, create opportunities and contribute to their local economies.”