Watty, Inc. dba Scenthound 4823597 | Government Grant Application

Watty, Inc. dba Scenthound | Application Preview

1. PROJECT COVER INFORMATION

Project Title: Scenthound Treasure Valley Expansion: Third Location Build-Out and Launch

Applicant Organization: Watty, Inc. dba Scenthound

Amount Requested: $350,000

Project Period: Build-out and launch period for the third Treasure Valley location (anticipated 6-12 months from award through opening and initial ramp)

2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY / ABSTRACT (1/2-1 page)

Problem / Need: Pet ownership has increased over the past decade, and many communities continue to experience constrained access to affordable, consistent pet care. Traditional grooming often concentrates on cosmetic haircuts and tends to be used intermittently, while routine hygiene and wellness habits (skin and coat condition, ear care, nail care, teeth, and gland checks) are frequently overlooked until problems become urgent and expensive. This gap contributes to avoidable discomfort for pets, higher veterinary costs for families, and lost productivity for pet owners who must address preventable issues.

Target Population / Sector: Dog-owning households in Idaho's Treasure Valley, with a particular focus on families and working professionals seeking accessible, recurring pet hygiene services. The project also supports local workforce development by creating jobs and providing structured training for pet care technicians and managers.

Proposed Solution: Watty, Inc. dba Scenthound will open a third location in the Treasure Valley to expand access to a membership-based dog hygiene and wellness model. Scenthound's approach emphasizes routine care and education for dog parents, supported by a technology platform that provides a visit-by-visit "report card" on the dog's key hygiene indicators.

Key Activities: - Secure and complete tenant improvements to a retail location, ensuring a safe, code-compliant, customer-friendly facility designed for efficient pet hygiene workflows. - Purchase and install essential equipment and initial supplies needed for bathing, drying, ear care, nail care, teeth cleaning, and related hygiene services. - Hire, train, and onboard a new team using Scenthound's structured training program; execute initial marketing to build local awareness and drive membership enrollment.

Expected Outcomes: - Increased capacity for routine dog hygiene appointments, reduced wait times, and improved access to preventive pet care across the region. - Growth in recurring membership enrollment and customer retention through a standardized, trackable care experience, with documented hygiene improvements over time.

Funding Request & Duration: $350,000 to launch and stabilize the third location through build-out, initial staffing, training, and market entry activities.

3. STATEMENT OF NEED / PROBLEM STATEMENT

Problem Description: Most pet service options in the market are either (a) traditional groomers that primarily focus on haircuts and aesthetic grooming at longer intervals or (b) higher-cost providers that may not be designed for frequent routine visits. As a result, many dog owners do not develop consistent hygiene routines, even though basic maintenance of skin/coat, ears, nails, teeth, and glands can reduce avoidable health issues. Pet owners often need an accessible, repeatable, and educational routine care pathway that fits household schedules and budgets.

Who Is Affected: Dog owners and their pets throughout the Treasure Valley. The issue is especially relevant to busy households and seniors on fixed incomes who benefit from predictable pricing and routine reminders, and to employers and the local economy as preventable pet issues can create schedule disruptions and additional costs.

Evidence & Data: Nationally, pet ownership remains high and pet spending has been resilient, including during broader economic uncertainty, indicating stable demand for essential pet services. In addition, consumers increasingly prefer subscription and membership models for predictable budgeting and recurring care. At the local level, growth in the Treasure Valley population increases demand for neighborhood service businesses, often outpacing the availability of appointment-based providers.

Current Gaps: The market has many providers for episodic grooming but fewer options designed specifically for routine hygiene and wellness maintenance, delivered through a standardized system with measurable outcomes and ongoing education. Many providers also lack technology-enabled tools that help owners understand what is changing between visits.

Consequences if Unaddressed: Without expanded access to routine hygiene services, more pets will experience preventable skin irritation, ear issues, overgrown nails, dental hygiene problems, and related discomfort. Owners may face higher veterinary bills and stress, while local service capacity constraints can worsen wait times and limit consumer choice.

4. PROJECT GOALS & OBJECTIVES

Overall Goal: Expand access to affordable, standardized routine dog hygiene and wellness services in the Treasure Valley by opening a third Scenthound location and scaling membership-based preventive care.

Specific Objectives (SMART):

Objective 1: By the end of 2026, the applicant will grow combined membership at existing Treasure Valley locations to 600 members through consistent service delivery, member retention practices, and ongoing community outreach.

Objective 2: Within 6-12 months of funding award, the applicant will complete tenant improvements, procure equipment, hire and train staff, and open the third location to the public.

Objective 3: Within the first 6-12 months of operations at the new location, the applicant will establish a recurring client base supported by monthly hygiene programs competitively priced for the majority of dog breeds that do not require frequent haircuts.

5. PROJECT DESCRIPTION / PROGRAM NARRATIVE

Project Overview: Watty, Inc. owns the rights to the Scenthound franchise and is executing a multi-location growth plan across Idaho's Treasure Valley. The proposed project funds the opening of a third retail location that delivers routine dog hygiene services and education, supported by a technology platform that documents each dog's condition during every visit. While grooming services are available when needed, the core model centers on preventive hygiene: skin and coat care, ear cleaning and monitoring, nail care, teeth cleaning, and gland checks.

Approach / Strategy: The project is designed around three factors that improve both public benefit and business viability: (1) a membership model that encourages routine preventive care instead of sporadic visits, (2) a standardized service checklist that reduces variability and improves quality control, and (3) technology-enabled reporting that helps dog parents understand their pet's condition and act early when issues arise. This model addresses a common barrier in pet care: owners often do not know what "normal" looks like for their pet's ears, skin, or nails until a problem becomes severe.

Key Activities: - Facility build-out and launch: complete tenant improvements, safety and operational layout, permitting and compliance, and customer-facing retail setup. - Operational readiness: install equipment, establish inventory of initial supplies, implement scheduling and client management workflows, and finalize service protocols. - Workforce and demand generation: hire and train employees, deliver standardized onboarding and continuous training, and execute advertising and local marketing to introduce the new location and build membership.

Innovation / Best Practices Used: Scenthound differentiates itself from conventional grooming by prioritizing recurring preventive hygiene and education. The technology platform provides a consistent "report card" each visit, helping normalize routine check-ins and enabling trend tracking over time. The membership model is a best practice for adherence and retention because it supports predictable scheduling, encourages routine, and lowers the friction of repeat purchasing decisions.

Alignment with Grant Priorities: The project aligns with common economic development and small business grant priorities, including job creation, local service expansion, workforce training, and improving access to essential consumer services. It also aligns with community wellness goals by promoting preventive practices that can reduce downstream costs and stress for households.

6. METHODS / WORK PLAN

Implementation Steps:

Phase 1 - Setup Site selection and lease finalization (if not already complete), finalize layout and contractor bids, secure permits as required, and order long-lead equipment. Establish a detailed opening checklist covering compliance, safety, sanitation standards, and operational controls.

Phase 2 - Execution Complete tenant improvements (plumbing, electrical, ventilation, flooring, bathing and drying stations, reception and waiting area), install equipment, build initial supply inventory, and configure the technology platform for scheduling, membership management, and customer reporting. Hire core staff and begin structured training prior to opening.

Phase 3 - Delivery Soft launch to validate workflows, then full public launch supported by local advertising, referral promotions, and community partnerships. Begin ongoing performance monitoring through membership growth, appointment volume, customer satisfaction, and quality control using standardized report card data.

Timeline: A realistic timeline from award to opening is 6-12 months depending on permitting, build-out scope, and contractor schedules, followed by an initial ramp period to reach stable staffing levels and recurring membership enrollment.

7. TARGET POPULATION / BENEFICIARIES

Who Will Be Served: Dog owners in the Treasure Valley seeking dependable routine hygiene services, including owners of the approximately 80 percent of dog breeds that do not require frequent haircuts but still need consistent hygiene maintenance.

Estimated Number Served: The project anticipates serving hundreds of recurring members as enrollment builds, in addition to non-member clients seeking hygiene services. The applicant's stated goal is 600 members across existing locations by the end of 2026, with the third location intended to expand total regional capacity and reduce access constraints.

Recruitment / Access Method: Clients will be reached through local advertising, community awareness campaigns, and ongoing member referrals. A clear value proposition (routine hygiene, consistent reporting, and predictable pricing) supports conversion from one-time visits to memberships.

9. ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY

Organization Mission: Watty, Inc. dba Scenthound operates to improve dog wellness through routine hygiene services, education for dog parents, and a consistent, technology-supported care experience.

Relevant Experience: The applicant currently operates existing Scenthound locations in the Treasure Valley and holds franchise rights, indicating established operating knowledge, familiarity with local market demand, and experience executing the brand's model. The business plan includes scaling membership at current locations and adding locations over the next 3-5 years, showing a disciplined growth strategy rather than a one-off expansion.

Systems & Infrastructure: Scenthound's operational model includes standardized service protocols, an integrated technology platform for visit documentation and customer reporting, and structured training for staff. These systems reduce operational risk, improve consistency, and support measurable outcomes that can be reported to grantors.

11. EVALUATION PLAN

Success Measures: Key measures include the completion of build-out milestones, opening date adherence, number of staff hired and trained, appointment capacity utilization, membership enrollment growth, customer retention, and customer satisfaction. Operational quality can be tracked through the standardized hygiene report card data collected each visit.

Data Collection Methods: Internal system data from scheduling and membership tools, operational reports (appointment volumes, repeat visits), and customer feedback mechanisms. Visit-level report card data will provide a consistent, auditable record of service delivery categories addressed at each appointment.

Reporting Frequency: Monthly internal reviews during build-out and launch, then quarterly summaries of membership growth, service volume, staffing and training completion, and customer satisfaction.

12. BUDGET SUMMARY

Total Project Budget (Grant Request): $350,000 - Tenant Improvements: $250,000 - Equipment and Initial Supplies: $50,000 - Employee Training and Advertising: $50,000

13. BUDGET JUSTIFICATION (NARRATIVE)

Tenant Improvements ($250,000): Funds will support the build-out of a retail pet hygiene facility, including construction, plumbing and electrical improvements, specialized washing and drying areas, safety and sanitation upgrades, and customer-facing reception space. This category is essential because the facility must meet operational needs for safe, efficient animal handling and comply with applicable codes and sanitation requirements.

Equipment and Initial Supplies ($50,000): This includes the purchase of core equipment required to deliver hygiene services at scale (bathing and drying equipment, stations and tools for ear care, nail care, and teeth cleaning) as well as opening inventory of consumable supplies. This ensures the location can open fully operational and maintain service standards from day one.

Employee Training and Advertising ($50,000): Training funds support structured onboarding and skills development so employees can deliver consistent, safe services and properly educate dog parents. Advertising funds support initial market entry, local awareness, and membership acquisition to accelerate stabilization of the location and ensure the public benefits of expanded access are realized quickly.

14. SUSTAINABILITY PLAN

Post-Grant Funding Strategy: After launch, the third location will be sustained primarily through earned revenue driven by recurring memberships and ongoing service demand. The membership model improves predictability of cash flow and supports staffing stability, which is a common challenge in service businesses relying solely on one-time appointments.

Revenue or Cost Recovery: Monthly hygiene programs provide recurring revenue and encourage routine visits, supporting stable utilization of staff and facilities. The applicant's broader plan to open three additional locations over 3-5 years indicates a long-term strategy to leverage shared operational learning, marketing efficiencies, and regional brand awareness.

Institutional Adoption: The project is not a temporary pilot; it is an expansion of an existing operating model with established systems. Once the facility is built and the team trained, the location becomes a permanent part of the region's pet care infrastructure.

15. RISK MANAGEMENT

Key Risks: Construction and permitting delays, hiring and retention challenges in service roles, slower-than-expected membership ramp, and competitive pressure from big-box pet stores, boutique groomers, and mobile grooming businesses.

Mitigation Strategies: The applicant mitigates execution risk through a standardized franchise operating model, documented service protocols, and structured training to shorten time-to-competency for new hires. The membership approach mitigates demand volatility by converting customers from one-time visits into recurring relationships. The technology-enabled report card and education focus differentiate the service from competitors and strengthen customer retention by making value visible at every visit.

• General Information

  Business Registration Number: 4823597

  Location: Eagle, Idaho, United States

  Length of Operation: 1-5

  Number of Employees: 11-25 Employees

  Annual Gross Income: $250k to $500k

  Annual Gross Expense: $500k to $1M

  Open to Loans: YES

• Funding Usage

  This funding will be used to open a third location: This figure consists of $250,000 for tenant improvements, $50,000 for equipment and initial supplies, and $50,000 for employee training and advertising.

• Business Plan

  We own the rights to the Scenthound Franchise. Our goal is to reach 600 members at our existing locations by the end of 2026. We wish to open 3 more locations over the next 3-5 years in the Treasure Valley. Our model is different than regular groomers. We are focused on helping dog parents to understand the importance of routine hygiene and wellness care. We have a great technology platform that gives dog parents a report card on key hygiene during every visit: We let them know the condition of their dog. We evaluate and take care of the dog's skin, coat, ears, nails, teeth, and glands during every visit. Taking care of these key hygiene areas can help your dog live 2-4 years longer on average. Also, dog owners are more likely to spend money on the self-care of their dog rather than their own self-care.

• Self Identified Competition

  1) Big Box Pet Stores such as Pet Smart. 2) Boutique Grooming Businesses. 3) Mobile Grooming Businesses. While we do offer grooming services if needed, we are focused on helping dog parents take proper care of their dog's routine hygiene needs. Our monthly hygiene programs our competitively priced to take care of the 80% of dog breeds that don't need regular haircuts/grooming.

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