BUSINESS success stories often spring from the simplest ideas and that has proved to be the case with a home-from-home pet care service.

Lee Southern came up with the idea for her business because, while planning a holiday, she was reluctant to leave her beloved Dalmatian Bronte in kennels.

It inspired her to start Barking Mad, which gives owners peace of mind by placing their dogs in other people's homes while they are away.

Response to the business, both from pet owners and dog sitters, was so good that she was encouraged to start offering franchises in October 2002.

There are now 14 Barking Mad franchises operating across the country, from Edinburgh to Devon, and from Blackpool and North East Lincolnshire.

Growth has been so strong that managing director Lee has now sold the franchise for her home territory, covering north Lancashire, to concentrate full-time on running what has become a national concern.

An extra member of staff has been appointed, and more jobs are likely to be created in the future. Barking Mad has outgrown its base at Lee's home in Tunstall, near Kirkby Lonsdale, and she is now seeking larger premises.

Plans are in the pipeline to recruit northern and southern area managers, and a range of Barking Mad merchandise, such as towels, bowls and dog jackets, is set to be launched in May.

Lee is aiming to more than double the number of Barking Mad franchises oper-ating nationwide to 30 by the beginning of 2005.

She said that right from the start, she was convinced the business would succeed. "It was well received locally so I was not surprised that it went well, but I was surprised by the speed at which we were able to appoint franchisees."

Membership of the British Franchise Association gave the business a higher profile, and there was no shortage of inquiries from all over the country.

"One of our key objectives is to offer franchisees our complete support. They have been so successful because they have spent five days training at head office before launching in their own area and we carry out regular audits," said Lee.

"Brand awareness is crucial, particularly as we expand across the country. We want Barking Mad to become a household name, and we need to make sure that everybody is following the same procedure, wearing corporate apparel and using liveried vehicles. It's really important that everybody is providing exactly the same service."

The latest franchisee to buy into Barking Mad is Helen Hillman, who lives near Ings and is responsible for the central Lakes and Furness area. She jumped at the chance to run a business from home, after spending 13 years working alongside husband Chris at Windermere training firm Corporate Adrenalin. "I was looking for something different to do. Having lots of animals myself, the opportunity to work with them was ideal," said Helen.

She believes the business not only offers a service to pet owners seeking a temporary home for their four-legged friends, but it is also beneficial to pet sitters who take dogs into their homes. "Many of them have had dogs before, but have died and they don't want to commit to another one. This provides an ideal alternative. For many older people living on their own, looking after a dog gives them some company, which is great."