What happens when a former Navy officer takes over a pet daycare business? You get a masterclass in how to scale with systems and processes examples that work in the real world.
Meet Layamon Bakewell, who traded his 19-year Navy career for the world of luxury dog daycare. When he and his wife acquired Pets in the City in Auckland, New Zealand, they inherited a business with three locations and 50 staff members—but virtually no documented systems.
The Excel Spreadsheet Nightmare
Like many growing businesses, Pets in the City was drowning in manual processes. The most telling example? Customer inquiries were managed entirely through Excel spreadsheets.
“When we opened Pets in the City of Silverdale in 2020, we used to manage all our customer inquiries in an Excel spreadsheet,” Layamon recalls. “It’s hilarious thinking back now how we could even do that because even then we’d get 15 to 20 inquiries a day.”
The franchise system existed, but it lived in two-ring binders gathering dust in corner offices. For someone accustomed to military-grade documentation and checklists, this was a shock. Without proper systems, scaling was impossible.
The SYSTEMology Discovery That Changed Everything
The turning point came through a friend’s recommendation. After listening to the entire SYSTEMology audiobook in one day, Layamon had his lightbulb moment.
“It was like a bit of a light bulb moment to go, wow, all the stuff that’s been going on in my head about how I want to run this business, but didn’t know how to articulate it, has been written into this book (SYSTEMology).”
This discovery set him on a path that would transform not just his operations, but position the business for aggressive franchising growth.
Building Systems That Actually Work
Layamon’s systematic approach to transformation focused on practical implementation:
- Customer Journey Mapping: Documented the complete process from initial inquiry to lifetime customer using HubSpot CRM
- Staff Onboarding Integration: Embedded key systems into position training and performance management processes
- Mobile-First Documentation: Implemented QR codes and iPad access since 80% of staff work with dogs, not computers
- Regular Review Cycles: Established quarterly performance reviews with leadership development components
- Simplicity-First Philosophy: Kept all systems deliberately simple to ensure team adoption and execution
The key was making systems accessible where work actually happens, not hidden away in software that most team members never touch.
Measurable Results and Franchise-Ready Growth
The transformation delivered concrete outcomes that positioned the business for scale. Most importantly, Layamon achieved the ultimate goal: stepping back from daily operations. “Two days a week I work from home at the moment and work on the business, and I could only get to that point by having really robust systems in place that my team all know and understand.”
The business now operates with military-level precision while maintaining the personal touch that luxury pet care demands. Systems created the foundation for upcoming aggressive franchise expansion.
Key Lessons for Scaling Any Business
- “Keep it simple” – Fight against complexity creep that naturally occurs in growing businesses
- “Just do it and set time aside every week” – Consistent small efforts compound better than sporadic large pushes
- “Don’t be afraid to try something. If it’s wrong, change it” – Systems should evolve; perfection isn’t the goal
- “You will always work in the business unless you start systemizing” – Systems are the only path to working on rather than in your business
- “A business without systems has nothing to sell” – Systems create transferable value and intellectual property
The most powerful insight? Systems aren’t just operational tools—they’re value-creation engines that make businesses sellable and scalable.
The Bottom Line
Layamon’s journey from military structure to pet business success proves that systematic thinking applies across any industry. His approach demonstrates that with the right framework, any business can transform from chaotic operations into a scalable, valuable enterprise.
“Systems create value and our IP is tremendously important at Pets in the City, but a business without systems has nothing to sell.”
Ready to Scale Your Service Business Like Layamon?
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