Pet Business Interview - Pawsible Marketing

Filed Under Pet Business Interviews | 2 Comments

Leslie MayToday’s pet business interview is with Leslie May -the President of Pawsible Marketing. Leslie is a marketing consultant to pet business owners and helps them plan and implement their marketing strategies.

1. What kind of business do you run?

I own and operate Pawsible Marketing, a marketing firm whose core focus and specialty is helping pet business with their all of their marketing efforts and needs to grow sales and revenue. Whether a pet business is just starting out or they have an existing pet business that needs help with marketing, I can help their business achieve what they need to get to the next level, through marketing tactics like:

* marketing planning and strategy
* brand development
* marketing direction
* online and offline marketing
* viral marketing
* blogging
* public and media relations
* websites
* corporate communications programs
* advertising
* cause marketing
* new product launches
* sales and advertising collateral development
* case studies
* freelance writing
* lead generation
* trade shows, events
* and more.

2. How long have you been in business?

In 2002, I opened the doors of May Marketing, Inc., and began helping a wide variety of small to medium sized businesses with their marketing needs. Over the years, my work has helped many companies grow their sales and revenue, and become much more successful in their niche.

I have always had a love for animals and decided in 2007 to bring my marketing expertise to the pet business world through Pawsible Marketing, in hopes that I could share my knowledge and experience with other pet lovers, just like me.

3. Why did you choose to start a pet business?

It was a natural progression from my role as marketing consultant for other small/medium sized business. And I had many friends who encouraged me to utilize my marketing skills to help other pet business with their marketing needs.

4. What advice would you give someone about to launch a new pet care business?

Plan to spend time and resources on your marketing. While it may be an expense, it’s key to running, creating and keeping a business successful. You need marketing to help your business launch and grow, don’t neglect it and don’t be limiting.

5. What has been the greatest challenge in growing your business?

My greatest challenge is the long hours. Starting, growing and sustaining a successful business takes a lot of work. It’s not a 9-5 job, by any means. Like any business owner I feel that sometimes the long hours interfere with time I’d love to be spending elsewhere. For me that would be doing agility with my dogs (our favorite pastime).

6. What are the pros and cons of your profession?

Marketing is a tough business. New and innovative ways to market products or services are constantly coming to the forefront. It is a challenge to keep up with the latest means of marketing, but I really enjoy the creativity involved and learning and growing myself. And I enjoy bringing these new ideas to my clients.

7. What daily tasks do you enjoy most?

I really enjoy talking with my clients, helping them make the best decisions for their business going forward. Learning about their business, and consulting with them on key marketing directions and tactics to take is incredibly rewarding. When they succeed, I feel like I’ve succeeded.

8. If you could have done anything differently what would it have been?

I rarely look back at anything as a mistake, only a learning experience; so thinking about what I would have done anything differently, really isn’t something I think much about or dwell on. I’m optimistic, open and am always looking for what can be improved upon – no matter what it is for my business or my clients businesses.

9. Did you have a mentor or business coach? If so how did they help you?

I did have some incredible mentors throughout my career and feel I was really blessed in that area. From the time I began my career in the early ‘80s, until now, I have always had someone (whether they be a boss, peer or even a past client) that has helped me learn, grow and succeed.

10. What form(s) of marketing have you found the most effective in reaching pet business owners?

Most all of my business comes to me through referrals, MySpace, word of mouth, and through leads from my website. I may do some prospecting or cold prospecting, but only to those businesses I find or come across that I see immediate key ideas that I would like to present to and share with them.

11. What form(s) of marketing do you recommend to your clients?

What I find is that every business is different, and every business has a target audience and potential client with unique and varied attributes, wants and needs. What may work for some businesses, may not work for others. That’s why the consulting that I do with my clients in the initial stages of our relationship is so important; helping them to understand their potential client base and how to best market to them.

I always tell my clients that offering a high quality service or product, showcasing that product/service in a professional and eye catching manner, providing that service/product at a good, competitive price, along with amazing service, are the keys to any business to help them stand out from the competition, no matter what that business offers.

For those that reach a national (or even International) audience, I have seen that blogging can be an incredible tool for their business. Because an important part of marketing is relationship building, blogging is a wonderful means to build a relationship with a customer or potential customer. And blogging can be an inexpensive way to market. But there are right ways to blog and wrong ways, knowing the difference is very important.

I have also found that in this age of the Internet and the gravitation toward network marketing, referrals are a very important part of acquiring new, and sustaining current, business for any company, local, national or International. But most importantly, knowing how to gain referrals and turn them into new business is key.

12. What have you done to differentiate your business from your local competitors?

One of the reasons I started Pawsible Marketing was because there isn’t a lot of competition for this type of niche business. There are a few marketing companies that help pet businesses, but most offer specialized services or target larger pet businesses. What I do is help the small to medium sized pet business with all of their marketing needs – whether it is strategy and planning, creating a brochure or blog, or implementing any marketing tactics that may be suitable for their particular business, client or prospective client.

Thank you Leslie for sharing some great marketing tips. If you would like to find out more about Leslie you can visit her site at www.marketingmypetbusiness.com

Pet Business Interview - BloomingTails Dog Boutique

Filed Under Pet Business Interviews | 2 Comments

Carol SchwedToday we have a new interview with Carol Schwed from BloomingTails Dog Boutique. Carol creates custom dog apparel and accessories and also has a range of designer ready wear. Here is how Carol describes her family:

“We are a multi dog family, as we became actively involved in puppymill rescue. I foster for several rescue groups and accordingly, our numbers have grown. We tend to keep the more damaged cases that are puppymill rescues who would have a hard time fitting into a normal family situation. However, our dogs give us more than we give them. They are the focus of our lives and would not have it any other way. My husband is retired and I am semi-retired so we have time to pursue what we like and for me, that is my dogs and my business. I have made some great friends through my volunteering with rescue groups and they became life long friends”

1. What type of pet business do you run?
Custom Dog Clothing Boutique

2. How long have you been in the pet business?
3 years

3. Why did you choose to start a pet business?
Bloomingtails was born out of my frustration in finding well made clothing for toy breed dogs that actually fit them. I ordered and discarded many dog clothing items and finally decided I could do a better job myself in fitting toy and small breed dogs. Through trial and error I created patterns for small dog clothing in the correct proportions for toy breeds. We have now grown to the point of getting closer to being a one stop shop in that we also now carry designer lines of clothing of the higher end dog clothing available in the market. The industry has improved in its recognition of the differences in toy breed dogs and you can now find well made dog clothing in ranges from a 1 lb dog to a 100 lb dog. We specialize in small and toy breeds. With our custom line, our niche is the toy and small breed from 1 lb to 15 lbs.

4. What advice would you give someone about to launch a new pet care business?
Research, research, research. There is a lot of competition today in the pet industry and you need something that makes you unique from the thousands of pet boutiques in the market. You need to know what your target market is and what your niche is.

5. What has been the greatest challenge in growing your business?
As I am an internet based business, getting ranked and showing up in the search engines is the greatest challenge by far. I naively thought you could put up your website and people would find you. I did that and sat back and waited, and waited, and waited. Through much diligence on my part, we now are becoming a presence in the marketplace.

6. What are the pros and cons of your profession?
The pet industry continues to grow by leap and bounds so the demand is there for good quality products. The down side is that there are many pet related businesses that are competing for business. As with any upstart business, there are not enough hours in the day to do it all and it is time consuming and all absorbing at first. A business plan is an essential requirement if you are going to be successful at launching your business. Another down side is that with a home based business, you never get away from it so you have to be somewhat disciplined in deliniating some personal and family time.

7. What daily tasks do you enjoy most? We pride ourselves on our customer service which we feel sets us apart. We know our clients well, their likes and dislikes, what their sizes are, etc and designing products with them in mind is challenging and rewarding and the part I enjoy the most. We keep in regular contact with our clients and our association with them in the most rewarding. I consider them part of our extended family. I also enjoy finding new and unusual products to add to our site.

8. If you could have done anything differently what would it have been? I would have taken more web design courses sooner. There are several free interenet based SEO courses that provide a wealth of information. Also I would have started out with a marketing strategy firmly in place rather than done it on a “learn as you go basis:.

9. Did you have a mentor or business coach? If so, how did they help you? I had a mentor who is actually a competitor of sorts, she helped me with everything to finding wholesale supplies to web design. She even spent her time calling me to help me set up my website and was always there when I ran into a glitch out of my lack of knowledge about website design. People in the pet business are pretty people and pet oriented and helpful…I continue to “pay it forward” by assisting other people I meet on the forums and groups with starting their business.

10. What form(s) of marketing have you found the most effective in reaching pet owners?
Network, network, network. I belong to several breed specific forums and chat groups. Linking with other pet related (but non-competitive) websites is also useful. I do not have a big advertising budget but I do utilize one advertisement on The Pampered Puppy on a montly basis.

11. Do you offer clients incentives for giving referrals?
No but I do offer discounts to forum members. I also donate a portion of sales to rescue groups that have a link to us on their site with a link back to my site.

12. At what stage of your business growth did you choose to take on help?
As we do custom made dog clothing, when it got to the point where I realized I had a decision to make in terms of where I wanted to take Bloomingtails, it became a question of whether I sat down and made the outfits or spent time promoting the business. At that point I hired two people to sew for me. This freed me up to work on the creative end in designing new outfits and to spend time promoting the business.

13. Did you choose to use employees or independent contractors? Why?
I use independent contractors for several reasons, ie, I am a home based internet only business and did not want someone having to come to my house every day and it is common in the sewing industry to use piece work rates and the work is sporadic in terms of items are custom ordered so I would not have work to keep someone busy on a set schedule.

14. What have you found is the best way to find new staff members? I live in an area that was once the glove making capital in the leather industry. People here grew up learning how to sew. I do occasionally advertise for a home sewer in the local newspapers.

15. What have you done to differentiate your business from your local competitors?
N/A - Internet based. As far as competitors in general, we think our customer service sets us apart.

Thank you for sharing your business experience Carol! Please visit her site www.BloomingTailsDogBoutique.com to view her great range of designer dog wear.  You can also meet Carol at The Pet Business Forum if you would like more information about her business.

Pet Business Interview with Lorna from Happy Tails Canine Spa

Filed Under Pet Business Interviews | Leave a Comment

Lorna PaxtonIt’s been way too long since I brought you my last interview. This week I interviewed Lorna who is the Co-founder and president of Happytails Canine Spa.

Happytails donates a portion of proceeds from the sale of it’s products to Canine Companions for Independence, a non-profit organization that enhances the lives of people with disabilities by providing highly trained assistance dogs and ongoing support to ensure quality partnerships.

Los Angeles based Happytails sells and markets happytails spa products for the dog about town. Happytails Canine Spa Line uses the finest (better than human quality) ingredients available to pamper, sooth and beautify today’s harried hound. The products can be ordered through the company website at www.HappytailsSpa.com or by calling 1-866-HAPPY-20.

On with the interview:

1. What type of business do you run?

Happytails is a line of all natural spa grooming and wellness products for dogs.

2. How long have you been in the pet business?

Almost 4 years.

3. Why did you choose to start a pet business?

I used to work in the cosmetics/skin care industry, in product development. I started Happytails because I wanted to raise the bar in what was available for dogs. There are so many ingredients and technologies that weren’t being used in pet care products, probably due to cost, or because those ingredients just weren’t being marketed in the pet industry. We incorporate “better than human quality” ingredients in all of our products.

4. What advice would you give someone about to launch a new pet care business?

The pet care industry has expanded very rapidly in the last few years, both in the number of manufacturers and stores. Do your homework. Some sectors are saturated. Just make sure there is a market for your product or service, and if there is check out your competition. If all looks good, then go for it. Make sure you have the capital and then invest in marketing to get the word out.

5. What has been the greatest challenge in growing your business?

Cash flow!

6. What are the pros and cons of your profession?

Being a small business owner is great because there is a lot of flexibility. You get to try out lots of new ideas, and they don’t have to pass through committee before you can start. On the negative side, it’s your business and you get to deal with the not so pleasant parts as well as cash-flow, paying bills, inventory management and many other things you may or may not like.

7. What form(s) of marketing have you found the most effective in reaching pet owners?

We market mostly to pet boutiques, who them market to the consumer. But in a business to business context our most successful marketing activity has definately been going to trade shows. We attend 8-10 a year.

8. Do you offer clients incentives for giving referrals?

Yes, we offer those to clients.

9. At what stage of your business did you choose to take on help?

I have a business partner, so there have been 2 of us since the beginning. We decided to get a 3rd person about 1 1/2 years into it to help us with sales.

10. Did you choose to use employees or independent contractors? Why?

We use independent contractors. For just one employee, setting up employee payments through a bank or other avenue isn’t cost effective. Most people who work with us are part time, so for them it’s better if they handle their own taxes and it’s better for us so we don’t have to make the various tax payments out to the different government agencies.

11. What have you found is the best way to find new staff members?

We have found our independent contractors through Craigslist. It’s only $25 to post, whereas Monster.com is about $300.

12. What have you done to differentiate your business from your local competitors?

Our product line and marketing is what makes us different. First of all we take a holistic approach to the care of your dog. We create product to take care of problems both internally and externally. For example, tearstains. We have a two part solution to combat this. The first part is a topical all natural pad used to remove residue from around the dogs eyes. The 2nd part is an all natural supplement you put in your dogs food.

Also our products are very unique and “ownable”. For example - Dog Smog Remedy is a breath spray and digestive solution .. in other words, it gets rid of both bad breath and gas! While Fur Butter (or Fur Worse) is an ultra rich deep conditioning treatment for dry, damaged and long coats.

Our line is very whimsical yet our products really help dog owners solve problems that dogs face like bad breath, gas, tearstains, mattes & tangles, odors and more.

Thanks to Lorna for sharing the secrets of her success with us here at Working with Pets. If you would like a free sample of the Happytails products - look down on the left sidebar for their ad.

Remember - if you would like to share your business with us please email me at daniellechonody@gmail.com or leave a comment right here at the end of this post.

Redeeming Dogs - Dog Training Pet Business Interview

Filed Under Pet Business Interviews | 8 Comments



Tod McVickerI’m back with a new interview with successful business owner Tod McVicker who provides training and behavior modification training for dogs. Tod works with dogs in the client’s home and also offers a 2 week board and train program.   He specializes in working with puppies, dogs with phobias or obsessions, and works with owners to solve more serious issues such as grown dogs with aggression problems.   Tod’s self expressed mission is to help owners and dogs break down the walls and truly communicate.  

1. What kind of business do you run? I address dog behavior issues and training, through in home consultations and board and trains.  

2. How long have you been in business? My company, Redeeming Dogs, has been in business a bit over a year, but I have shown dogs in AKC conformation on and off since 1988.  

3. Why did you choose to start a pet care business? I have a passion for teaching dog owners true leadership, and for improving dog/owner relationships.      

4. What advice would you give someone about to launch a new pet care business? Know who you are and what specifically what you can offer - if you try to emulate what’s already out there locally, someone else’s style and approach, you won’t stand out. Also be sure you study with the best professionals you can locate, invest money in traveling to meet and training with the best 5% out there nationwide in your field of interest.     

5. What has been the greatest challenge in growing your business? Growing my business while working a regular 40 hour day job takes a lot of sacrifice of evenings, weekends, and family time.  

6. What are the pros and cons of your profession? The best feeling is making a difference in a family’s relationship with their dog (or dogs), and seeing dogs keep their homes that might have lost them without help. The worst feeling is sometimes knowing the client is not committed to making the changes they must make to help their dogs.  

7. What daily tasks do you enjoy most? I love teaching a dog to walk on a leash correctly that has never known how. It usually takes just a few minutes and makes the owners very happy.   

8. If you could have done anything differently what would it have been? I feel the Lord brought me to this at the right time in my life, I’ve made some mistakes but learned valuable lessons through them. So I would not change anything.   

9. Did you have a mentor or business coach? If so how did they help you? I joined the International Association of Canine Professionals, the IACP ( www.dogpro.org), soon after starting my business. I have been mentored by several of their most experienced trainers, among them Martin Deeley, past president of the IACP. My contacts in the IACP, and the professional relationships formed there, have made all the difference in the success of my business.  The IACP is for trainers, behaviorists, groomers, pet sitters, any type of dog professional.      

10. What form(s) of marketing have you found the most effective in reaching pet owners? Most of my business comes from dog owners that go to Cesar Millan’s website after they have watched the “Dog Whisperer” program on the National Geographic Channel. His site links folks to the IACP website, and then by doing a local search for help on that site they find local professionals like myself. I also get a fair amount of business from referrals, and some from the advertising on my vehicle. I get customers also by simply taking one of my dogs to Starbucks and hanging around outside, people love my dogs and end up calling me for help with their dogs.        

11. Do you offer clients incentives for giving referrals? I will refund a client’s consultation fee fully if they send me 5 clients.  

12. At what stage of your business growth did you choose to take on help? My wife does the website construction and maintenance, and the business side - I do the training and advertising. That’s it, no other employees.     

13. What have you done to differentiate your business from your local competitors?  I put a great deal of thought into why I want to do this, what my company was formed to do, and then I pursued excellence in those areas. I don’t sell clients dog training, I create a relationship with them, help them, and the work flows from there. I don’t try to isolate my personal life, my faith, or my interests from the business, who I am comes through on my website and during my appointments with clients. People come to me because they want to deal with a person, not a chain or a franchise .  

If you would like more information about Tod’s business and training methods please visit his site at www.RedeemingDogs.com.

Please leave your comments on this interview and let me know if you have any questions that you would have like to see Tod answer. If you have suggetsions for future interviews please email me at daniellechonody@gmail.com  banner

Unusual Pet Care Business - Pet Photographer

Filed Under Pet Business Interviews, Unusual Pet Careers | 7 Comments



Today I found a great interview with a pet photographer - Jamie Pfughoeft in the Seattle Times in their nwjobs section where they profile interesting careers. Jamie shares some fantastic information about how she became a pet photographer, the equipment she uses, what at typical workday looks like for a pet photographer, and how much competition there is in the pet photography market.  She also shares some tips on getting started as a pet photographer and her favorite resources.  You can find the complete interview at Seattle Times nwjbos.

Pet PhotographyMy first pet sitting client was a cat photographer (Helmi Flick) who needed me to look after her cats while she travelled to cat shows around the country to photograph cats for breeders attending the shows. She took some great pictures of my cats that I love and hang proudly in my office. Here is one of both my Burmese kitties - Cozzy and Bouie.

Since taking my photos almost 4 years ago she has been invited to international pet shows and her photos have been featured on the cover of Cat Fancy magazine several times. Her business has grown in leaps and bounds.

Pet Photography is a specialized field as taking photos of pets required patience - pets don’t like to sit still for photos and have to be coaxed into position using toys or other distractions.

Pet photographers don’t only cater to the pet owner and breeder market but are also needed for commerical photographs that are used for pet product advertising online and in magazines, billboards, and on product labels.  As the market for pet services and products grows so does the demand for great pet photos.

If you are interested to find out more about pet photography be sure to read the interview with Jamie at Seattle Times nwjbos

« go back — keep looking »