Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in pet care but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Webster Polk, owner of BOOP Seattle, located in Seattle, WA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
BOOP Seattle is a dog walking and pet service business in Seattle Washington. We provide a safe, positive, and personal service to pet owners needing assistance in caring for their pets. Our primary focus is on group off leash dog park outings. We value creating long lasting connections and relationships with both the client and their animal. There is a saying here in Seattle that there are more dogs here than there are children. I am not sure how true this is, but if you are a pet owner, then you understand that we are being trusted with a member of the family. Our philosophy is to provide safe and positive opportunities for dogs to play and socialize. Managing smaller groups to off leash dog parks throughout the city allows for us to help them fulfill the experience of socialization as well as getting some much-needed exercise.
Tell us about yourself
I originally got into Dog Walking somewhat serendipitously. I was taking some time off and in between jobs and contemplating what direction I thought I would want to go in. This is when a friend of mine who was a dog walker reached out to ask if I could help her out so that she could take some time off for a vacation. This felt like a fun and easy way to make a little cash while I was still looking for something more permanent. Word had quickly spread through the dog walking community and others started asking me to fill in while they went on vacation. I guess you could say I was subcontracted. At some point, they just started asking if I was accepting new clients so they could send referrals in my direction. I thought it wasn’t a bad part time gig while I was searching for my next big career shift. That was 8 years ago and I have been doing it ever since. Since then, the business has grown from just me and a bus pass to a small fleet of vehicles, employees, increasing coverage to larger portions of the city of Seattle, and then to the point I now can be a mentor for someone starting their own small business.
Being a business owner is difficult. But I enjoy the challenge that each day brings. There are so many different tasks that need to be done that every day brings something new. I have always been interested in interdisciplinary practices in businesses and jobs that I have held. So, it would make sense I was drawn to something like owning my own business. Here I am a Marketer, content creator, photographer, accountant, designer, HR, Boss, and yes, dog walker. There are rarely no two challenges that are the same. And at the end of the day, the relationships I have built with clients and their animals brings so much joy.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I can’t express the amount of pride I get from having built a business from the ground up. And to have accomplished enough that I can share my knowledge and be a mentor to others. It has been a journey that has shaped me as a person.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
When you talk to someone who doesn’t have their own business, they’re always commenting on how hard they imagine it to be because of the bazillion different things they imagine going into owning a business. They aren’t wrong. There are so many things that you must juggle and be versatile enough to handle. So, I don’t think this answer will surprise anyone, but the hardest thing with being a business owner for me is managing that work/life balance. As the owner there is always so much more at stake and your brain doesn’t always get the memo that you’ve clocked out.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Know your worth! This is the biggest thing I struggled with in the beginning. And I still must remind myself at times even now. This will shape how you conduct your business, your client/vendor relationships, your finances, and your time. Please don’t undersell yourself, your talents, or your time.
- Always keep learning. There will always be things that will help your business grow, improve efficiency, strengthen its core values, and bring more joy to what you are doing. Think of your business as a classroom that, I can guarantee, will teach you new things all the time.
- Community is key. As a new business you will need support in a lot of different ways. Find mentors. Find your community. It’ll help you in ways you can’t imagine.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.boopseattle.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BOOPseattle
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boopseattle/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/boop-seattle/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.