Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in pet care but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Shaina Denny, Co-Founder and CEO of Dogdrop, located in Los Angeles, CA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Dogdrop is a women & LGTBQ+ founded, venture-backed start-up based in Los Angeles with the mission to provide the best possible care to dogs and experience for their parents. Our super convenient, top-quality physical locations and monthly memberships are designed to give urban pet parents more flexible, on-demand access to quality dog care anytime, anywhere, with a brand they can know and trust no matter what city they’re in powered by technology. Our members are a new generation of dog parents who want a better quality alternative that fits their lifestyle.
Tell us about yourself
I grew up in Seal Beach, California, and now live in Los Angeles. After undergrad, I moved to Shanghai to go to business school and ended up staying in China for a few years working at early-stage tech companies such as Xiaomi/Xiaoyi and Eli Electric Vehicles. I've always been interested in businesses that stem from an idea and then something you can see in real life.
When I moved back from China, I got my miniature dachshund, Poppy. I was working from home most of the time but needed a happy and healthy place to drop her off for a few hours at a time so she could socialize and exercise. That's when I was introduced to traditional dog daycare and found many pain points (especially as an on-the-go dog parent). I know my dog deserved a better quality of care, and in all honestly, I wanted something more convenient and trustworthy. I stay true to that each day and will only provide the level of care that I expect for my own dog. I'm also motivated by our team, who continues to show up daily and surprise us but their excellent service and passion for dogs.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Dogdrop is building a better dog daycare franchise. As an emerging franchisor, it was a huge accomplishment to sell our first franchise territory to a high-caliber operator. Dogdrop has built many processes, systems, a strong brand, and proprietary technology for our franchisees, and we can't wait for them to be able to share Dogdrop with their local community of dog parents. Pet care franchises can be great investments for people who are interested in this growing market.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
It's exciting to grow your business, but with that comes passing the torch. In the early days (which are still greatly in), my co-founder and I worked on everything together. It's taken time to grow and reallocate work, and that comes with pains, but we have found great teammates with lots of expertise and experience who can help us grow and build an even better business for our members.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Work with great people - starting a business is exhilarating but can be extremely challenging, and if you're not having fun while doing it, then it won't be worth it.
- Talk to your customers - this is something I spent a lot of time doing even before we launched our first Dogdrop location. Our members have been able to provide us with insights and advantages that we would not have been able to identify from our perspective.
- Take care of yourself - as a former collegiate athlete, training, mental mindset, and nutrition has been a strong part of my background. This is one of the most valuable things I have to bring to my company. I trained to my a "founder" just as much as I trained to be an athlete. If you're not taking care of yourself, it will sneak up on you.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.dogdrop.co/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shaydenny/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/shainadenny
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shainadenny/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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