Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in jewelry but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Alex Djordjevic, co-founder of PupRing, located in Berrien Springs, MI, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

PupRing is a quickly growing small business in the custom jewelry space! We turn your pet's pawprints, names, and priceless memories into wearable jewelry that can be used to take your pets wherever you go. Whether it's going to college and leaving your furry friend at home, missing your pet at work, or coping with the loss of a best friend, our mission is to give our customers peace of mind and an everlasting promise ring to those furry friends closest to us.

Tell us about yourself

I started playing with eCommerce back in late 2018 as one of the "many" online hustles I tried to do (and believe me, did, I try a lot!). I found a passion in the industry by envisioning products & ideas and turning them into a reality which was the spark in my initial eCommerce career. It took about two years of learning, failing, and trying again until I met my business partner Parth Kukreja and started PupRing together. Sadly this was right around the time when my furry friend Tippy passed away. I ended up falling in love with the idea of creating keepsakes for others who might have lost their pets and wanted a way to keep them still close. One thing led to another, and PupRing became more than just a business to me; it became a passion project that is the leading driving factor in my day-to-day life today.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My biggest accomplishment within PupRing has to be our massive success on the TikTok platform. Since November of 2020, when we created our account on TikTok, we have accumulated more than 135,000 followers, over 35,000,000 views, and generated more than 70% of our total revenue from me LITERALLY shaking my butt online lol.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

One of the biggest struggles that I had in these last few years was waking up every morning on days that are losing money and putting in the same amount of work as on days that are making money. Lots of people view entrepreneurship as an easy ride where it's all butterflies and rainbows when in fact, there will be days that you wake up and realize Facebook spent all of your ad budgets overnight. You are down a couple of thousand dollars in minutes. Yet you are still expected and required to show up and put in the work. That's what is really, really tough, but in the end, really, really rewarding.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

The top 3 tips I would give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today would, A, be to start, you will never know if the idea will work if you never try it. B, get on TikTok! It's an amazing platform with soooo many opportunities that can be taken! My wife grew 2 of her personal accounts to over 100,000 followers each in a matter of months. It's doable and very lucrative at this current time. Lastly, C, never stop learning; I had a stage where I thought, oh, I know what I'm doing. I can sit back a little and relax, and ooooh boy, was I wrong. The moment you stop learning and think things are working fine is when they go south. Never stop learning; always keep growing; that's the route to a successful business and successful life! (in my humble opinion :))

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

If you can find someone who is currently doing what you want to be doing, pay them for their time and learn from them. A good mentor will help you jumpstart your journey and help you avoid some nasty mistakes!

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://pupring.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PupRings/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pupring/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/realAlexDJ
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/realalexdj/

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.