Pet Food Innovators

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in pet care but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Dean Triandafellos, Co-Founder of ROAM PETS, located in Long Branch, NJ, USA.

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

Our Business is ROAM. ROAM was created to provide pet parents with an alternative to the industrially farmed chews and treats on the market. Our only focus is on sustainable novel proteins like Ostrich, Venison, Crocodile, Wild Boar, etc. We traveled the globe for three years in search of true free-range novel proteins, animals that feed and hydrate themselves. They are not fed by humans, which means no GMOs, no antibiotics, no growth hormones, etc. Our end users are dedicated, loving, and concerned pet parents.

Tell us about yourself

We were involved in the pet industry for decades. We started seeing a trend toward supply chains that had no due diligence in their purchases of chews and treats. We saw the lack of attention spent on quality and more attention spent on lowering the cost. This led to more recalls and low-quality products on the market than we have ever seen before. We started ROAM based on three pillars. What we do and what we sell has to be Good for Pets, Good for People, and Good for the planet. Our focus was not on the bottom line but instead on the highest quality ingredients, low carbon footprints, ethical sourcing, and of course, partnering with our employees and associates in a happy pet-focused environment. To know that the product we sell is of amazing quality, and for every ROAM item purchased by responsible pet parents, it means a little more attention to our environment--these are the things that motivate all of the ROAMers to get up and work hard.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I believe our biggest challenge and accomplishment is that we stuck to our original mission statement. We were faced with so many "shortcuts" that would have saved time and money, and honestly, in business, they are tempting paths to take, but we stayed true to our mission, and it's paying off when we read and hear of the wonderful comments our pet parents relay to our team.

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

One of the hardest operational challenges comes in finding the right team of dedicated and passionate people. The company succeeds on its people, we have searched and interviewed for years, and we have the most amazing core team. The time needs to be put in to find the correct personnel, but when you do, it's worth all the resources and then some.

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

Have a sustainable business model; make sure to plan out as much as possible before you begin a company or even a project. Impulse can be good but easily leads to poor planning. That can kill a business before it gets started.
Make sure you have the correct funding for the company/project. Plan out the budget, then add to that. Some great ideas never came to fruition because of inadequate funding. I have seen companies close their doors because business was too good and they couldn't fund the growth.
Pick the right people so you can wake up and go to work with a smile; we feel if it's in person or on a Zoom call, we are getting together with friends--friends who work hard! Enjoy what you do and who you do it with.

I would recommend the pet industry to anyone as it's a fantastic business to be in, especially if you're a pet lover like us!

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.roampets.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/roampettreats/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roampets/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/roam-pets/

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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