Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in pet care but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Todd Sands, owner of Animal Station, located in Centerburg, OH, USA.

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

Animal Station is a locally owned and operated feed store drive-thru. We have been at our current location for the last 18 years. We are expanding our "store" area to accommodate more items that will be for human consumption as we are located feet from the Heart of Ohio Trail. The Heart of Ohio Trail is the midpoint of Ohio to Erie Trail, which connects Cleveland to Cincinnati. Also, it will be a part of the Rail Trail System that will stretch from Washington D.C. to Washington state. We have created a space that pays homage to our past but also is a space where cyclists and trail users, especially dog walkers, can relax for a bit. Our goal is to meet folk's needs both locally on the farm and through outreach on our local bike path.

Tell us about yourself

My father purchased the business in 1989, and I worked as a child helping out where I could. The company has certainly changed from those days. It catered to treating farmer's fields, manufacturing feeds, and storing grain over a three-block area to our single block operation today. I wake up every day looking forward to the interaction. As the business has grown, I have taken on more of an office role, but I try to carve out a day or two each week to interact and chat with customers. Typically I steer away from feed and animals...connecting with people is important to me; I have added a tagline that I borrowed from Andy Stanley, "Kindness is an Expression of Strength," that shows up on our emails and website and sales receipts. I like to wake up and do my best to spread positivism and kindness.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Being able to juggle life and work. I have always said I could have probably made more money working for someone else, but then I would have their schedule. I enjoy being a father and husband...running your own business can be amazingly difficult because you never stop thinking about different approaches, different techniques, things that need to get done or get started. However, being available to stop and throw a baseball or shoot hoops (we have a hoop in our drive-thru) with my son/daughters or being able to travel with my high school daughter is definitely my biggest accomplishment.

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

It. Never. Ends. Being able to find a way to disengage and allow my tank to be filled. I typically cycle in the spring through fall months; winter can be a struggle.

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

  1. Make sure it is something you love.
  2. Surround yourself with great people. Both mentors and colleagues. However, keep the two separate. The best advice I ever received was not to make my employees my after-work friends. I love people, so this was difficult for me, but creating that boundary has proven to be crucial at times.
  3. Be flexible. The world and the people in it change every day. Pushing your will on them will push them away. Listen. Provide the service they want.
  4. As an independent business owner, it can be scary at times when new things pop up, competition moves in, etc. I have found that the service that is provided and the relationships that have been developed are things a box store or e-commerce site cannot compete with. Invest in people, try to make sure they leave with a smile, or at least an understanding, and don't waste your time with clients who suck the life out of you or cause you levels of stress.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Kindness is an Expression of Strength.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.theanimalstation.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnimalStation
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theanimalstation/

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.

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