Caroline Gunther:
Owner of: Wag! “A Unique Pet Boutique”
Interview Questions and Responses:
Q. How did the idea for your business come about?
A. I’ve always had an interest in animals and after graduating from college I wanted to start her own business. At the time I noticed that the pet boutique business was getting very popular and that the pet industry was showing a lot of growth and I saw potential. Over time and with help from my mother I was able to open my open shop.
Q. How did you choose the name of your business?
A. Me and my mother wrote down hundreds of names. “Wag” was the third on the list, I shared it with a lot of my friends and everyone liked it. Plus it was short and sweet , easy to say, easy to make into a logo, and easy to brand. I am now known by many around the community as the “Wag Lady.”
Q. What is the current status of your company? Are you growing, downsizing, or staying the same?
A. My client base and sales is definitely growing. As far as expanding I have put some thought into opening a shop in my hometown in Virginia and possibly a store in Florida to spend the winters, however at the moment I do not have any plans in motion.
Q. How do you market?
A. I find that the most effective way to advertise is social media. Facebook is a very helpful tool, and I have a great website that I recently updated and continuously tweak. I have put ads in local papers and magazines. And I have also used local radio advertising. I do the best I can to be a part of the community. I am on the board of directors at the humane society, I am a member of the rotary club and the chamber of commerce, I attend lots of events, and I help promote other businesses who return the favor. I try to be as social, and visible as possible and I also do volunteer work whenever I can.
Q. What challenges did you face when establishing your business? How did you overcome them?
A. The toughest part for me was not knowing how to actually open up a business through the secretary of state, It was a long a tedious venture but through many hours of reading, research, and talking to people I figured it out. Once I had my business up and running I had to make the decisions about which products to buy. I initially wanted to sell only high end products, but I then realized that mid-range price products are the way to go. It took a while to sell off all the high end stuff in order to get new stuff. But most consumers don’t realize how big a difference the quality is.
Q. How important have good employees been to your success?
A. I currently employ one full timer and one part timer. Most of my hires are friends or acquaintances who I know can handle the work and are knowledgeable in the pet business. I do have a long list of great resumes and if I need someone else I could tap into those resumes. I have trust in my employees and they provide me with comfort knowing that I can step away for a while and the store will not miss a beat. My two employees do what they need to do and more. I do try to be a good boss, I will take them out to lunch, and I will allow them about any time off they want, I will listens to their opinions so that they know that they have value. My employees must love dogs, be knowledgeable in pet products, be great at sales and know that there is the possibility of getting bit since the store is pet friendly and there is going to be dog interactions.
Q. What is your favorite aspect of being an entrepreneur?
A. Definitely “not the paperwork.” I have hired someone to do the paperwork in the past but I am now doing it myself. I mostly enjoy being able to help people with their dogs. I enjoy interacting with people, I love dogs, and I love being able to sell products that I feel confident will make both pet and owner happy. My store is a platform to promote animal welfare and rescue. I work with the humane society to help adopt animals when they get too full, I occasionally will bring a few animals to my store to try to get them adopted. I am able to make a big impact in the animal community by being in the line of business that I am in and that is what makes me happy.
Q. Is there any advice or information you would give or share with new entrepreneurs?
A. Owning your own business is a lot of work, probably a lot more work than most people think. Even when your sleeping you’ll dream about it. There really is never a break, even when you are on vacation you will always be worried or thinking about the business, it really is 24-7. You have to think of it as a lifestyle and not a job. Just make sure you factor that in before embarking on the journey.
