Editor’s note: This is part of a series exploring how Northeast Ohio entrepreneurs and small businesses have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic and their plans for moving forward.
Maker: Dawn DeFrank
Business: Spoiled Dog Boss, a dehydrated pet treat company
What has your company been up to since mid-March?
We do this thing with my company called Wellness Wednesdays, and we cook with Miss Daisy. And we show people easy recipes, like stuff that I actually give her on the regular. I'm showing people on Wednesdays what I do for her. Because at the end of the day, this business was constructed for her. I'm keeping a dog healthy, which has now turned into helping other dogs. So when all this started to go down with COVID-19, I was like, I can either sit at home and be miserable, or do something fun.
Daisy prepares for her weekly cooking show, "Wellness Wednesdays." [Dawn DeFrank]
How are you finding ways to stay connected?
There's a lot people walking their dogs. Even on my street, in my neighborhood, dogs that I've never seen out with their owners. We've only ever seen them in their backyards. I’ve handed out business cards, I've gone out, talked to them about what I do. And I've actually been drumming up business that way. So that's been a little beneficial.
Summer shows are usually the primary source of income for Spoiled Dog Boss. [Dawn DeFrank]
How has this time changed the way you’re thinking about your business?
As I move forward with this, I just keep thinking it's time to re-tweak. I have time now to really figure out where I want to take this business next. And I think that's a thought for a lot of small business owners right now: Take a step back. Where do we really want to go? And how are we going to achieve it? Entrepreneurial brains, we’re figuring it out as we go. Slow and steady is my goal, and my sales have still been slow and steady. As long as I’m still continually growing, no matter how long it takes.
Daisy can typically be found coordinating with her human. [Dawn DeFrank]
