Today we are introducing you to Taylor, the small business owner of Aloha K9 Services, a cage-free, stress-free dog grooming and training environment for dogs in and around Swansea, NSW.
Before starting her own business, Taylor worked within the pet care industry. She is a certified dog trainer and has completed six years of study and certifications. It was a passion for the industry that motivated her to first take the steps towards opening her own small business and charity that offers a positive dog grooming and training experience for the owner and their best friend.
“I was offered a massive amount of support from the Many Rivers team and given access to multiple streams of support to achieve my business goals. After working with Dylan from Many Rivers on my plan to expand, I could see so much clearer and I knew the potential was there. I was ready for the extra workload and the plan was ready to action. Now I am turning over twice of what I was before I met Many Rivers”
Read more about Taylor and her dog grooming and training small business offered by Aloha K9 Services.
Meet Taylor
We are a dog grooming and dog training company and we started in 2013. My dog grooming salon is a cage free stress-free environment. We also have a dog training charity that is self-funded by my dog grooming business. My dog grooming company has a new part-owner so that I can focus on developing a franchise and working on the charity. I work on the charity full time now, helping the community and doing what I love whilst it is self-funded by my dog grooming business.
I wanted to be able to travel around and educate people and children in the community on dog safety and dog training which is what we do full time now with the charity.
Five years ago I first sought advice and help from Many Rivers. At 21 years of age, I was quite new to business and I had just opened my first dog grooming store. This was a scary step to take at such a young age. I had big plans ahead to own a franchise dog grooming business so that other people could do what I love to do. So I approached Many Rivers for support towards these goals.
Working With Many Rivers
We started working with Many Rivers to grow. The whole point of opening our business was always to self-fund our charity. Before it recently became a registered charity, it was a not-for-profit. We were trying to build our business so that we could achieve this goal to self-fund. That is when I reached out to Many Rivers. I was feeling like I was at a bit of a standstill for a while. We needed to move but I just wasn’t sure how.
I was offered a massive amount of support from the Many Rivers team and given access to multiple streams of support to achieve my business goals. After working with Dylan from Many Rivers on my plan to expand, I could see so much clearer and I knew the potential was there. I was ready for the extra workload and the plan was ready to action. Now I am turning over twice of what I was before I met Many Rivers
I couldn’t have done any of this without the support from Many Rivers and I will be forever grateful for having them by my side throughout my journey.
The best part of the support Many Rivers offered us was definitely putting us in touch with the right people to make this growth happen. Building a financial strategy with me and being able to attain the finance as well has been really helpful to help us put the strategy in place.
Biggest Challenge
Biggest ChallengeThe mental stress with staff and trying to keep your business afloat during winter while also being able to give my staff the hours they need. After being a business owner, I realise that it is more than just owning a business. You must look after your staff’s mental health and make sure that they are okay and that they can handle the workload. So I think that has probably been the biggest stress of all. Making sure that the business is succeeding the way you want it to and that you are giving the right customer service that you want to be applied.
Biggest Success
My biggest success was being able to work more on the business rather than in it. This has allowed me to help the community more with their dogs. That really gave us the opportunity to really expand and grow and to offer the free services to the community.
I now have social media videos and a podcast which delivers more content providing educational outcomes. That gives us the opportunity to do the free services for the community.
Biggest Change
The time balance and not having that personal time and freedom that I would have had before. But I am doing something that I love so it doesn’t always feel like work.
Future Goals for Aloha K9 Services
The future goal now is to finish the franchise businesses and to open them around Australia. We also have products that are in the making that will be hitting the market soon. Being able to sell our dog training equipment online and in stores around Australia and globally is the next goal.
Thanks Taylor
Thanks Taylor for sharing your business journey. We know that there are many other people out there looking to take the next step towards setting up their own business. Your story will inspire them to take the first leap.
Do you have a passion or small business idea? Do you have a business you would like to expand or would like some business coaching support?
We’re here to help.
CLICK HERE to see if Many Rivers is right for you
If you loved this story about Taylor and her small business Aloha K9 Services and would like to hear another, read about Geoff who is the owner of Mobile Log Splitting in Adelaide, SA.
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