A casualty of corporate downsizing, Ellen determined she could provide herself a more challenging and secure professional future by creating and running her own business. Since her work experiences had been in an unrelated field, she started from ground zero exploring all facets of the pet industry. Ellen then researched the lifestyle and demographics of major southern metropolitan areas to determine the viability of the pet spa concept. Early in 1993, she attended a full day SCORE seminar, "How to Start and Stay in Business," sponsored by the Raleigh SCORE office, that confirmed many aspects of her plan and alerted her to issues she had overlooked. Some months later, seeking a reality check and different perspective on her planning, she created a synopsis of her work-in-progress business plan and met with a team of SCORE counselors. While they thought the concept was unusual, on review of the essentials of her business plan, they recognized that Ellen's principles were sound and confirmed that she was moving in the right direction.
Launched in August of 1994, Carolina PetSpace is located in a 2,000-square-foot commercial space in a neighborhood shopping center. The spa consists of multiple custom tubs and dry work stations built out of the finest professional equipment the industry has to offer. The efficient design keeps staff requirements to a minimum. Far more than just a dog wash, Carolina PetSpace is a companion animal care center with a strong focus on responsible pet ownership. The facility takes a holistic approach to pet care—factoring the importance of nutrition, training, lifestyle and environment into the operation. "The family dog is a cherished part of the American scene and Carolina PetSpace strives to serve its customers," Ellen says.
Shortly after opening the facility, Ellen was approached about buying a related business. Having no experience with the purchase of an existing entity, she again turned to SCORE for help and was partnered with Don Buckingham, who had experience with acquisitions. Don brought up a few important points that Ellen had not considered. "We did some research and determined this investment was not a good idea at the time," she says. "Had I not had Don Buckingham's expertise to draw on, blundering into this acquisition on my own would surely have negatively impacted my early business structure and bottom line."
Owing in part to the uniqueness of the Carolina PetSpace business, but in whole to the professional comfort level SCORE counselors project, Don and Ellen kept in touch over the next two years, working through everyday issues facing this small business. In 1997, Don Buckingham passed away—a great loss to his family, friends and Raleigh SCORE members. Ellen says, "He was a very unique man. There is certainly no replacing him, but I have all confidence that within SCORE, another counselor stands ready to try to fill his shoes."
In response to the many inquiries Carolina Petspace, Ellen has developed a franchise offering and a consultant business plan package. However, these projects are currently on hold as she continues to fine-tune the concept and tend to the myriad day-to-day operational details. "Long-range plans do include other locations and related business ventures," she says, "but any expansion will be done carefully to ensure that while future growth of my business may be slow, its foundation will be firm. It's reassuring to know that SCORE counseling services will be there when I need them."
Update 2000:
Like most over service-sector business owners, Ellen is dealing with limited availability of skilled help and getting the attention of customers in the increasingly cluttered world of information-age marketing. But, she says proudly, Carolina PetSpace is still thriving. "We're still here and doing well, though getting reliable employees is a problem," she says. "That just means I have to do more of the work myself, but I still enjoy it."
Though Ellen has not needed the help of her SCORE counselors lately, she is the one of the organization's biggest boosters. "I get a lot of people who come in locally and from out of town asking how I managed to do this," she says. "They always leave with SCORE's Web site address and a recommendation to check the phone book for their local chapter. SCORE is truly a wonderful organization."
Brought to you by SCORE, America's small business mentors, at www.score.org.
Ask SCORE |
