There was also a similar story in the Boston Herald about Cara Armour
Cara Armour was not looking to launch a business when she started walking the dogs of some people she had met at a local park. But sometimes, things just take off like a dog after a cat.
It started out a few years ago when Armour was in the midst of a career identity crisis of sorts. She was wondering what to do with her life and pondering alternatives to the corporate world. She agreed to walk a few dogs during the day since she was walking her own anyway. A few calls later, she brought in her husband, Gerard.
Still, she wasn’t thinking about full-time employment in the pet industry.
“It didn’t even occur to me,” she said. “It was a side job, but then we kept getting busier and busier.”
For a while, Armour kept not just one but two “day” jobs. She served coffee in the morning, walked dogs in the afternoon under the name Active Paws and then ended the day in retail.
After several months of being sleep deprived, Armour ran the numbers. It was still a risk, but it looked like there would be enough work to make the side job a full-time business.
The gamble paid off, and now Armour has six employees and recently opened a pet supply store in Waltham. Her diligence and dedication to her human and canine customers earned her the title “pet sitter of the year” from Pet Sitters International.
The award is a big deal in the industry group which boasts 7,600 members. Every year, hundreds vie for the position of top dog. Nominations generally come from the clients. The winner is chosen based on such things as the pet sitter’s commitment to clients and business growth, along with professionalism and pet-care education. It’s essentially a gold seal of approval that can help in marketing the company.
The recession has brought about changes in the industry, some unexpected. Not surprisingly, when the economy started slipping clients started canceling their dog-walking services as they looked to save money or lost their jobs. But then calls started coming in from people who were increasing their hours or going back to work.
The hardest part of the business is finding walkers, Armour said. She needs people who are good with both people and animals and who have a schedule that fits. She initially thought college students would be good, but they have too many breaks throughout the year. Although the hours might seem good for parents with kids in school, there are too many snow days and vacations.
The store came into being almost as haphazardly as the original business. Armour told clients about a particular kind of food that helped her own dogs do better. They all had difficulty finding it, however, so she started selling it over the Internet out of her home.
Interest grew and she added a few more pet-related products. When her basement was overflowing with inventory, she started looking for a storefront. The grand opening is next month.
As the business became more serious, so did Armour. She is more deliberate about looking for ways to grow and in guiding the business. She doesn’t really work any less than when she had three jobs - only now, it’s all about the animals.
I would have really appreciated some hard numbers so I could decide if this career change is in the future for me.
