Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in pet care but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Kelly Nova, co-owner of FairyTail Pet Care, located in Tampa, FL, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
FairyTail Pet Care is your dog's plus-one. Founded in 2015, we are the first wedding pet care company in the nation. Wedding pet care ensures you and your dog can have the best day ever! A professional handler will take care of all the logistics, including coordination with your vendors along with pet transport on the wedding day. You can include them in the day with peace of mind knowing they receive the best care possible. FairyTail even provides a one-of-a-kind service with our Dog of Honor™ Videography, a wedding video all from your pup's perspective! A portion of proceeds from each wedding goes towards helping shelter animals find their forever homes. Our ideal client is simply someone that loves their dog-like family. We are all-inclusive, meaning all couples & breeds are welcome!
Tell us about yourself
I (Kelly) & my business partner, Ilana, have been best friends since we were 13. We founded FairyTail Pet Care together in 2015. The idea for our company came to us while working for a Tampa-based hotel.
We saw a need in the wedding industry that spoke to couples who wanted to include their pets in their special day but quickly became overwhelmed. Our pets are our family, and we couldn't imagine them missing out on such a special day. There was no other company offering the services we knew these couples needed, so we paved the way & created what we've now coined as the Wedding Day Pet Care industry!
It was difficult in the beginning to introduce this very unique service to vendors & couples alike. We worked extremely hard educating & perfecting our service. It's been so incredible to watch as wedding pet care has become an option for so many couples across the world!
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
We recently started offering franchise opportunities nationwide. We offer such a unique service, & as the first in the industry, we received interest from couples all over, not just where we founded the company in Florida. We wanted to grow the right way, for ourselves & our clients, & working with like-minded franchisees around the country fit exactly what we were looking for. We'll be announcing our first two locations soon & cannot wait to continue sharing our passion with as many as possible!
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
One of the major challenges we faced was being taken seriously. As young women trying to sell a service of taking dogs to weddings, we received so many dirty looks & sarcastic comments. We were asked many times if our dads helped us run the business. People called us "millennials" as if it was a derogatory term, but we didn't let any of these negative comments get us down. In fact, it only fueled us to work harder!
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
You've got to start somewhere! Don't be paralyzed by perfection. Put yourself out there in a way that feels authentic & you'll find your way.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://fairytailpet.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fairytailpetcare
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fairytail_petcare/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.