Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Jeffrey Henderson, COO of Good Dog, Inc., located in Seattle, WA, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

We're a dog daycare and boarding facility located in West Seattle. Our customers are primarily those within a close range of our location because of the convenience of dropping off their dogs at daycare on their way to and from work or - if they're working from home, they don't want to go too far out of their way, maybe just a pit stop when they pop out for their morning coffee. When it comes to boarding, we draw from a further radius because it's not as big of a deal to go a little further to drop off your dog for your trip.

We're a fully indoor facility which might seem odd, but in a city like Seattle, where it rains a lot, and there is a lot of moisture, it's nice to pick up your dog at the end of the day and have them be dry. At our old location, we had outdoor space, and it was a constant fight and struggle to try to dry off all the dogs at the end of the day, our customers were much happier when we moved to this indoor facility.

Tell us about yourself

My husband and business partner and I were living in San Francisco, and he was commuting and picking up our dog at daycare and thought, "wow, this is the life I'd like someday, the dogs are always so happy to see their people," and we just looked for opportunities to make it happen. He grew up in this area, has his parents still living outside of Seattle, and when an opportunity came up to purchase an existing daycare came up, we took it and moved north!

With some major rebranding, an immense amount of work (including a relocation), and pushing through the pandemic, coming in and seeing dogs playing and our hard work paying off in the form of what we built together is a great motivator.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

As trite as it may sound, I feel our biggest accomplishment in owning this business has just been surviving. 2019 was a terrible year for us. We had to relocate the business. Our move and build-out didn't go well, we were late and over budget, and it was extremely difficult. We started 2020 off so well and thought, "wow, we can really recover this year." And... we all know how 2020 went! But, we were able to push through. With the help of PPP and some leeway from our landlords, we squeaked through - but just barely.

At the end of 2020, we went away for the holidays and rented a little cabin with our dogs. We had some tough conversations about the business and concluded that we had to reach out to our client base and let them know that either they started coming in or we would shut down. There was no way we could make it. We did it. The email went out on December 31, 2020. Three days later, we set a record for attendance at the daycare and broke that record two days after that. Our clients supported us in the best way, and 2021 was a good year for us. Actually, letting down our guard, sharing that things weren't great, and showing some vulnerability saved our business.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

It is knowing that people are counting on you to pay their bills. If you make a bad judgment call that hurts the business, it could mean fewer hours and less money for them and negatively affect their lives. That's a lot of weight to carry.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Keep it simple - once the ideas come, they'll keep coming, but focus on the core of what you want your business to deliver and make sure you do that well. The rest can come later.
  2. Don't be afraid to ask for help - you may be surprised at how many people out there are willing to offer help and expect little or nothing in return.
  3. Be patient - you may think you don't know what you're doing, but you're doing fine.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Be an ally, be kind, and be a good member of the community - but do it for the right reasons, not because you expect a return.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.gooddog-inc.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gooddoginc.seattle/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/good.dog.sea/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/gooddogsea1

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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