Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in pet care but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Maia Rumpho, founder of Pet Project Rescue, located in Minneapolis, MN, USA.

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

Pet Project Rescue (PPR) is a Minnesota-based, non-profit organization that specializes in removing barriers to spay/neuter and vet care services for low-income communities from Minnesota to Mexico. PPR's mission is to end animal homelessness and suffering by focusing on reducing the homeless animal population at its source through our free spay/neuter clinics for animals both in our local MN community and Mexico. PPR believes that all animals deserve a loving and healthy life. In order to fully provide for animals in need, we dedicate our time and energy to helping animals locally and beyond by providing free vet care for low-income communities while also striving to make Minneapolis a no-kill city!

Tell us about yourself

Pet Project Rescue was started in response to the needs of street animals in the Riviera Maya region of Mexico. Many of these animals live in desperate conditions, where they have to fight to stay alive each day on the street. It is a heart-wrenching sight for any animal lover. Once you have seen one of these adorable dogs or cats, it is impossible not to want to do something to help them. And this is where the story of starting Pet Project Rescue began - growing more than we could ever imagine since 2008! Now we work from Minneapolis to Mexico to assure every community has access to vet care. Knowing that Pet Project Rescue's work is keeping people and pets together and preventing future generations of puppies and kittens from being born on the streets motivates me every day to keep working hard and expanding our programs to help more animals and people in need.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Our biggest accomplishment is how much we've grown in the midst of the pandemic when donations to spay/neuter programs saw a considerable reduction. The community's needs have skyrocketed since 2020. As of 2022, we are on track to provide free spay/neuter services to twice as many animals annually. We've also worked with our local Minneapolis Animal Control to become no-kill (as of 2020) officially. This was a decade of work that came together with teamwork and a dedication to helping improve the lives of Minneapolis' animal population.

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

Balance is a word that's tossed around a lot, and any business owner will say it's not easy to have balance all the time. Some days you work until late in the evenings, and other days slow down considerably. I think learning to go with the ebb and flow of business isn't easy at first; it takes practice and patients to get there. But I wouldn't want to be doing anything else in my career, even though I know many other options would be less work - nothing else would give me the satisfaction and joy in life that running Pet Project Rescue and helping both people and animals in need does.

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

  1. It's ok to keep your day job while starting your own business. Having a secure source of income while planning, growing, and raising funds can be a huge stress reliever.
  2. The first two years will likely be the hardest, but it will get better and easier.
  3. Taking care of yourself is the best thing you can do for the longevity of your business. Sometimes this will seem like the hardest thing to do, but it will make a world of a difference long-term, and you'll never regret taking care of your physical, emotional, and mental health!

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Starting on May 1st, we'll be launching our second annual virtual walk from Minneapolis to Playa del Carmen, Mexico. This fundraiser provides free vet care for some of the poorest communities in Playa, and every bit of support helps us save lives! There's more info at https://fundrazr.com/PawsAcrossBorders2 (the link will be live on May 1, 2022). Thanks for this opportunity!

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://petprojectrescue.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PetProjectRescue
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ppr_mpls/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PPR_Mpls
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maia-rumpho-stellpflug-aab64573/

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.

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