Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in pet care but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Cristina Grascia, Founder of Prinmix, located in Plano, TX, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
My business is a boutique Pet Store where we offer kawaii toys, clothes, and accessories for both dogs and cats!
Tell us about yourself
I started this casually during the pandemic because I have a dog (she's a teacup pomeranian), and she wasn't thrilled with the toys that were out there for small dogs. They weren't entertaining enough, and the selection was slim. So I got the idea to find durable plushies and turn them into the ultimate dog and cat toys by adding loads of noises and other engaging mechanisms to keep pets entertained for hours. I started on Etsy, just selling a few things here and there. And over time, I got more and more people buying my toys. I had a lot of repeat customers that were super happy with my products and their quality. I then expanded to quality accessories and clothes at super affordable prices. I wanted to offer an adorable and kawaii selection that you normally don't see in the USA but see in other parts of the world.
What motivates me each day is seeing my customers and their pets super happy with their toys and clothes. I get feedback, pictures and videos, and tons of thank you, and this makes me motivated to keep my quality and satisfaction high for my customers.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest accomplishment is moving from Etsy to my own website. Once I had a good user base and proved I had a successful business model, I decided to take it more seriously and move my shop to its own store! It's still a big learning process, but I'm determined!
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
One of the hardest things is Marketing. I'm not well versed in marketing, and I am still learning the ins and outs of marketing and SEO and using all the social media outlets out there.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
The top three tips I'd give is one just to get started. Get started small. You don't need to go in big. Two is to accept that failure can likely happen and that it's ok. Treat it as a learning process and learn what you can so that you can try another business model. Three, other than perseverance, is to pick out one or two traits that are important to you when starting a business. For me, it was excellent customer service and quality. I make sure never to deviate from that.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://prinmix.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PrinmixShop/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prinmixshop/
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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