We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Anne Austin. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Anne below.
Anne, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Quality control is a challenge almost every entrepreneur has had to focus on when growing – any advice, stories or insight around how to best ensure quality is maintained as your business scales?
Quality control and maintaining quality are very important to me and I feel like me and my staff hasachieved the goals and standards I established when I first opened. When I started, I was by myself and was able to control the quality, quantity, customer service, and cleanliness at the absolute top level. When I started bringing in employees, all they saw was how much work and extra cleaning it was compared to their last jobs. Once the employees got on board and recognized the difference it made, they were all in! My current employees care just as much as I do and uphold the set standard. They teach the new people that come in how important it is. It began as a challenge but is now a success! It has made my business and customer service top-notch and like none other around! APP strives to be the best in all areas including, cleanest grooming shop around and treating our customers like they deserve to be treated, plus we give tender, love, care, and a good haircut to the pups! Quality control and maintaining quality are very important to me and I feel like we as a staff have achieved the goals and standards I have had since I first opened. I would even dare say that my girls surpassed my goals and standards and make me proud of their hard work every day!
Anne, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I have a professional dog grooming and self-service dog wash business. I started in a little 246 square foot shop in December 2013. I am now in a 2,200 square foot shop with five groomers, a bather, and two receptionists. We have won Best of Keller six years in a row, and I was inducted into The Who’s Who of America in 2021. I obtained a certificate in canine massage therapy in 2021. I have always had a passion for animals and fell in love with grooming when I was in high school. I love what I do, and I strive every day to be the best. I have an awesome staff, and wonderful clientele, and feel so blessed! I seriously thank God every day for this wonderful business. I still have goals to grow and expand…so maybe one day we will get there!
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
All I need to say is 2020!!!! What a year to learn about pivoting!!! We pivoted so much, that I had no clue what direction we were pointing! Haha! As crazy and stressful as 2020 was, I learned so much! I now know how to handle crises better, how to shut down, start back up, and run again in the midst of the unknown. How to handle employees better, and how to handle government forms and relationships with the bank. How not to take little things for granted, how amazing and supportive my clients are…I could go on and on! We changed and adjusted so much during the last two years, but I feel like it has made my business even better! I am so happy and proud of how I and my staff made it through the last few years and learned all about pivoting! Now we say…bring on the pivot! We can pivot in any direction!
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
When I first opened, I had no clientele! I knew a lot of people and networked with the best of them, but no clientele. I had taken a break from grooming, so I started from scratch. When I first opened the phone lines got messed up during a winter storm (which rarely happens in Texas) so it took a few days to fix. The first three days I was open…no phone, no internet! So, I used my personal Facebook account to promote and share my business by posting a picture of the dogs I groomed each day until the phones were fixed! It was a huge success! It got so much attention and feedback, I just made it a daily occurrence! So now, even 8 years later, we post daily pictures of every dog that walks into the salon! It is so fun, and the clients love it!
Contact Info:
- Website: AnnesPrettyPups.com
- Instagram: AnnesPrettyPups
- Facebook: Anne’s Pretty Pups
Image Credits
Photos taken by Heather Smith