We were lucky to catch up with Jacob Farmer recently and have shared our conversation below.

Jacob, appreciate you joining us today. So, let’s imagine that you were advising someone who wanted to start something similar to you and they asked you what you would do differently in the startup-process knowing what you know now. How would you respond?

It took me a long time to get my first customer. I spent a lot of money on advertising that needed to be revised. Mailers were something that needed to produce more fruit for the cost. I may have gotten only one customer from that. At the time, more research into advertising in Memphis was needed.

Jacob, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I was in the Army for seven years; after leaving, I needed some direction and decided that nursing would be an excellent field to get into. It has been challenging, especially during covid but also very rewarding. I’ve always wanted to own a business, so I contacted a franchise consultant, and they helped me to narrow it down to 3, and I decided on pet care. We provide dog walking, pet transportation, and medication administration. What sets us apart from other animal services is that we care for horses and chickens. I am most proud of my sitters. We started with three sitters and have grown to have 22 employees across the Memphis area. The app that the sitter and customers use is also a significant advantage over our competitors. The app is GPS located, so the owner knows when the sitter arrives and leaves home. We also set up a meet and greet with our clients before the first visit to ensure all parties involved are comfortable with the arrangement. If not, we will find another sitter.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

The best source of new clients for me has been through Google ads. We have a section where clients can tell us where they heard about Fetch! And the majority say they found us on Google. Unfortunately, the term Google has become synonymous with any internet searches. I have a billboard up, and if I am the customer that questions, they will more than likely say Google. This is the hard part about owning a small business. I need the tool to do more research to do more targeted marketing.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

For about four months, we have yet to see a single customer. I was hemorrhaging money. It was so hard to keep sending money and not have any income at all. I was starting to think this was a horrible idea. I also had a baby and was buying a house for my new family. Making a better life for my son is what keeps me going. Working a 9 to 5 is different from how to get out of the middle class. These two things combine to keep me going. Things have gotten better. We have hired more people and are getting more customers. I was told the first year is the hardest, but you see that once you are in it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.fetchpetcare.com/eastmemphis
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fpceastmemphis
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FetchHomeOffice/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/fetch-pet-care-of-east-memphis-memphis