We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jessica Baltzor a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Jessica, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

One day my husband and I noticed our dog was refusing to eat the same food he ate for 2 years. We tried adding different things to his food but he would not eat. We went to the store and got a different food but he still wouldn’t eat so we went and got another one. After he ate the 3rd one he got sick and broke out in hives. Comparing all the foods we found that they all had chicken in them with the last one having the highest amount. This drew us and our vet to the conclusion he had a chicken allergy and that is why he had stopped eating his original food. We went on a hunt for foods and treats that did not have chicken in them and found that unfortunately, this was not an easy task. So many dog products have chicken in them so I decided since I enjoy baking I was going to make him treats. From there it evolved and I began making other dogs treats too and the next thing I knew I was joining my first artisan market as a vendor.

Jessica, 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?

As mentioned before I got into this industry by making my dog treats around his chicken allergy. Since our first market, we have added over 14 new products. Unfortunately, dog foods and treats are not regulated the same way human food is so we provide natural products that are free of any fillers, additives, or artificial ingredients. We source all of our products locally or from trusted 3rd parties. Every treat is made with as minimal ingredients as we can and tested by our dogs before being offered to others. If our dogs don’t like an item we will not sell it. We also understand that many dogs have dietary restrictions so we ensure all our ingredients are fresh and there are no cross-contamination. While we offer natural ingredients we also strive to keep our prices low so they fit into everyone’s budget.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

The biggest thing that has helped us build our reputation and become recognized is the connections we make with our customers. When people shop with us for the first time we get to know them and the dog they are shopping for. We provide them with ideas of what is best for their dog’s needs and also share our story so they know why we do what we do and that we are not just in this business to make money. We have established connections with our customers that keeps them coming back.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

To increase our client list we participate in a variety of different artisan and farmers markets. We do have a set schedule with some markets so our customers know where to find us regularly but we also move around to different parts of Austin and the metro area so we can see new people. Vendors at artisan and farmers markets are a close group and we also refer our customers to each other.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://thepreciouscanine.square.site/
• Instagram: Instagram.com/thepreciouscaninetx
• Facebook: Facebook.com/thepreciouscaninetx
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/precious_canine