We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ligaya Kelly. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ligaya below.

Ligaya, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Talk to us about building your team? What was it like? What were some of the key challenges and what was your process like?

We started our journey as employees. My husband and I were hired by the previous owner to run the business. Once she realized how busy we were, she allowed us to hire an employee. We started with a friend’s daughter who didn’t quite work out. But then that same friend referred us to a young woman who was working with her at a retail store. She ended up being the best find ever. She’s been with us for almost 10 years now and we put her through grooming school to help us and her with additional income. Hiring has been the bane of my existence. I’m the kind of person that gives everybody a chance. My husband on the other hand usually can read people easily. He’s been right about every employee. I found the best way to hire was to look for people similar to me. Ones that worked well with lists and organized. We also implemented a plan that employees had to bring in their replacements because they knew best what it took to do this job. We now have two part-time, one full time and one seasonal employee and I wouldn’t trade them for the world. And while I know that they will eventually move on to bigger and better things, I make sure to show how much I appreciate them on a regular basis.

Ligaya, 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?

So many people already know our story. But I love retelling it. We found this job and business on craigslist. We were struggling to make ends meet and I started looking for additional work. It was an ad that read something along the lines of mature, business-minded couple needed to run a pet hotel. Intrigued. I started messaging the owner until I pestered her into meeting with us and our kids so she could see what she was getting. She hired us immediately. We’ve grown this business from the original 12 condos to 46 as well as room for 25 cats and a full service grooming parlor. We’re looking forward to the next chapter in our story.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Like most business owners, we’ve run into our share of problems. We were rejected by 25 banks in the beginning. We overpriced our offer. We had to get an EIDL loan during the pandemic. We’ve had CPA issues. But each time, we’ve made it through on top. A little wiser, a little more cautious and a lot more understanding.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

You have to love animals to do this job. You are caring for your client’s family member. Pets are as important to most people as their spouse or child. For some, their pet is their only family. It makes this job simple – care for them as if they were yours. The rest happens naturally. From online reviews to referrals of family and friends.

Contact Info:

• Website: Https://bouquetcanyonkennels.com
• Instagram: bouquetcanyonkennels
• Facebook: bouquetcanyonkennels
• Twitter: SCVBCKennels
• Yelp: bouquet-canyon-kennels-santa-clarita-2

Image Credits
Ligaya Kelly