We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Rebecca Lykins. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Rebecca below.
Hi Rebecca, thanks for joining us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?
Our business idea was developed and tweaked over seven years time. We credit our first dog we owned together, Delilah, who we call our angel! My husband (fiancé at the time) and I were given a golden retriever puppy from our boss who had gotten the dog for his family and learned the hard way his youngest was allergic. Having only ever owned short-haired dogs, I did not yet know much about the grooming world. With owning a golden, I was soon to learn it’s a necessity. My first experience with getting Delilah groomed was not pleasant, and after walking away, I thought, “I could do that.” Shortly thereafter, we needed to attend an out-of-town wedding. I visited the five closest boarding facilities to our home, and there was something at every location that didn’t settle well with me – from where our girl was expect to do her business, the cleanliness of the facility, to the customer service. Our original business idea was to open an overnight boarding facility with a grooming department for all the pups to smell good when they went home. So, I did some research and found a well-known grooming academy in Chesterfield, MO, and learned the basics of pet grooming over a six month time period. While attending, I observed the dog training school there and thought, “Richard (my husband) would be really good at that.” He decided to research dog training schools and found a world-renowned professional dog training school in the area. His attendance there was difficult because the school was full-time and he wasn’t able to contribute to our household financially for 6 months. Right out of each of our trade schools, we both found jobs in our specialties. We worked individually for about six years, and, during that time, we realized a better business approach would be the combination of my grooming, his training, and a doggie daycare facility.
Of course, opening your own small business is a leap of faith, but we were confident we could succeed. We laid a strong foundation through our dog care education for customers to be able to trust our expertise. In addition to that, we both brought to the table years experience with customer service in the restaurant industry, as well as degrees from the University of Illinois – mine in marketing and Richard’s in management.
Rebecca, 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?
My husband and I opened Grateful Pets in November 2016. We offer pet grooming, training, and dog daycare 6 days a week. We credit our business idea to our Golden Retriever, Delilah. We were a young, engaged couple, working together at a family-owned sports bar in Champaign, Illinois. Our boss had purchased a puppy for his family. When he took it home, the pup licked his 4 year old’s face and the boy broke out in hives. The pup needed a new home, and we were the lucky ones. I say Delilah was our angel. I had only owned short-haired dog breeds growing up and didn’t even know much about the dog grooming world. When I finally realized Delilah needed professionally groomed, I scheduled her an appointment. After an unfavorable experience, I thought, “why couldn’t I do that? I love animals and I am creative.” I attended a grooming academy, with intentions of opening a dog kennel/grooming business, but while I was there, noticed their dog training academy. I thought, “my husband would be a great dog trainer!” So, he researched dog schools and proceeded to obtain his professional dog training credentials with our new intent to open a pet business offering grooming, training, and daycare.
Our careers are both rewarding in their own ways. Richard has some clients who are on the brink of thinking they must part ways with their poorly behaved dog, yet after some education and guidance, they can learn how to communicate with their pup. I enjoy the challenge of pets who object to the grooming experience, but I am able to work with them by building their confidence and trust to get the job done.
I believe what sets Grateful Pets apart from other dog facilities is not only our love for our trades, but our customer service skills. We know every dog who walks through our doors, and most of the time, the owner’s names as well. I guess you might call it the “Cheers” bar of the dog industry. We treat our clients like family and we are always grateful to take care of their 4-legged family members.
We are proud to have built a business from the ground up, going about it the right way. We built a strong educational foundation, practiced our skills in their respective fields for years, and then opened a successful mom and pop shop in the heart of a large metropolitan city. We have had the opportunity to live the true American Dream through our hard work and dedication.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
I never settle for anything less than the best. I strive for perfection in everything I do. Not only am I able to bring to the table my grooming and dog handling skills, but I also have years of customer service experience. I am therefore able to connect both with the animal and owner alike. I dove into the pet industry because of my love for animals, never realizing along the way how many connections with their owners I would be making, too. Over the years, so many of my customers have become my friends. Through these connections, I build trust through love.
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
Our family business’ success is attributed to our professionalism, knowledge, and customer service. My husband and I brought the knowledge we obtained from our trade schools, as well as years of experience in the restaurant industry talking to anybody and everybody. I have a Master’s in Advertising, and knew the best advertising is word of mouth. One can spend money on all kinds of promotions, but at the end of the day, we all listen to our friends and family members.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://GratefulPetsSTL.com
- Instagram: @GratefulPetsSTL
- Facebook: https://Facebook.com/GratefulPetsSTL
Image Credits
JM Photography