Today we’d like to introduce you to Greg Wiens, Nancy Wiens.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Nancy and I always had an affinity for animals and there was always the thought of opening an animal-related business. We had one dog and three cats so we knew the challenges pet owners faced while being away from their pets. That led us to thinking how nice it would be to give pets the opportunity to play and socialize in a safe environment while their owners worked or were traveling for an extended period of time. Our goal was to provide a welcome service to our clients while working in a field we loved at the same time.
We read an article in the Wall Street Journal that discussed the significant growth in the animal care industry as a whole, and more specifically, luxury dog daycare, boarding, and grooming. It immediately caught our interest and we began digging deeper and researching pet care facilities. Shortly after, I began writing our business plan and we sought out to find the perfect property. After a couple years of property searching, we finally found a great location on the VFW Parkway in West Roxbury that met all of our criteria; standalone building with plenty of outdoor space, frontage on a highly-trafficked road, appropriate zoning designation, off-street parking. Once we established our location, we had our architect tailor our design to the building and moved forward with the full rehabilitation of the building. Within a year of finding our location, Luxe Pet Resort was fully built out to our specifications and we opened our doors to the public in June 2012.
Since opening, our business has significantly grown to what it is today, and we have learned a great deal along the way, there are always ways to improve our business model, and we listen to our staff and our clients to continue making these improvements.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I don’t think any business owner has ever said that starting a business from the ground up has been a perfectly smooth road. Over the first year, Nancy and I more or less lived at Luxe Pet Resort. We would be there all day, stay for the overnight shifts, and then work all day the following day. We would take turns going home to quickly shower and head back to work. Although those days were trying, we wouldn’t change them for the world. Performing every duty and learning every function was critical to the success of our business. It also made us feel an extreme appreciation for every member of our staff.
There will always be bumps along the road, but overcoming, adapting, and emerging even stronger from each occurrence is what truly makes our business better and constantly evolving.
Please tell us about Luxe Pet Resort.
Luxe Pet Resort offers Dog Daycare, Overnight Accommodations for Dogs and Cats, and Dog Grooming services. We have created a higher standard with pet care. Before getting into this business, we realized there was a need for an elevated level of pet care service and we took all steps necessary to achieve this. As part of our continuing effort to grow and evolve as a luxury resort, we have recently opened a self-serve dog wash. In addition, we will be offering various pet products for sale in our newly designed retail area.
Other key features of our resort include indoor and outdoor play areas, custom designed dog suites and cat villas, a state-of-the -art grooming salon, and 24/7 pet supervision.
For us, the most important key to a successful service business is your staff. We pride ourselves in having an excellent team with unparalleled experience in all aspects of our business, from customer service to pet handling, to our award-winning grooming salon.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
One of my fondest memories growing up was being the caretaker and “mom” to about eighteen different animals in my own room. Aside from a couple cats and a dog, I had various pets throughout the years. Birds, lizards, hermit crabs, turtles, rats and fish were just a few that called my room home. I used to have haunted houses in my room and invite friends over to entertain them. I would turn the lights out and have my bird “Feathers” fly around their heads. I would also hold a pet circus and have my friends watch my pet rat “Sammy” tight rope walk. My animals were my family. I would put my lizard on a leash and walk around the house with him on my shoulder. I couldn’t fall asleep unless there was a cat snuggled up next to me. My passion for all animals has been a part of my life since I was born, and continues to this day.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1220 VFW Parkway
West Roxbury, MA 02132 - Website: www.luxepetresort.com
- Phone: (617) 477-3332
- Email: info@luxepetresort.com
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/LuxePetResort
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