Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Barker-Hurley.
Lauren, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
After graduating college, I thought I had it all figured out and dove right into marketing. After being laid off due to company financial problems, I started questioning what I really wanted to do. All of my friends were working their way up the corporate ladder, while I took on a position with a family as their household manager. The job was very fulfilling in many ways, but I knew I wanted to do more and have more opportunity. I always loved caring for my own animals growing up and part of my job description for this position was dog care while the family was away. I really enjoyed that aspect of the job and grew very fond of their pups. After 5 years working in that position, I decided to take the plunge and start my own business. For years, I was afraid to start something new. I think the layoff had damaged my self-confidence and held me back for many years. I wanted to feel comfortable and safe. However, I also felt like a failure while watching all of my friends around me succeed in their line of work. Although I was starting my own business, I still felt as if I was setting myself up for failure or taking the easy way out. I started taking on clients slowly while taking on odd jobs or temporary part time work for extra income. I was offering to house sit for clients along with dog walking. I will never forget my first housesitting job: 12 chickens, 4 rescue dogs, 4 cats, 3 birds, and 2 bunnies. Needless to say, I learned a lot that weekend and grateful that I kept moving forward with my dream.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It has been an incremental road. As mentioned in my story, I had some struggles with the direction I wanted to go in my life. Once my business was established, it was a slow and steady pace. I started off with a few clients, word of mouth would spread slowly and I would get another call. I was up against some pretty well established companies in the area with multiple dog walkers, but I felt I could offer something more.
One bump on that incremental road was deciding if my husband would quit his job and work with me. After being married for over a year, we found out I was pregnant, so it seemed to be an easy decision. However, making up that income, coming up with a business plan, being pregnant, etc made for a trying time. After having our first born, Ambrey, I decided to take on a part time position for extra income. I was so concerned that at any point, we could lose business and not afford to raise our child as planned.
A few years later, our next struggle was to finally let go of the second job and really invest in the company. I was pregnant with our second child and we had moved into a new home. The risk was higher than ever, but I finally released the fear that had been consuming me for many years. You’ll notice in my story and in my struggles, much of it revolved around my biggest struggle: Fear of failing.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Paws About Town – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Paws About Town is a canine services company, which specializes in dog walks, hikes, and other day activities, as well as a “just like home” approach to pet boarding.
Several things set us apart from other companies. For one, we are known for our reliability of service and our flexibility in scheduling. We attribute this to a strong work ethic as well as constant, real-time assessments of our daily schedule and route.
We are also known for our customer loyalty. Our client retention rate is close to 100%, not counting those who move out of our service area of course. We attribute this to our personal approach to business. Our clients’ only interactions are either with myself or my husband.
Our in-home boarding program is also notable. We purchased our home and surrounding property with our canine pals in mind. Although we take a limited number of pups at any one time, our focus is to provide as close to their own home environment as possible. They are free to roam around our home, snuggle up on the couch, play with our kids, play fetch in our backyard, etc. Barbara, who was one of our first clients and her pup, Hera has walked and boarded with us for 9 years, coined the phrase “Pet Vacation Home”… to describe our approach to boarding.
We have also worked to strengthen ties within the dog walking community. We believe that building a village within one’s profession is just as important as it is in one’s personal life. When we meet business owners with a similar ethic as our own, along with genuine love for dogs, we like to build relationships for the sake of a more comprehensive service network. No two dog walking companies are exactly the same in terms of the services they provide, and prospective clients have varying needs. So building up like-minded companies through referrals helps us all in the long run, and it builds community, and friendship. Sarah Kilgallon at Walkabout Dogs and Kimberly at Wags 4 Walks are examples of great entrepreneurs we’ve worked with in this way.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
Our growth as a company has only been rivaled by our growth as a family, steady and fierce over the last few years in both regards. We are now in a great place, with a pretty full weekly schedule, both for work and the kids. As we take each new client, we consider their needs with increasing care to assure we are able to do the job according to the same ethic we started out with. As we look to the future we think of those early years, and realize that if we are going to expand we must do so in a way that is equitable for all involved. Too many businesses across too many sectors grow rapidly and end up compromising their original principles, ending up with unhappy customers, and a high employee turnover rate. We have already resisted the temptation to take this path and now consider better solutions for growth. The options are limitless. It’s just a matter of imagination, a sense of equity, and an eye to the future. When my eldest daughter, Ambrey, was asked at her pre-school graduation what she wants to be when she grows up, she answered, “A dog walker like my mommy and daddy.” Who knows? Perhaps the future is already written.
Pricing:
- $18 for a half hour walk
- $25 for a hour walk
- $36 for a half day
- $50 for overnights
Contact Info:
- Website: www.pawsabouttown.net
- Phone: 978.869.2600
- Email: pawsabouttown@gmail.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Paws-About-Town-152460631436001/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/paws-about-town-newton
- Other: https://www.thumbtack.com/profile/services/2u1:50LRfyIJNg/
Image Credit:
Symbol Photography
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