Forging Ties Helped Them Groom Pet-Care Business

Craig and Laura O’Keefe started producing aromatherapy-inspired dog-grooming products on a shoestring budget in 1999. With no outside financing, they used savings and credit cards to get their pet shampoos and deodorizers to the marketplace. Relying on entrepreneurial boldness, the couple made industry contacts and selected manufacturers and vendors that have helped their company grow. Craig O’Keefe was interviewed by freelance writer Karen E. Klein.

Pet Aromatics was born out of necessity. I’m a professional musician and Laura has worked in retail photography. We were searching for a dog coat deodorizer but could not find an effective product for our dogs that was alcohol-free and contained no harsh chemicals. There was an obvious void in the marketplace and we went for it, creating our debut products and incorporating basic principles of aromatherapy. We packaged the products like upscale yet accessible gift items because we didn’t want to be pigeonholed to one section of the marketplace. When you are a new company, competing for limited shelf space without an unlimited well of advertising dollars, you must be extremely creative.

We feel referrals are the single most important aspect in the growth of our company. Getting referrals can be an exhausting process that leads down dead ends. But when you form a relationship with a top rep or broker or distributor who eventually works with you and your line of products, all that previous effort is worthwhile. When we started, we had virtually no contacts or experience in the pet business, but we wanted to be affiliated with the most respected, results-oriented people in our industry.

First, we found the top trade organizations in our field and applied for membership. Next, we sought out the top manufacturer’s reps, distributors and vendors in the industry. We went about this by finding noncompeting manufacturers that we admired and knew were successful. Then we contacted these busy individuals and companies through a brief but professional phone call, letter or e-mail. We explained who we were, let them know our products would not compete with theirs and asked for referrals. This often took multiple attempts for weeks or even months, but finally we had a list of the best contacts in the industry by region and territory.

Next, we attempted to contact these top referrals. Being virtually unknown in the business made it a very arduous task. Some of them were out of our league, but cultivating a potential relationship with them was crucial, so we persisted. After we made initial contacts, we were able to determine which of them would be best for our current situation and product line. We sent out literature and initial product samples and found that a lot of them loved our line and the way we marketed it, which has helped us with distribution as well.

Another valuable lesson was finding reputable vendors that could accommodate our needs. It was extremely difficult finding supplies and raw materials and factories that would put together our product line not just satisfactorily but at a reasonable price.

Again, referrals and research were absolutely critical, as was finding vendors to work with us on smaller production runs so our inventory does not get overstocked. We maintain cash flow by ordering only what we need and not going to larger manufacturing facilities that have minimum orders of astronomical quantity.

We have found that once we contract with the right people and companies, it’s worth our while to stay with them even if we find vendors or people who promise us a slightly better margin or take less sales commission. Bottom line is bottom line, but the dividends of loyalty can be enormous. For example, our current vendors are willing to go to bat for us in extending a line of credit or waiving deposits for ordering raw materials because of our loyalty and faith in them. They trust us because of our consistent ordering and prompt payment history.

We know exactly what we want, we’re easy to work with, we present and communicate our ideas clearly and we pay on time. We expect the same professionalism from them, and we get it.

We learned that purchasing goods and supplies at the cheapest possible price can be a costly mistake. One time we found a discount packaging surplus house selling a massive quantity of the clear tubes that we use for our dog shampoos at an unbelievably low price. We were elated at the dirt-cheap price, but when we sent some sample tubes to our shampoo bottler, they could not silk-screen our artwork on the tubes. The logo just wouldn’t stick, so we decided to purchase from our usual vendor, although they were more expensive. We’re thankful we insisted on seeing samples before we purchased, and we realized that better prices don’t always mean better--or even satisfactory--goods.

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If your business can provide a lesson to other entrepreneurs, contact Karen E. Klein at the Los Angeles Times, 1333 S. Mayflower Ave., Suite 100, Monrovia, CA 91016 or at kklein6349@aol.com. Include your name, address and telephone number.

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At a Glance:

Company: California Solutions/Pet Aromatics

Owners: Craig and Laura O’Keefe

Nature of business: Specialty dog grooming products

Location: 2658 Griffith Park Blvd., No. 196, Los Angeles 90039

Founded: 1999

E-mail: info@petaromatics.com

Web site: www.petaromatics.com

Employees: 2

Annual Revenue: $140,000