BC Business
Despite warnings from friends and financial advisers, Sarah Kemp launched her own doggy daycare and dog walking services company. And proved a lot of people wrong.
Tired of the stale air, uncomfortable chairs and limited views of cubicle life? Sarah Kemp has a solution. “There’s nothing better than being paid to hike in the mountains,” she tells me, her cheerful but slightly out-of-breath voice echoing down the line. I’m chatting with the owner of All Play Pet Care and Adventures via cellphone as she and six of her clients – Kirby, Tempi, Buttercup, Roxy, Mocha and Charlie – tread the hills of Nelson, B.C. The two- to three-hour off-leash adventure hikes cover the logging roads and recreational trails of Nelson. They start at 10 a.m. Monday through Friday and cost $17 per dog per hike (pickup and drop-off included). It’s one of many services that Kemp, along with her dogs Louis and Finn – president and vice-president of canine operations, respectively – offer through her continually expanding business. Kemp, 29, started her business 5½ years ago against the advice of friends and financial institutions. “When I started, the banks wouldn’t lend me money. So many people told me I was crazy: why would people pay someone else to walk their dog?” But Kemp was persistent. She tested the waters with a dog-walking business, which didn’t require high startup costs or any special facilities. The response from dog owners was positive, at least in part because Nelson has a no-dog bylaw within the city centre, so exercising Fido while doing your errands isn’t an option. After three years and a $1,000 investment, Kemp was ready to open her doggy daycare in a 1,100-square-foot leased commercial building (with a 500-square-foot fenced yard) in downtown Nelson. Initially, the daycare – complete with fireplace, plush couches and wall murals – brought in two to five dogs a day. In two months, that number had reached 10 to 12 dogs. Today Kemp and her staff of two cater to upwards of 20 dogs a day at a daily rate of $26 per dog, plus the six dogs booked for adventure hikes. Kemp also offers her Doggy Bed and Breakfast service from her home, with an average of five dogs per weekend at $35 a night. Aside from the great outdoors and clients who just cannot get enough of her, Kemp takes pleasure from “the experience I know we’re giving the dogs. They learn so much from each other,” she says. “They have such great character and personality.” Bet you can’t say that about your cubicle mates.