Bay of Plenty Business News January/February 2017

Company top
dog in pet gear
BAY OF PLENTY BUSINESS NEWS January/February 2017 7
When Rio the Schnauzer dog landed with
his owners in New Zealand from London,
he could claim to have the coat he stood
up in as his only possession.
By RICHARD RENNIE
New Zealand immigration
rules are tough on
dogs making this country
home with their owners.
The rules ban the importation
of any materials or products
the dog may have used back
home.
But it was these same rules
that prompted Rio’s owner
Lillian Richmond to start the
business she heads up today
with her business partner
Michael Terry.
“When we got to Auckland
and started looking around for
things for Rio, including collars,
dog beds and leads it
struck us how little there was
available, plenty of pet shops
were selling pretty much all
the same stuff,” says Lillian.
We have even had interest
from people in remote
parts of the country,
and the owner of a dog
hydrotherapy facility in
Southland is one of our few
stockists of the robes.
The ex-marketer and chartered
accountant decided to
seriously put plans together for
getting their own business into
gear.
And so Animal Outfitters
was born, an online store for
pet owners wanting quality
accessories and equipment for
their furry friends.
Meantime Rio the schnauzer
is now well equipped and
has multiple roles as the company’s
mascot, test dog and
photo model for the online web
sales.
Lillian and Michael’s exposure
to an expansive range of
pet accessories in the United
Kingdom and Europe had
given them an insight to a trend
they believed would reach New
Zealand sooner rather than
later.
Social media, major demographic
shifts and
ever rising immigration
have all
been forces driving
increasing spend
upon pets, particularly
dogs.
“The quality pet
accessories were
out there, but just
not here yet,” says
Lillian.
An astute
marketer, she
has noticed the
increasing “humanisation” of
pet dogs in households with
couples who may not have
children, or with “empty nesters”
whose children have left
home. Greater immigration
also means more of the population
is used to having pets
with quality accessories from
the same sources Lillian and
Michael experienced overseas.
They were not enticed to
push into the excessive “dog
bling” market that includes
such accessories like $400
Don’t be afraid to look for help
Welcome to 2017!
By now, everyone
is probably settled
back into work and is hopefully,
refreshed and energised
for the year ahead. But, are
you REALLY ready for it?
I cast my mind back to
something that happened
a few years ago over the
Christmas break. I was
watching my daughter’s
swimming lessons and was
struck with the similarities
between being in business
and being a four-year-old
struggling with the concepts
of floating and sinking while
trying to make the art of
swimming look less like the
frenzied attack that was actually
occurring.
How is this similar you
might ask? Well, she was
very enthusiastic and determined
and, over time, she
may have been able to teach
herself to swim – she may
even have become quite good
at it, especially if the level of
natural ability was as high as
the level of enthusiasm.
But surely it made better
sense to get the correct
training and guidance at the
beginning?
Being in business is no
different. The earlier you
seek assistance and guidance
from people who know how
it’s done and know how best
to help you do it, the better
off you will be. Learning the
basics and best practice early
pays huge dividends later on.
Confidence, enthusiasm
and determination are admirable
traits and somewhat
essential to success in business.
But how equipped are you
to respond to external factors
that are likely to impact
on your success? Such as…
the bully who dive bombs
the pool … the employee
who disrupts your team …
the awesome plans that you
Rio the Schnauzer with Animal Outfitters creators Lillian Richmond and Michael Terry.
MONEY MATTERS
> BY STEPHEN GRAHAM
Louis Vuitton dog collars.
Rather they sought to provide
items that hit the right notes on
quality at an affordable price,
while also offering owners a
sense of personalised, “specialness”
about them.
“We estimated there are
about 700,000 dogs in New
Zealand, and even if we could
tap into the top five percent of
that market, it would be a great
start,” says Michael.
The couple opted for an
online sales model, knowing
Stephen Graham is director and managing partner at BDO Rotorua,
Chartered Accountants and Advisers. To find out more visit bdorotorua.co.nz
or email rotorua@bdo.co.nz
have in mind but that circumstances
always seem to prevent
you from getting across
the line … the New Zealand
economy … the world economy?
Not only do we face an
election of our own this year,
there have been changes in
the global arena that are,
to say the least, unknown
quantities. The changes in
economic climate that could
result from any of these
things could cause havoc
with our carefully laid out
plans for the year.
The fact that these external
factors are just that, external
factors, means that neither
you nor I, or anyone else for
that matter, can change or
dictate any of it.
What should you do?
The analogy between my
(then) four-year-old daughter
and the business world is as
pertinent now as it ever was.
Like her, you should
continue to set goals and
milestones. Learn to accept
advice. Learn to read the elements.
Have your life saver (or
jacket) at the ready.
The goal is to reach the
end of the pool.
Be aware of your surroundings
and know that you
are ultimately in control of
how to get there.
One stroke at a time.
Handling each obstacle as
it appears.
Oh, and don’t forget to
breathe!
going up against the big retail
operators is too hard. Offering
an enjoyable, warm and interesting
on line experience would
be another point of difference,
alongside the quality of what
they were selling.
Lillian has some key themes
she sticks to when assessing
products for the company’s
range, seeking items that are
well made, long lasting and
look good.
“As well as looking stylish,
a product must also actually
work for the pet. For example
a dog bed inner should provide
ongoing support for the dog’s
weight (we use high density
foam) and covers need to be
easily machine washable. A
cheaper bed is often harder to
wash and contains hollow fibre
fill that quickly sags, so the bed
might only last six months.”
They also focus on educating
customers about what
constitutes a good product,
combining thoughtful design
with appealing aesthetics and
colours.
Some of their most popular
items are the dog towelling
robes and jackets which they
initially designed for smaller
canines, but have since had
a surge in interest from owners
of larger animals seeking
something stylish that keeps
their pet warm.
“We have even had interest
from people in remote parts of
the country, and the owner of
a dog hydrotherapy facility in
Southland is one of our few
stockists of the robes.”
The couple is also proud
to have the jackets and robes
made in New Zealand and
owners appreciate the focus on
quality stitching and use of
buttons over velcro on fabric
the same as that which human
clothing is made from.
Longer term the couple
have some other developments
under wraps, and prospects for
further sales into Australia,
while cat accessories are also
finding a growing market here.
“But cats will always be
cats, there is only so much you
may do with them or spend
upon them.”
The couple has enjoyed
moving their business to
Tauranga from Auckland, and
welcome the support received
from Small Business Tauranga.
“If you are new here SBT
is a good way to quickly find
out about other businesses and
services that can help you get
going quicker,” says Lillian.
To learn more visit www.animaloutfitters.nz
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