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Kez’s Creature Comforts Facebook page
It’s not time for our penultimate (second to last) business woman of the year award for 2018. We’ve had a number of nominations sent in to us this month and all of them would have been deserving of the prize. We have decided to give this November’s business woman of the month to the owner of Kez’s Creature Comforts, Kez Brownen.
Kez becomes the first business man/woman/person of the month who works with animals. And as many of us have a pet dog or cat, Kez’s business and what she offers is something that many of us might have to use one day. Kez actually took some time to answer a few questons I had in her own words, so here they are:
Give an explanation of your business and what you do?
I run a dog walking and pet sitting business is Torbay and Newton Abbot offering one to one dog walks, cat and small pet visits and pet sitting. Walks are only ever on a one to one basis or from the same household, never mixed group walks, so they have my full attention and we can build a great bond.
The pet visits and sitting allow your pets to be left in the comfort of their own homes and routines whilst the owners are away reducing stress factors and offering peace of mind for the home.
How did you get into starting the business?
Before starting the business I was a zookeeper (primarily penguins and seals) for nearly eight years. After leaving my previous position I wanted to try something new and after a fair bit of research looked into the pet sitting and dog walking services around the area and thought I could give the few around at the time a bit of healthy competition.
I had no real idea of what I was offering would work, but I found most other services offered home boarding and group walks, and thought I could provide something a little bit different.
How long has the business been running for?
The business has been going now since June 2017 and has become increasingly busier during the last year.
What is the most rewarding part of running your own business?
The most rewarding part of running my own business is definetly building an amazing bond with the animals in my care and the privilege to be able to work with them every day. Also being my own boss is definetly a big plus.
What has been the most difficult part of it?
The most difficult part was certainly in the early stages of setting up and getting myself known around the area in order to build up my clientele. But the hard work has paid off.
Any plans to expand in the future?
I’ve been thinking a lot recently about what could come in the next year or so and I definitely have plans to expand, so watch this space!
Any advice to young people in the area looking to start a business?
I guess the best bit of advice I can give is genuinely just to believe in yourself and your ideas. Of course, you should make sure you research into the field your looking at and get as much information on not only what you need to set up (insurance, DBS checks etc) but also your competition and most importantly what will be your most unique selling point. And if you really want it… Work your socks off and go for it.
Congratulations Kez for this month’s award. Please share this if you’re a friend of Kez or have used her services in the past! Help local businesses!
