More Than WE Know

At More Than WE Know, I frequently recommend that Women Entrepreneurs find a niche that is:

• narrow enough to be distinct
• deep enough to allow for expertise and variety
• engaging enough to tap into a customer’s passion 

 and that appeals to a target market who has demonstrated a  willingness to spend money.

Greyt Inspirations has found such a niche in their unique designer products for pets and pet owners. 

In today’s Woman Entrepreneur profile,  I talk to Joanne from Greyt Inspirations. Joanne and her husband started their business 4 years ago, after their children were grown.  It is a shared passion that they have built together. They have developed a wide variety of products, from custom dog collars to dog-embroidered fleece jackets and tote bags and one-of-a-kind stained glass art. 

Their website is more than a store - it is a community in which customers can share their own pet stories and pictures and receive free advice on pet care, first aid and more.

They are also affiliated with a charity, Hope for Hounds, that provides funding to cancer research for greyhounds through the Greyhound Health and Welfare Program at Ohio State University.

Their related links include pet adoption and pet freebies. They keep a regularly updated blog and offer a monthly chance to win a free collar to all new newsletter subscribers.

There’s a lot going on at this site and it’s no wonder that Greyt Inspirations is a success with 100% of its sales online.

Here is their story:

Joanne, tell me about your business.

At Greyt Inspirations we design, create and sell pet and people products, specializing in embroidered and personalized products. We started with dog collars and leashes and have grown from there into embroidered clothing, embroidered fleece blankets, embroidered baseball caps, stained glass art and pet-themed jewelry.

My husband is the stained glass artist. He has been doing stained glass for more than 15 years.

What is your best holiday item?

Dog collars have always been my best-selling product, year round. I have a line of Holiday collars that are quite popular at this time of year.

What inspired or motivated you to start your business?

Our 3 greyhounds were and continue to be our motivation for the business. I started by designing and creating dog collars for our dogs. Friends and family then started asking me to make their dog collars so I decided to get into designing and creating dog collars for sale and have loved it from the moment I started.

What keeps you motivated?

Our greyhounds and the many, many people we have met and become friends with. The more involved we become with the greyhound communities through common interests and business, the more we love the entire experience.

I have always been involved in crafts and have tried many different types of crafts. I always seemed to return to something that allowed me to use my creativity. Researching, thinking, designing and creating pet products allows me to fulfill my creative side and I love seeing dogs wearing my creations. It is very fulfilling to have a customer come back to me for more and more collars and leashes.

I am always looking for new and unique fabrics, fabric trims and designs that I can use for embroidery. It is so much fun when I come across something that is truly unique and adorable - that I know will look fabulous on a collar, leash or an item of clothing.

How did you fund your business?

We funded Greyt Inspirations from our own money. Because of this, we had to start slowly and build the business as money permitted. It has taken a few years but all the hard work is finally starting to pay off.

Who is your target market?

Pet lovers.

What percentage of your business is online? What is your ideal percentage?

Greyt Inspirations is 100% online store although we do attend a number of events/shows throughout the year in Canada and the States.

Where do you get most of your cusotmers?

Word of mouth, advertising, networking and press releases.

What is the biggest challenge you faced and how did you overcome it?

There was quite a learning curve for me with regards to “business”. My work experience is “technical” so the website creation and maintenance is fairly easy - whatever I don’t  know, I do the research and learn how to do it.

Business was a totally new experience for me. Much of what I have learned over the past 4 years is by research, trial and error, networking, discussions with other business owners, etc.

I made a number of mistakes and looked at them like “live and learn” instead of worrying about them.

I know that I will always be learning and adapting but that is one of the things that I enjoy about running Greyt Inspirations - there is always something new.

What was the best unexpected thing that happened to you?

The best, unexpected thing to happen to us is how many new people we meet every year andhow many friends we now have all over Canada and the States. We never dreamed that we would meet so many wonderful people through our business, let alone become close friends with many of them. This has been a Huge Bonus for us.

What do you wish you had known when you started?

I wish I had had more experience with business, business management and marketing/advertising.  I think that if I had more knowledge of these, I may have been able to make Greyt Inspirations successful a lot sooner.

What advice do you have for other Women Entrepreneurs or Entrepreneur-Wannabe’s?

Do your research and get experience before you start the business. Take a business course, marketing course, advertising course, bookkeeping or accounting software course before starting. Know what you are getting into and learn what you need to do to succeed.

Then have fun!

To purchase Joanne’s  fun and unique products, visit Greyt Inspirations.

If you would like to learn more about cancer research for greyhounds, visit Hope for Hounds.

If you have a business that sells gifts online and would like to be profiled on More Than WE Know this holiday season, please contact me at Liz (at) Morethanweknow (dot) com.

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