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What It's About
Hot dogs beat the heat with frozen pup treats!
Business Model
Skills Required
Complexity
Profit Potential
Words of Wisdom
While research and experimentation are generally vital to starting up any side hustle, this is especially important when you're creating something that humans or in this case, their pets are consuming.
If you're interested in breaking into the gourmet pet food and treats business, you should survey the market and determine where you're more likely to be successful selling. Not all areas are going to be as receptive to this market, so you should get a feel for the demand in your area and let that guide whether you sell in person, online, or a combination of the two.
Fun Fact
In 2012, their treats were spotted online by a producer from Shark Tank. Two weeks later, Meg and Matt took vacation days from their full-time jobs and drove from Denver to LA with their two pups in tow.
They knew going in that the sharks wouldn’t like hearing their total sales in three years were only $30,000, but even though they didn’t strike a deal, the appearance on Shark Tank gave their treats and company the validation they needed to be taken seriously by distributors.
Notes from Chris
Episode 384
You know how your dog likes to eat your ice cream? Well, thanks to Meg and Matt Meyer, you can send him or her to the freezer to get his own with their healthy and fun frozen yogurt treat for dogs called The Bear & the Rat, named for their two dogs. One is a Lhasa Apso who growls like a bear and his brother from another mother, is a Rat Terrier. The product has no by-products or chemicals, unlike its competitors. It is formulated with ingredients that benefit your pup and includes billions of live and active probiotic cultures that are great for immunity, digestion, sensitive tummies and even doggie breath. The flavors are Applewood Bacon, Banana and Peanut Butter, and Real Pumpkin. Matt decided to make their dogs their own treats when he got tired of the battle between giving in to them when they wanted some of his ice cream—and being the mean guy who wouldn’t share because the sugar and milk weren’t good for them. But not so fast. Would dogs and their owners actually like the frozen yogurt treats that he envisioned? To find out, Meg and Matt made a sample batch with their home blender and ice cream maker. They then tested their product for three weekends at an affluent farmer’s market. Each week, they sold over $100 worth of $2 cups and then decided their idea was viable. This process continued, slow and steady, until 2017 when they reached one million dollars in sales for the first time. This year, they're even expecting that number to double!MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
- The Bear & the Rat: See what all the barking is about and learn more about Meg and her products on her website!
- Publix: A southeastern chain of supermarkets that Meg ended up selling her products in
- Starting a Pet Food Business: Interested in starting up your own furry friend treats side hustle? Learn more about the process and regulations in your state!
- Dog Lover Turns At-Home Baking Into Barking Business: A Michigan-based dog owner uses her baking hobby to launch a gourmet, healthy dog treat business, and her dogs make no bones about how much they love them!
- Every Dog Has Its Side Hustling Day: Two sisters team up to create a side business with a social good component. It’s a dog-eat-dog world out there… are you working on your hustle?
