Today we’d like to introduce you to April Prohaska.
Hi April, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I left the corporate world in 2000 to pursue my entrepreneurial dream of working with animals and owning my own business. I started my own pet sitting business shortly thereafter called Paws Professional Pet Services and then in 2004 began the process to create an all-encompassing pet service business incorporating the social aspect for dog owners to sit, stay and mingle with their pets. In early 2005, I opened The Pooch Patio LLC offering daycare, full-service baths, professional grooming, kennel boarding, a small retail storefront and a beer and wine bar and coffee house. I was the first pet services business in the country to create an all-encompassing pet services business that also offered owners the ability to grab an espresso at drop-off or a glass of wine at pick-up. For fourteen years, we sustained our operations in the 3300 sq. foot building and then in 2018, we moved to the operation to 10,000 sq. foot location. We expanded our services to also include dog training, cat boarding, dog party host, pet taxi services, and a larger retail storefront.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The growth of any small business is always one of the biggest challenges to endure. Throughout our many years of business operations, we have learned a tremendous amount about facility applications and what works and what doesn’t, creating competitive package pricing to benefit our more consistent clientele in order to be a leader in the industry, and the importance of full transparency within our business model to ensure that our client communications exceed customer expectations and build trust.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
We are a dog oasis destination providing high-quality, professional pet services. We cater to the corporate-minded clientele, busy pet owners and all of the hospital staff and first responders that work long hours. We are open seven days a week, offer extended hours and pet taxi services to assist our customers in maintaining their dog’s overall health and well-being. We pride ourselves on providing excellent customer service, full transparency in any client communications, and the highest level of professional services by trained staff and animal lovers. We have set ourselves apart from our competitors by offering a complimentary trial day for any new clients on their first day, as well as an online customer portal making client registration, booking services and uploading veterinary documents very user-friendly. We also developed our very own mobile app offering clients an easy way to book appointments, receive SMS announcements and to upload documents and photos. Likewise, we have a 65″ television in our front lobby displaying live camera feeds in all of our environments for clients to view, and we offer (9) webcams for all registered daycare clients to watch their babies online while they are at work or at home. We also sought out to create a variety of suite sizes and amenities for our overnight guests to cater to every client and their needs. Additionally, we offer unaltered, geriatric, special needs, and or medical needs clients an alternative for care during the workday and or overnight needs.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
As an entrepreneur, I have come to learn that risk-taking enables and encourages innovation, which can be an important product and service differentiator. My motto has always been to try anything once and that unless I try, I will never know what success can feel like. Failed risks aren’t always negative and sometimes, these risks can provide the most valuable business lessons an entrepreneur can learn. Past failures and poor business decisions has helped me to shape my future business strategies which has indefinitely led me to generate business growth. I have been fortunate to have my manager be a part of my business for eleven years and we work very well together because we both view challenges optimistically: as opportunities, not problems. As an entrepreneur, I have always had a vision for what I want to create and set goals in order to meet those goals.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@thepoochpatio.com
- Website: http://www.thepoochpatio.com
- Instagram: @ThePoochPatio
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thepoochpatio
- Twitter: @ThePoochPatio
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-pooch-patio-dallas?osq=the+pooch+patio
