Today we’d like to introduce you to Les Platz.
Les, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
There is little doubt the fun and success I have enjoyed as the owner/operator of VIPets is nothing short of a gift from God. I acknowledge this because the path that led me to this business was more of an accident than a purposed pursuit. In 2000, I found myself unemployed. Given the market had taken a downturn, job options in my field of consulting were minimal, so I decided to enjoy some much-needed downtime.
To keep myself busy until the business environment improved, I decided to start a small no-tech business in the growing service offering of pooop scooping. I know right, pretty funny. I shocked quite a few of my friends also. I assured them it was only temporary and besides, the job was a pretty basic and the business appeared to be low to no stress. Easy in and when the time came, easy out. Little did I know at the time, my plans for “easy out” would never come… and thankfully so. In the midst of setting up my new business, a friend mentioned I should expand my services to include pet sitting & dog walking.
I originally laughed at the idea. “Who would pay for that”, I quipped. “That’s what family, friends and neighbors are for”. Seemed like a waste of ad space because where I’m from, if you needed help with your pets, you turned to your neighbor or family. I knew this to be factual because in the small Kansas town where I grew up, I was that neighbor. With minimal expectations, I added pet care to my services offered. Although a bit rusty, I did have the experience and I absolutely loved pets. What I discovered very quickly is that Dallas Texas and my little Kansas hometown have little in common in the way pet sitting services are staffed. What was originally the root of a little chuckle, had now become my booming new reality.
So it’s pretty obvious that left to my original plan, I would have certainly missed out on over a decade (17+ years) of great friendships and memories with a countless number of Dallas clients and pets. I must also give a great deal of credit for my success to my early clients who took a chance on using VIPets to provide their pet care services. Had it not been for these clients who used me for their own pet services and graciously referred my services to their friends and family, I would have likely shuttered this business in the first year.
Has it been a smooth road?
An interesting question. As best as I recall, I can’t remember any roadblocks or barriers I encountered while getting VIPets off and running.
Challenges are something else. As a start-up, I was faced with the same challenge most new companies have with acquiring and building a client base with zero service history to market my business. I recall those early client prospects and how hungry I was to impress upon them my dedication and commitment to providing their pets with the best pet care service ever offered in the history of pets. Yes – I was a bit over-enthusiastic and likely oversold my business. Still, many did give me the opportunity and for that, I’ll be forever grateful. I really was a bad salesperson and honestly probably still not that great today.
Fortunately, even the dullest knife in the drawer will eventually get an edge if you continue to sharpen it. In line with my enthusiasm and willingness to grow a client base, I was more than willing to “stretch” beyond my Dallas service area a bit. I recall making trips to Rockwall, Addison, Los Colinas, Irvin and Oak Cliff. I’m pretty sure I was not making any money with these clients, but it kept me busy, I was enjoying my visits and most importantly I was building a client history and gaining experience.
Another memorable and significant challenge faced early on by me and also by many of my peers in this business was the lack of software catered to this industry. When I was just starting out, many pet care companies were using a mix of various software programs to manage the various aspects of their business. In some cases, companies were still hand-writing their invoices and tracking clients with spreadsheets. This lack of administration solutions for the pet sitting industry was adding hours of administrative time to the business.
With a small client base, administering these tasks manually was fine, but early into this business, I recognized that with even minimal growth, all my free time would be taken up doing back-office administrative tasks. So I wrote my own software. This was not my background, so I taught myself how to program and manage data. Certainly, one of my most significant accomplishments as I still use this same program today.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
In business since 2001, VIPets provides pet care services in the home of our clients as an alternate to traditional boarding or daycare facilities. The ease of allowing pets to remain in the comfort of their homes eliminates the need for the pet owner to schedule additional time required to transport pets to/from boarding facilities which may not offer the flexibility to accommodate work schedules of busy professionals that often live last minute lifestyles. Pets benefit from staying in their comfortable and familiar surroundings without the day-to-day hustle, uncertainty and health risks that can come from the changing population and environments associated with kennels and daycare facilities.
The processes we have installed through the years help ensure our clients have peace of mind while away from their pets and that their pets feel loved, safe and cared for in the great hands our sitter staff. We strive to make all client interaction with VIPets fast, friendly and efficient. Whether new to VIPets or an existing client, we want to ensure your experience with us is a great one.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Ask me this question 18 years ago and I would have said “probably not”, but then again that was not a city-specific response, that was a business concept assessment.
Fortunately for me, my small town view of pet sitting for hire was quickly proven wrong, and thankfully so. In regards to promoting Dallas to others considering pet sitting start-ups, I would flatly advise against it! This really is a bad question… why would I encourage more competition. LOL. In all seriousness, Dallas is a city of pet lovers and a fast-growing one at that. It has been a great home for VIPets and in my estimation, would likely be a great community for almost any pet-related businesses.
Contact Info:
- Website: vi-pets.com and coming soon vipetsdallas.com
- Phone: 214-207-3108
- Email: petcare@vi-pets.com
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/vipets.dallas
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
