Category: Business Owner Stories

How Two Rescues Inspired a Creative Dog-Walking Accessory

How Two Rescues Inspired a Creative Dog-Walking Accessory

Ryan Riley and his wife, Ashley Spitz, are the founders of BizBagz, a company that sells uniquely designed environmentally responsible dog waste bags made from bio-based resins and recycled plastics. “We’re trying to take something as mundane and gross as dog poop and make it a little bit more fun and responsible,” Riley says. BizBagz feature a cherry design, so when dog owners turn them inside out to pick up poop, it appears like they’re carrying a bag of cherries—a… Read More
How a Mom of 3 Grew a Successful Cake Business on Instagram

How a Mom of 3 Grew a Successful Cake Business on Instagram

Rachel Dunston of Rachel Makes It is having a good year. In just under 12 short months, this full-time mother of three has built a thriving cake business solely through Instagram, where she’s followed by nearly 6,000 loyal fans and frequently shuts down orders a month in advance. She told us how she did it. Let Them Eat Cake “When I started building Instagram a year ago, I didn’t exactly know what I was going to use it for,” Dunston… Read More
How to Turn a Killer Recipe Into a Successful Food Business

How to Turn a Killer Recipe Into a Successful Food Business

What started as a hobby making sauerkraut has grown to a full-fledged business, thanks to passion, a few credit cards, and an interest-free loan. When David Edmondson started making sauerkraut in his home kitchen in Dunsmuir, Calif., three years ago, he says, “I tasted good sauerkraut for the first time.” He was hooked. He started giving it to friends and family, who raved about it and told him he should sell it. He took their advice “with a grain of… Read More
How This Dog Daycare Business Is Making a Huge Impact on a Local Community

How This Dog Daycare Business Is Making a Huge Impact on a Local Community

Ruben Serrato is the founder of We Dog Care, a 24/7 dog daycare and boarding service, which, he says, offers “the unique value proposition that we are an affordable, convenient, and highly transparent daycare.” Serrato started the business when, as a rescue volunteer in San Jose, Calif., he saw local dogs too often ending up in shelters because owners lacked the time, money, and knowledge to care for them well. We Dog Care’s pricing is less than half of competitors' pricing,… Read More
How This Business Owner and Single Dad Created a Platform to Make Surveys More Fun

How This Business Owner and Single Dad Created a Platform to Make Surveys More Fun

Jason Anderson is the president and founder of Datagame, a survey “gamification” platform that makes online surveys less boring and more engaging by replacing the worst bits of them with interactive games. Clients use Datagame to improve user engagement and survey response rates. Anderson founded the company four years ago to accommodate the needs of his family. He’s been able to build Datagame while juggling the responsibilities of single fatherhood. Starting Out Why did you start your business? I had… Read More
How a Spy Business Started Small and Grew to $3M a Year

How a Spy Business Started Small and Grew to $3M a Year

Allen Walton is the founder of SpyGuy Security, an online store that sells security and surveillance products—like hidden cameras, GPS trackers, covert audio recorders, and bug detectors. A completely self-taught entrepreneur, Walton attributes his business’ success to the quality of its website and his accessibility to customers. Walton wrote down his plan for this business on a manila pad. “I wanted to make a minimum of $30,000, so I could pay my rent and have enough money to eat. If… Read More