This month, we're thrilled to introduce you to Nicole and Jordan, the incredible forces behind one of Kalamazoo's leading pet care businesses, Cloud 9 Canine! After growing up with nearly every pet imaginable, Nicole harbored a deep love for pets, but in-home pet care wasn't yet seen as a viable career, and while they had experience volunteering at their local SPCA, Nicole knew more than anything that they wanted to have their own business. While the exact plans for what they wanted that business to be hadn't fully taken shape, they pursued business studies in college, until coming across an article in 2019 that made a mention of dog walking and pet sitting services. Realizing that there was a great need for that type of care in their local area, Nicole left school to open up their very own pet sitting business, and the rest is history!
Since opening, Cloud 9 Canine has seen a lot of growth, especially when Nicole's twin sister Jordan joined as a business partner, and they now boast fourteen active staff members and are even thinking of expanding into the world of dog sports! The heart of their business remains the same, however, and Nicole is dedicated to fulfilling Cloud 9 Canine's mission statement of making a positive impact on the Kalamazoo community by enhancing the lives of the pets they look after and by providing quality education and resources to their families so that no life in their care goes untouched. To learn more about everything they have to offer, be sure to check out Cloud 9 Canine or follow them on Facebook!
What caused you to get into pet sitting/dog walking?
In 2019, I was a college student studying business and looking for another form of income when I stumbled across an article that had pet sitting and dog walking listed. I had no idea that in-home pet care was a thing, but I grew up in an extremely rural community on a "pet farm" (raising cats and dogs as well as rabbits, chickens, ducks, sheep, etc. simply as companions/pets) and had some experience volunteering at the local SPCA. I knew I always wanted to have a business of my own but was not quite sure what... As soon as I started, everything just clicked!
I realized there was a need for what we do in my area and ended up dropping out of school to start the business (I missed my last macroeconomics exam for a dog walk...) I do NOT recommend this, but it happened to work out very well, in my case! Within six weeks, I was full time, had a packed schedule, and dove right in! Through mentorship and some really wonderful connections (especially my twin sister, who joined me as a business partner), we really took off, and the rest is history!
What is the most fulfilling part of owning a pet sitting/dog walking business?
The most fulfilling part has been reigniting my passion for serving the community and learning so much more about pet behavior, especially in dogs and cats!
What is the most challenging?
The most challenging has to be finding the middle ground between meeting client wishes, fulfilling pet needs, and deciding how to navigate the "in-between."
Where do you see your business in five years?
Continuing to work on fulfilling our mission statement and possibly expanding more into the dog sport world!
What has Time To Pet changed the most about how you run your business?
Time To Pet has changed everything about how we run our business! It's allowed us to consolidate our processes and procedures and run in a manner that is efficient and effective for management, staff, and our clients! We are extremely grateful for Time to Pet, all it has to offer, and all the ways it has improved and grown to better serve small businesses like us, even in just the last few years since we started using TTP!
