Business Yappie Dayz are here again thanks to Nicola
This week we hear from Nicola Mulholland, 35, who set up Yappie Dayz, a doggie day-care centre which looks after pet pooches while their owners are at work. After a 16-year career as ground staff at Glasgow Airport, Nicola decided to ditch the shift work and 3.45am starts to set up Yappie Dayz in McDowell Street in Paisley a year ago. She’s loving being her own boss and the business also comes with the added bonus of being able to spend more time with her own dog, Vegas.
What does your business do?
We provide day-care facilities for owners to drop off their dogs while they are at work. They can leave their dog with us for a half day or full day as we are open from 8am to 6pm.
We have a large outside play area and an equally large area inside for the all too frequent wet days. We are fully insured and licensed which requires us adhere to regulations set out by the local council.
What are you most proud of when it comes to your company?
We started out from premises which was basically just a building with waste ground and transformed it into a safe and attractive area for the dogs to run around in all day.
With any new business there is always a doubt as to whether it will attract enough customers for it to be viable but 12 months into the venture we are glad to say it has proved to be as popular as we had hoped and I now have approximately 60 dogs on my books.
In addition, we have had favourable feedback from all owners. Overall, we also feel we provide a good aservice to all our customers and to the dogs.
What do you find most enjoyable in day to day business life?
It is great to see the dogs running about all day interacting with the other dogs. There is nothing worse for a dog than to be stuck at home all day when the owner is at work where they become bored.
Personally, I love dogs and to be working with them each day is very satisfying, as is seeing them socialising and getting fresh air and exercise each day, although there is quiet time for the dogs in the afternoon when they get tired.
RENFREWSHIRE GOES TO WORK
What are your ambitions for the future ? We would hope at some stage that we have grown enough to take on additional staff. We also have some unused space on our premises and we may try to utilise this in some way in the future, possibly a groom room and, hopefully, once we are at capacity on a daily basis maybe opening Yappie Dayz 2 sometime in the future.
How has the business changed over the years?
The business has only been going for just over 12 months so there have been no major changes.
What are your top three priorities? Our top priority is always to ensure the safety and happiness of the dogs in supervised play. We know how precious they are to their owners.
Secondly, we offer trial sessions to observe the interactions between the dogs to ensure they will settle, as day care is not for all dogs.
Finally, adhere to the rules of the licence issued by the council and ensure all paperwork for the dogs is in order e.g. have they had the required vaccinations.
Can you offer three tips to new-start businesses?
Firstly, do your homework and try to be realistic about how practical your business idea is. Secondly, ensure you have the finance to see you through the first year or two as these can be quite tough. Initial set up costs can be prohibitive. And be prepared to work very hard.
Why is Renfrewshire a great place to run a business?
We are based in the centre of Paisley so are within range of everyone in the town. We are also only minutes from Glasgow Airport so we have many airport workers who work shifts and use us.
Has anything weird or wonderful happened in your working life?
Having worked at the airport for many years, I met many celebrities and was able to visit places I wouldn’t have been able to go to otherwise.
With my current business, working with dogs every day is a challenge but an enjoyable one. For me now the most wonderful thing in my working life is having my dog Vegas at work with me. He is a three-year-old black lab with bundles of energy, he absolutely loves seeing his friends at day care.
He has the best life and I now don’t need to find anyone to watch him when I’m at work which was quite stressful when I worked at the airport.
What is the main thing you have learned since being involved in the business?
As with any new business it requires hard work.
The hours are long and with this business we are often working outside in cold and wet weather. But the rewards are there and you are doing something you love.