Small businesses with big impacts vie for local awards
No dog is too big or too small. Nor is a customer at Doodle Dogs — Calgary’s leading provider of locally sourced artisanal dog gear and grooming services.
Yes, that’s a thing. It’s a big thing, too, says one of its owners.
“We felt there was a need for this kind of store in Calgary because nobody else was doing it,” says Corey White, who opened the store two years ago with his sister Meghan Huchkowsky.
“We had no idea Calgary would go for that, but three expansions later, it’s clearly been working.”
The recipe for success goes beyond offering “cool dog gear” and related services, delivering unsurpassed customer service also helps, he adds.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s your first time to the store or your 100th time, everyone gets treated as though it’s their special moment to be in the store.”
The small business’s growth and success have not gone unnoticed. Doodle Dogs is among the nominees for a variety of awards to be presented at an awards gala hosted by the Calgary Chamber of Commerce on Oct. 19 at the Grey Eagle Resort.
“The Small Business Week Calgary Awards give the business community the chance to celebrate themselves and their peers for all that they have achieved and contribute to the wider economy,” says Sandip Lalli, president and chief executive officer of the Calgary Chamber.
Indeed, the little businesses that often do the heavy lifting in our economy should be celebrated.
“Small business is the cornerstone of the Canadian economy, creating almost 90 per cent of the jobs nationally,” she says. “The owners of these businesses are passionate, driven and motivated individuals who spend their days working and their nights planning.”
Certainly that describes the 2018 nominees across eight categories that include the BDC Emerging Growth Award, the Company Culture Award, the Innovation Award and, of course, the ATB Small Business of the Year.
Doodle Dogs leads the pack, nominated for three awards, including small business of the year, the innovation honour and KPMG’s People’s Choice Award.
Its focus on service and rapid growth — expanding from a 400-square-foot bricks-and-mortar retail shop to more than 2,000 square feet of retail and spa space in just two years — is reason enough to be recognized. But White says the store is also popular because it is active in the community.
“We do a lot of charity work raising money for rescues, and doing adoption events,” he says. “We also do a lot of LGBT-related events.”
Giving back is also a hallmark of another nominee for small business of the year. Tool Shed Brewing has been wetting the whistle of beer aficionados in the city for more than four years. But it’s not just focused on growing its customer base.
“Our MO is we have a dedicated group of customers who love our product and regulars who come to our brewery, but we’re focused on not just our growth but the growth of the industry,” says Jeff Orr, who founded the company with Graham Sherman after their hobby of brewing beer in their backyard transformed into a profitable obsession.
“There is a very convivial relationship between breweries unlike other industries. We’re all here to help each other.”
The fact the microbrewer also has a growing, loyal customer base doesn’t hurt either.
“We’ve gone through four expansions since we opened about four years ago,” Orr says.
And like most successful small businesses, the goal isn’t getting rich.
“We don’t really profit in terms of buying ourselves nice vacation homes,” he says, adding the company employs more than 30 people.
“All the money goes right back into the brewery to keep up with demand.”
Scooping up accolades isn’t a priority either. But the recognition — win or lose — does validate their efforts.
“There is a lot of pride we take in being nominated for this because it is the accumulation of a bunch of hard work that our team does,” Orr says.
White concurs wholeheartedly that being nominated is a win for Doodle Dogs’ staff of 10.
“Just being nominated is reward enough for all the work we have put into the store.”