New business is getting REALLY close...

Even though this is mostly about business, I posted it here because it's also about a life change.

In January I quit my job. There was a lot of BS going on, and I had grown tired of one of my partner's **** (Very long story, but basically he's a back-stabbing, glory-stealing schmuck). To cap things off, I got sick and spent a few days in the hospital and finally thought "The hell with it all." My wife and I had always dreamed of what we wanted to do, and life should be experienced and enjoyed, not suffered through. On top of it all, she was 5 months pregnant with our first child, and even though that added to the stress, it helped provide the extra push needed to go through with such a big change. I never went back. Never said goodbye. Screw 'em.

I've intentionally avoided talking about all of this, for the most part, for several reasons. But now that we're getting closer to the finish line it's become easier to talk about. We're opening a large, full-service dog facility that will include boarding, daycare, grooming, self-wash, retail, training and educational programs focusing on canine health and safety. It's situated in the shadows of Wrigley Field, and needless to say we're pretty psyched. Getting here has been a crazy journey, though. From raising the capital to appearing before the City Council twice for zoning hearings, I've forced myself to do things that I never imagined possible. After talking about doing something for years, to actually take that leap of faith, to learn new things, to challenge yourself, is very exciting.

I've always asked myself, "When I'm on my deathbed, what will my regrets be?" And I never want to look back and feel that I was afraid to try something. It's hard to encapsulate the past 9 months in a few readable paragraphs, but I've finally discovered that feeling of knowing you've found the right path in the world.

 

Haha! I like that idea. We've already picked out a lot of really cool products, and across the price spectrum too.

Thanks for all the great comments. I wish I had the time to relate some of the experiences we've had with this the past several months. But I feel like I've earned an MBA and could build a house. I've commissioned a line of collars and leashes that should be ready soon as well, and in the future I want to try and offer some wholesale deals to FChat members like others have done. I know there are a lot of dog owners here. I'll post some pics in the near future.

 

I would start by doing some local searches. You can check with the AKC to find some reputable registered breeders, but there are most likely some very dedicated boxer-specific organizations where you live as well, and they can help you out. This site has a lot of useful links. http://www.bellcrestboxers.com/boxerlink.html

What types of products are you interested in, and what type of dog? Our inventory of accessories--leashes, collars, beds, toys, etc.--has already started arriving (we've found some cool stuff) and we're going to be promoting canine health through all-natural raw diets. Our retail should be open in the next 2-3 weeks, with the boarding to follow about a month later. If you'd like to get on our mailing list, send me your info and I'll keep you posted on events and so on. Also, in the future if you're ever driving down for a Cubs game let me know. We've got parking in the back and are 2 blocks from the park.

We've talked about this, definitely. Because we're in the city, there are already a lot of veterinarians who deal with these services. We will do everything we can to assist people when the time comes, but I don't anticipate taking on the task ourselves. I think when you're in a business like that, people understand that it's a necessary part of the cycle of life. But when it's an added component of something like what we're doing, it can come off as being a little creepy. I know there's a lot of money in it, though.

 

Thanks, Victor. When you pursue something, remember that there are a lot of terrific resources out there. Peter and some others have posted some great links in the Business section, especially links like www.sba.gov.