A Dog’s Dream (Doggy Day Spa)

 

Owner – Stephanie Mills

Services – Daycare, Grooming, Massage and Pampering for small dogs

Address – 3300 Monroe Ave. Rochester NY 14618

Telephone – 585-267-7865

Website – www.adogsdream.org

Email – stephanie@adogsdream.org

Start Date – April 2010

SCORE Counselor – Mike Xillas

Employees – two full time, one part-time

                                   

            Craig & Stephanie Mills, Dudley Williams (Stephanie's Dad) and Mike Xillas

Stories of people that end up working with animals usually start the same way…they all fell in love with animals at a very young age. Before Stephanie Mills even had a pet, she was certain she wanted to be a veterinarian. Once she convinced her family to get a dog, she experienced watching her pet get treatment at the vet's office. She quickly decided that she didn't want to be the person giving animals vaccinations and certainly did not want animals to be frightened to see her. After a little coaxing from her family, she decided that her passion for animals would be more of a hobby and teaching could be a career that she might excel in.

After attending college at SUNY Geneseo and earning her bachelor's degree in Elementary and Special Education, Stephanie went on to get her master’s degree in Elementary Reading and Literacy. She taught in her home town of Syracuse for three years, all the while taking her dog to doggy daycare daily. She thought, “If teaching ever doesn’t work out, I would LOVE to open my own doggy daycare facility.”

In the summer of 2007 she met her future husband, and two years later they were married. After the wedding, they decided that they should move to Rochester and she would find a teaching job here. Unfortunately, landing a teaching job was much easier said than done, and she didn’t want to revert back to substituting after having had her own classroom for so long. That’s when it hit Stephanie that this was a signal to start her dream business immediately.

Since her education and background was in teaching, she had no idea where to begin in starting a small business. Scared and lacking guidance, she was about to give up on this path when her husband stumbled upon a Workshop on Starting and Operating Your Own Business that was offered by SCORE at a local high school.

This past Fall, Stephanie Mills attended our Workshop at Rush-Henrietta High School hosted by Frank Reynolds.  I had volunteered to help Frank and learn more about the workshop format and process.  At the end of Frank’s presentation on Business Plans, Stephanie approached me with a question about her business idea.  In the following weeks we had excellent discussions about Marketing, Accounting, Legal Matters and Insurance both after class and via email.  I could sense her growing confidence, enthusiasm and knowledge as we shared ideas.

Later she told me, “I never thought that I could learn so much in such a short period of time, and the resources and information that we were given were invaluable.”  Shortly after the class ended, she began the real work of starting her doggy daycare business.  When she asked me to critique her Business Plan I was impressed by her market knowledge and ability to communicate how her business offered something unique and valuable to small dog owners.

With continued support from SCORE counselors, family, and other professionals, Stephanie was able to rapidly implement her Business Plan. After only five months of research, working on the business plan, negotiating with her bank, volunteering at a local animal shelter, selecting a location, planning and executing the build-out, hiring a staff…she invited me to the grand opening where I had the honor of cutting a six inch ribbon with a pair of scissors that must have been over four feet long.

                                        

                                       Mike Xillas, SCORE Counselor

Stephanie sums up her experience, “I finally have my doggy daycare open. I have been through many, many ups and downs and lots of new and challenging situations, such as interviewing employees and creating a blueprint for the design of my store. Who knew that deciding on flooring could cause a person so many sleepless nights? I can say with certainty, though, that going through this process has made me a much more educated and confident person, and I know this is just the beginning of a lifetime full of happiness and fulfillment.”

                                   

                                         The front desk at A Dog's Dream

                                       

                                    The grooming room at A Dog’s Dream

Participating in the process as a SCORE Counselor was a terrific experience.  Helping a motivated, talented, young entrepreneur create her dream business makes me proud to be a volunteer with SCORE.  In addition to workshops like the one Stephanie attended, SCORE offers seminars at the Rochester Federal Building, SMART team counseling, and one-on-one counseling, in-person, and via email and telephone.  Call SCORE Rochester at 585-263-6473 and let us help power your success.

Mike Xillas

SCORE Counselor

 

            See archives of past Spotlights.

            If you have an existing business or are starting a new one, consider how your company may benefit from SCORE’s counseling. Call for a free counseling appointment at one of our many locations. While you are there, ask your SCORE counselor how you might tap into our 60-plus membership knowledge bank to further address your particular business and industry concerns.