Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in pet care but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Matt Zhou, co-owner of Glitter Pet Supplies, located in Mississauga, ON, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Glitter Pet Supplies is an Ontario-based importer and distributor of bird and parrot supplies. For the past 11 years, we've always been dedicated to bringing premium quality products from worldwide to our bird-loving customers at affordable prices. Besides serving the retail customers, we also supply to the privately owned pet stores to help them expand their product lines so more of the feathered friends could be benefited from our products.
Tell us about yourself
I've been a bird lover since I was very little. My grandpa in China used to have some beautiful canaries when I was a kid. It was such a joyful time to listen to canary singing. Once I was a little older, I had the chance to keep a parakeet and a lovebird as my pets. They were playful little feather balls. I was so excited that time that every day, as soon as I finished school, I just couldn't wait to go back home and play with them. After came to Canada, my life became very busy with studying and working. So I didn't have a chance to pick up my old hobby until I started working in a pet-related business. The job woke up my interest in birds, so I started having pet birds again!
Since then, I realized shopping for my two parrots became a hard thing because there were not too many places that sold bird and parrot specialized products. After talking about this situation with one of my friends, Carrie, who had the same interest, we decided to open up a business just focusing on bird and parrots products. Since the company was opened in 2011, we've been going to a lot of trade shows for pets and visited a lot of factories for bird supplies just to make sure we could get the right products at the right prices for our customers. Thankfully, with many years' continuous support from all of our customers, our business is growing steadily, and we will keep working hard to get the best products for them.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I feel my biggest accomplishment is the trust we've gained from the customers. During these years, there were always new competitors entering this market. Customers' recognition of our products and services is the key factor that keeps our business surviving.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
As a company that does import, one of the biggest challenges, especially during the pandemic, is to deal with the unpredictable cost change due to the global supply chain problems.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Start a business that you are really passionate about. Otherwise, it is hard to hold on in the long run.
- Don't be upset about the financial report at the beginning. The numbers will look better if you do things right.
- Good ideas are important, but execution is the real key.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://glitter-pets.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/glitterpets001
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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