Niche market in pet food a successful strategy
Owner: Sarah Stuurman
By Jennifer Ferrero, APR, DTM
Sarah Stuurman is new to business ownership, having purchased the Spokane-based Inland Empire Raw in 2019.
Her situation is unique because she, "signed on the dotted line to buy the business, and started business coaching the next day."
Sarah started by attending ActionCOACH's quarterly business planning session called GrowthCLUB on Friday of that week. Some might say she is a smart business woman with a great niche market. She said, "I am a really fantastic procrastinator," but you might say it is those that are the most self-aware who will do the best in business!
Inland Empire Raw is going strong in the Inland Northwest because, even in a crowded marketplace for pet food, they have specialized in raw dog food.
Their mission is to, "Offer the finest species-appropriate raw dog food available to the pet owners of Spokane and Inland Northwest at an affordable price."
Stuurman said that their target customers are, "Pet owners who have dogs that they want to feed the very best they can. They are avid caretakers of their pets." She added that people who feed their pets a raw diet have done the research and have also found that a raw diet is best for pets with allergies and protein requirements. Stuurman added that the raw diet has become commercially accepted and is trending in the pet food industry.
Stuurman knew in buying the business that she would enjoy fulfilling orders and working with customers. But she also knew that it would be harder for her to work "on" her business to develop systems and growth strategies.
She added, "Working on the business is not always my favorite thing to do. I keep doing it because it makes me think about what I need to do and for the sake of accountability." She likes business coaching because she said, "It is less imposing and intimidating - other business owners are facing the same challenges and we are all struggling along together."
Sarah, we are happy to have you and Inland Empire Raw as a client at ActionCOACH Northwest - thank you!
Sarah Stuurman
Inland Empire Raw