Starting Over Means Greater Success for Dog-Trainer and Entrepreneur

"Discontent is the first necessity of progress."--Thomas Edison.

It was discontent that inspired entrepreneur Casey Ray, to do what some small business owners might never have the courage to do. After three years of operations, he started his business over from scratch.

After working with a military K-9 unit and subsequently showing dogs, Ray decided to turn his long-time passion for dog-training into a full-time business venture. To jump start his business, he purchased a dog-training franchise from a company started by a friend. As his franchise grew, so did the challenges.

"It was really great for a few years. But I wanted to start going my own way and he and I were seeing things differently," Ray explains.

While a franchise can be a start-up short cut for many business owners, it isn't for everyone. Because franchisors require adherence to company policies and procedures to ensure brand continuity, people with strong entrepreneurial tendencies typically don't function well in that environment. Ray desired the freedom to build his business on his own terms so he made the decision to terminate the franchise relationship.

Leaving the franchise organization meant rebranding and repositioning his company. Although confident with his decision, the transition, was more difficult than Ray anticipated. In essence, he was starting from ground zero so he had to work through all the important start-up paperwork such as creating a legal entity, obtaining a tax-payer identification number and creating a new name as well as marketing materials. Loyal customers helped the transition go smoothly.

"I honestly believe when you work closely with your clients and you build those relationships, they want to stay with you. I wanted to make sure to keep my customers in tact and we go to the new name," he explained.

Sarah Murphy, one of Ray's customers and the owner of Nala, a 130 pound Saint Bernard, says "I just need to get new business cards from him so I can pass them out to all my friends."

Social media has made building the new brand much easier. "On Facebook you can reach 500 people quickly and it's free so why wouldn't you use it. I couldn't imagine doing this kind of change without the type of media you can get today," he notes. The company gets 15-20 new fans a week.

As a franchisee, Ray worked the business with his wife and daughter, but there was never enough time to accomplish everything that needed to be done. Now, on his own, Ray is adding two partners to the business mix to enhance growth opportunities. Shannon Mayfield, who is also a dog-trainer, manages all the marketing and special events. Devika Christie is in charge of business operations.

"You know I probably drive the other two nuts because I'm always saying 'I need to see your numbers.' It's rewarding to see the growth. It's not just a job you walk into, this is us, and it is always on my mind," Christie says.

Relaunching a business is a choice that might be too risky for many small business owners. But Ray recognized the value of taking a few steps back in order to grow faster and stronger. Today, the new business, Dogsmarts, is poised for growth. A new boarding and grooming facility is in the works, and the partners hope to see be rescuing and rehabilitating shelter dogs.

The bottom line. Not everything in business is going to go exactly as you plan. Don't be afraid to make changes. The key is to make the sooner rather than later so you can build your business success.