Help UKUSCAdoggie Rebuild & Support Rescue Dogs
Donation protected
Hi, my name is Margot Barber and I am passionate about dogs, especially rescue dogs! I started my small business, UKUSCAdoggie , back in 2013, as an online-only business specializing in unique supplies and accessories for dogs. Understanding how passionate we all are when it comes to our four-legged friends, I did my best to provide customers with top quality unique products that they might not find anywhere else. Initially the business began as a hobby, while I was working full-time as an administrative assistant, but I soon realized that being a full-time business owner and adding a bricks and mortar store to my online venture was my big dream, and so I made a promise to myself that I would do whatever it took to make this dream a reality.
Having spent a lifetime of adopting dogs, who might otherwise have been euthanized, one of my main goals for the business was to be able to give back to the rescue community. There are so many great organizations out there, so I wanted to do my best to offer support by making regular donations, publicizing upcoming events, sharing information on social media, and arranging adoption events in my store once it was established.
After realizing that running a business was definitely not for the fainthearted and that education was key in moving towards the lofty goals I had set for myself, I completed all kinds of courses, learning as much as I could about such things as best business practices, developing a presence on social media, digital marketing, bookkeeping, etc. – anything that would help to drive my business forward. I ultimately gained a diploma in digital marketing, and as I implemented everything I’d learned, I saw the business develop. I worked very hard to develop relationships with several rescue organizations, to build relationships with suppliers, and to develop social media channels.
In November, 2019, after a big leap of faith, I quit my job and opened my first bricks and mortar store in historic Fairhaven, Washington. In keeping with my desire to have the store stand out from the crowd, it was incredibly small and whimsical in nature. Having little capital, I opened on a shoe string budget, just in time for the holiday season. I was delighted when the store was really well received by locals and tourists alike. I got to know so many dogs in the area, who would come back over and over again to see what was new at UKUSCAdoggie.
After a great start to 2020, with sales increasing and a number of adoption events scheduled for the upcoming months, COVID-19 began to spread, and unfortunately, just like many other small businesses, my business was greatly impacted. I did what I could to keep going, making doorstep deliveries to local customers and encouraging online business, but increasingly I found my store empty, partly due to the fact that customers had to access a historic building to reach it. My store’s windows faced the building’s atrium, which under normal circumstances was wonderful, but as the restaurants in the building closed, and the building owner ultimately closed the building altogether, my business revenue totally dried up. After qualifying for a $200 PPP Loan, since I had no employees, I ultimately was forced to close the store front, as I was still having to pay rent with no sales to cover it.
When I began to wonder about the future of UKUSCAdoggie, I knew there was absolutely no way I could just walk away from my big dream, so I began looking for a new storefront location and ultimately stumbled upon what I consider to be the perfect place for UKUSCAdoggie, Mark II! This new location features a proper outdoors facing storefront and is located in a very busy shopping area in Ferndale, Washington. A little larger than the original space, the new unit will give me the opportunity of adding more income streams to the business, such as being able to offer a dog-sitting service, while customers shop at the grocery store or pharmacy located around the corner. The only pet store in Ferndale, there will be more room for adoption events and more display space to showcase more unique and exciting products. The rent for the new unit is not much more than I was paying previously, which is great, but I am in dire need of funds to cover move-in expenses, such as painting, lighting, signage, additional fixtures and equipment, marketing, and inventory.
My goal is to try and generate whatever I can to cover some of the costs, but would really be grateful to anyone who loves dogs and finds it in their heart to help me rebuild UKUSCAdoggie’s bricks and mortar presence, subsequently enabling me to help the rescue community in their quest to find forever homes for dogs.
A donation of any amount would be really welcome and I would be sure to pay it forward! I know this is such a difficult time for all of us, and I wish you all the best as we navigate our new “normal”.
Please stay safe!
#SmallBusinessRelief
Having spent a lifetime of adopting dogs, who might otherwise have been euthanized, one of my main goals for the business was to be able to give back to the rescue community. There are so many great organizations out there, so I wanted to do my best to offer support by making regular donations, publicizing upcoming events, sharing information on social media, and arranging adoption events in my store once it was established.
After realizing that running a business was definitely not for the fainthearted and that education was key in moving towards the lofty goals I had set for myself, I completed all kinds of courses, learning as much as I could about such things as best business practices, developing a presence on social media, digital marketing, bookkeeping, etc. – anything that would help to drive my business forward. I ultimately gained a diploma in digital marketing, and as I implemented everything I’d learned, I saw the business develop. I worked very hard to develop relationships with several rescue organizations, to build relationships with suppliers, and to develop social media channels.
In November, 2019, after a big leap of faith, I quit my job and opened my first bricks and mortar store in historic Fairhaven, Washington. In keeping with my desire to have the store stand out from the crowd, it was incredibly small and whimsical in nature. Having little capital, I opened on a shoe string budget, just in time for the holiday season. I was delighted when the store was really well received by locals and tourists alike. I got to know so many dogs in the area, who would come back over and over again to see what was new at UKUSCAdoggie.
After a great start to 2020, with sales increasing and a number of adoption events scheduled for the upcoming months, COVID-19 began to spread, and unfortunately, just like many other small businesses, my business was greatly impacted. I did what I could to keep going, making doorstep deliveries to local customers and encouraging online business, but increasingly I found my store empty, partly due to the fact that customers had to access a historic building to reach it. My store’s windows faced the building’s atrium, which under normal circumstances was wonderful, but as the restaurants in the building closed, and the building owner ultimately closed the building altogether, my business revenue totally dried up. After qualifying for a $200 PPP Loan, since I had no employees, I ultimately was forced to close the store front, as I was still having to pay rent with no sales to cover it.
When I began to wonder about the future of UKUSCAdoggie, I knew there was absolutely no way I could just walk away from my big dream, so I began looking for a new storefront location and ultimately stumbled upon what I consider to be the perfect place for UKUSCAdoggie, Mark II! This new location features a proper outdoors facing storefront and is located in a very busy shopping area in Ferndale, Washington. A little larger than the original space, the new unit will give me the opportunity of adding more income streams to the business, such as being able to offer a dog-sitting service, while customers shop at the grocery store or pharmacy located around the corner. The only pet store in Ferndale, there will be more room for adoption events and more display space to showcase more unique and exciting products. The rent for the new unit is not much more than I was paying previously, which is great, but I am in dire need of funds to cover move-in expenses, such as painting, lighting, signage, additional fixtures and equipment, marketing, and inventory.
My goal is to try and generate whatever I can to cover some of the costs, but would really be grateful to anyone who loves dogs and finds it in their heart to help me rebuild UKUSCAdoggie’s bricks and mortar presence, subsequently enabling me to help the rescue community in their quest to find forever homes for dogs.
A donation of any amount would be really welcome and I would be sure to pay it forward! I know this is such a difficult time for all of us, and I wish you all the best as we navigate our new “normal”.
Please stay safe!
#SmallBusinessRelief
Organizer
Margot Barber
Organizer
Ferndale, WA