Success Story - Idaho Barkery

“With the help of my consultant and the SBDC my revenue increased by 50%,  I now understand  my finances, how to scale, got some great contacts and a lot of help coming in first in a prize winning pitch competition. ($50K plus prizes.)”

 

“The more small business owners I meet the more I think they need to have a strategy and someone to help them who understands and has done this before. That is why I continue to refer people to the SBDC and my consultant. Personally, I just want to reach as many dogs as possible, first in Idaho, the Northwest and then in all the  Western States. 

Advice to others: keep an open mind as there may be another way to approach your business idea. I got so much clarity when I understood what makes me different from the competition. “

Sabrina Sherwood, pharmacist by trade, was motivated to start her business when her adventure pal, Rocky, the happiest dog she’d ever met, became  sick from food allergies. She identified the culprit and decided  to create a hypoallergenic dog treat for her best buddy. 

While admiring a local marshmallow company, Creekside Mallow, she discovered that the SBDC had assisted them, prompting her to seek consulting from her regional SBDC office in Southwest Idaho. This was her first experience receiving concrete steps to grow her own business.

She learned to analyze her product from both financial and marketing perspectives, identifying her target clients, how to reach them, and strategies for profitability. Initially baking thousands of dog treats in her kitchen, she had expanded from 4 to over 40 retailers within two years, leveraging farmers markets and social media. To scale her business and reduce her kitchen time, she recognized the need to grow her wholesale sales and collaborate with a co-packer. Although she held a master’s in business, it was only now that she began to truly understand her finances and growth potential.