I love finding new, independent and exciting brands to share with you. Not only that, but I chat with the founders of these businesses to discover their biz journey and hope that sharing their story inspires and motivates you.
Welcome to Behind the Biz.
Today I’m chatting with Dr Veneta Kozhuharova, the founder of Doggy’s Cuppa – daily dog brews to tackle common minor dog ailments. All blends are rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
Where Did The Inspiration Come From?
The inspiration for Doggy’s Cuppa came from my daily work as a canine specialist vet. I constantly found myself diagnosing and resolving a series of frequently recurring yet debilitating doggy ailments: from digestive and urinary health, to dehydration, and immune support. Then there’s more personality-based conditions (stress & angst), general ‘feelgood’ pick-me-ups (energy boosts), pet owner induced conditions (obesity) and ‘impossible to avoid’ life stages (old age) that can all be cured, or at least alleviated with the right blend of beneficial herbs.
How Did You Decide Upon The Name of Your Brand?
As a herbal brew that’s brought to life via the addition of hot water, (albeit you never serve Doggy’s Brew hot) Doggy’s Cuppa was a brand name that gave my idea instant gettability. I also wanted to convey the everyday, affordable nature of my herbal tonics that are neither elitist nor price prohibitive. These are accessible daily boosts tasked with keeping discomforting minor ailments in check.
What Did You Do Prior To Doggy’s Cuppa?
I’m still a vet who graduated in 2008 from the University of Sofia (faculty of veterinary medicine) with a Royal College of Veterinary Surgeon’s approved Master’s Degree, specializing in canine nutrition who was drawn to UK on account of this nation’s unrivalled appreciation of their pets (practice in Kent).
The Biggest Challenge You Face?
Explaining to UK pet owners the variable quality of pet foods consumed in the UK. Just because some brands are well known, beautifully packaged and in some instances endorsed by veterinary surgeon chains does not make them great, nutritionally packed meals. To this day many kibbles and tinned foods are nutritional vacuums, made with cheap grain fillers, masking sugars and salts, low grade meats and artificial nasties. This said, many good meal options do exist which is why it’s so important to become label and nutritional deck savvy.
We also need pet owners to appreciate that whilst there are other dog tonics in town, Doggy’s Cuppa is the only brew owned and blended by a qualified vet!
What Role Does Social Media Play For Your Business & Your Favourite Social Platform/
Limited thus far, as we’re a young company at the ‘bedding down’ stage of our lifecycle. We do have big plans for both our website and social media platforms so watch this space! Twitter will certainly be crucial when it comes to liaising with like-minded retailers, the pet press and opinion forming bloggers.
What Advice Would You Give Aspiring Entrepreneurs?
We believe in brands with a sincere strand of social responsibility. Yes we run a commercial business seeking to make a healthy profit but we champion improved health and help keep uncomfortable veterinary bills at bay.
Where Do You Hope To Take Your Business In 2018?
At present we are fundamentally an online provider (Amazon). Our goal is to widen our net aligning with every conceivable dog-friendly establishment from dog groomers, trainers, walkers, kennels, independent pet shops and veterinary surgeons to human foodie establishments (deli’s food halls and garden centres) to any dog owner congregations (dog-friendly pubs, cafes, boutique hotels…………….
You can check out the Doggy’s Cuppa site and support the biz on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Thank you so much to Dr Veneta Kozhuharova for taking the time to be involved with Behind the Biz. I really enjoyed learning about Doggy’s Cuppa and can’t wait to see the business flourish.