How a scooter and a basket of treats won Hendrix Pet Co’s first customers
Hendrix De Marchii is the CEO of Hendrix Pet Co, which sells dog treats and is now building into markets, a website and pet shops. The story is worth reading because the first customers came from dog parks, one person at a time, and the business only found its focus after a few false starts.
The earliest sales came from direct, personal selling in places where the founder could talk to each customer and their dog. The bigger lesson was focus: trying to sell treats for too many animals did not work, so the business is narrowing back to dogs.
What’s the quick origin story of your business, and what makes what you do genuinely different from the other options your customers are looking at?
I started Hendrix Pet Co because I wanted to make my own money and I really love dogs. I started by selling dog treats at dog parks. I would ride my scooter around with my basket full of treats and ask people if they wanted to buy some.
What makes my business different is that I actually do stuff in it. I help think of the products, I talk to customers and I sell the treats myself. I also have my own clothing and other things I’m working on.
And you probably don’t see many six-year-olds riding around dog parks on a scooter selling dog treats!
Where does most of your new business come from today, and where do you wish it came from?
Most of my customers come from dogs park and markets. I also have an on line business where they buy treats too.
I’d like more people to buy from my website and I’d really like pet shops to sell my treats. I want Hendrix Pet Co to be in lots of different places so people can find my treats even when I’m not there!
Where did your very first customers actually come from, and what did you do to get them that wouldn’t scale today?
My very first customers came from dog parks. I would ride my scooter there with my basket full of treats and walk up to people one at a time and ask if they wanted to buy some.
It worked because I could talk to each person, show them the treats and ask their dog’s name. But I couldn’t do that with thousands of customers because I’d have to ride my scooter around and talk to everyone myself! Now I’m trying to grow the business online, at markets and through pet shops, so more people can find Hendrix Pet Co without me having to sell every bag myself.
What’s one channel or tactic you kept betting on that never paid off, and what did you do instead?
I started with dog treats and then I thought, “Why only dogs? I can offer treats for horses, cats and small pets too!” So I tried doing that, but it didn’t really work.
I realised that I was trying to sell to too many different animals instead of being really good at one thing. So now I’m taking the other animals off the website and focusing on dogs.
I think it’s better to be really good at one thing than try to do everything. Dogs are definitely my thing!
If you were starting again tomorrow with no audience and no budget, what are the first three things you’d do to get customers?
If I had to start all over again, I’d actually do pretty much what I did the first time because it worked!
First, I’d go to dog parks and talk to people. That’s how I got my first customers.
Second, I’d go to markets and events because I like meeting people and showing them my treats.
Third, I’d use social media to show people what I’m doing and get them to check out my website.
The biggest thing I’d do differently is focus only on dogs from the beginning. I tried doing treats for horses, cats and small pets, but I learned that trying to do everything doesn’t always work. Now I know what I’m good at, so I’d just focus on dogs.
Thank you to Hendrix De Marchii and the team at Individual for telling the story of how it actually started, not how it looks in hindsight.
Have you got a first hundred worth writing down?
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