Pups4Fun, the flourishing doggy daycare business that started as a year 11 assignment for founder Rhiannon Beach, is celebrating its 10th birthday.
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The homegrown success story looks after 320 dogs per week, employs 24 workers and has two locations, in Canberra and Queanbeyan.
Stats just from the last four years show its carers have walked an average of almost 22,000km a year with the dogs.
A decade in small business is a significant milestone and one made even more remarkable considering Ms Beach, 29, also completed a law degree at the University of Canberra over eight years while running the enterprise.
"I started both in the same week,'' she said.
Pups4Fun started as a year 11 assignment while Ms Beach was a student at Canberra College. She was encouraged by her business teacher Damian Hedley, who persuaded her to enter the 2005 Australasian Plan Your Own Enterprise Competition. She went on to win the competition. Mr Hedley sadly passed away last year. Ms Beach said she wouldn't have pursued the business without his mentorship.
"He made a big impact on my life and the 40 to 50 people I've employed over the last 10 years," she said.
Since the business started in 2008, Ms Beach has been a finalist in the 2013 Telstra Business Women’s Awards and the Australian Institute of Management Awards in 2016.
She also "counts her lucky stars", that while out walking some dogs she bumped into her neighbour and Spinify CEO Matt Bullock who has mentored her for many years.
Ms Beach is proud her business has made so many dogs and their owners happy and "reduced the number of bored, lonely and destructive dogs in Canberra".
Ms Beach said while there were not many dog-orientated businesses in Canberra 10 years ago, it was now a growing sector and she could only see Pups4Fun continue to thrive.
She had a passion for the law but would continue to steer her business rather than practice as a lawyer.
"At some point I'd like to volunteer maybe one day a week at a women's legal service or indigenous legal service. I love the law and would love to do something to give back to the community,'' she said.
Ms Beach crunched Pups4Fun numbers for the last four years and came up with some interesting stats:
- The business has provided work experience for 16 young locals from a variety of high schools, colleges and disability support services;
- Groomed and pampered almost 10,000 dogs and puppies;
- Walked 10,260 dogs for behaviour-based dog walks
- Fostered more than 110 dogs through local rescue groups ACT Rescue and Foster (ARF) and RADAR.
- Averaged 21,910km of walking per year;
- Socialised almost 3500 puppies and small dogs in specialised daycare and
- Donated more 250 services to local rescue groups.
- To celebrate its 10th birthday, Pups4Fun is holding a party on Sunday at the Queanbeyan Christmas in July Markets at the Queanbeyan showground from 10am to 4pm. There will be cutting of the cake at 12.30pm. All pooches and their owners welcome to join the celebrations.
