Sausage dogs will sizzle in fleecy finery this winter, courtesy of Wiltshire company Doghouse Design and a cash injection of £100,000 from the British Business Bank's South West Investment Fund via SWIG Finance.
As well as running a destination store combining a pet shop, dog grooming salon and café, entrepreneur Ruth Warren is also masterminding a growing range of own-brand products, with dachshund coats proving a soaraway success.
The money from the South West Investment Fund was delivered by appointed fund manager SWIG Finance, which manages the smaller loans element of the £200m Fund across the region, and will go towards expanding the Doghouse workshop in Bradford-on-Avon so it can deal with increasing demand for canine couture.
Ruth opened her first shop in 2017:
“In fact, I had run a little pet shop for some years, but I felt there was a place in the market for something that was more of an experience,”
she said.
So as well as selling quality products that are slightly off the mainstream, such as natural dog foods, Ruth added a dog grooming service (which is very popular) and a cafe:
“I thought it would be nice to have one, because I love a decent cup of coffee. If it worked, I thought it would be a good concept to roll out.”
Ruth did exactly that, investing in a second location in the desirable Clifton district of Bristol in 2020. Meanwhile, an unexpected area of growth was identified in the tailoring department.
“My friend was making fleecy coats for dachshunds, and it was like Glastonbury tickets: I’d put them on sale, and they would all go within minutes, with a lengthy waiting list,”
laughs Ruth.
“In the end, I offered to buy the business from her and started making them in the workshop. It just grew and grew.”
Ruth, herself a life-long lover of dachshunds and owner of shop mascot and social media star Maude, attributes her success to the fact that each coat is made to suit an individual breed’s dimensions. The Doghouse design is longer in the body, and with a waterproof panel to keep the tummy dry. The business caters for breeds of all shapes and sizes, offering a complete doggy wardrobe, from t-shirts to jumpers.
The workshop also makes own-brand blankets, collars and leads. The South West Investment Fund loan has enabled operations to move into larger premises, which in turn will facilitate the growth of manufacturing to meet existing demand and even move into wholesale production.
Ruth is full of praise for funding delivery partner SWIG Finance.
“SWIG was interested and invested in the business: who we were, where we were going with it, holding our hand through the process and helping us to make it happen,”
she explained.
“That made me think, this is the partner I want to work with.”
SWIG senior business manager Nicola Parker said:
“I wanted to support the business as it offers something a bit different, which is why it has grown so successfully.
“Ruth has continued to widen the Doghouse offering with own-brand products, reflecting her awareness of their marketplace. The funding will not only enable future development of the products, it will also support increasing their online presence, including e-commerce and click-and-collect availability.”
David Tindall, Senior Manager at British Business Bank, said: \
“Ruth has built an inspiring brand that combines creativity and craftsmanship to firmly establish the business in the pet lifestyle market. The funding from the South West Investment Fund will enable Doghouse to expand its workshop and meet growing demand as it embarks on its next phase of growth, and we're delighted to be supporting the business.”
The purpose of the South West Investment Fund is to drive sustainable economic growth by supporting innovation and creating local opportunity for new and growing businesses across the South West. It provides loans from £25k to £2m and equity investment up to £5m to help small and medium sized businesses to start up, scale up or stay ahead.
The South West Investment Fund is increasing the supply and diversity of early-stage finance for South West smaller businesses, providing funds to firms that might otherwise not receive investment and helping to break down barriers in access to finance.
https://www.swigfinance.co.uk/