As a veterinarian, Andrew Jones wanted to do more to empower his clients to care for the health of their pets. Putting pen to paper, he wrote a self-help pet health manual for dog and cat owners, Veterinary Secrets Revealed, which was quickly complemented with a complete course and instructional videos. Within two years, Andrew and his brother Michael partnered to expand the business to include Four Paws Online – designing and marketing custom health supplements for dogs and cats.
Fur Real Nutrition
Four Paws Online now works with multiple manufacturing plants in the U.S. to produce and warehouse the supplements. While this allows the company to market and sell directly to consumers in the U.S., they were met with export challenges when trying to bring their supplements into Canada.
Chatting about the company with Export Navigator client, Popov Leather, Andrew and Michael were directed to get in touch with Export Navigator. Quickly connecting with Export Advisor, Michael Hoher, the business partners were offered important insights into business growth and profitability.
Together they explored how to strategically scale the company, while Michael directed them to attend export-oriented events and training. He also supported in other areas of business, like recommending e-commerce programs. Working with Michael, Four Paws Online saw its revenue triple over the past three years.
“We’ve learned to focus on our key strengths and metrics, allowing us to successfully grow our sales in the U.S. We are now in a position to consider growth to other countries,” says Andrew.
A Tale of Success
By leveraging social media, Dr. Jones Veterinary Secrets reaches millions of proud pet owners, providing trusted health advice for their pets while recommending Four Paws Online supplements. Since exporting, the company has rapidly expanded its sales to over $2.1 million annually and maintained over 50% profitability. The company has also invested in three full-time positions to support customer services, content creation, and e-commerce.
“We would highly recommend Export Navigator to any company in B.C. looking to expand outside of Canada. It is an excellent service, well worth the time, and it will really make a big difference,” acknowledges Andrew.
