Every company meets some sort of need in the industry, but some completely redefine it.
That’s what my wife Jessica and I set out to do when we co-founded Scenthound. When we decided to pursue entrepreneurship, we didn’t want to be one other player in an already crowded field. Instead, we identified a shift in consumer behavior and began testing ideas to create an entirely recent category in the pet industry – routine dog health care.
Our goal was to increase the availability of hygiene and health care, while educating dog parents about the importance of constructing preventive care a regular a part of their pups’ hygiene. Now, Hound builds on this vision and helps pet owners keep their dogs pleased and healthy.
Creating a category doesn’t occur overnight. Meeting an untapped community need takes time, experimentation, and clear understanding. Here are 4 strategies entrepreneurs can use to discover opportunities and build a brand that may transform their industries.
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Immerse yourself in the industry
You cannot discover gaps in an industry if you do not understand them, and you gain that knowledge by spending time in the field you wish to innovate. It can take years to learn the ins and outs of a space before you determine what area to tackle.
After launching our first mobile dog grooming business, Jessica and I hung out listening to customers to learn what was missing in the market. That’s when we realized that offering one other care service wasn’t going to move the industry forward.
This first-hand experience allowed us to understand where the limitations, customer frustrations and operational challenges were. As dog owners, we had a different perspective and recognized a pattern that we would not have seen from the outside. Immersion allows you to build a foundation on which you’ll be able to confidently innovate because your ideas are based on lived experiences. For entrepreneurs, spending time in an industry is often the first step toward spotting neglected opportunities.
Redefine the problem
Creating a category starts with discovering needs that customers may not even realize they have. Most dog parents only think of grooming as grooming. But when we took a closer look, we realized that what they were actually looking for was something more – a way to make their dogs healthier and happier every day.
We created our signature SCENT Check® that focuses on five key areas of routine care: skin, coat, ears, nails and teeth. These areas are often neglected until a problem occurs, leading to reactive treatment. We’ve modified this dynamic so that pet parents will be more proactive when it comes to their dog’s care and overall health.
Our goal was to turn the traditional care model the wrong way up and show pet parents that regular hygiene is essential for a dog’s overall well-being. By reframing the problem, we have began to change the way people think about their dogs’ health. This is the essence of category creation: difficult assumptions, helping customers see their needs in a recent light, and delivering a solution that reimagines the experience.
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Prioritize scalability and portability
An excellent business idea is not enough if it can’t be scaled. Entrepreneurs who want to create a recent category, especially in the franchise space, must be certain that the concept will be replicated. Our business model works because there is a demand for pet care across the country. Regardless of breed, size or coat type, every dog has the same universal needs for routine care and services, reminiscent of bathing, ear cleansing, nail clipping and dental care.
The key aspect of scalability is simplicity. If a service is too complex, it is tougher to deliver and execute consistently. Create a model ready for expansion and needed in various markets. It’s perfect for anywhere from a busy neighborhood to a suburban shopping center. Brand portability is what drives long-term growth. An concept that works locally should be a strong business, but it won’t reshape the industry.
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Make long-term experiments
Innovation doesn’t occur overnight. Failure is actually a part of the process. The hardest lesson in creating a category is that it could possibly take years of trial and error to achieve success.
From each failed experiment, Jessica and I learned that some areas of the business couldn’t scale or that certain products and services didn’t appeal to consumers. Our willingness to learn from mistakes brought us closer to a model that worked.
It all comes down to being patient enough to play the long game and persevere through the challenges that inevitably arise. In addition to building a business, you are writing the story of a concept that does not exist yet.
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