One Business Turning Mess Into Success

 Going Global

The opportunity to export also opened up for Pup-Pee through The New Inventors. The business’ Taiwan partner saw the program on the local Australian television channel, six months after it aired here, and he’s now one of Skovron’s most loyal customers. Nevertheless, Pup-Pee’s first export order went to the US, and when asked why he’s tackled such a big market first, Skovron says he’s “not here to muck around”.

“I’ve got to tell you, the dollars to one side, it’s not my drive, but I’m not here to just say we’re doing ‘okay’, I’m here to really go hard.”

While the domestic market is stronger than exports at the moment, Skovron predicts this won’t last long, given the product lends itself so well to apartment dwellings in the likes of China, Singapore, Japan, and New York City, and having just come back from a successful trade fair in Hong Kong he now sees them exporting into 30 countries by the end of the year.

Since production increased so rapidly, Pup-Pee have had to shift manufacturing to an Australian-owned manufacturer in China, which meant protecting themselves thoroughly under a licensing agreement with the manufacturer, as well as securing patents, not only for their existing products but on 20 other designs and patents they don’t plan to bring to market, for a protection strategy.

Skovron attributes the success to the couple simply getting off their backsides and pursuing the idea. “I can’t tell you how many people have said they’ve thought of doing it. But they didn’t, and I’m just fortunate I’ve got that in me. My dad was very entrepreneurial, and I think those genes have been passed down.

“As far as the product is concerned, I just think everyone loves pets, and I know for a fact people are buying the Pet Loo and then saying what type of dog do we want to buy, and not the other way around, which was usually the case.”

They have had some valuable advisers helping along the way. “A lot of what we’re doing is coming naturally and we’re just being ourselves, but from a business standpoint we rely on several key people to guide us.”

Skovron says he constantly gets people wanting to buy into the business, and while it remains his and Iglicki’s baby for now, they started the business with an exit strategy and are likely to sell it in the next five to 10 years. “One day Pet Loo is going to be sold because I’ve set it up that way. I’m developing this product and building this brand for someone to come knock on my door, and Tobi Skovron is going to have to do something else, something even bigger.

“Having said that, though, I’m only 12 months into it, and I’m still passionate about everything I do. I’ve made some amazing contacts and I’ve built a good name for the company, and I’ve built a personal name and rapport with our customers.”

In the meantime the founders plan on going full steam ahead with growing the business, they’ve just released a smaller version of the Pet-Loo, the Mini-Wee, to cater for different markets, and are looking to source products which complement theirs, and establish Pup-Pee Solutions as the premium brand.