Step away from the crowd and tune in to what your clients want with Hayley Bonwick

August 15, 2023

TAGS:

Spread the love:

What if the path to growing your pet business wasn’t following the latest trends on social media but involved listening to people instead?

That’s what Hayley Bonwick discovered worked for her when she set up her handmade pet accessory business Handmade by Hayley B.

Hayley found trying to keep up with the ever changing demands of platforms completely overwhelming.

Yet when she went to events with her flyball team and local shows, she LOVED chatting to people about what they needed for their dogs.

So instead of following the crowd, she tuned in to her community and made products for them – things they told her they wanted.

Click on the player link below to tune in to this episode where Hayley talks about how this has helped build her confidence and create a business she loves.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

How Hayley started her pet accessories business (1.43)

Building a hobby business alongside a full-time job (3.02)

Overcoming the fear of talking about her products as a new business (4.24)

Stepping away from social media and making connections (6.59)

Working with her local flyball team on products (8.26)

How Hayley got into Flyball (10.58)

Why you shouldn’t be afraid to be proud of what you do (12.44)

How investing in support helped Hayley gain confidence (14.58)

Why there’s no point in trying to do things you can’t stand to promote your work (19.57)

How real-life connections make up for 50% of Hayley’s sales (22.42)

Where Hayley gets her inspiration for her products (23.26)

Using stories to feel more comfortable in your marketing (28.19)

Why it’s ok not to be a follower (31.39)

How to find out more about Hayley (33.53)

My Pets Get Visible membership and how you can get support and connect with people like Hayley (34.10)

Links mentioned in this episode:

Hayley’s website: https://www.handmadebyhayleyb.co.uk/

Check out her new enrichment range that she chats about here: https://www.handmadebyhayleyb.co.uk/product-category/enrichment-products/

Follow Hayley on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/handmadebyhayleyb/

Connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/handmadebyhayleyb

Find out more about Pets Get Visible: Is my Pets Get Visible membership right for you?

Enjoyed this episode? You might like…

Why building relationships is vital in growing your pet business with Kerry Jordan

Throwing the Instagram rules out of the window with Colette Adwin

How Bella inspired Sarah Jones to start My Anxious Dog

From dapper bow ties to Not On The High Street with Sarah Mills

How to create a pet business Social Media Calendar

As a pet business owner, showing up regularly and having a social media strategy is key for reaching and engaging with your target audience. One of the best ways to ensure you’re consistent and can make the sales you hope for is by creating a social media calendar. In this blog post, ...

In the spotlight with Fiona Pedley, The Canine VA

Fiona Pedley is known as The Canine VA, a virtual assistant specialising in supporting dog businesses. A former executive assistant working in corporate, Fiona began her self-employed journey in the 2020 lockdown, making the leap to start her own business. As a dog mum and having studied an...

Behind the scenes of the first year running Sunnyside Cottage

In June 2023, I launched my first pet-related business, a dog-friendly holiday let called Sunnyside Cottage in Robin Hood’s Bay. In the first year, the bookings and takings have doubled compared to the previous year, and I’m sharing how in this podcast episode. It has always been a dr...