Today we’d like to introduce you to Alex Kunen.
Alex, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Fear limits risk, causing many to find themselves grounded in safe routines. I have no fear. From the beginning, I knew I would be an entrepreneur. A major perquisite to entrepreneurship is capital. The fastest way to capital accumulation is to enlist in the corporate America army. One major prerequisite to enlist, is a bachelor’s degree.
After graduation, I sold medical equipment. I did not enjoy the anticipated rigid structure that comes with bureaucracy, operating rooms, and third party payers. I marched along receiving praise for selling and ridicule for stepping out of line by suggesting improvements to systems, efficiency and processes. This inspired me to improve myself since everything else was out of my job description.
My original goal was to start a skydiving business. After quick analysis, I discovered the initial cost was prohibitive unless I was willing to stay enlisted for many more years than I could handle.
For a few years, I failed to discover my calling. Until I got my dog, Ru. She changed my life. Ru discovered my purpose for me and created a deep passion for dogs I didn’t know I had. I began using dog daycare and boarding facilities frequently when I would go on tours of duty (travel for work). Every facility I left Ru at was always super busy, looked like it was more fun than my work and didn’t do a particularly excellent job. I knew I could do it better. So I started working at many of them to get experience and prove my assumptions.
In June 2016, we moved to Atlanta for my wife’s job. Instead of looking for jobs I looked for buildings. 12 months later Hound Playground opened its doors.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
We are only three months in, but I am sure there will be many challenges to come. So far, most challenges were anticipated. Budgeting was our main challenge. Whatever the total dollar figure you think you need to start a business is, add 25%.
There are so many unplanned fees. An example of such is our electric bill. You can research the rate per kilowatt and estimate how many kilowatts you’ll use. You can talk to other business owners with similar sized buildings and similar businesses to get a good estimate. You can even call the electric company to discover the service fees, environmental compliance fees, nuclear construction recovery fees, and the municipal franchise fees. But you don’t know to ask about the $1,000 “deposit” because you’re are a start up with no credit history. We get this “deposit” back if we end service. But the goal is to stay in business forever, therefore this is really just another fee.
Another unanticipated challenge was we had to get a zoning variance. In our search for a building we stuck to industrial zones where our business type is a permitted use, or so we thought. Our municipality’s zoning code is about 650 pages. There is a table that lists all business use types and Hound Playground could be categorized under one of four of those types. All four of these business types listed were permitted. And more importantly not listed as permitted with special use permit.
After being under contract on the building for over a month we discovered that really the business was permitted only if all parts of the building were set back at least 100 feet from our property line. Our building is less than 100 feet from all property lines. So, we had to hold a public hearing and invite the public to get a variance approval. We got all twelve of our immediate neighbors to sign letters stating they love dogs and welcomed our business. At the hearing, no one from the public objected and our lawyer was able to get the variance approved. The situation worked out fine, but added lots of extra cost and stress.
Please tell us about Hound Playground.
Hound Playground dog daycare and boarding provides a safe and clean place for dogs to play, learn, and exercise. We ensure that the dogs have a fun and loving experience, all while encouraging good behavior and creating permanent positive habits to take home.
Before opening we were very focused on what would make us different from our very nearby competition (.5 miles, .8 miles, and 1.5 miles). So we built an amazing water feature, a splash pad with 16 water jets that shoot water up in the air in random patterns for the dogs to play in. We created a unique pricing structure. And really focused on lots of large outdoor space.
Soon after opening we discovered that more important than anything we had to set ourselves apart were two things that are so basic; super clean facility and excellent customer service. That is what we focus on and what we are most proud of. Safety is always our number one priority. But it is very easy to hold the door open or walk someone to their car with a smile.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success is measured on many metrics. On the most basic level we are successful each day if all the dogs are happy and safe. The best indications of overall success are 1. Seeing our dogs return for another visit and 2. A first time visitor tell us they were referred. There is no better compliment especially in this industry where we are trusted with a member of our customer’s family.
Pricing:
- Daycare $23 Full day, $15 Half
- Boarding $36
- Baths $15 small, $20 big
Contact Info:
- Address: 251 Rio Circle,
Decatur, GA 30030 - Website: www.houndplayground.com
- Phone: (404) 310-9881
- Email: service@houndplayground.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/houndplayground
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hpdogs
Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
