Today we’d like to introduce you to Diamond Alexander.
Diamond, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I started what became Diamond’s Doggy Daycare in August of 2018. My husband and I had just moved to Atlanta, and I was going to be starting law school in a few weeks so I did not have time to start a new job while I waited for school to start. So, I started pet-sitting locally through a few different pet-sitting apps. I decided to continue pet sitting once school started, and we have been expanding ever since. When I first started, I primarily offered pet sitting, daycare, dog walking, and cat care services up until the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and my law school went completely virtual. I essentially got bored again as the world seemingly came to a halt for months. I decided to start an online pet grooming course out of curiosity and started asking my pet-sitting clients if I could practice some grooming on their dogs, and the rest is history! Today, we have a consistent client base of about 150 returning customers, and we’re really excited about our future plans for expansion and growth!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Definitely not! First and foremost, I started this as what was supposed to be a hobby/side gig while I pursued my law degree. I’ve graduated law school, passed the bar, and am a practicing attorney, yet Diamond’s Doggy Daycare is bigger than it’s ever been. That wasn’t the plan! Of course, this is great for us, but balancing two very demanding careers can be difficult and even draining. Additionally, learning safety procedure for running a business like this is very demanding. Insurance, first aid, cleaning procedures, and just getting down a routine was rough and I learned many of the best ways for me to handle these things the hard way. It took me waking up to a dog that had completely soiled their crate and bedding to learn that I needed to make sure that the feeding schedule correlated with the night-time potty break schedule. It took a dog getting hurt at my daycare for me to learn that I needed a different insurance plan for the business because the one we had made the process way too difficult for what could be considered a common occurrence at a doggy daycare. It took me forgetting about an appointment or two to realize that I needed my calendar integrated with my scheduling software. I didn’t have a “go-by” for starting this business and although I’m grateful for my journey, it hasn’t always been smooth.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Diamond’s Doggy Daycare?
Diamond’s Doggy Daycare is a home-based pet-sitting and grooming company. We offer pet sitting in a home/family-style setting, and we treat our clients like our own. We pride ourselves on offering pet owners a different environment for their pet while they are away than traditional kennels and brick and mortar boarding facilities. Instead of worrying that their pets are stuck in a kennel for several hours a day, our clients take comfort in knowing that their pets are hanging out in a fenced backyard with fur friends or having a nap on a comfy dog bed. We take the time to listen to our clients and really get to know their pets in hopes that it makes the pets as comfortable as possible while they are with us. Additionally, we offer one-on-one grooming for pets and peaceful or playful walks with dogs needing a little exercise during the day, and house-call grooming for owners or pets with special needs preventing them from being able to comfortably come to our shop for grooming. We are true animal lovers, and we love what we do! We hope that VoyageATL readers will consider treating their pets to a vacation, too!
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
We are always open to collaboration and are extraordinarily grateful for any support offered to us! We can be found on Facebook and Instagram @diamondsdoggydaycare and on TikTok @diamondsdoggydaycareatl. We can be reached for booking via our online form or at diamondsdoggydaycare@gmail.com!
Pricing:
- Boarding – $28/night
- Grooming – $60+
- Daycare – $18/day
- House-call grooming – $100+
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diamondsdoggydaycare/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/diamondsdoggydaycare/
Image Credits
Professional/Portrait Image Credits – Terrence Alexander at Alexander Aperture Photography IG – @alexanderaperturephotography
