INTERESTING FACT ABOUT YOUR PET: More than half of all U.S presidents have owned dogs.
An estimated 3.2million households in the UK have acquired a pet since the start of the pandemic.
Sales at Beco are up 50% on last year, partly because of more pets, says George, but also because more people are making a conscious choice.
‘We thought our target customers were 35-plus but we found the market is now between 20 and 32. There were few brands like ours ten years ago. Now the dog and cat market has changed.
More people are looking for brands with a story and the market has moved towards us. People are not so interested in buying just because its cheap or functional, they want to know where it is made, how it is made, what’s the story behind it.’
Beco’s story started in 2009 when George, who studied geography and environmental sciences at university, heard about plant pots made in China from the offcuts of chopsticks.INTERESTING FACT ABOUT YOUR PET: Having a dog in the house means more bacteria enters the home and gets inside the occupants (one study found “dog-related biodiversity” is especially high on pillowcases.) In turn, people with dogs seem to get ill less frequently and less severely than people with no pets.
With just a few thousand pounds he ordered 18,000 bowls to be made and they turned out to be a huge success.
‘We have grown organically, not backed by venture capitalists but rather the old-school route of credit cards and growing sustainably. It was quite hand-to-mouth at times.’
The company now expects to make £10million within the next year.
Make Your Own Elevated Food Bowl. You can make your own elevated pet food bowl with an $8 table from Ikea. Elevated food bowls make eating easier on dogs with arthritis and joint problems since they won’t have to bend down as much.
The range has grown to toys – some made from natural rubber and others from recycled plastic bottles – plus poop bags made from compostable cornstarch, and dog food made from local free-range chicken and wild boar, which has a low carbon footprint thanks to its free, foraged diet. 1% of Beco sales goes to environmental causes.
Keep Dry Dog Food Fresh in a Sealed Container. Dog food can start to loose it’s freshness after it’s open. If you buy bags of dog food use an airtight sealed container to store it, the food will stay fresh for much longer inside a tightly sealed container.
‘If you have a dog it has an environmental impact, so the question is, how do we reduce that impact? By looking at recycled materials, natural materials and also giving to causes it reduces as much as possible.’
Not every product has been a success, but George is never afraid to try something new. ‘We have had a few non-starters over the years. We originally launched a natural rubber ball with a solid centre made of rice husks. It was like a shotput – I hadn’t thought through how heavy it would be. The boxes were tearing and it was falling out of the packaging. It was like throwing a cricket ball, not very suitable for a park.’
INTERESTING FACT ABOUT YOUR PET: The red-eared slider is one of the most popular pet turtles in the United States. They grow to be a foot long and can live for up to 20 years.
Beco now wants to move into sustainable dog treats as well as creating more cat products and investing in becoming B Corp-certified – recognised as a company balancing profit with people and the planet.
Beco HQ in Wimbledon is not just a place for the team of 30 staff – there are plenty of furry colleagues, too.‘We have three or four dogs in the office, it’s just the happiest place. It can be chaotic but very happy.’
In association with the Federation for Small Businesses.Do you have a story to share?
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It’s not a fever…A dog’s normal temperature is between 101 and 102.5 degrees Fahrenheit. How much do you know about dog health? Take our Doggy First Aid Quiz!