This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.
[Music]
Well, hello, hello, what's up? Welcome to Sada School School. Every day on this podcast, we offer advice and insights to help you start and grow an income generating project. That is our single-minded mission. Every single day, seven days a week.
My name is Chris Guillebeau. And today we're gonna hear from a caller named Morgan from Washington State. Morgan is interested in starting a plant-based food delivery. Wait, wait, wait, it's not just any food, it's pet food. Okay, a plant-based pet food delivery service.
That's the twist. With the growing demand for healthier and more sustainable options for pets. And of course, many people treat their pet like a family member. Morgan has identified what she sees as a unique opportunity because more and more humans are going plant-based. So why not pets?
Okay, let's hear what she has to say about this and also see how we can help her turn her idea into income. Stay tuned, detailed questions coming right up. [Music]
Hi, my name's Morgan and I'm calling from Tacoma, Washington. I've been a pet owner for over 15 years and I've always been passionate about providing the best care for my furry friends. Recently, I've been hearing a lot about the benefits of a plant-based diet for pets.
And I believe there is a market for a plant-based pet food delivery service. More and more humans are plant-based, so why not pets? I have a background in marketing and I'm confident in my ability to run the business. But I need some help with the logistics of starting a food delivery service. Can you share some tips on how to get started and make it a success?
[Music]
Hey, Morgan, thanks for being out there. Really interesting question, interesting topic here. I definitely could see it being something that gets some media attention. Maybe I'll come back to that in my answer here. Just a brief disclaimer, it's one of these things that's kind of tricky, right?
Because I personally also am kind of plant-based or at least mostly plant-based. But if I had a cat or a dog, which I don't at the moment, sadly, hopefully in the future again, I don't know that I would necessarily want them to be. I had a cat for a long time and I don't think she was into plant-based diets as much as I was. And that was fine with me because I'm like my cat's my cat, I'm my person. So there could be some pet food ethics there in the sense of what is the best diet for a dog or a cat or another pet.
So I'll just kind of put that disclaimer out in the beginning. And once I've done that, now let's talk about the marketing. I mean, I would agree that with the rise of plant-based diets for humans and people eating vegan or paleo or all sorts of other specialized diets, it makes sense that some pet owners would be interested in a similar option for their pets. That's why this could be a good opportunity for someone with the right passion and expertise. But it definitely won't be easy just because there's a lot that needs to happen to grow this kind of business, to scale it.
It probably does require more startup costs than most of the businesses that we feature. So I guess my first suggestion would be maybe start locally. If it works in your area, that would also give you an indication of demand and the possibility of either selling this idea like to an investor who has more capital and the ability to scale it or growing it yourself. And just maybe one note, 'cause to go back to where I started on the positive side, even though it won't be easy and there is a lot of work and money required to really scale the idea. Again, I do think it's noteworthy.
It's the kind of thing that could get attention from something like Shark Tank or just the media in general. It could start that ethical debate. Like I mentioned, pet ethics. I'm not sure if that's a known phrase, but it could be. And it would also be something to talk about for people who don't like it, like people who were opposed to this idea, that would get coverage as well, which can be an effective marketing strategy for some products.
And last but not least, it certainly upholds the important principle of don't be boring. Like you never wanna be boring in your marketing and your ideas. So this certainly fits that rule. As I said, I love hearing all the different interesting ideas people come up with. Morgan, if you perceive with this, let us know.
We can report back to people and listeners, if you're working on something, if you've got a question, an idea, something you're exploring or just thinking about, sidehustleschool.com/questions. We'll continue to feature them each week, along with updates from listeners as they launch their projects. I'm so glad you're out there. Take care of yourself. My name's Chris Guillebeau.
This is "Side Hustle School." [Music]
from The Onward Project.
