Two out of three1 dogs don’t drink the daily vet recommended 50ml/kg bodyweight2 risking dehydration. Slurps are super-tasty drinks made from all organic, natural ingredients and packed with omega 3 fish oils. They are also great for fussy eaters, active dogs (agility/canicross) or as a delicious low calorie treat.
Tell us about your journey into entrepreneurship?
Most of my career has been spent working in [human] food and drink marketing for big corporates such as Nestle and Unilever but I always had an inkling to set up my own business.
We have a cat and a dog, both of whom drink very little. When the vet told us they needed to drink more I used my human food background to develop nutritious drinks. Talking to other pet owners, we discovered that there were many cats and dogs with the same predicament. The first Slurps are for dogs.
One of the biggest challenges has been to find the right co-manufacturer for Slurps. It is true that there isn’t the pool of UK manufacturing options that there were 20 years ago. This makes it increasingly hard for the remaining manufacturers to accommodate smaller runs and also for start-up businesses to find the manufacturing technology necessary for new products. We are delighted to be working with two UK manufacturers - even if it took us over two years to find them.
In five years time what impact will your business have on the world?
As humans, we’re all aware of how much we drink but as pet owners, very few people pay much attention to their dog’s liquid intake which is crucial to a dog’s wellbeing
If owners gave their dogs lower calorie drink treats such as Slurps instead of calorie dense ‘solid’ treats, it would one step forward in keeping dogs at their perfect weight. We’d be really pleased if we contributed to a reduction in the current levels (around 50%) of overweight or obese dogs which in turn would allow dogs to live longer and healthier lives.
What’s your #1 tip for fellow entrepreneurs?
Ask everyone everything.
How has the NatWest Accelerator programme helped to accelerate you and your business?
We’re held to account by our coaches so we can’t postpone/avoid actions
Sharing office space with people in the same boat is invaluable, both for keeping motivated and for sharing ideas and information.
The NatWest Accelerator network is incredibly powerful. From legal, export and investment advice through to dragons den style forums and the general ‘knowhow’ of the mentors, it allows us to tap in to a huge knowledge bank that otherwise would be very expensive, time consuming and difficult to access.
What are you most excited about right now?
We have just been notified that a national pet food retailer wants to stock Slurps and are getting enquiries from overseas!
For a bit of fun, please follow us @slurps4pets and enter our #tongueouttuesday competition on Instagram – every Tuesday!
If you are interested in stocking Slurps or for any
other information, please see our website
www.slurps4pets.co.uk or contact
thirsty@slurps4pets.co.uk
Sources
1 Slurps research March 2018
2 https://www.vets-now.com/pet-care-advice/dehydration-in-dogs/
