Pet supply store owner credits Spruce Root with support
Kanga Bay is a pet store in Sitka, Alska, that carries high-quality treats, toys and supplies for cats and dogs. (Photo provided by Julia Bovee)
Tripp J Crouse/Spruce Root
A new pet supply store in Sitka features high-quality treats and toys for cats and dogs. For the owner, starting a business in her hometown didn’t seem possible at first. But through training and support coaching from Spruce Root, pet owners have a new place to buy treats for their pets.
Julia Bovee grew up in Sitka, Alaska. She moved back and forth between Washington state, before returning to her home town. “I could never start a business anywhere else because I have all this support and love, and people know me here and want me to succeed,” Julia said.
In fall 2021, she participated in Path to Prosperity Business Basics, one of several workshop offerings of Spruce Root, a Native community development financial institution, that offers small business lending and technical assistance to current and prospective small business owners in Southeast Alaska.
“I remember just thinking I was going to do a gift store,” she said. “By the end of that (Business Basics) session, I realized ‘Oh I really need to do some kind of pet supply store,’ and working with the coaches ... really helped me not only think about what I wanted to do but what might be successful and marketable in Sitka.” Julia modeled the store off her favorite specialty pet supply stores in Seattle.
“I knew that I wanted really high-quality treats, toys and supplies for dogs and cats. The goal is to just get the best products out there.”
Julia wanted to focus on local customers year-round and carry things they would want, but also didn’t want to miss out on the opportunity to capture tourist or visitor sales, like carrying Alaskan-made salmon treats or bandanas: “Lots of fun accessories and gifts that are a little bit more unique and not mass-produced things that might be in other tourist stores.”
Julia says Spruce Root’s lending services helped her figure out the financial piece.
“I wasn’t going to be eligible for any sort of traditional bank loan, so just being able to access funding through Spruce Root along with that coaching piece – I don’t think I’d be here without it,” she said. “I am super thankful for all the help Spruce Root gave me along the way and I think this model of the business coaching and the help with the business plan up front all the way through ideation and financing and all that, worked super well for me.”