06/ 17/ 2004
Top Dog Daycare
Colorado Springs, Colo.
Joelle Hilfers, owner/operator
www.topdogdaycare.com
If your dog is the master and you are the servant, then Top Dog Daycare is right up your alley. Founded almost five years ago, the doggie daycare is a non-traditional kennel for dogs. The daycare center features a fully supervised playland where dogs are free to run around all day and play with others. Dogs are only in kennels at night. The facility also features a professional grooming salon and a training center.
On being a small-business owner: Happy dogs, happy dog owners – that’s the way Top Dog Daycare owner Joelle Hilfers sees it. "When all the dogs in our building are happy and healthy, and when their owners realize it, that's the best compliment for me," says Hilfers.
On technology: During the last year, technology has completely changed the way the kennel operates. Working with IT professionals, Hilfers literally built an operating program she named K9 Connect. With the software, employees are able to take appointments, record notes on dogs and keep files organized. The new Web site enables owners to watch their dogs playing through an onsite Web cam.
"You wouldn't think technology would be important to a doggie daycare, but it's been a life saver," says Hilfers, whose office operated on paper forms before the software.
The biggest challenge has been weeding through the bugs and getting her staff on board with the program. But the struggles are worth it. "It's given us a much closer connection to our customers."
