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by MoeGo on Feb 12, 2025 12:00:00 PM
Starting a small business is like raising a puppy: it takes grit, patience, and a whole lot of heart.
For Kara, a 24-year-old grooming professional with a passion for animals, launching Bark Place Dog Spa wasn’t just about scissors, shampoo, and stylish bandanas—it was about turning a lifelong dream into a thriving local business.
But like many petrepreneurs, she knew she’d face the challenge at the very beginning: How do you convince your community to trust a brand-new business… before you’ve even opened the doors?
With no existing client base and a tight budget, Kara needed more than just a “Grand Opening” sign. She needed a strategy to build trust, excitement, and a waitlist of wagging tails—fast. This is the story of how a petrepreneur went from, “Will anyone come?” to 93 clients with 120 dogs as pre-launch sign-ups—and the lessons every pet care business can learn from her journey.
Pre-Launch Marketing 101 from Kara
The Challenge: Starting from Scratch
When Kara first imagined Bark Place Dog Spa, she pictured a cozy, upscale retreat where dogs could feel pampered and pet parents could feel at ease. But turning that vision into reality wasn’t easy. As a young entrepreneur with limited resources, Kara knew she couldn’t rely on word-of-mouth alone to fill her schedule. She needed a way to:
- Generate buzz in her community without a big marketing budget.
- Build trust with pet parents who had never met her or seen her work.
- Streamline sign-ups to ensure a smooth opening week.
Her initial goal was modest: sign up 10-15 dogs for a soft launch. But deep down, Kara dreamed bigger. She wanted to hit the ground running with a packed schedule and a community of loyal clients who felt like they were part of something special from day one.
Solution Part 1: MoeGo for Pre-Launch Success
Kara’s unique model of 1-on-1 grooming became the cornerstone of her pre-launch strategy. Her “aha” moment came when she realized her pre-launch wasn’t just about bookings—it was about building a sense of exclusivity. Here’s how she turned MoeGo features into her secret weapon:
1. The VIP List: Simplified, Branded Intake Forms
Instead of a generic sign-up sheet, Kara branded her MoeGo Intake Form as a Golden Ticket—a way for local dog parents to secure first dibs on appointments. “I called it ‘VIP Access’ because everyone wants to feel special,” she said.
Kara also knew that every extra field on a sign-up form could mean a lost customer. So, she customized MoeGo’s intake form to ask ONLY for the essentials: the pet parent’s name, their dog’s details, and contact information.
2. Automatically Added to 'Clients & Pets' to Enable Personalization
As soon as the potential clients filled out the form, MoeGo automatically tagged each new contact as “VIP” under Clients & Pets. Kara used this to her advantage, easily tracking and communicating with her early supporters, making them feel like part of an exclusive club.
3. An Exclusive 48-Hour Online Booking Access
When it was time to open the books, Kara used MoeGo’s Online Booking System to give VIPs a 48-hour head start. This created a sense of urgency and rewarded her early adopters with the best time slots before the general public could book.
4. Mass Messaging to VIPs with a Direct Booking Link
Two days before opening, Kara used Mass Text to notify all VIPs the moment early booking went live. With a single click, she sent a personalized message and a direct link to the booking page: “Welcome to Bark Place Dog Spa! You have been given exclusive early access to secure your pet’s spa day. You can book now at https://barkplacedogspa.com/bk.”
Solution Part 2: Multi-Channel Marketing for Community Excitement
To build excitement and attract prospects, Kara used a multi-channel marketing strategy across social media and her website, all integrated with MoeGo.
Social Media Storytelling
Kara treated her pre-launch like a Netflix series—sneak peeks, cliffhangers, and the until-next-times. She started early, sharing behind-the-scenes content on Instagram and Facebook throughout the journey of building her business, beginning as early as the renovation phase.
Website Integration
Kara positioned herself as the “dogologist” on Bark Place’s story-driven homepage, welcoming visitors with a photo of her cuddling her dog. Using MoeGo’s intuitive tools, she embedded an online booking link directly onto the site to encourage early sign-ups.
The Payoff: From Soft Launch to Sustained Success
In just 2.5 weeks, Kara’s pre-launch campaign transformed into something incredible: 93 clients and 120 dogs signed up before Bark Place’s doors even opened. But the real win? Community buy-in. By continuing to prioritize the one-on-one, stress-free experience and using MoeGo’s tools to streamline scheduling and client communication, she has turned first-time visitors into lifelong fans. Those early VIPs didn’t just book appointments—they became Bark Place’s advocates. They tagged the spa in social media posts, and left five-star reviews. Today, just three months after opening its doors, Bark Place is thriving with 188 clients and 245 dogs, with many of those original VIPs still booking regularly.
Ready to launch your grooming business with the same viral strategy?
Download Kara’s FREE “Blueprint for Grooming Business Success” template and click “Apply Now” below 👇 to claim your MoeGo Care discount!
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