25A – What’s Next?

Existing Market:

I think what is next in terms of products for my venture is maybe focus on making homemade cat toys. While the toy design we have now may interest cats, they are mostly geared toward dogs. So the next step is to research and design a toy that will be geared towards cats.

All three of the customers that I asked all mentioned having more toy designs further on. However, they still need to be relatively easy to make if we want organizations and families to make homemade toys. They also suggested making direction videos of how to make the toys so people could read the directions and follow along in a video. I asked them about moving into more cat-related toys to donate, and they liked that idea. But they specifically wanted more dog toys because of those last a shorter amount of time than cat toys.

I think, for now, we will launch with only a couple of designs, but as we hopefully gain more traction, we can expand the homemade toy line. I think, for now, the non-profit will focus on donating toys in the surrounding shelters in Alachua county and focus on getting volunteers directly from Gainesville. First, build up a relationship with the shelters and people here before moving on.

Once we have built some success in the local area, we can donate more to other shelters around Florida. In addition to giving more toys, hopefully, we can spread our message outside of Gainesville and have people make homemade toys all around Florida. Once we are more established then we will begin to implement new toy designs. 

New Market:

Since the market I am targeting is animal shelters and making toys specifically for animals, it is hard to come up with a radically new market. Maybe instead of targeting animal shelters, the non-profit could focus on donating the toys to lower-income families with animals. Those families that perhaps cannot always afford to continue to purchase new toys for their pets but want too.

Our toys will provide value to them because it will help with taking care of their animals. Most people regard their cat, dog, or other pets as their family, so not providing them with the necessary stimulation can be heartbreaking.

The two people that I interviewed liked the idea of the non-profit but suggested that animal shelters would be the better market to target. While they would appreciate the donations, both felt as though they took the responsibility of providing for their pet, and therefore they should purchase the toys. Also, most of their animals still have old toys that they play with.

Reflection:

I wasn’t surprised by their answers. To me, it was a longshot anyway. While these people may need toys, they want to be able to provide it on their own. The beauty of shelters is that there will always be animals incoming and a shortage of toys. With families, those toys may not go as quickly, depending on the pet they may have.

Because of that reason, I do not believe that this market is attractive. They do not have the same urgency and constant need that shelter has. Plus, shelters depend mainly on donations and typically don’t have a lot of extra income to spend. Lastly, since the toys are homemade and constructed using old material, they could make the toys if they wanted too, while shelter volunteers and workers do not have the time.