While out walking her dogs in January of 2009, Kaytie Stack wondered about a canine exercise place and why no one was doing anything like that. With some support and encouragement from friends and family, Kaytie became the answer to her own question, and opened All Seasons K9 Awareness Centre, recently shortened to K9 Awareness. “We opened in October of 2009,” Kaytie says. “I had been considering making my own business, but I couldn’t decide on one. At least, not until that winter day.”
A huge help to Kaytie’s success was the non-profit organization Alberta Women Entrepreneurs: “They assigned me a business consultant/advisor. I did the market research, which proved to be a solid foundation for the possibility of success. I researched ideal customers, demand for services and a plan for the financials. It was a lot of hard work, but it helped.”
Today, two of Kaytie’s friends have opened up their own business using the same model, with her help. “There’s one in Morinville and one in Sherwood Park," says Kaytie. "I sold them the treadmills and it’s pretty much the same thing, just in different cities.”
