July-August 2016 Oceania Edition

Business View Australia - July - August 2016 139 AT A GLANCE WHO: DOGUE WHAT: Franchise operating a number of boutique stores for dog products, grooming, care, and a specialized boarding facility. WHERE: Various WEBSITE: dogue.com.au We spoke with Margaret Hennessy, CEO of DOGUE, who explained how the company came to be, its ideals, its expansion plans, and more. Back in 1998, the company was merely a concept. Simone Kingston, the founder of DOGUE, identified a need for stylish and well-designed products for dogs and decided to open her own store in order to fill a void in the market. A large part of the company’s philosophy was solidified from those early days. Simone wanted to provide unique products that would appeal to every fashionable dog owner, starting with dog jumpers, bowls, beds, collars, and more. Growing slow but steady Though the company opened its first store that same year, it focused on retail and exploring product design. In 2005, Margaret came along and took over managing the reigns of the business. Soon, Margaret came across grooming and the world suddenly seemed completely different. After considerable research into the field, they started working with a Japanese firm and the rest, as they say, is history. This single move opened entirely new roads for the company and DOGUE had now found a way to expand into a wider market and a more diverse audience. Instead