As home business owners, it’s important that we keep our furry best friends entertained, calm, and happy so we can stay focused on our work tasks. For all the cat owners out there, purchasing a cat tree is an absolute must, as they offer the perfect space for felines to lounge on and also stay active. Those looking for a stylish new tree for their special cat would love Tuft + Paw’s design-forward Milo cat tree/jungle gym. It will help cats get much-needed exercise while adding a chic, contemporary aesthetic to your home office!
The Milo cat tree is the ultimate essential for home business owners who have cats. Easy to set up with the help of an electric screwdriver, this durable tree features two covered tree houses, two perches, and two slide-like scratching posts upholstered in a durable carpet fiber. The tree is a true work of art with its natural birch plywood with white UV coating. It also features a crystal hammock (the perfect place for a cat nap!), ramp, climbing pole, and dining ledge! You will also appreciate the animal-friendly, safe curved corners.
The Milo retails for $949 at tuftandpaw.com and is just one of many incredibly innovative and stylish items that the company offers. Tuft + Paw is a leading online retailer of contemporary cat essentials like modish cat beds, litter box furniture, scratching posts, cat perches, and so much more. Home Business Magazine recently connected with Tuft + Paw founder Jackson Cunningham for the inside scoop on what sets Tuft + Paw apart from other pet product retailers. He was happy to share his business insights!
HBM: Tell us about Tuft + Paw. What sets it apart from other pet product retailers?
Cunningham: “We’re obsessively focused on aesthetics as well as functionality. Our team consists of an industrial designer with 10+ years in high-end (human) furniture design, a product engineer, and a cat behaviorist. We’re extremely careful with the products we make and sell because we hold them to a very high standard. Therefore, our offering is more limited than many big box pet retailers, but we think the quality is unmatched.”
HBM: What inspired you to start your home-based business?
Cunningham: “My mission was never to start a ‘home-based’ business, but from a practical perspective, it’s much easier and cheaper to get started when you’re able to work from home. We’re in an age where there’s practically no disadvantage to running a business from your home, so I think it’s a great way for new entrepreneurs to get started, especially if they are conscious of budget. Another upside is that I get to spend more time with my cat.” (laughs)
HBM: What do you consider your best business achievement?
Cunningham: “We’re about to launch a brand new litter box that I think is going to be a game changer. It’s a simple, beautiful litter box and it looks AMAZING. Even though it hasn’t launched yet, it has been a very long process with designers, behaviorists, and engineers with a lot of ups and downs. It’s one thing to retail other products, it’s another to manufacture versions of existing products, and then it’s a whole other ball game to essentially invent a product from scratch. It is going to be a major achievement for me once we launch this. We’re a couple months away!”
HBM: What is the biggest challenge you have overcome in running your business?
Cunningham: “There’s a ton of anxiety while running your own business. For me, personally, it’s usually around cashflow. Ecommerce businesses require a lot of capital because you need more inventory as you grow. It’s led to a lot of 3am night sweats for me worrying how I will pay back loans if sales drop. So there’s a huge mental component to running your own business, and I think being able to tackle that and learn how to cope is a major asset for any entrepreneur.”
HBM: What are the primary advantages of working from home?
Cunningham: “I feel like it’s definitely more efficient – you save time commuting to and from work, less time at lunch, and less interruptions. If you’re motivated – I feel like you can get much more done. It’s also inspiring–every day I wake up feeling like I’m so lucky to be able to work from home. And it’s great to be so flexible, as I can go rock climbing in the middle of the day or meet a friend for coffee in the afternoon.”
HBM: Where do you see yourself with your home-based business in 3 years?
Cunningham: “My long term setup would be to have a central office space where our staff can do some in-person collaboration, but with some extreme flexibility allowing every person to work from home. I truly believe working from home is more efficient in most cases, but there are some circumstances where in-person collaboration is better. So I’d like to give our team the option to do either.”
For more information about Tuft + Paw, visit their website. You can also follow them on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Contact: shannahch@gmail.com
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