"To the Dogs" by Laura Stampler
TIME magazine
April 14, 2014
New businesses are being created that cater to the pet lover. Many are modeled after other businesses that provide services to humans, such as the taxi service Uber. One example is Swifto, an app that lets New York City residents book dog walkers and track the location of their dog while it is being walked. People who use the service can get text messages that let them know when the walk starts and ends, and even receive "real-time poop alerts".
Another business, a website called DogVacay, allows people to find hosts for their pets while on vacation. The site isn't just for dog owners, either. There are over 15,000 hosts on the website who will take care of dogs, cats, rabbits, and even hedgehogs.
BarkBox is a service that lets people subscribe to receive a monthly box full of dog toys and treats. It plans to expand to include concierge services.
Whistle is a pet monitoring device. It snaps onto a pet's collar and allows owners to monitor their pets' activity. Owners can identify problems this way (like if a pet is sleeping too much).
This businesses are all examples of how the U.S. economy promotes new business through its mixed economy. Even the strangest ideas may succeed, so it's important that new businesses actually have a chance to start up.
This is really interesting!!! I never knew such things existed!! If a person really wanted to watch over their pets and make sure they are safe, this is very helpful for them! I can imagine these apps being very popular and it also shows how any idea nowadays can be made into a reality. Thanks for this blog post!! It was quite fascinating to read about! :)
ReplyDeleteI too had no clue about any of these businesses. I like reading your blog because there is always something new and exciting to read. You did a good job of pointing out how the businesses need to be given a chance to succeed and I think this goes even further into what we are learning about right now. If the businesses needed a loan from the bank to start, they would need to know about the different interest rates that entails so they can pay it back. They also need to make a careful budget so that they can last for the long run. Yet another consistently good blog. And on a side note, that is my favorite version of Mr. Darcy :)
ReplyDelete