Maria Lee Magaña of Bully Wags

PODCAST AUDIO

Intro

Maria Lee Magaña, Founder of Bully Wags, shares the story of how she got inspiration for her dog leash and harness business from a challenge that she encountered while walking her own Bully. Maria shares her journey of developing and bringing the product to market, what has worked in terms of customer acquisition and her plans for being more breed-inclusive and expanding to new markets.

Episode Summary

Maria Lee Magaña, the founder of Bully Wags, shares her journey of starting an e-commerce business specializing in durable and functional dog accessories for medium to large breeds. Inspired by a faulty leash clip incident with her reactive dog, Maria identified a need for quick-release and double security options in the market and started Bully Wags despite the smaller profit margin. She also discusses the development of her product, Bully Wags, a more secure Carabiner clip for dog harnesses, and the challenges she faced in finding the right manufacturer. Maria emphasizes the importance of research, testing, and collaboration with experts to bring her products to market. She also shares her experiences in protecting intellectual property, expanding her sales channels, and marketing efforts. Despite initial challenges, Maria plans to expand her product line to include options for smaller breeds and continues to sell on various platforms while maintaining a flexible business. The speaker also recommends resources like Steve Chu’s YouTube channel and productivity tools like ChatGPT for entrepreneurs.

00:45:00 In this section, a speaker discusses the benefits of using a specific type of dog tag with additional features such as weather resistance and a QR code. The tag allows for more information to be stored, including the dog’s health status and behavioral problems. The speaker compares it to a regular metal tag and expresses her belief that it is more useful, especially in cases where a lost dog may be sick. She also shares her entrepreneurial inspiration from the founder of Scrub Daddy and emphasizes the importance of staying agile in business to adapt to changing markets and competition. The speaker concludes by promoting her product’s website for potential buyers.

00:00:00 In this section, Sushant welcomes Maria Lee Magaña, the founder of Bully Wags, to Treptalks. Bully Wags is an e-commerce business that provides dog accessories for medium to large breeds using heavy-duty materials that are both aesthetically pleasing and functional. Before starting her business, Maria was working a corporate job and was inspired to become an entrepreneur after an incident with her reactive dog and a faulty leash clip. Unable to find leashes with the desired quick-release clip and double security, she decided to start her own business, offering this option to the market despite the smaller profit margin. Maria’s passion for her pets and the belief in prioritizing quality and safety over profit motivated her to bring this new choice to dog owners.

00:05:00 In this section, the creator shares the story behind the development of their product, Bully Wags, a more secure Carabiner clip for dog harnesses. They explain how they identified a need for a more durable and secure clip after noticing the challenges with existing options and observing their own dogs damaging harnesses. The creator started an e-commerce business and conducted extensive research to determine market demand and competition. They also sought feedback from dog trainers and neighbors to refine the product design. The first prototype was created by providing a manufacturer with detailed drawings and specifications, and the creator tested the samples with their own dogs before making any major changes. Overall, the process involved a lot of research, testing, and collaboration with experts to bring the Bully Wax product to market.

00:10:00 In this section of the “Maria Sequence Video,” the speaker discusses the process of creating their first product, a bio thane dog accessory, and the challenges they faced in finding a manufacturer. They initially considered making the product themselves but decided against it due to the risk of material perforation. The speaker then tried to find a manufacturer in Canada but couldn’t find the same quality as in China. They also faced challenges in selling their idea to manufacturers due to the uncertainty of the product’s impact. The speaker eventually contacted five manufacturers specialized in heavy-duty pet accessories and hardware, eventually finding a suitable partner in China. The investment required for the first product included the cost of the manufacturer, product changes, and back-and-forth communication. The manufacturer in China was more accommodating and able to meet the speaker’s high-quality standards.

00:15:00 In this section, the speaker shares their experience in finding the right manufacturer for a product by ordering samples and working with an inspection company. They spent thousands of dollars on samples and discovered that one manufacturer, which they initially thought was the best, turned out to be one of the worst. Another manufacturer, which they found on Alibaba and hired for inspections, turned out to be the best. The inspection company, a service offered by Alibaba, provided a detailed report before the product ships, ensuring quality control. The speaker emphasizes the importance of trying out different manufacturers and being accommodating in the beginning stages of production. They found the inspection company through Alibaba and had positive experiences with it. Despite the potential for corruption and duplication of items in China, the speaker has not encountered any significant challenges in this regard.

00:20:00 In this section, the speaker discusses her experiences with intellectual property protection in China and how she obtained her first customers for her product. She mentions that she hasn’t signed any NDAs with manufacturers in China due to her understanding that they are not legally binding there. However, she plans to patent her designs and put more effort into protecting her intellectual property as her business grows. The speaker also shares that her first sales came from people she knew and through Facebook and Instagram ads. She eventually started selling on Amazon, but found the process to be complicated and expensive. Despite initial difficulties, she continues to sell on the platform and also wholesales her products.

00:25:00 In this section, the speaker discusses her sales channels and the challenges she faces in expanding her business to include smaller breeds. She mentions that her website and wholesale are her primary sales platforms, with Amazon being a secondary option due to customer expectations of lower prices. She also shares that she used to participate in events but found the profit margin to be small and the time investment to be significant. The speaker reveals that her US business is larger than her Canadian one, and she believes the bottleneck in her sales is her lack of inclusivity for different breeds, particularly smaller ones. She plans to modify her product design or choose different materials to accommodate smaller breeds and expand her market. The speaker also touches on her shipping and logistics, stating that she currently ships orders from Montreal to customers, but may consider shipping directly from China for cost savings in the future.

00:30:00 In this section, a seller discusses his strategy for shipping products from Montreal, Canada to various destinations, including Amazon in the US. He mentions that he has not yet explored shipping to the US market due to perceived competition, but acknowledges the potential for growth in the US market, particularly for his niche targeting medium to large size dogs. The seller then talks about his marketing efforts, which include paid ads on Facebook and Instagram, as well as TikTok, where he has had some success with viral videos. He also employs brand ambassadors and affiliates to help promote his products. The seller expresses that while paid advertising on Facebook and Instagram is consistent in terms of driving sales, it can be expensive. He also mentions that TikTok, though not consistent, has the potential to bring a large following and engagement, but the algorithm is unpredictable. The seller is currently a small team, consisting of himself and his partner, with occasional help from a friend for marketing tasks.

00:35:00 In this section, the entrepreneur discusses her business goals and challenges she faced since starting her business. She plans to expand her product line to include more inclusive options for smaller breeds in the next five years. One of her biggest mistakes was underestimating the time-consuming nature of accounting and not keeping proper records, leading to stress during tax season. Another mistake was assuming that friends and family would automatically support her business, which could potentially damage relationships. She also learned the importance of seeing the work product before bringing it to market, especially when working with manufacturers from a distance. Despite the flexibility of running an e-commerce business while still having a job, she feels the need for more stability before leaving her corporate job completely.

00:40:00 In this section, a speaker discusses the benefits of having a flexible business and the importance of consistency in revenue before leaving a job. They also recommend Steve Chu’s YouTube channel for entrepreneurial advice and ChatGPT as a valuable tool for research and productivity. The speaker emphasizes the importance of focusing on one task at a time and using a note-taking app like OneNote or Notion for organization. They also mention a promising startup in the e-commerce retail space called Boob, which sells NFC tags for dogs.