KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Olathe native Katie Kenton is a full-fledged dog lover.
She loves spending time with her furry friends, but when it came to leaving them, it became a problem.
"We took a long vacation and ended up boarding my dog, Ghost,” Kenton said. “I think it was more traumatizing for me than him — not being able to check in and get pictures and updates.”
Kenton took matters into her own hands and quit her 9-to-5 job to start her own dog service business, Katie's Kennel.
"I wanted to create something that I would want to use if I went on vacation," Kenton said.
Her first task as a business owner was to create an Instagram account as a way to update dog owners on their dogs walks or stays.
Her social media efforts paid off: In just one year since launching her business, Kenton is now in charge of 14 walkers and has thousands of followers on her account.
She says she owes a big part of her success to Instagram.
"I always say a picture is worth a thousand words, and they love to see what we are doing,” Kenton said. “I think being visual has helped our business because they can kind of relate.”
Business experts said the social media platform is growing businesses across the nation.
"Whenever you put yourself out there and you share stories where people can connect to you, they purchase from you because they like you," said Jessica Powell, director of experiences at Kansas City Startup Foundation.
Powell also recommends more business owners to take advantage of the social media tool.
"You are going to learn where your customer is at and you are going to perfect your voice and be able to hone in on who brings you the money," Powell said.
Kenton said her one piece of advice to other business owners is to build a good brand, and success will come along with it.
"Your branding will set you apart from other people," Kenton said. "Just being able to advertise what you do is important."
