Entrepreneur gets tails wagging with launch of canine therapy venture

An entrepreneur is hoping to set tails wagging after forging a new future for herself by using her healing hands to launch a canine massage and therapy business.

Jayne Strange has established herself as one of just three qualified canine massage therapists operating in the Sheffield City Region after receiving help from Launchpad, a business support programme which delivers free support and advice to help new entrepreneurs transform ideas into a commercial reality.

After engaging with the programme, the 48 year-old former personal assistant decided to launch her fledgling company, K9 Bodycare, earlier this year.

Inspired by a TV documentary which explored how massage therapy is used to support dogs with a range of ailments including trauma, surgery, orthopaedic conditions and social issues. Strange has devoted the past two years to completing an intensive training programme with the Canine Massage Therapy Centre.

Strange said: “For as long as I can remember, I’ve dreamed about working with animals and after seeing the TV documentary which explored how massage can help to dogs to overcome a wide range of issues they face, I felt as if I had found my calling in life.

“When I faced redundancy it felt as if I had been given a sign to pursue those dreams: It was a now or never moment. My business journey has been exciting, daunting and challenging but fortunately the Launchpad team have been on hand to offer support and guidance, allowing me to formulate my business ideas.

“The help and support I have received from Launchpad gave me confidence in my ideas and to act on them. As anyone will know, losing a job can be a life-changing experience and I am extremely grateful for the both the practical and indeed emotional support I have received from Fiona and the rest of the Launchpad team.”

Fiona Humpage, business advisor, SCR Launchpad, said: “The Launchpad programme is designed to provide essential help, support and advice to individuals who are thinking of exploring entrepreneurship, as well as business owners who have been trading for two years or less.

“As business advisors, there is nothing more rewarding than seeing someone develop a business which is built around their passions in life, but it can be easy to fall into the trap of believing that simply because one person is passionate about a particular subject then others will share that desire. The work we have undertaken with Jayne has helped her to identify who her customers are and help her to think about how to target them. Since working with her, she’s never looked back and we wish her every success for the future.”

 

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