Small Business Stories - Juno's Garden

Alex Fees: I’m Alex Fees for small business television at SBTV.com. We are on location in Baltimore at the 2009 Pet Industry Spring Trade show. It is brought to you by HHBacker Associates, publishers of Pet Age magazine.

Juliann what is Juno’s Garden?

Juliann Eskite: So we are in an organic line of skin care products for dogs in Kansas wealth, we started about five years ago and we specialize in products that helps sensitive skin problems that just hot spots allergies that type of thing with topical remedies.

Alex Fees: Well Juliann talk to me about the importance of accreditation in the pet service industry.

Juliann Eskite: Well I think its very important because I make an organic product and that’s a very easy label to just slap on to any product. I feel that this is important the company know with their saying but when they say organic that they are member of an organization such as the organic trade association that accepts members only about due carry wheel organic products that label them by the standards that the US requires and that they are aware of all legislations and what vendors really should be doing to be true to the consumer of what’s in there products.

Alex Fees: So it sounds like you’re talking about trade organization, participation instead of accreditation because there is not —

Juliann Eskite: In the cosmetic ram there is no accreditation right now, that’s going to change probably in the near future for human products. In the pet product ground probably won’t change for a long time but cosmetic companies like my self want to follow what’s in the human round and we figure that, that’s the smartest best way to operate our companies.

Alex Fees: So short of accreditation and what does participation and what is it the organic trade association what does that give you, what does that do for you.

Juliann Eskite: Well the main thing that t his organization does is passed on useful information to its members about what’s happening in legislation, what’s being talked about our products and how we can make the products better for consumer, how we can eliminate things that are not true chemical free organic ingredients and it also educates us, his vendors about new things that are around there. Such inspired degradable packaging and ultimately earth friendly solutions. So that we can create products that are helping the earth as well.

Organic trade association promotes any sort of product that is helping the farmers in the environment and the long term physical over the organics.

Alex Fees: Is it legitimacy in the eyes of your customers?

Juliann Eskite: Absolutely. This organization is well fought off the people who are members had been in the industry for a very long time and selling in big stores like whole foods and they’re well thought off and well known so to be a part of their organization and to be talking with them on the local chat groups or forums these are really important thing for my education and ultimately for my products.

Alex Fees: Juliann somebody is looking for a series for their pet what do they need to search out?

Juliann Eskite: Well if you’re talking about services versus retail products and I sell the retail product. One of the things they want to make sure is that the product test everything on the label that is in the product they want to ask the store and they want the manufacturer the store should ask me any factor make sure they list everything. It’s not required in the pet industry to list everything like it is in human products so only the best manufacturers do that and consumers should ask for it.

Alex Fees: Are there questions they should ask though regarding participation in the organizations like the ones you are a part of.

Juliann Eskite: I think so I think that if a consumer asks what trade associations you’re a member of or what kind of education you’re doing to further your knowledge then that shows that he company owners really concerned about the long term benefits of their product not just making money. I mean making money is part of it but ultimately we want to have good quality product out there that’s going to be beneficial for everyone.

Alex Fees: All right Juliann, well said.

Juliann Eskite: Thank you so much.