Liz Blondy is a Detroit entrepreneur, who started Canine to Five dog daycare in 2005. It is located in the Midtown area of Detroit on Cass Avenue south of Martin Lutheran King Boulevard. Canine to Five offers an array of services for man’s best friend. Services include daycare, grooming, a dog park, boarding, and also newly added retail.
Canine to Five came to fruition when Liz Blondy had learned that her friend, who lives in downtown Detroit, was taking her dog to daycare when working out in the suburbs. Blondy then saw an opportunity for such a business in the city of Detroit. Not owning a dog herself, she had to do some serious research to understand the industry and learn what owing a business was all about. She visited several dog daycare centers from Michigan, Ohio to Canada and volunteered at places such, as the Humane Society to understand her clients needs better. Not only did Blondy have to do research, but she also had to raise capital for her new vision. She was working at Verizon Wireless at the time and she patiently saved enough money to do business for a year and half. She received a home equity loan and spent $40,00 on her credit cards for building renovations. Liz also had to refinance her house to start the business. In other words, she made some major sacrifices to get her dream off its feet.
Canine to Five is the only business of its kind in Detroit. The competition is in the suburbs, with maybe 20 competitors in southeast Michigan. Blondy feels that Canine to Five stands out next to the competition due to the close relationships they hold with their customers. Also, the marketing that she had done has given her a good foot in the door to gain a good clientele. Liz went all over downtown and talked to project managers, realtors, and company managers. Business has increased from the first day she opened business. In the daycare, she started with nine dogs and two years later she now averages 25 dogs a day. In May 2006, Liz bought the neighboring 30 year-old grooming business for $30,000, which has given Canine to Five 1300 grooming customers.
Liz Blondy has started a new business for the city of Detroit and has marketed the business well. You can see Canine to Five at the local festivals, taking pictures on the river for Pooch-a-Palooza, or just drop by for the dog park. Blondy is dedicated to the city of Detroit and is also responsible for starting the Open City Network, which is a great networking opportunity that meets once a month through out downtown Detroit.
