Usually the summer is our quieter period, but that wasn’t the case this year! Not only have sales remained bouyant, meaning we didn’t have any let up in our manufacturing, but we’ve also been busy in many other areas.
We have a logo at last. We wanted a design that echoed the simplicity of our design but showed you what the Petflap does and how it works. Kelly from Wax Creative was invaluable and we love what she came up with.
We’ve incorporated the logo into the stickers which will shortly be appearing on our fitting rings. The stickers have the logo and a serial number, allowing us to keep close track of each Petflap. As well as the sticker we are etching ThePetflap.com onto each ring. Both of these sit at the foot of the ring under the step, so they remain discreet. We don’t like to shout about who we are, but at the same time if your friend asks you where you got that brilliant new catflap then you don’t have to look far for the answer! As always we keep our manufacturing under review and have introduced some improvements which allow us to manufacture at a greater volume and iron out problems.
We’ve also been planning a new website, as we know this one needs a complete face-lift. After a false start we’re now working with a local firm and hope to be unveiling the new site before the end of 2021. Once we have the new site we will be putting up Petflap prices, so if you want to take advantage of our current price then buy soon! Our materials costs have gone up and up over the last 18 months and we can no longer absorb the increases without a price rise. The price of the Petflap hasn’t risen for several years. We intend to reduce our postal charges by using a different carrier, so there is some good news.
We expect to be using more resellers over the coming wee while. We’ve been preparing to supply a reseller in the USA, which has required us to see to several aspects of how we present our product. This has been 100% a positive thing for us but also very work-intensive. Sales into Europe are picking up, and we would be open to working with a reseller based in the EU. If that’s you please get in touch. We have another possible project involving selling another product into the EU, but that’s under wraps for now.
Between the new website and working with resellers, we needed new photographs. We’ve had two photoshoots over the summer with our regular photographer Jenni. We’re now sorted with much improved shots of the Petflap in glass (oh go on then, since you asked – here’s a white Petflap fitted into glass), as well as the complete range of Petflap product shots and extra shots of the Petflap with cats. Don’t photoshoots take a long time?
With planning all these developments and more, making them happen and then using them to best advantage, it’s been an exhausting so-called ‘off season’. Here we are now well launched into our busiest time of year without time to really stand back and admire what we’ve done. We’re a tiny team and everyone really goes the extra mile to make sure Petflaps are made, customers are looked after and the wheels keep turning smoothly.
