A dedicated web platform for dog lovers
Can you tell us about your business creation project?
We are working on “Dogwards”, a web platform that makes it easier than ever for dog lovers and dog owners to develop deep meaningful bonds with people in their respective neighborhoods. It is based on the Geolocation of the users which in turn would help build local communities of dog-minded people. It is not a registered company yet, but we have bought the domain name Dogwards.com and hope to form a real company and release the actual web app in the future. Our web app is in its early stages of development and testing.
How did you reconcile business creation and the academic commitment requested by EDHEC?
The theoretical concepts learnt in class were put into action while we worked on the start-up project, resulting in a creative synergy between business creation and our academic curriculum. For instance, time spent learning about “personas” in our marketing sessions were soon followed by a walk in Parc Barbieux, interviewing dog owners to get a better understanding of our target audience.
What did you get from the course and coaching offered as part of the Start-Up Challenge?
The course accentuated the fact that “doing” is more important than just “thinking”. Thus, instead of spending our time thinking if an idea is worth it or not, we learnt that the best way to find that out is by practically starting at some point and convert ideas into reality. The coaching sessions guided us in the right direction during this early phase of our start-up journey.
Tell us about your entrepreneurial spirit: what do you like about starting a business?
To us, entrepreneurship is about having the courage to take risks and taking charge of improving the lives of people around us. This endeavor undoubtedly has a positive impact on our professional and personal lives alike.
What are the next steps in your business creation?
The next step in our start-up journey is to complete the development and user testing of the Dogwards web application and tailor it to the needs and expectations of the target audience. We are working on spreading the word through our website and social media page in order to build a bigger network of early adopters.
What impact has the Covid-19 had on the development of the company?
The Dogwards application focuses on bringing dogs and dog lovers together. However, the current pandemic situation does not permit that. It has now become more difficult to approach dog owners in person due to the social distancing measures. However, the current crisis has given us more time to work on the project, for a time when things would go back to normal.
