Joshua Fry had worked as a massage therapist for years until one day he noticed that his clients would often talk to him about their pets and the issues their pets were having with pain.
One day a client asked, “why don’t you learn animal massage?” A lightbulb turned on for Joshua. As an animal lover, he had always wanted to help animals and give them the treatments they deserve. He quickly set about getting certified in animal massage therapy and with the help of his cat, Slader – who was only too happy to let Joshua practice his techniques on him – Thera Paws was born.
Thera Paws is a mobile animal massage business based in New Brunswick. Joshua travels to and from client homes or rented spaces like dog kennels and veterinary offices to offer massage services for animals. Instead of having a physical clinic space, he instead travels to where the animals are to provide them with the therapy they need.
Starting your own business is never easy. Joshua knows it takes a lot of time, passion and commitment.
Animal massage therapy is an up-and-coming industry, as many people do not actually know these services can be provided for animals. Joshua recognized this and decided to capitalize on the emerging market to provide a unique service and help deserving animals along the way.
Education is key to spreading the message
Education and outreach are a big part of Joshua’s job as many people do not know the many benefits massage therapy can offer to animals. People often have many questions, as it is something they have never heard of and it is up to Joshua to change their perspective and educate them about the benefits of pet massage. Pets are a part of the family, and people can often get stressed when their pets are in pain and suffering. By providing pets with massage therapy, their owners can provide them the treatment they need, while also alleviating their own stress.
Since education is the key to growing Thera Paws, Joshua needs a complete and comprehensive website. Joshua worked with GoDaddy to help him gain a stronger online presence and become more recognized. A catchy and easily searchable domain name and amazing customer service have also been essential to growing Thera Paws.
Life-fulfilling ventures
GoDaddy’s mission is to inspire Canadian entrepreneurs and small business owners to chase their dreams. Last fall, Joshua entered GoDaddy’s Life Fulfilling Ventures contest and Thera Paws was one of the lucky winners.
Since winning the contest prize money, Joshua has been able to focus on advertising and marketing to grow his business and looks forward to gaining new clients. By switching to GoDaddy’s Website Builder he has been able to make a number of improvements to his site. It is easy to make updates whenever he needs to, even from his mobile phone and GoDaddy customer service is always available to help 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Joshua finds satisfaction in the work he does every single day.
Seeing happy people and their pets relieves his stress on a daily basis. Thera Paws is not only a business, but a passion project, and with the help of GoDaddy, Thera Paws now has a new and improved website that is easy for clients to navigate.
What’s Next
Joshua is excited for Thera Paws to grow and evolve over time. Having a new website will help him build a stronger digital presence and become more recognized. With his contest earnings, he plans to purchase supplies, invest in advertising and marketing, and engage in further outreach to new potential clients. He hopes in the future to be able to have a large enough client base to hire more therapists to reach more clients, of both the two legged and four-legged variety.
