BROKEN PROMISES

BARKFIELD ROAD, EAST NORTHPORT, NY

The franchise she invested in collapsed only months after her store opened. With some incredible help, she found a way to thrive independently.  / BY PAMELA MITCHELL

In April of 2011, Carol Andersen opened the doors of her new dog bakery and boutique. She couldn’t have been happier. It had been her long-held dream to own a pet-centric business.

She was also a bit nervous. Andersen had no retail experience, having spent the previous 21 years in healthcare administration. Her store was a franchise, though, and the company—Just Dogs Gourmet, a Pennsylvania-based operation with dozens of stores at the time— had promised to provide whatever support she would need.

Carol Andersen’s love for dogs has helped Barkfield Road thrive.

However, just two months later, the franchisor broke that promise in a big way. The company folded, leaving Andersen and her Long Island shop to fend for themselves. She was scared.

“I didn’t know how to run a business. I didn’t know how to promote a store,” Andersen recalls. “They were supposed to be my support, to take the royalties and, in return, teach me.”

Her fear soon morphed into a drive to do whatever it would take to succeed.

“When you love and believe in something, you just keep moving forward,” she says.

One of Andersen’s first steps was to find new business mentors. She started by joining American Pet Professionals. The networking group’s founder and president, Nancy Hassel, remembers their first conversation.

“I could tell she was in a tough spot, just by talking over the phone, but I could also hear her determination.”

Hassel introduced the fledgling business owner to other APP members, who shared best business practices and also regularly checked in with her. The relationships were helpful. Then mentors who would prove invaluable walked through Andersen’s doors. Branding experts Trevor and Linda Williams were shopping in the area when they spotted her store.

“We’re crazy dog people who have to check out every pet business we see that looks interesting,” Trevor says. “We all got to talking, and she told us the whole story, about the franchise. It was terrible.”

Linda adds, “She had put her life savings into the store and was just left out in the cold. She is a good person. I felt like we had to do something.”

The Williams decided to take on Andersen as a pro-bono client at their marketing firm, The Brand Counselors. Trevor began building an online presence for the store, getting a website up within two days of their initial meeting, and Linda kicked off an intense business boot camp.

“She emailed me daily and came in every single Sunday for I can’t even tell you how long, to teach me the basics,” a grateful Andersen says.

The couple praises their (now-paying) client for taking in and implementing all of the coaching. Together, they have built a successful brand for the store — which has since changed its name from the original franchise to Barkfield Road — around Andersen and her love of dogs.

She regularly hosts events, with many benefitting local animal organizations. Also, every canine customer gets featured on the store’s Facebook and Instagram pages. 

“We wish them a happy birthday, if that’s the reason for their visit, or just welcome them to the store,” Andersen says. “The owners love it, and I love it. All of these dogs are my dogs, too.”

Such positive buzz earned Barkfield Road the Long Island Press “Best Organic Pet Food Supply Store” award in 2016, and Andersen has gone from operating at a loss to breaking even to being able to support herself and put money back into the store. She is happy once again.