Business Talk

(BPT) – Starting your own business can nurture your entrepreneurial spirit, earn you some money and give you the opportunity to spend more time with your family — including your pets. So what job can you do that doesn’t necessarily require a degree, affords you time flexibility, is in a growing industry and will be something you love?

Two words: pet products!

“The pet product and services industry can be a great opportunity for budding entrepreneurs,” says Bob Vetere, president and CEO of the American Pet Products Association (APPA). “Often, all that’s needed are a good idea and a love of animals to start your own business. And with demand for pet products and services, especially higher-end offerings, continuing to grow, opportunities in the industry will increase accordingly.”

Pets by the numbers

Americans spent more than $66 billion on pet products and care in 2016, according to the American Pet Products Association. And according to APPA’s new 2017/2018 National Pet Owners Survey, nearly 142.8 million American households are home to approximately 390 million dogs, cats, fish, birds, reptiles, horses and small animals.

With all those pets needing care, food, toys, healthy treats and other accouterments, is it any wonder the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts employment in the animal care and service industry will grow faster than average between now and 2024?

Career opportunities

Certain areas of the pet products and care industry are poised to grow even faster, Vetere predicts. “Food, over-the-counter health products and supplies constituted the largest portion of spending in 2016,” he says. “The pet humanization trend is driving growth at the premium end of the market.”

If you’re looking to start your own pet-related business, 2016 spending trends point to these jobs as ones that could pay off for entrepreneurs:

* Create your own botanical/organic grooming products. Just as interest has grown in human products that are better for people and the environment, demand is increasing for organic pet products, too.

* Launch a line of gourmet dog biscuits. All it takes is a great recipe, an oven and a bit of marketing savvy to start selling high-end doggie treats.

* Concoct a potty solution. Let’s face it: If you’ve got pets, you’ve got pet poop, and no one really relishes dealing with it. However, pet poop presents a number of business opportunities, from creating a portable dog potty or revolutionary pickup product to providing a yard cleanup service.

* Build custom play lands and sleeping platforms for cats. A little woodworking expertise, some creativity, knowledge of cats, and work space in the garage are all you need to begin creating luxurious, custom-made wonderlands for some lucky felines.

* Create a line of designer pet wear. From glamorous collars to snugly sweaters and sweet bandanas, today’s pets are well dressed. Put your knowledge of sewing and your passion for design together to develop high-fashion pet wear.

* Start up your own specialty pet-sitting service. Want to differentiate yourself from the competition? Try specializing in care for less common pets like fish, reptiles and birds. While it’s not difficult to find someone to feed a cat or walk a dog while a pet owner is away, it can be harder to find caregivers with the expertise (and willingness) to take care of a pet snake or iguana.

“Pets enrich the lives of their human companions on a daily basis,” Vetere says. “If you love pets, creating pet products and offering pet care services can be a rewarding career opportunity on many levels.”

(BPT) – Today’s political climate seems to offer less room for inclusion than ever before. The polarizing campaigns and election in the United States left many divided. And across the ocean, the approval of Brexit shook the European continent to its core.

In politics, it seems, inclusion is out.

Yet in the business sector, inclusion has never been more in. Businesses face more competition than ever thanks to the growing global economy and technological advancements that constantly shift the playing field. Now more than ever, a diverse team of men and women is required to help companies truly reach their entire, global customer base and their true potential. However, while this truth is widely accepted, change is slow to arrive.

Research from Catalyst shows that while women have made some nominal gains, they still see unequal representation on the boards of Fortune 500 companies. The data shows that almost 70 percent of these total F500 boards seats are held by white men. While women and minorities appear on 30.8 percent percent of boards— an all-time high — there is much more work to be done.

Catalyst is at the forefront working for this change. A leading global nonprofit organization, Catalyst has been a pioneering thought leader for more than 50 years, working to advance diversity, inclusion and gender equality at work. To advance this mission Catalyst created the Catalyst CEO Champions For Change, an initiative that brings together more than 40 high-profile CEOs and senior leaders who are visibly supportive of diversity and inclusion by driving it in their organizations. As part of this movement, CEOs are affirming their support for accelerating diversity, inclusion, and gender equality within their organizations. They are also making organizational and personal commitments, such as advancing the representation of women and women of color in senior level positions and on their boards of directors over five years, and actively sponsoring a diverse group of women. These 40+ companies represent more than 9 million employees and more than $1.5 trillion dollars in revenue globally. See the founding list of companies and read the full pledge at catalyst.org/Champions.

Celebrating industry leaders

The Catalyst CEO Champions For Change was launched on March 8 at the annual Catalyst Awards Conference and Dinner, also coinciding with International Women’s Day. Three of the most forward thinking companies in the world — 3M, BMO Financial Group and Rockwell Automation— were honored for their efforts in leading the change for diversity and inclusion. In addition to the dinner and awards ceremony, the event also featured #CatalystForChange social media activity and an exhibit hall that celebrated the International Women’s Day theme of #BeBoldForChange.

While change is certainly the engine that powers Catalyst’s work and the conference it remains a safe space for more than 1,600 leaders in the global business community to gather without judgment and learn how they can rethink old definitions and stereotypes to reject them in favor of inclusion. Because while many aspects of today’s world may seem polarizing, there’s always room for change. Join us and be the #CatalystForChange.

To learn more about how Catalyst is changing workplaces and changing lives every single day, visit Catalyst.org.

(BPT) – Today’s political climate seems to offer less room for inclusion than ever before. The polarizing campaigns and election in the United States left many divided. And across the ocean, the approval of Brexit shook the European continent to its core.

In politics, it seems, inclusion is out.

Yet in the business sector, inclusion has never been more in. Businesses face more competition than ever thanks to the growing global economy and technological advancements that constantly shift the playing field. Now more than ever, a diverse team of men and women is required to help companies truly reach their entire, global customer base and their true potential. However, while this truth is widely accepted, change is slow to arrive.

Research from Catalyst shows that while women have made some nominal gains, they still see unequal representation on the boards of Fortune 500 companies. The data shows that almost 70 percent of these total F500 boards seats are held by white men. While women and minorities appear on 30.8 percent percent of boards— an all-time high — there is much more work to be done.

Catalyst is at the forefront working for this change. A leading global nonprofit organization, Catalyst has been a pioneering thought leader for more than 50 years, working to advance diversity, inclusion and gender equality at work. To advance this mission Catalyst created the Catalyst CEO Champions For Change, an initiative that brings together more than 40 high-profile CEOs and senior leaders who are visibly supportive of diversity and inclusion by driving it in their organizations. As part of this movement, CEOs are affirming their support for accelerating diversity, inclusion, and gender equality within their organizations. They are also making organizational and personal commitments, such as advancing the representation of women and women of color in senior level positions and on their boards of directors over five years, and actively sponsoring a diverse group of women. These 40+ companies represent more than 9 million employees and more than $1.5 trillion dollars in revenue globally. See the founding list of companies and read the full pledge at catalyst.org/Champions.

Celebrating industry leaders

The Catalyst CEO Champions For Change was launched on March 8 at the annual Catalyst Awards Conference and Dinner, also coinciding with International Women’s Day. Three of the most forward thinking companies in the world — 3M, BMO Financial Group and Rockwell Automation— were honored for their efforts in leading the change for diversity and inclusion. In addition to the dinner and awards ceremony, the event also featured #CatalystForChange social media activity and an exhibit hall that celebrated the International Women’s Day theme of #BeBoldForChange.

While change is certainly the engine that powers Catalyst’s work and the conference it remains a safe space for more than 1,600 leaders in the global business community to gather without judgment and learn how they can rethink old definitions and stereotypes to reject them in favor of inclusion. Because while many aspects of today’s world may seem polarizing, there’s always room for change. Join us and be the #CatalystForChange.

To learn more about how Catalyst is changing workplaces and changing lives every single day, visit Catalyst.org.