Ep. 61 | How to Start a Dog Treat Business: A Step-by-Step Soft Launch Strategy

Thinking about starting a dog treat business but feeling overwhelmed by all the steps?

You don’t need a website, license, or huge inventory to get going. In this episode, Kara shares a beginner-friendly soft launch strategy that helps you test your treats, grow your confidence, and make your first sales—without spending months in planning mode.

Whether you’re just starting out or restarting with more intention, this episode breaks it down into a realistic, results-driven roadmap.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• What a “soft launch” actually means—and why it works for dog treat bakers
• How to test recipes and gather feedback without a website or business license
• Why early trust-building is more important than early perfection
• The simplest way to start taking orders (and getting paid) right away
• What to track during your soft launch so you can scale with confidence

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction and What This Episode Covers 02:03 What Is a Soft Launch (And Why It Works) 04:44 Step 1: Test & Get Feedback 07:21 Step 2: Build Trust, Not Perfection 09:00 Step 3: Create a Simple Way to Order 10:26 Step 4: Start Collecting Payments 12:05 Step 5: Track What Works (So You Can Grow) 13:33 Final Thoughts and Encouragement

📌 Mentioned in This Episode:

🦴 TreatArmor™ Icing & Frosting (Crack-Resistant & Shelf-Stable) https://www.pawsitiveprofit.com/treatarmor

👩‍🍳 Join the Free Dog Treat Bakers Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/startadogtreatbiz

Let’s Connect:

🌐 Website: https://pawsitiveprofit.com 🎥 Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@pawsitiveprofit 📸 Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pawsitiveprofit 🎧 Podcast Archive: https://pawsitiveprofit.com/podcast 📍 Facebook Group: http://tinyurl.com/4tud85fb

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Hey everyone.
Welcome back to another episodeof Pawsitive Profit, the YouTube
show and podcast where we helpyou learn how to start and grow
your own natural dog business
. Launching your dog treat business canfeel a little like training a puppy.
It's exciting, but there are definitelymoments where you're not sure if

(00:20):
you're doing it right, and thatis where a soft launch comes in.
It is your practice round and yourchance to test the waters, figure
out what works, and build confidencebefore going full speed ahead.
In this episode, I'm walking youthrough exactly how to nail your
soft launch step by step so youcan learn what customers love, make

(00:43):
tweaks, and set yourself up for.
I'll even introduce you to two newfriends, Lola and Flo, who will
help us bring these ideas to life.
And if you're new here,let me introduce myself.
Hello, I'm Kara Brothersand I speak dog treat.
If you speak dog treat or you want tolearn the language, subscribe to my

(01:03):
channel and click that notificationbell to get all the tasty dog
treat talk and tips you can handle.
Stay tuned because by the end of theepisode you'll have a full roadmap
for getting real feedback, avoidingexpensive mistakes, and creating a
dog treat launch that makes tails wag.
Sound good?
Let's jump in.

(01:23):
Before we get into the steps foryour launch, let me give you a really
quick tip that can instantly makeyour Treats look more professional
and help you stand out from day one.
If you've ever iced a batch of dogcookies, only to find the icing,
cracking and crumbling beforeyour customers even got them.
Oof, I feel you.

(01:43):
That's the way I created Treat Armor,a line of shelf stable, crack resistant
icing and frosting recipes that arespecifically made for dog treats.
I'm careful to say crack resistantand not crack free because let's
be honest, no icing is invincible.
But Treat Armor has been used byhundreds of bakers, and they swear by

(02:04):
it because their cookies not only lookpolished, but they also stay polished
for popups, shipping and markets.
During a soft launch,
presentation is everything.
Your treats don't just need totaste good they need to look good.
Treat Armor makes it easy.
I'll link it down below if you want tograb the icing or the frost and finish

(02:24):
bundle, that includes both at a discount.
Now before we dive into the nitty gritty,I want to introduce you to two new
characters that you'll hear me talk a lotabout in this episode and future episodes.
They're a really easy way to getconcepts using these characters, Lola
and Flo, because they're also a reallygreat way to bring ideas to life.

(02:49):
First step, meet Lola.
Lola is an aspiring dogtreat business owner.
She's a lot like you, excited anda little nervous and trying to
figure out how to turn her loveof baking into a real business.
And then there's Flo.
Flo is Lola's dream customer.
Flo is a devoted dog mom.

(03:10):
You know the type.
She calls her dog baby, and sheloves spoiling them with cute and
healthy Instagram worthy Treats, andshe's willing to pay for quality.
Here is why these two matter.

Every decision that Lola makes (03:22):
her recipes, her pricing and packaging has

to answer one big question (03:28):
Will Flo, see the value and come back for more?
So as we go through this softlaunch guide, I'll share what
Lola is doing and how Flo reacts.
You'll see exactly how thinking likeFlo can help you make better decisions.
All right.

(03:48):
Let's start with the basics.
What even is a soft launch?
A soft launch is like a testdrive for your business.
Instead of doing a big publiclaunch with tons of inventory and
marketing, you will do a smaller,controlled launch for your dog treat
business with a limited audience.
Think of it as like a popup rehearsalwhere you test your recipes,

(04:13):
your prices, and your process.
Why is this important?
Because the alternative is guessingand guessing can cost you a lot of
money, sometimes a lot of money.
Let me ask you this, would you rather findout that your customers prefer $10 sample
bags instead of $5 minis when you've baked20 of them, or after you've baked 200?

(04:39):
Yeah, exactly.
Lola was debating between peanut butterand pumpkin as her signature flavor.
She was sure that pumpkin wouldbe the big winner, but during her
soft launch, Flo and most of hercustomers bought peanut butter.
This is why testing matters.
Lola's Assumption would've left herwith lots of boxes of unsold pumpkin

(05:03):
cookies with zero peanut butter ones.
Instead, she adjusted her menuand she didn't waste a dime.
Let's talk prep.

Lola's checklist looked like this: finalizing recipes and packaging, (05:12):
undefined
setting up a simple online presence andcreating a teaser style marketing plan.
You need recipes to beconsistent, safe, and appealing.
And your packaging?
Well, it needs to make Flo, feellike she's buying from a real

(05:32):
business, not just someone sellingcookies out of a plastic bag.
You don't need a fancy website.
Lola started out with an Instagram pageand a Google form with orders, both free.
Flo didn't care about a high-end site.
She just wanted to order easily.
Lola posted behind the scenes videosof icing cookies with Treat Armor,

(05:55):
because let's be real, nothing sellsbetter than a closeup of a satiny
smooth icing that isn't cracking.
Now it's time to announce it.
This is where Lola, our dog,treat baker got a little nervous.
She's worried.
What if no one buys?
And hey, that is a real fear.

(06:16):
But remember, a soft launchisn't about huge numbers.
It's about getting real feedbackfrom a small but engaged group.
Lola's audience for her softlaunch was small, but mighty.
Friends, family, neighbors, anda few folks from the dog park.
You don't need a crowd.
You just need a handful of peoplelike Flo, your ideal customer,

(06:41):
who will give you honest feedbackand let's be honest, tell their
friends when they love your treats.
Now here's how Lola did it.
She posted a three daycountdown on Instagram stories.
She shared behind the scenes videos ofher mixing dough and icing cookies, and

she sent a few personal texts (07:00):
"Hey, I'm launching my dog treats this weekend.
Do you want a sample bag for your pup?"
Well, guess who jumped on it first?
Flo.
Flo messaged back immediately.
Ooh, yes.
Max loves peanut butter.
Can I grab two bags?
Social posts are great, butnothing beats a direct invitation.

(07:22):
Your friends and local dogmoms like Flo will feel special
when you reach out one-on-one.
Your first few orders might be a little
messy, and that's okay.
Lola's first day of orders lookedlike a scribbled list of names
and dog breeds on a sticky note.
She realized pretty quicklyshe needed something better.

(07:43):
So here's what I suggest.
Use a Google sheet to log each order.
Send quick confirmation numbersand include clear pickup
or delivery instructions.
Flo loved getting a simple messagethat said, "Thanks for being one of
my first customers. Pickup is Saturdayfrom 10 to 2. I can't wait for Max to

(08:05):
try these!" That personal touch toldFlo three other dog moms about Lola's
treats Just because of that message.
Maybe something will go wrong.
It's part of it.
Maybe you'll mix up an order.
Maybe you run out of stock.
Maybe your bag of treats doesn'tlook as pretty as you'd hope.

(08:27):
The key?
Fix it fast and with kindness.
Lola once gave Flo the wrong flavor.
Flo ordered peanut butter but got pumpkin.
Lola quickly dropped off the correctbag and included a free sample of
her latest Blueberry Buddy Bites.
Flo was thrilled.
That "Oops" turned into extra loyalty.

(08:48):
So here's the real magic of the softlaunch for your dog treat business.
It's not just about selling,it's about learning.
If you treat this like a live test,you'll walk away with answers to questions
like, what treats does Flo love most?
What packaging feels premiumenough to her, and what price
point feels like a no brainer?

(09:10):
Lola started a notebook she calls, "FloFeedback Journal" and she tracked which
flavor sold out first, which bag size Flopreferred, and what comments customers
made about price, texture and look.
Here's what worked for Lola.
Sending a quick Google form to herearly customers with three questions.

(09:32):
Question number one,what did you love most?
Two, what would you improve?
And number three, would you order again?
And she asked for a quick photoor testimonial if they were happy.
Flo sent back a photo of her dog, Maxdevouring a cookie, and Lola got to use
that picture in her next teaser post.

(09:54):
Flo mentioned that she loved peanut buttertreats, but she wanted smaller training
size cookies for everyday rewards.
Lola tested a mini bites version forher next soft launch, and guess what?
Flo bought three bags.
Okay, so when do you knowwhen you're ready to go big?
Well, here's how Lola knew.

(10:16):
She had repeat orders from Flo and othercustomers who were early customers.
Her packaging looked polished and herorder process was smooth and stress free.
When Lola transitioned to a fulllaunch, she prepped by stocking up on
ingredients, ordering more Treat Armor,so her icing looked professional at

(10:38):
markets and building a small website,but only after she had proof of demand.
Flo loved being one ofher first customers.
She felt like she was partof the story, and that's key.
Your first customers are not justbuyers, they're your super fans.
treat them like gold.
So what is your next step?

(11:00):
I challenge you to map outyour own soft launch this week.
Think like Lola, what wouldmake Flo excited to buy?
How can you test and learn and refinewithout going all in on day one?
If you found this helpful, hit thelike button, subscribe and let me
know in the comments what's one thingyou're testing for your soft launch.

(11:22):
I'd love to know and I'dlove to cheer you on.
This is Kara brotherswith Pawsitive Profit.
Thanks for watching.
I'll see you next time.