The Challenge
Growth is good, but with it comes unique challenges. In less than 18 months Urban Animal had more doubled its revenue and employees. The owner (Cherri Trusheim) recognized that in order to sustain this level of high growth and realize her long-term goal of multiple locations across the Puget Sound she would need to develop effective operations, financial and marketing strategies to scale the business effectively.
The Solution
Define and develop a business model that could easily be replicated across multiple locations. Develop best practices that would allow Urban Animal to scale the business with limited disruption to its operations. Develop sales and revenue forecast models to better manage growth. Align business activities with Urban Animal’s business philosophy and growth goals. Develop organizational management tools that allow Urban Animal to effectively recruit, hire and managed employees, and improve the performance of its operations managers. Provide leadership and executive consulting to the senior management team. Develop and implement financial management tools, reporting and key performance indicators.
The Result
Successful launch of 2nd location (Downtown Seattle) and a 3rd in South Seattle (White Center). Implementation of HR best practices and tools allowed organization to scale from 20 to 110 employees (and growing!). Accurate financial reporting and forecasting resulting in improved budgeting and cash flow and the ability to secure funding for growth. Company is well positioned for long term growth and an employee ownership model.