Sara, the labrador puppy was the birthday gift Rashi Narang received. Like any other pet parent, Rashi tried to find a good quality leash, collar, bed, treats and toys for Sara. But the existing stores offered basic products with no variety to choose from. Food products were adulterated. Fed up, Rashi started designing everything for her dog. This eventually led Rashi to start her startup Heads Up For Tails (HUFT) in 2008.
Rashi created products such as bed, jacket, mat, feeding bowl and leashes that are not harmful to pets. But when she approached retailers, everyone refused to take her products. This inspired Rashi to display her products at exhibitions during festivals like Diwali and Christmas. The positive feedback she received from those events turned out to be her turning point. This motivated her to invest Rs 5 lakh to set up a kiosk at Select City Walk Mall in Delhi.
Soon, Rashi’s venture became a success as pet owners were ready to spend any amount to take care of their pets. Rashi made customised products such as orthopaedic beds and Cocker bowls for customers. Taking inspiration from her own experiences as a pet owner, Rashi made hormone-free and antibiotic-free dog treats.
Today, HUFT has 20 dog spas across nine cities and it sells over 5,000 products through its 41 stores.
HUFT gained a total income of Rs 12 crore in the 2018 financial year. It surged to Rs 25 crores in 2019 and Rs 48 crores in 2020. A growth of 75% was registered in the financial year 2021. HUFT has plans to open 55 new stores.
In 2008, Rashi approached Delhi’s Select City Walk Mall seeking permission to open a kiosk only during the weekends. At that time, mall owners were reluctant to accept her request. Now, malls are rallying behind Rashi to open a kiosk. The products that were declined 200 times have now turned out to be a huge business. This is the magic of entrepreneurship.
