Monthly Maidstone Spotlight – Petzania
Fresh from her recent win of £500 in start-up funding from the HerBiz Women’s Start-up Business Programme, we catch up with Laura Boreham as she prepares to take the lead and fetch her first customers for Petzania – a premium brand offering high-quality products for pets.
Petzania is launching soon – can you tell us more about it?
Petzania is an online shop for all things pets such as toys, accessories, treats and pet-care essentials. The website is going live at the end of June and I’m taking a phased approach starting with building an online customer base, then adding a ‘surprise and delight’ treat box with a monthly subscription. Part of the plan is also to donate a portion of profits to good causes each year, such as rescue centres and animal charities both here and abroad. I want it to be somewhere pet-lovers go to for trusted products and advice.
What did you do before starting up on your own?
My last role was as the sales director for a tech company implementing till systems, kiosks, and loyalty apps in the retail and hospitality industry – helping brands improve the customer experience. I’d worked in the industry for 20 years but finally decided to leave the corporate world in May 2025 to spend more time with my family. The impetus was my dad’s ill health which eventually caused him to lose both his legs. He coped so well with getting through rehab and learning to walk again.
Despite having to manage with two prosthetics, he was amazingly positive throughout and is back to driving and super independent. But I found it a really difficult time and wanted to take time out to spend with the family. Luckily, thanks to my husband’s job and some savings, I was able to leave my job and take that time out. And it was then I realised I wanted to do something different – something that was fun but meaningful, something I could call my own.
Why did you choose the pet industry?
I’m an animal lover – I had a cat for 15 years named Gingernuts and nine years ago, we got a beautiful black Cocker Spaniel named Cody. Pets are so good for your mental health – they make you calmer, and help you de-stress. I’ve noticed since we got our dog, all our friends have slowly become pet parents too, and we all do things together, it’s lovely.
I also wanted to do something that helped support other small businesses. I noticed there are a lot of new independent suppliers growing from within the pet industry, so I really wanted to support them by giving them a platform. For example, there’s a great company called Play9 with a patented dog treat dispenser called the Roolo which I’ll be stocking. I’m also working with Charlie the Vet who has come up with a first aid kit for pets.
Tell us about the business support you found in Maidstone
I knew that there were gaps in my knowledge – mainly around marketing and social media – so I started going to some local networking events to try to get a grasp of these areas. I met Chris Lyle, MBC’s business adviser at the Business Terrace, at one of the events there and shared my business plan with her – she was so helpful. She referred me to HerBiz where I also met Lisa Young, the Business Coach. Having the support of both Chris and Lisa really gave me the confidence to take the leap.
Following the first couple of HerBiz workshops, I registered the business with Companies House, found an accountant, got VAT registered, set up Xero accounting, put together all the product descriptions, found a web designer and had a photography shoot. And the support from Chris and Lisa helped me to do all of this in a step by step, structured way, so I’m well prepared for the business not only to launch, but grow too.
In terms of finance, I was so pleased to win the £500 HerBiz competition towards my startup costs.
Chris and Lisa also helped me to apply for a business loan which came through with no issues and from that, I’ve also got 12 months’ free mentorship.
What are your plans for the business in the future?
At the moment, I’m using a great fulfilment company but the plan is to have our own warehouse, once we get big enough. My husband manages warehouses across the UK and so he has expertise in this area as well as stock management, transport and logistics, so it’d be great to get him involved in the future. I’d love to involve my family more, if it’s something they’d like to be involved in – for example, my youngest wants to get into IT so there’s always the option for him to take on that side of the business if he wants to.
Eventually, I want to look at employing people who have difficulty with accessibility too – people like my dad, who are really capable but perhaps have physical issues or disabilities and would find it difficult to travel to an office to work. Or mums like me; I know what it’s like to juggle looking after a family, taking children to appointments and managing home life and I’d like to help make it easier for people like that to work by offering flexible roles.
What’s been your biggest challenge?
Getting a business bank account set up! Even though Petzania was registered with Companies House, I didn’t have a website or online presence yet for them to do their due diligence, so the first bank I approached wouldn’t let me open an account. I found myself in a bit of a Catch 22 – I couldn’t launch without a bank account, but couldn’t get a bank account without launching! I ended up using a different bank and it all worked out in the end – but I wasted about 3 weeks in the process.
What advice would you give other start-ups?
Look for as many resources and support as you can. There are lots of people out there who want to help you succeed so don’t be afraid to ask. As well as business advisers, there is a lot you can learn from people just like you at networking events, on WhatsApp groups, support and social media groups. You don’t have to do it all alone!
Check out the Petzania website – launching soon