Ten years ago, at 55 with nothing but a retirement package and a love for dogs, Eileen Gibb made the move from her family home in Springs to a 25-acre plot on the outskirts of Grahamstown. She had no immediate income, no car and a yard full of boarding kennels.
Fast forward a decade, and Gibb runs a pet sales and information site, Pets' Place, where dog breeders and animal lovers can keep up to date on the latest news and newborns.
The enterprising dog lover moved from her native Scotland to Zimbabwe in 1975, finally settling in Gauteng seven years later, where she held an “unfulfilling office job” for 30 years. While she had a computer at work, she longed for her own PC, but couldn't afford one.
It was Gibb's family dogs - two basset hounds called Charles and Diana - who got her into the world of dog breeding. Along with their first litter of puppies came a thirst for knowledge.
“When folk came to look at the puppies, they asked me questions about dogs that I couldn't answer. That motivated me to go to the library and devour piles of dog books. The more I read, the more interested in dogs I became.”
She later got two more basset hounds, but the closely-packed houses and small gardens in Springs made her consider moving to a plot or small farm.
“When the company I worked for offered retrenchment packages, I took the plunge and quit, knowing full well I'd never get another job at my mature age. I had a vague plan to buy a small farm and live off the land.”
“I had a vague plan to buy a small farm and live off the land.”
Eileen Gibb, owner, Pets' Place
The spot she finally settled on, a plot in Salem near Grahamstown, came with 13 dog kennels, a cottage and not much else. Gibb initially had no idea where Grahamstown was, but put in an offer nonetheless. “I had exactly enough money for the house, the lawyer, telephone, electricity, and the removal van. Then I was broke.”
With few other options, Gibb placed an ad for her dog kennels in a local paper, and waited. “One day the phone rang and they asked: 'Do you have room for my dog this weekend?'”
Since that first call, many dogs and cats have found a temporary home in Gibb's kennels, leading her to learn about breeds of every description. The retirement package also enabled Gibb to finally buy her own PC and modem, and teach herself new programs through the help menus.
She initially started a Web site about her own dogs - basset hounds and scottish terriers - but soon began getting enquiries about other breeds. “So I decided to start an all breed site and use it to advertise my boarding kennels too.”
Gibb changed the name of the kennels from Pets Haven to Pets' Place (having a domain called 'petshaven' has the unfortunate consequence of looking like 'pet shaven'), registered the domain in 2003 and paid for Web hosting.
The site has since developed into a marketplace with 66 000 unique visitors and close on 177 000 page views per month.
Learning the ropes
Reaching this point, however, has been a steady climb rather than a rapid sprint. “It was easy to get going and I learnt gradually over the years. I taught myself Front Page and practised on Microsoft Home Publisher - they have a great help menu. Then I started looking around the Web for inspiration.”
Gibb credits the free Internet access Absa was offering at the time as her way into the cyber market. It also helped make country life more manageable, given the lack of wheels or nearby banks. “When I moved to the country I didn't have a car, so I paid for things over the Internet and had them delivered.”
The remote town has other obstacles, including poor phone lines and network coverage, which means no broadband, ADSL or 3G connectivity. “I stay too far from the exchange and am not in the right area for 3G, so I rely on GPRS and a dial-up connection.”
Slow speeds aside, Gibb helped herself along by subscribing to a newsletter on Web evangelism, which included tips on search engine optimisation techniques, how to promote a Web site, and making links work hard and smart.
Soon enough, people began advertising on the site, turning Gibb's hobby into a source of income. “I discovered I could sell all my puppies through my Web site and didn't need any other advertising. Other breeders found they could also sell their pups through Pets' Place, and because people often search for puppies online, the listed breeders are successful.”
A large number of breeders now pay a monthly or yearly fee to use Pets' Place as an online platform, advertising every canine kind from miniature schnauzers to Saint Bernards.
“I've learnt a great deal. When advertising your own dogs you can take out a space in the newspaper, but on the Internet there's a much wider audience. Some people have to travel a long way to see the puppies and they want to be able to have a look at the parents beforehand. It's an enormous help to a dog breeder.”
While major pet food brands like Montego advertise on Pets' Place, Gibb says she faces increasing competition. “It takes determination. The site's grown and is still growing because more breeders join every year, but more and more people are doing this now.”
Her main source of marketing is still in the form of search optimisation, which has been a major contributor to Gibb's success. “A lot of people have really great Web sites with fancy designs but Google can't find them because they have no keywords or meta tags or pictures - people like searching for photos of dogs.”
Pets' Place has become Gibb's outlet for the insights she keeps gathering, and a way to engage with other animal lovers from across the country. “It's become a lifelong hobby, this interest in dog breeds and the desire to increase my own knowledge. The Internet is a wonderful thing for the elderly because you can sit down and take your time.”
Gibb's view on life ahead is remarkably similar to that of her younger self, who made the move to the country all those years ago. “I'd like to carry on doing this as long as I can, although the world of technology is always changing. I'm not quite sure what the future holds.”
Next week, find out how Sanet Owen went from London's trade floor to the virtual shop floor with an idea to create custom gifts for relatives overseas.
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