PAWTALKS WITH THE PAWS

What was the inspiration behind The Paws?

We moved to Bali for work and while living on the island we decided to foster a dog (who became our foster fail!) We wanted to get her a scarf and couldn't find anything in Bali. We took a trip to the local fabric market and made her first bandana. We then decided to make more and sell them at the local craft market to raise money for the dogs in need in Bali. 

How does your brand differ from other industry brands in the same category? What gives you the competitive edge?

We manufacture and create everything in house. We screen print the fabric, handmade the labels, and have a team of 15 sewing the bandanas - all under one roof! 

Describe the ingredients you look for in the products you use.

We look for unique and seasonal designs 

"There are tons of inexpensive, low quality dog bandanas on the market. This can be concerning to think about the waste of free grooming bananas, low quality marketing bandanas ect. We want our product to last season after season - year after year and not be something worn once and thrown away."

Walk us through your development process — from ideation to the product we see on the shelf.

We work with graphic designers to create prints that are then turned into bandanas! 

What are some things you take into consideration during the creation of new products?

We are always thinking about what we want as pet parents. There are so many amazing products available within the pet space - we are proud to be one of the bandana companies pet parents come back to again and again. 

Other than The Paws, what is something you are passionate about?

Dog rescue. We live in Bali and often find dogs that need an extra hand - from vaccinations to sterilizations we work to help as many dogs as we can. 

What is one major lesson you learned about running a business?

Plan ahead! We usually work about 6-8 months ahead of time to finalize seasonal designs so we can stay on top of things for our customers. 

What are some challenges you have overcome with The Paws?

We are based in the United States and Bali - over the years we have worked on finding the right work/life balance since we have to manage time zones and working hours on two sides of the world. 

What would you say is your most effective marketing channel?

We only use Instagram - it used to be much for effective for us since there were less brands using the platform. Now we use it less as a sales channel and more of a place to share cute pup pics in The Paws bandanas. 

"We screen print the fabric, handmade the labels, and have a team of 15 sewing the bandanas - all under one roof!"

Give us the backstory of your brand’s name.

In 2017 we started off as Bali Paws since we were just selling locally in markets. As the brand grew and we began selling online we wanted a more universal name. We just dopped The Bali and became The Paws! 

What would you like to see for The Paw's future?

Our main focus is expanding into more retail locations. We would love for our customers to be able to find The Paws locally in their favorite pet shop. 

What do you think is the most prominent concern in the pet industry?

In regards to pet fashion - just like we think about fast fashion for ourselves I think it's interesting to consider this for pets as well. There are tons of inexpensive, low quality dog bandanas on the market. This can be concerning to think about the waste of free grooming bananas, low quality marketing bandanas ect. We want our product to last season after season - year after year and not be something worn once and thrown away.