I like to be completely relaxed when I am interviewing.

Interview with Lace Wilson

Hosted by:  Madi, The Cat

Kritters That Twitter

 MADI:  Hello Lace, and thanks for meeting me at the Kritter Koffeehouse.  I am very excited to be speaking with you today and greatly appreciate your time.  Before we get started, I just want to point out that just like everything associated with the Kritter Kommunity, Kritters That Twitter is specifically designed for Animals and Animal Lovers.   The Kritter Koffeehouse is open daily and serves beverages and snacks for both Animals and Hoomans.  That being said, I see you are a Hooman…..could I offer you a cup of hot tea or coffee?

LACE: Mmm, I could surely go for a nice hot cup of coffee right now!  Thank you kindly for offering, Madi.

MADI: Lets jump in and get started; we are eager to learn more about you!  First and most important, what is your association with Animals?  Do any Animals allow you to care for them?

LACE: As with most folks in the pet industry – I, too, have been surrounded by, owned by, and passionate about animals my entire life. I couldn’t imagine life without animals! My wife and I have nine kids at the moment (furry ones, not hooman ones, mind you); two dogs (Scoops and Ren), two cats (Ani Boo and Oreo), two ferrets (The Brat One and Huh), two birds (Bali and Indi), and one mouse (Baby Meece). They all take turns coming with me to the office every day, as do all of our staffs’ fur-kids, too!

Other than being the CEO of Furry Friends Web Design, I’m also a husband, an avid photographer, nature fanatic, backyard birder, constant reader, early riser, and a man who is proud to take his Chihuahua with him everywhere he goes!

MADI: Your screen name is @PetBusiness101 on Twitter….Tell me about that name, what it means, how you came up with the name.

LACE: We consider Furry Friends Web Design (FFWD) a “one stop shop” for pet industry professionals and pet businesses all over the world.  We’re so much more than just a pet web design and development firm, we offer a well-rounded selection of services ranging from pet logo design to Search Engine Optimization & Marketing to business consulting and planning. 

With that being said, a large part of our relationships with our potential and current clients is founded on consulting with them and educating them on being successful in the pet industry.  Hence, PetBusiness101 was a good fit for Twitter.

MADI:  My sister Abi and I see you on Twitter regularly.  What do you like most about Twitter and how do you find it valuable?

LACE: Oh, we just love Twitter – who doesn’t??  It’s one of the top social networking sites in the most simplistic form and truly allows you to meet and network with people much easier than some of the other social networks do.  For those in the pet industry, the outreach possibilities to connect with others are invaluable.  Twitter makes it a cinch to share and give advice, give and receive solutions, find and connect with potential and current customers, and start powerful relationships and partnerships with others in the industry.  It’s simply a must have for any pet business, no matter their market or niche.

One thing that is particularly nice for us with Twitter is that it allows us to keep in touch our clients who live in different countries such as Germany, UK, Australia, etc. where the difference in time zones can make it difficult to keep in touch via the more traditional methods.

MADI:  How do you use Twitter to add value to Animal and Animal Lovers lives?

LACE: We use Twitter to provide our followers with must-know information about starting, maintaining and growing a successful pet business in the pet industry, no matter their niche.  We also use Twitter to keep in touch with the going-ons of past and current clients, our partners and colleagues within the pet industry, animal rescue and welfare/rights organizations, and some of our colleagues and associates in the marketing and personal development fields.  Within this large, diverse group of people and organizations – we’re consistently helping each other on daily basis, probably even more than any one of us realizes.

MADI:  We at Kritters That Twitter want to make sure we offer solutions and add value to the lives of Animals and Animal Lovers through our blog.  Do you have a blog and if so what types of things do you blog about? 

Could you give me a few examples of things you have blogged about?

LACE: We sure do have a blog, Madi!  You, Abi, and your Mommy can find us over at http://www.furryfriendswebdesign.com/blog.  Our blog would be found most appealing to pet businesses and pet related organizations, not so much the average pet lover or pet parent, since we focus our blog topics on issues that are important for pet businesses.  You can find blog posts on anything from marketing in the pet industry, to how to write compelling and subjective website copy, to finding your niche in pet business, to how the industry is holding strong against the recession, to announcements within our firm such as who our current client of the month is.

 MADI:  Wow, this was such useful information, and most importantly it has been a pleasure kicking back and getting to know you better.  Thank you for taking the time out of your busy day to chat with me and the other Kwitters.  

 I would like to take this opportunity to thank my Mommy for helping me write this interview.  Because of Mommy I was able to use Spellcheck and edit my Grammar.  We believe that this will help both Animals and Hoomans understand the content.

 -Madi The Cat