Articles &
Resources
Carol Frank has been a columnist for many pet industry publications over the years including APPA, Pet Business, Pet Age, and Pet Product News. This page contains many of the articles she has written in date order as well as articles from guest contributors.
Raising Equity through Crowdfunding: Finally, Another Alternative!
“I have this amazing pet product that I just launched at Global Pet. The response has been nothing short of fantastic and the orders are rolling in. We are still very small, too small to get a bank loan but I need money for inventory and infrastructure. Can you help me?” As an investment banker...
A Tool for Encouraging Employees to Act like Owners
Want more commitment, loyalty, and productivity out of your best employees? Give them some skin in the game. This article is about a special program for your “top dog” team members – The Equity Participation Program. Your best employees are your company’s most valuable asset, and the EPP is a...
The Ins and Outs of Pet Product Licensing: Is it for you?
The e-mail I received a few years ago from Joshua Jones (*) was intriguing: He was eager to talk with me about helping monetize his revolutionary new cat litter box idea. Joshua is typical of many inventors who have a great idea but no intention of becoming a pet product mogul. They just want to...
Minimizing your Taxes Under a Cloud of Uncertainty
Recently there has been a rash of pet business owners asking me “Carol, given the uncertainty regarding the capital gains tax, should I sell my company in 2012?” It’s a highly valid question given that the top tax rate on capital gains will rise from 15% to as high as 23.8% in...
Why is Private Equity so interested in the pet industry and is your company a candidate?
I get at least one contact a week from a private equity firm that wants to invest in the pet industry. As politely as I can, I tell them to line up behind the other 50+ firms I have on my list that would like to invest in pet. As owners of manufacturing companies, you probably get many of these...
Will Customers Really Buy this? Ask an Advisory Council!
As a pet industry consultant and entrepreneur, one thing I am continually amazed at is the amount of money thrown at unproven products – many of which end up failing. This was top of mind this past week as I sat through a fascinating presentation by the Director of Innovation for Del Monte Pet...
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