Discovering Your E-commerce Niche: Stand Out & Succeed

Authored by Matt Lessard

Since 2001, Matt Lessard has started numerous projects, from an E-commerce SaaS to an online store shipping to over 80 countries. Creator of Buster Fetcher®, a technology reducing shipping costs. Passionate about personal development and business growth.

Meeting with Marc April, co-founder and co-owner of Good Girl Good Boy

Any business training will say that to be successful, you need to stand out of the crowd and offer consumers what they can’t find anywhere else – a niche, in short. This is exactly what Marc April and Marie-Andrée Marchand were able to do with Good Girl Good Boy, both literally and figuratively. They sell organic grooming products for dogs, something no one else has done before in Quebec.

SELF-TAUGHT, VERSATILE, AND ABOVE ALL, PASSIONATE

Discussing with Marc April is anything but boring. He has so much to say and both he and his wife Marie-Andrée have such an atypical course – just the way I like it! Combined, they’ve racked up various university training: public administration, photography, museology, computer science, and management.

Atypical course? Judging from their education, it would have been hard to envision them in the pet grooming industry. Just think of it… When you want to launch your own business, training and versatility are invaluable assets. With all his experience, Marc takes care of the photography for his products, writes his own texts for the website, and takes care of all the R&D, design and marketing for his business. Such natural creativity can only lead to success!

Through a natural process, Marc and Marie-Andrée first started by creating organic cosmetics for humans.

With ten years of experience in cosmetics – at first for their own needs – they decided to develop a cosmetics range for dogs. Back in 2016, there wasn’t much on the market in this segment. Marc and Marie-Andrée wanted to care for their dog’s skin with the right products for him.

Thus, goodgirlgoodboy.com came to existence in 2017.

VEGAN, 100% NATURAL, HIGH-END PRODUCTS

Marc and Marie-Andrée believe that an active and healthy life is important for us as well as for dogs. 

That is why their cosmetics line is non-toxic, natural, and vegan. Such high-end products, respectful of the environment and animals, are rare on the market.

Marc specifies that their products “are not veterinarian remedies. They are designed to relieve common skin conditions for dogs and most of all, to provide them with the daily care they deserve.”

Shampoos, various balms and cleaners (for ears, paws, and nose), as well as essential oils… All 100% natural and made in Quebec. The main objective is not to cater to the masters – with pleasant scents, for example – but to make sure our pets get the best care possible.

That being said, the soaps and balms are so healthy they could very well be used by humans! That is exactly what the store wants to offer next: products that can be shared with your pet friend.

FROM QUEBEC TO THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD

Good Girl Good Boy is a small business that became big in barely two years, exactly because they found their niche.

With about forty outlets in Canada, and even some in Europe, Marc now has his sights on the American market. Their product range has the full potential to take its place on the market there.

For the time being, the business wholesales its products to businesses such as pet stores (and only to pet stores who are not involved in pet trade), gift shops, veterinary clinics, and various trade shows and events.

GO, FETCH! 

Do you know where the name Buster Fetcher comes from? Doesn’t it sound like man’s best friend ready to fetch the ball at every opportunity?

I love dogs too, but I also love it when I get back what belongs to me. That is what Buster Fetcher was able to do for Good Girl Good Boy this year. Not just for them, but for all of our partners.

We first talked to Marc at an e-commerce event in Montreal. At the time, he wasn’t shipping out a whole lot, and even though he recognized the value of our services, he didn’t feel he would gain much. He quickly realized however that his business’ shipment volume doesn’t really matter, he had everything to gain to sign up with Buster Fetcher, and that is what he did.

“I should have signed up sooner, because I only lost money. As soon as a single package is delivered late, you get your money back, so no matter how much you get back, you don’t need to spend anything for the service, you’re only gaining.” What a nice way to sum up our services! 

Marc qualifies our services as “exceptional” thanks to our personalized approach and emails, our friendly, respectful, and diligent customer service, and finally our user-friendly website interface.

The money Marc gets back, he reinvests in his business. One of the reasons he is able to offer free shipping on orders of $75 or more. 

You love dogs? You support businesses that are respectful of our planet and that don’t compromise their values? Then I strongly recommend Good Girl Good Boy.

Your dog will thank you for it, and you will contribute to the success of a local business run by two passionate individuals who will continue to make waves!

Would you like Buster Fetcher to do the same and fetch the ball for you too? Contact our customer service to find out more or sign up for free here.