Founded in 2016, the Billy & Bella online store was the creation of four friends who desired to supply modern and fashionable dog products to what was an outdated market. All four friends share a mutual passion for dogs and are located across Greater London, Surrey, Buckinghamshire and Essex in England.

Here, we went behind the brand to find out more…

When did you launch the brand and what was the reason behind it?
Our brand was founded in 2016 and officially launched early 2017 by myself and three other dog loving friends. We always thought the pet accessory market was outdated and didn’t have many creative brands also known for high quality so we set out to design and supply modern, luxurious and fashionable dog products.

What’s your background?
Our backgrounds are varied but primarily within business and technology. Our diverse backgrounds and experiences are what makes us work so well together, added to the fact that we love innovating and creating new concepts and have each had dogs in the past.

How many people are involved in the company and what are their roles?
There are four of us in total who share a mutual passion for dogs. We split out tasks to key areas so one of us is in charge of managing supplier relationships (making sure our products are of the highest luxurious quality), one is our marketing guru (ensuring that everyone in the world knows about our work and passion) another is focused on customer service (ensuring our customers are always satisfied) and lastly is me where I tend to take care of the finances and manage the platforms we sell on. We are all responsible for the design, execution and delivery of our successful products.

If you could start over with the business, would you do anything differently?
Absolutely not. Having been running for one year, we are exactly where we envisaged to be and more.

What is the hardest challenge you have faced since you started the company?
Trying to not think about the business 24/7! We all have families, who re-assuringly share our passion for this business and dogs. There have been many sleepless nights where we might be sharing ideas, preparing for an event or packaging our own products. Keeping to a consistent timetable and managing the work/life balance has been tough but also great fun!

Tell us one fact about you that people wouldn’t know?
We love music and we all play an instrument. We’ve never tried to form a band but perhaps that might be a potential plan B idea for us!

2018 is here, where do you plan on taking the brand?
Our brand is our reputation. Not only do we want to continue building on our reputation at home, the demand we have seen from prospective international buyers is increasing and we know we have a market abroad and that’s where we will be sharing our efforts across 2018 . That said, we have some way to go to ensure we can deliver the same quality service that our customers in the UK have come to love and enjoy.

To date, what has been the highlight since launching?
Our first outdoor photoshoot with so many adorable dogs. What made our day so special were the numerous passersby who stopped to find out a little more on the brand and complimented our products. We couldn’t have been more excited and happy that our had work has been acknowledged in this way.

Which city do you feel most at home in, London, Paris or New York?
London, for sure. We were all born and raised in and around this fantastic city and we’d have it no other way. Not to say Paris or New York aren’t amazing either!

Style means….?
Style is all about personality, making something our own and bringing it to life in a way you couldn’t have always imagined. We have come to love and enjoy style so it’s time to also get our beloved dogs involved too!

Best thing about London to you?
We love the culture, the diversity and the people. Being food lovers, you are never too far from an amazing restaurant in London.

Statement shoe or statement bag?
Statement bag, of-course. How else are we going to carry around and showcase our products?

Most memorable piece of advice given to you?
“Remember you’ll always regret what you didn’t do, rather than what you did”. My grandfather and something I always remember when working at Billy & Bella.

Guilty pleasure?We all have a sweet tooth. You won’t have to look to far to find a Terry’s chocolate orange when we’re on a night shift or in the workshop together

If you could spent 24 hours in anywhere in the world, where would it be?
With Richard Branson. He is the definition of success. Running 400+ companies is unheard of, and he always does it with a smile. He is an inspiration to us all, and spending time talking about his experiences would be a life-changing experience. Of-course we wouldn’t mind spending the time talking to him on his sun-washed Caribbean private island but a coffee in a Starbucks would be just fine!

In future, how do you plan on expanding the company?
We will continue to add new products and services to the mix, expand into new territories and are determined to change the dog accessory industry to show that luxury does not have to come at a big price.

Find out more…

We are on a few key social media platforms, with an ever growing following and of-course have our own website. Details below:

Website: www.billyandbella.co.uk/

Instagram: @billyandbella

Facebook: Billyandbella1

Author

Northern girl Laura is the epitome of a true entrepreneur. Laura’s spirit for adventure and passion for people blaze through House of Coco. She founded House of Coco in 2014 and has grown it in to an internationally recognised brand whilst having a lot of fun along the way. Travel is in her DNA and she is a true visionary and a global citizen.

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