M-A junior Tuva Andreasson has been creating dog bandanas for almost four years. Since October 2020, her business, “Pawsitive Paws,” has been styling dogs all over the country.
In 2020, COVID brought a new puppy and countless hours to scroll on Instagram to Andreasson, which encouraged her to start a business. “I saw all these beautiful small businesses on Instagram that inspired me to learn how to sew,” she said. After some practice, she started selling her bandanas on Instagram and Etsy.
“It was very much a trial-and-error process at the start,” she recalled. As thousands of new small businesses took to these platforms during COVID, it was very difficult to get popular and make a name for yourself among the numbers. Through these challenges, Andreasson learned how to successfully market her business through Instagram. “I found that Instagram was the best way to reach new audiences and build a community,” she said. “I started to frequently post Reels and reach out to accounts to be my brand ambassadors.” In just a few months, dog accounts were sporting Pawsitive Paws and increasing sales.
In addition to running her business, Andreasson has had to learn how to balance staying on top of her schoolwork as well as keeping her products in stock. Her stocking process starts in the summer. “I sow plenty of bandanas in August. That way I can start the year off only having to make the custom bandanas and can spend more time on school,” she explained.
“It is difficult to not get caught up in school and push the business to the side,” she added. Because of this, Andreasson started to sell in groups: she releases seasonal collections, each with new themes and designs. She emphasizes productivity in the summer, releasing one to two larger collections, then spaces them out more throughout the school year.
Andreasson’s bandanas range in colors and patterns thanks to her supplier. She gets her textiles strictly from her favorite fabric store, which happens to be in another continent, Annalunda Fabrics in Ängelholm, Sweden. On her annual summer visits to Sweden, Andreasson makes a stop to get her fabrics. “I’ve loved this store since I was little, it always has the most beautiful and lively fabrics that inspire a lot of my ideas for each collection,” she said.
While each of Andreasson’s collections come with already-made bandanas from the Swedish fabrics, customers have the opportunity to add custom details. The tie-on style bandana makes it easier for customers to create the perfect fit for their pets, but if the size doesn’t work out, they are able to request individual measurements with no extra charge. In each product description on the Etsy shop, there are customization options that allow customers to be printed onto the bandana for an additional fee.
Customers can also order completely unique bandanas, where the size, print, and message are up to the customer to decide. “Custom orders can be ordered at any time of the year, regardless if there is a collection up or not,” Andreasson said. “They usually take me longer to ship out than the pre-made ones as I have to find newer fabrics for each order.” Every order of the pre-made bandanas are packaged and shipped in a two to three-day period, however depending on the customizations, it can take up to a week.
While she enjoys the creation process of her products, Andreasson’s favorite part of running Pawsitive Paws is the social media aspect. When new collections are posted on her Etsy shop, she frequently uploads new Instagram reels to garner attention. “I am always scrolling through my feed and thinking of how to take popular trends and relate them to my business. I love the creativity of social media and filming my reels is always exciting for me.” In her posts, Andreasson is typically accompanied by her own dog, acting out different scenarios and promoting her products.
While the future of Pawsitive Paws is unclear, Andreasson hopes to keep it alive for many more years. “I definitely want to continue running my business for as long as I can,” she explained. “For me, that starts with expanding it.” In the next few years, Andreasson expects to come out with new items in addition to the classic bandana and possibly create her own website. In the short term, customers can keep an eye out for a new collection coming out this month!
