This is the latest in a regular series of Business Q&A features published weekly. This week, we spoke to Jon Bradley, owner of HG Pets on Cold Bath Road in Harrogate.  

Tell us in fewer than 30 words what your firm does.

We aim to be a one-stop pet-shop for people who don't want to go to the big chains.

We're predominantly focused on dogs, but we do stock product ranges for cats too. We try to offer something different.

We sell to the local community through our shop on Cold Bath Road, but we sell online too, and deliver throughout the Harrogate area.

What does it take to be successful in business?

There's got to be a willingness to make mistake. If you don't make mistakes, you don't learn.

You've got to have a passion for it, and a drive to continue in the face of setbacks.

What drives you to do what you do every day?

At this stage of my career, it's more about the enjoyment of seeing people daily and getting to know their names – and their dogs' names.

With some customers, I know what they want even before they've come into the shop and I go and get it for them.

It's about being a part of that 'pet family'. Some customers have become friends, and if I sold up tomorrow, I'd like to think I'd still see them.

What’s been the toughest issue your business has had to deal with over the last 12 months?

Making sure people know I'm here. I've only been here for two-and-a-half years, and this wasn't a pet shop before, so we're brand new.

There are a couple of other independent pet-shops in Harrogate that have been around for over 10 years, and people are creatures of habit – they like to go where they know.

But I'm convenient, and when they know I deliver, it often brings in more business.

They also know that they can shop with a local company that will keep spending tht money in the local area, rather than with a big company, where the revenues disappear elsewhere.

The thing people have lost sight of is that all these local independent businesses pay taxes that go back into the local community. People complain about potholes, but business rates stay local and help fix them.

If you don't shop local, then your money goes out of the local community and the potholes don't get fixed.

Which other local firms do you most admire and why?

Manna Bakery on Cold Bath Road. They started from scratch and have now got a name for themselves as a quality artisan bakery. It's the number-one bakery on Tripadvisor, and it just keeps getting better and better.

Will & Vics just down the road is great too. It just does everything right: consistently good-quality food, a great atmosphere, and it knows its customers.

Who are the most inspiring local leaders?

I don't really know of any leaders. Can I pass on that?

What could be done locally to boost business?

We've got to do something with business rates. The rises are going to hit so many businesses.

Best and worst things about running a business from Harrogate?

The best thing is that we're still in a slight bubble. We've still got the disposable income around here, and if you get the product range right, people are willing to spend it.

You've got the mix of quality and price right, so that people keep coming back.

The worst thing is that people think that if you're an independent shop, you're going to be expensive.

But you don't have to be. You can still sell at the same price as the big chains, but offer more value and personal service.

What are your business plans for the future?

To continue to grow the business, and if the right opportunity comes along, either move to a bigger unit in this area, or acquire another retail unit in another town.

What do you like to do in your time off?

Spending time with my wife, Sarah, and daughter, Neve – and our two dogs, Merlot and Marshall.

It's always nice to catch up with friends and family, and you'll often find me having a cheeky pint at Rooster's on Hornbeam Park.

Best places to eat and drink locally?

Rooster's is always good. They have a kitchen that they hire out to various street food businesses, so it's always changing. It might be pizza, or Thai, or Indian – and obviously, they always have good beer.

La Feria is great for going out with the family, and I love Tilly Peppers because of its coffee and its superb full English breakfasts – and it's only next door!