Small Business Spotlight~A Gecko and His PJs

“We started A Gecko And His Pj’s back in 2019. We originally started out with our own website but eventually, after about a year, we moved over to selling on Etsy. Many people ask who is the “we” in our business? The simple answer is that I myself run the business but being a small family business all my babies help 😉, hence the “we”. My boy Tigger is our CEO, and the business was named after Tigger’s pj wearing days (full story explained on our Instagram).”

“Being a Mama to so many different animals (my babies) but mostly reptiles, I was always looking for reptile-themed accessories. Unfortunately, back when we started the business, there were not many options available, especially for certain types/morphs of reptiles. We wanted to start a small business to create products for all different reptile lovers so that they too could find accessories that represented their own babies. We also wanted a way to help pay it forward. Many of my babies are rescues and have special needs so it was very important for me to find a way to help pay it forward. That is why a portion of all our proceeds are donated to rescues/charities worldwide.”

“Over time we have gained very loyal customers. To us, our customers are our friends and their support truly means so much. Through Instagram, Etsy, and word of mouth, our business has grown well over the past years. We actually had to take over most of the basement for our office/workspace as we outgrew the dining room table lol.”

“It is very important to us that our customers know that a portion of our proceeds are donated to rescues/charities worldwide. We have donated to many different rescues/charities over the years including reptile rescues, dog and cat rescues, mental health charities, and the cancer society, just to name a few. Being able to pay it forward is so very important to us and we want our customers to know that through their purchase, they are helping pay it forward as well.”

“It’s really a tie when it comes to our favourite product to create and sell. Since I was little I always loved keychains and used to collect them, so I think just purely for nostalgia purposes our keychains are one of my personal favourite items to create and sell. Our personalized Christmas ornaments would be our other favourite. It’s such an honour for us to get to make personalized ornaments that we hope will be cherished by those whom they are for many Christmas seasons to come.”

“Love! I am so proud to have a small business that was created out of my love and interest of reptiles/animals and in honour of all my babies. I love that I can be creative, I love that our business can help pay it forward, I love all the customers we have “met” and I love seeing when customers are happy with their purchases. Love drives us forward!”

“When you run a small business often you are everyone! You are the creator, the designer, the maker, customer service, shipping, social media management, you are truly everyone. That can be difficult at times, especially during busy seasons like Christmas, but when you see customers happy and read their positive reviews it makes it all worth it.”

“Absolutely, in a heartbeat. I have always wanted to be an entrepreneur and having this small family business is helping make that dream come true.”

“To be completely honest I never started this business for profit. It was always about creating unique reptile-themed accessories for reptile lovers like myself. I would love though for the business to continue growing because we can then donate even more to rescues/charities and that is extremely important to us. I’d love to be able to put more time into it and possibly go full-time in the future and do shows all over the country if I could.”

“Never give up! Sometimes it takes a while for a new business to get going. Some ideas may work, some may not, but determination is key. Stick with it, believe in yourself, and never give up on your dream.”