Disrupting the Small Pet Market with HayPigs!

In this episode, Clayton sits down with Rik Cridland, the founder of HayPigs!. Rik shares his journey from studying industrial design and creating film merchandise to revolutionizing the small pet market. After rescuing two guinea pigs with his wife, Rik realized the pet industry lacked fun, high-quality, and colorful products specifically for small animals.  KEY TAKEAWAYS Rik founded HayPigs! after noticing that small animal products in pet shops were often dull and lacked the creativity commonly seen in dog and cat toys. Instead of catering to all pets, HayPigs! chose to champion guinea pigs, proving that specializing in a specific niche can build a highly dedicated customer base. Rik explains the difficulties of getting niche products into large retail stores and the benefits of selling directly to consumers through their own platform. Applying his background in industrial design and promotional merchandise, Rik focuses on creating products that are not just functional but also visually appealing, memorable, and fun. Engaging directly with guinea pig owners and creating shared experiences has been a crucial element of the brand's growth and long-term survival. BEST MOMENTS "I've always been a sponge for learning and when I stopped learning I probably get itchy feet." "I'm going to champion the little guys 'cause no one's done guinea pigs and I don't understand why, maybe the market's too small." "The worst thing you can be is a generalist." "There's only one value to products and ideas and that's sales at the end of the day." "You can think you've got it right, you can think it's really easy, you can think you've done your research and tested it with people, but until you get it out there with the great public, you don't get the feedback completely." HOST BIO Clayton Payne is an industry veteran of three decades of working in the pet industry. Brought up working in his parents' pet store, Clayton has seen the industry evolve over five different decades and has been on the cutting edge of the industry since the nineties. Building pet businesses from scratch, establishing multi-national distribution chains and having worked in every aspect of the industry, Clayton has a rare insight into the Pet Industry that is rivalled by few. Clayton has been the spearhead of many of the industry's changes and has introduced numerous new concepts to market with a trail of success behind him. He has worked in numerous countries within the pet industry, speaks four different languages and has established both import and export relationships on all continents (excluding Antarctica). As well as being COO of one of the UKs fastest growing insect technology companies, Clayton is a Pet industry consultant who has consulted for many household brands and delivers sales training to pet trade professionals. https://www.linkedin.com/in/clayton-payne-a6772244/ https://www.tiktok.com/@petbusinessdisruptors https://www.youtube.com/@PetBusinessDisruptors This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/