Chemeketa Voices

Building Catopia:
Karen Hackney

Karen Hackney knew exactly the type of business she wanted to open when she enrolled in Chemeketa Community College’s MERIT program. She was less certain of how to do it.

“I have known for a long time that I have always wanted to do something with animals,” said Hackney, who works full-time as an intake registrar at the Salem Hospital emergency room. “Deciding to start a cat boarding business grew out of that notion.”

Catopia was born.

Armed with an idea and the raw materials to construct suites in her converted garage, Hackney enrolled in Chemeketa’s Microenterprise Resources Initiatives and Training (MERIT) program after she saw it advertised in a community newsletter.

Marcia Bagnall, co-director of the MERIT program, was immediately taken with the idea and impressed with Hackney’s vision.

“Karen could spell out in great detail what was going to be built, what she needed to put together and how it would run,” said Bagnall.

The MERIT program was designed to foster fledgling business owners as they learn the ropes of their niche markets and how best to tap into them. For Hackney it meant identifying her customers and ways she might be able to reach them.

“We help prospective business owners understand if they’ve got a viable business on their hands or just a spendy hobby,” said Bagnall.

One of Hackney’s first assignments was finding a comparable business in the area and visiting it to determine what works and what doesn’t. Hackney found another cat boarder in West Salem and returned even more motivated to put her ideas into action.

Then she got “the binder.”

“You get this-giant sized binder when you start the MERIT class. It has all the different exercises and homework that helps you determine whether the business is feasible,” said Hackney.

While the breadth and scope of the work to be done was intimidating, Hackney learned a lot.

“It’s the business side of it, the paperwork, that’s difficult to get a handle on. When I started, I didn’t know what was going to be required, but going through the exercises in the binder helped me understand what I would need,” said Hackney.

She manages to confine her records to a single, small file box, maybe a fifth the size of the MERIT binder. Still, just a year into the venture, it contains enough information to know she’s coming out ahead after all the bills are paid.

Catopia’s seven suites are occupied on a steady basis these days. Amenities range from scratching posts to ball tracks and a variety of stuffed animals to cuddle with. Some suites have outside views while others are wholly enclosed. The jewel of Catopia, and the feature that keeps her clients coming back for more, is Camp Catawanda. The Catawanda suites boast not only the largest space indoors, but an enclosed, outdoor lounging area.

Most of Hackney’s profits, at least for the time being, go directly to support her children who recently enrolled in college. What little is left over she puts into a 401K account in hopes of shaving some time off her projected retirement date.

“I have thought about something bigger, maybe building an addition on to Catopia in the next couple of years, allowing me to provide more boarding options for my customers while still retaining an at-home business.  I just want this to be something that I can do out of my home when I retire,” said Hackney.

After watching friends struggle with businesses of their own, Hackney’s advice to anyone planning on starting a business is enroll in the MERIT program.

“It makes you do exercises to help you think everything through; things you didn’t even know you needed to think about,” she said.

By Eric A. Howald. Have a great Chemeketa story? Send us an e-mail.

Updated March 5, 2008 by Marketing and Student Recruitment.