How Keith Davitt Discovered an Untapped Market — and Turned a Simple Idea into a Successful Business

After realizing the idea he had for a decorative indoor fountain would be easy to make himself, copper worker-turned-ceramicist Keith Davitt put his concept into practice. Not long afterwards, his kitty had commandeered it as a container for drinking water, sparking the idea for a new business.

We had a chat with the owner of Thirsty Cat Fountains to find out what he learned after hiring his first employees, how he manages his day-to-day and the big question he has for all of *you.*

Let's hear from Keith!

Name: Keith Davitt

Business: Thirsty Cat Fountains

Started: February 2010

Tell us the story behind what inspired you to start a small business selling ceramic water fountains for cats!

I had an idea for a fountain I wanted to make, so I went to a potter to have the bowl produced. I was going to attach it with copper stems and leaves that water would spill from, but when I went to pick it up it was nothing like I wanted. Soon after, I took up pottery and started making my own small fountains.

Later, I saw my cat, Bijou, drinking from one and realized I’d never seen him use his water bowl. I wondered whether cat fountains were a thing, so I went to the computer and about seven million entries came up! 

I learned after doing some research that some commercial cat fountains caused health problems. Thus, my ceramic, handmade version was born. 

I decided to open a shop on Etsy, sort of on a lark, but I got sales right away! That was on my birthday, February 21, 2010.

How did you go about hiring your first employee?

My very first employee came to me after I asked a neighbor, who works a lot with kids, if he knew any high schoolers who would would be good, reliable workers. He introduced me to Buster, who was great.

After taking on a few other teens, I started employing people I found through ads in the paper. In every instance I meet the person, get a feel for them and then determine whether I want them on board or not. Now my wife, Jackie, runs the studio with me and we have three employees.

How do you make sure your team stays as productive and happy as possible?

I teach them all various skills. What they each excel at and enjoy is what they end up doing. 

If Jackie and I don't come into the shop that day, we have no fear that whatever needs to get done won't get done well. We give maximum freedom to our employees in everything, including what hours they work, when they come in and when they leave. 

We also give them leeway to make their own decisions. I provide guidance when a new skill is being learned, and I oversee and spot-check afterwards to make sure quality stays high. With my employees, however, there’s not much to worry about. All three care as much as we do about the work. They all seem pretty happy here!

What has been the biggest surprise so far after starting your own business?

I'm still surprised by how exactly the right thing came along at exactly the right moment, time and time again! 

We worked out of our basement for the first year or so until one of the high school boys was supposed to come in, but forgot he was going away for a week. His mother called and asked if she could bring another of her sons instead. When she came over and saw our shop, she said she had a commercial space a few blocks away with pretty low rent. As soon as I walked in I knew it was perfect for us, and we moved in a month later.

What is your most effective means of getting new customers?

We’ve advertised with cat blogs a fair amount and done giveaways and given contributions to shelters, all of which has helped. 

However, we’re now developing our own nontraditional marketing approach that doesn’t rely as heavily on outside advertising. We just launched a new website last week, and we’re doing a lot with SEO. 

I also use social media, especially Facebook, where I have over 4,000 followers. We write blog posts regularly, too, which we post to Facebook and Twitter. 

What does a typical day look like for you?

I get to the studio between 6am and 7:30am. Everybody arrives around 9am, and I go over what they need to do. I check the bowls that are drying and see which ones need trimming. I might have to sharpen the tools, then I trim the pots and put them on a different set of shelves to dry. If any are ready, I wheel them over to the 3 kilns, load the bisque kiln and fire it up.

If there’s a glaze kiln to unload, I begin that process. I take the pots out of the oven, let them cool, build in the "feedthrough" and allow them to sit for 24 hours. I check the glazes and assess if we need to make up another batch.

I look through the orders and see if a Cat Tap is called for. These are copper devices we make from scratch that simulate a faucet. If we need one, I cut the material and either heat it with the oxy-acetylene torch to bend it to the proper shape, or prepare it for soldering. Normally, I leave this to be finished — the end sawed into a graceful curve, filed and polished — by a member of our staff. Or, sometimes I just do it myself.

I'm in charge of all the ordering, so I check the quantity of copper, pumps, electric plugs and so on to see if I need anything. At least three days a week I photograph fountains and list them online.

What would you like to learn today from a community of other small business owners and self-employed professionals?

I’d like to learn more about why other small business owners feel that social media is so important and how I can use it to grow my business.

Do *you* have a story to share with Keith about how you use social media in your small business? 

How has using social media helped your business? Do you have tips or best practices to share with Keith that will help him decide how he uses Facebook or Twitter going forward?

Share your own experiences with us in the comments below! :-)