Pet Lifestyle Company Yep Yup

A growing family of pets, escalating clutter, and mismatched décor drove an Agoura Hills couple to create their own pet lifestyle company and christen it "Yep Yup."

It all started with a kitty scooper. "I was getting tired of using various objects to hold the kitty scooper, so I decided to design one," said Sepi Banibashar, who holds the fancy title of chief executive feline, in charge of product design.

Banibashar, a graphic artist who used to design phones for Nokia's high-end line, went to work and came up with a rectangular, corrugated box to hold the kitty scooper.

Banibashar and her husband, Gerardo Herrera, tried to market the kitty scooper to the big box stores. "I think we were a little ahead of the times. They thought it was a novel and unique idea but were skeptical that it would fly off the shelves," explained Herrera, chief creative cat, in charge of publicity, marketing and everything else. Years later, a similar item was on the shelf at Petco. 

Creative duo

They have since progressed to conceiving and producing complete product lines for their menagerie of pets (a dog, a cat, a fish, and a bird) and their friends' pets.

Frustrated at the limited selection of pet accessories available at most retailers, the couple decided to remedy the situation. "Some stores just sold bowls or just collars," Banibashar recalled. "They looked nice, but they weren't part of a set, and they didn't go with the rest of our home furnishings."

With a soft product launch in mind, Banibashar and Herrera started putting in 16 to 18-hour workdays, six to seven days a week. The Yep Yup collection of pet accessories, home décor, and traditional pet products debuted during the New York International Gift Fair in the fall of 2009.

Bridging gaps

Herrera pointed out that certain collections sell more, depending on the region.

The Solstice collection, predominantly sage green and peacock blue with canary yellow accents, is a best seller in Florida. On the West Coast, the canary red appeal of the Flare collection seems to be unparalleled. The bowls, leashes, collars, and treat jars are also being ordered separately.

The couple went to great lengths, researching materials, vendors and the intricacies of the pet industry. "It wasn't only for our clients' piece of mind, but for ours too," explained Herrera.

For his part, Herrera has gone on "expeditions" to China to check on stoneware, to make sure they are FDA-approved and Proposition 65-compliant. He did not have to travel far for the natural, low-impact dye fabrics needed for the pet beds and blankets, having found them in the Los Angeles area.

As the duo continues to bridge gaps between pet décor and home furnishings, technology is also being thrown into the mix. Recently, they launched Pet Dossier, an iPhone application targeting the "on-the-go pet parent."

The app, easily downloadable at $1.99, organizes pets' information, medications, pictures, allergies, microchip and registration data. "It's been getting several hits a day and the reviews have been good, mostly saying it's user-friendly and highly-editable," said Herrera.

High-end without the glittery price

Taking note of the evolving "position" and importance of pets in today's modern families, the couple has also shifted their marketing strategy. "We want to be where the pets and their owners are. We want to be in hotels and home furnishing stores," explained Herrera.

Yep Yup will continue to be in trade shows, gift fairs and Pet Fashion Week in New York, according to Herrera. Sales representatives around the country attend to the wholesale side of the business, bringing Yep Yup to Nordstrom, Barney's New York and pet boutiques. Locally, Yep Yup donates to local charities and Banibashar volunteers at the Agoura Animal Shelter.

"It's high-end without the glitter and extreme high-end price," said Banibashar of the company's marketing approach.

Marriage of technology and pets

Into their eighth month of operation, Yep Yup has been enjoying steady growth, with sales surpassing $100,000 and year-to-date sales projections. "We are really pleased with revenues and we anticipate things to be even better with the coming holidays," said Herrera.

Already attracting repeat business in its infancy, Banibashar is sometimes in disbelief when she looks back. "No one wanted to give us a loan, because we had no history," she recalled. Turned down by a few banks, the couple had to dig into their savings and postpone a major home remodeling project to come up with their business capital.

Even in the midst of a recession, the couple is optimistic and with good reason. Going global is in the horizon, with plans to introduce and distribute their product lines in Europe, Asia and Canada.

"We also want to incorporate technology and pets more," said Herrera. "The iPhone app is just the tip of the iceberg."