10 years ago in Inc. magazine, tomorrow on Silicon Prairie News
Screenshot of the SitStay article on Inc.com
Update: To read our March 9 profile of SitStay, see: "SitStay stands test of time through 15 years of growth, change."
Almost 10 years ago to this day, a Silicon Prairie-based ecommerce startup, SitStay, was featured by Inc., a print and online magazine featuring stories and tips for small business owners. At the time the article was published, SitStay was in its fourth year of operation, and while the previous year saw the iconic dot-com failure of Pets.com, the Lincoln-based startup was recording its fourth year of profits.
Today, the 14-year-old online pet supply store, which is solely owned by co-founder Darcie Kruger, has an employee count of 10 and maintains a retail store in Lincoln. In a recent interview, Kruger told Silicon Prairie News that while the company was affected by the recent recession, "things are looking good." She also gave us insight into what drives the success of the company and where she'd like to take it in the years to come.
Look for that story to be published tomorrow. But before you read it, I strongly encourage you to read Inc.'s feature story on SitStay from 2001. It's an awesome story.
Sit! Stay! Make Money! Good Company
By Jill Hecht Maxwell, Inc., March 15, 2001
The telephone is just about the only thing at SitStay.com that doesn't bark. The clock barks the hour. The warehouse doorbell barks. The computer barks when a customer enters the chat room. And, of course, the four resident dogs – Kari, Bruno, Dancer, and Tilli all bark. The telephone, however, still rings, and when it does, owner Darcie Krueger answers it with a lilt, not a bark.