In March 2021, with homeowners taking more of an interest in their residential painting needs, Sarah Wren realized there was an opportunity to launch a business focused on providing a personal, customized approach to painting that would more than satisfy a niche in an industry that so urgently needed attention. Armed with a clever idea and an unstoppable entrepreneurial spirit, Sarah started a residential painting company she named “Drop Bear Painting”. Based in Guelph, serving the Guelph-Kitchener-Waterloo region, her chosen business name pays homage to her Australian roots and to koala folklore.

As a woman-led business in a male-dominated field, Sarah created a following of clients by emphasizing their comfort first, which has made a splash in the painting industry. Sarah notes, “there’s a real need to take a more individualized and caring approach to contractor services. It’s been highlighted by my clients – female homeowners, parents of children at home, the elderly, they just feel more comfortable with a female contractor on site. We take the time to understand the client’s needs, build trust, and alleviate any anxieties they may have about hiring a contractor”. By focusing on the clients’ comfort and making genuine connections, Drop Bear Painting sets their business apart from others.

Through the time she has spent in the Rhyze Ventures program, Sarah has been focusing on expanding her growing business beyond referrals and into the online marketing realm. This allows her to reach more potential clients, as well as increase her team of women-identifying painters. The expertise and guidance that Innovation Guelph’s award-winning Rhyze Ventures program has offered in this journey has been invaluable to understanding and working through the “many hats you have to wear” as an entrepreneur. Rhyze Ventures has also been helpful in improving Sarah’s soft skills; such as priority management. She explains that, “as a mother and small-business owner, there’s so much to do each and every day, and Rhyze has been really wonderful in helping me to stay focused and prioritize what I need to do.”

Another benefit of the Rhyze Ventures program that Sarah has utilized to her advantage is the ability to make connections with other women-identifying companies through the vast Rhyze Ventures community. The growth Sarah’s business has seen in just under 2 years of business is tremendous and she is not about to stop! She has big goals for the growth of her company but still strives to maintain the key elements that have made her business successful – ensuring her clients are comfortable, connecting on a meaningful level, and treating every home as a special space that she is honoured to paint.

Follow Drop Bear Painting on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dropbearpainting/

To learn more about Innovation Guelph’s Rhyze Ventures programming: https://innovationguelph.ca/rhyze-ventures/