Tonia Linda The 40-year-old owns Furbabies Grooming, located at 1116 S. Saginaw Road in Midland, next to Little Caesar's Pizza and Cartridge World.
Furbabies also offers grooming for dogs and cats, nail clipping for rabbits and guinea pigs, and a mobile van that will travel to pet owners' homes within a 30-mile radius.
We offer grooming services two Mondays per month for cats and special needs dogs. To schedule an appointment, visit www.furbabiesmidland.com or call 989-486-3838.
Tonia has six employees. She grew up in Crump, graduated from Pinconning High School, and earned her Bachelor's degree with a triple major in Equine Studies, Equine Business Management, and Small Business Entrepreneurship from the University of Findlay in Ohio.
Tonia lives in Midland and has two horses: Darla, a 9-year-old pit bull, and Seven, a 4-year-old quarter horse, and Ima, a 16-year-old paint horse.
How long have you been running your business? It will be seven years in April.
What inspired you to start this business? I just wanted to do what I love and help pets, and having my own business would allow me to do that my own way with an emphasis on safety and professionalism.
What makes Midland a great place to do business? Honestly, this community is amazing, it's a very tight-knit community and it's good for small businesses.
What does your business do in the local community?? We donate generously to and sponsor events and raffles for the Humane Society, we care for rescued animals, and we donate to our clients and their children's teams, local baseball teams, and churches.
What are your interests and hobbies? I love horse riding and training, and anything outdoors. I love camping, hiking, and going to concerts. I also love sports, both playing and going to games.
What local businesses do you work with that contribute to the success of your business? My accountant is Fabiola Litherland at Litherland Accounting. My social media person is Amaya Berreles at Power Move. I also work with K9 Ops and we refer each other a lot. They train dogs and I get advice from them.
Final message to readers? Thank you to my team, employees, family members for their support and to our clients – without them we wouldn't be here.
