My friend who made me the Mandy figurine is interested in going into business with me to make custom pet memorial gifts! I had the idea from how much her figurine comforts me, and upon my suggesting it to her, she said she would be very interested! She and her sister are moving into their own apartment next month (next year!) and of course, they will need all the income they can get! She will be making custom figurines and I’m going to try to get into wood burning portraits, and I’m not sure what else we may be offering as well! We have a lot to work out, since we have a huge mileage distance between us…also determining payment options. So I suggested we launch the website sometime in January. Meanwhile, I’m considering business names. My favorite so far is “My Angel in Heaven” with a sub-name of “Pet Memorial Gifts”. What do you think? Any suggestions? Please give me your feedback on this idea. If you’d be interested in hearing from me once we’ve launched the business, please let me know!
Good luck with your exciting new venture. 
My first thought is that you might make more money by making pet figurines, portraits, etc, in a general way and making the memorials a part of the larger business. A lot of people like images of animals just because they enjoy looking at them, rather than as a memorial. You also get people whose circumstances have changed and they can no longer have pets, but they would like pictures, ornaments, etc, of animals, either their former pets or just animals in general. You could put something on your main webpage to the effect that you also specialise in memorial portraits, so you have everyone’s attention.
If you are going to advertise and sell online, you will need to know a bit about search engine optimization (SEO). You have to draw people’s attention to your site. Most people who search online only look at the first few results of their search, and if yours is on page 547, no-one is going to see it. I am not any kind of an expert on SEO, so I am not going to advise you, but there are beginners’ guides to that sort of thing online, in your local library or at your local college. It might be worthwhile checking it out.
When my niece was studying art at college, she made quite a bit of money from painting oil portraits of pets from photographs. It was not only pets who had died, sometimes it was just that the owners wanted a nice picture for the wall. One thing she did find was that everyone wanted lifelike portraits, not stylised ones, so none of those “three strokes and a swirl to represent a cat” sort of things. To be honest, she did not think she could make a full-time living at it, but she really wanted to specialise in computer-based art, so she maybe did not make as much effort on the business side of portraits as she could have done. On the other hand, it was a much better student job than the usual flipping burgers and sweeping floors.
I hope your business venture goes well – new year, new business!
That’s very helpful! I mentioned your ideas to my friend and she was most enthusiastic…now to think of a fitting name. Any suggestions?
It’s a lovely idea your friend has as most of us pet lovers want to keep our friends from ever leaving us. But when they do, how nice to have a physical memory to remind us of all the years we had together.
Just a thought.
‘My Pet Forever’ or ‘Forever My Pet’ with a tag line of ‘Memorialize Your Best Friend’
Thanks for the encouragement. We’re even thinking along the lines of pet-themed Christmas ornaments…not sure if we have the same idea in mind, but maybe we’ll each have something to offer along those lines. Since it’s no longer going to be just memorial-based, do you have any other name suggestions? (As @WeeBizzom suggested, the memorial part will be a part of a larger business where we make custom pet items in general…not just for the owners of deceased pets.)
‘My pet forever’ or ‘Forever my pet’ but without that tag line. Using the word forever doesn’t mean the pet is in the past tense. Sometimes when you know more than others you read into a line like that with your knowledge.
You could use the tag line: Items? gifts? things? for and about man’s best friend.
Here’s another thought:
My BFF Forever or Forever my BFF This may be too trendy and not hold up over time though.
What other suggestions have you gotten?
Sorry I have not been back to answer, but I have been running around like mad trying to get ready for Christmas. It’s the same every year – I decide it’s going to be quiet, then a cousin or someone I haven’t seen in ages turns up and I am trying to pretend it’s lovely to see them and I had a present all ready and waiting for them!
Anyway, back to the topic. I thought of all sorts of things, like Pet Portraits, All Creatures Great and Small, and Forever My Pet, but I searched online for those terms and they have already been taken. Something along those lines, though, so people know that it is about animals. Or maybe In My Heart, or Lasting Love, which hints at memories from the past and for the future. (I did think of Always, but when I searched, I got feminine hygiene products, so maybe not!) Something with Keepsakes or Memories in it? There are all sorts of good ideas out there, but so many are being used. I will have to think about this.
The ‘always’ made me laugh
None except what’s on here…some great ideas, though! I’m sure we’ll be able to decide eventually!
Thanks for your input! I got some ideas from what you said…how about something like this?
Paw Prints - Gifts for and about Man’s Best Friend
I like the name Paw Prints, but Man’s Best Friend usually means a dog. If you also want to attract people who like cats, birds, etc, you might want to say something like Our Best Friends, or Our Animal Friends. Also, if you say “gifts for animals” people may expect to see leashes, collars, beds, etc, for the animals themselves. Maybe “Paw Prints – Gifts For Animal Lovers”?
I didn’t think of that, but you’re right…I’m going to suggest “Paw Prints - Gifts for Animal Lovers” to my friend and see what she thinks.
We chose the name “Paw Prints and Heartstrings”. We’re still working to get it ready to go live, but we’re getting closer!
I really like the a name!