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     Blissful Biscuits

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Business Profile

The Herald: Sharon, PA - Nov. 7. 1999

Animal appeal

Susan Jacobs shows some of her artwork which goes on display at her one-person show at the Valley Arts Guild, 10 Vine Ave., Sharon, PA.  The McDonald, Ohio woman and former Hermitage resident is an art teacher at Mathews High School and an adjunct art professor at Youngstown State University.  The exhibit opens tonight, with a public reception from 7 to 9 and runs through Dec. 31.

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     Her college experience includes studies at Edinboro State University, a B.S. in art education from Y.S.U., an elementary certificate from Y.S.U., and master's degree in secondary art, with a concentration in painting from Y.S.U.

     Susan's teaching experience has been exclusively in the Mathews school district. She has taught every grade level of art, and is recently retired from being the only art teacher employed at Mathews, where she has taught for 30 years. She is also an adjunct professor in the art department and graduate education at Y.S.U., and the University Rio Grande University, as well as an instructor for Midwestern Intermediate Unit IV Continuing Professional Education.

The Vindicator: Youngstown, OH - Sept. 5, 1999 - 

by Laurie Fisher

Susan Jacobs' two businesses are going to the dogs - but the McDonald resident and her two cocker spaniels, Tootie and Weezie wouldn't have it any other way.

The owner of Blissful Biscuits and Fun Stuff for Dogs and Humans, spent the summer perfecting her products and fine tuning her business plan.  An art teacher at Mathews high School, Mrs. Jacobs plans to retire in four years and hopes her businesses will provide supplemental income for years to come.

Variety: Blissful Biscuits offers pet owners seven varieties of healthy dog biscuits, each with a particular shape, flavor and purpose.  all bite size pieces have a six month shelf life and contain ingredients safe for human consumption.

For example, Tootie's Breath Saver Biscuits contain rice or oat flour, charcoal powder, eggs vegetable oil, fresh parsley, peppermint oil, and milk.  Abbey's Pizzerias, which indeed smell like pizza, contain whole wheat flour, fresh carrots and celery, parmesan cheese, garlic, vegetable oil, tomato paste, basil, and oregano.

While her blonde and black canine charges are her chief taste testers, several Mathews High School students have sampled her biscuits too.  They found the baked biscuits bland to human taste.

"I originally got into cooking healthy for myself and my husband.  Then I thought if we eat healthy, why not the dogs?, said Mrs. Jacobs, a dog owner for 20 years.

At first she tried to sell the biscuits at craft shows, but found it time consuming and marginally profitable.  Locally the biscuits are sold at Paw Prints Pet Grooming in Girard.  However, she anticipates that the mail order business and soon to be launched Web site will bring in  substantial orders for the 8 ounce bags that sell for $5.95 each.

Other product: Hand painted doorstops is a more labor intensive, individual order business, she explained.  Each doorstop, created from custom cut wood and acrylic paints, take about three hours to produce.  Mrs. Jacobs can paint any American Kennel Club breed and will add the distinctive markings of a particular dog from pictures provided by the buyer.  "I like dogs, I like painting, it's a new media for me." she said.  

Several doorstops are on display at the Sassy Cat in Chagrin Falls.  The cost is $40 for a small dog and $50 for a large dog.  The creations are slightly smaller then life-size.

While her husband Chuck Jacobs, puts the finishing touches on the companies' new Web site, Mrs. Jacobs is learning the rules of interstate commerce and preparing for bulk orders.  She believes her products will sell well in tourist areas and larger markets.