Erin Cardoso’s handcrafted dog collar business, Cavello Bay Designs, grew out of a need to scratch an itch.

Her English bulldog Bella was prone to skin irritation that was exacerbated by typical dog collars.

Then the 21-year-old heard about biothane, a material made from polyester and PVC that is said to be less irritating to canine skin, and more durable than leather.

“I saw a huge improvement when I put a biothane collar on Bella,” Ms Cardoso said. “Biothane is really good for dogs who like to go swimming, adventurous dogs or dogs with skin conditions, because it does not absorb water. it does not grow bacteria like a normal collar would.”

Looking around she did not see a lot of biothane options available locally so she decided to make her own. “I have always been creative,” she said.

A year ago she started thinking about turning the dog collars into a business venture.

But she did not really get it off the ground until last summer when she took an eight-week student entrepreneurship programme with business accelerator Ignite.

“I learnt how to start my own business,” she said.

Students were paired with entrepreneurs in the community, who shared their business experiences. Ms Cardoso’s mentor was Jodi Virgil, founder of Organised Solutions Bermuda.

“She said it took her eight years before her business even took off,” Ms Cardoso said. “It is just about having patience, and making sure you are adapting. If you are not adapting, your business is just going to die off.”

She launched on Instagram and Facebook last August. Although a Paget resident, she called the business Cavello Bay Designs after the Sandys landmark.

“My grandfather Jimmy Simmons is from the area,” she said. “He is always talking about it. So I called it Cavello Bay Designs for him.”

She admitted it felt risky when she put her shingle out.

She is a student in the Bermuda College associate’s business programme, and did not have any money to invest. She had to borrow money from her parents to get things off the ground.

“The materials I am using to make the collars are not cheap,” she said. “So far, the hardest part has been just trusting the process. I was scared that I was going to order all this stuff and no one would want it.”

But the collars are slowly moving. She can offer her product in ten different colours.

“It only takes about 20 minutes to make a collar,” she said. “Eventually, I will get a press and it will speed up the process.”

She learnt how to make the collars by watching a TikTok video.

“It looked easy enough, so I ordered some materials to give it a try,” she said.

She would like to expand to leashes and harnesses. Her ultimate dream would be to have some kind of pet-related facility, maybe a pet hotel.

“When people go away they do not want to leave their pets with just a sitter,” she said. “They want their pets to have a vacation, too.”

@cavellobaydsn.bda on Instagram