Hapy, a 1993 graduate of Northwestern with a bachelor's degree in philosophy and economics, first worked with his father at Portfolio Software and then started Burlington's Kea Technologies before agreeing to take on Small Dog's operations and finance duties. Brian Meyer, vice president for commercial loans at Vermont National Bank, where Small Dog is part of the Socially Responsible Banking Fund, watched the pair click from the beginning. When we started this, we did it on credit cards and our own hard work. Rather than drawing up a formal business plan projecting profits for each year, the partners spent their time making sure they could fulfill Don's intention of being successful while remaining small and friendly. Our concept was more about our employees than anything else, to make sure that we're creating a comfortable environment for them.
Employees take turns choosing the music that plays in the background.
The hours are flexible as long as the work gets done. Everyone is encouraged to take breaks for games of basketball and squash, and no one wears a tie. These days she takes sales calls, works with UPS executives, and does accounting. Don says there's something special about Vermonters that makes it possible. I talk to colleagues in the business who can't find the quality of employees that we have.