Meet: Kelly Petersen:

At Shaggy Chic, ‘every dog deserves the good life’

Owner Kelly Petersen gives Mojo, a miniature poodle, a hug at Shaggy Chic, Feb. 13, 2013.

Shaggy Chic

Owner Kelly Petersen gives Maserati a kiss at Shaggy Chic, Feb. 13, 2013. Launch slideshow »

Name of business: Shaggy Chic

Address: Tivoli Village, 400 S. Rampart Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89145

Phone: 684-6616

Website: www.shaggychic.com

Hours of operation: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday

Owned by: Kelly Petersen

In business since: December 2012

Describe your business.

Shaggy Chic is founded on pure, unadulterated love for pets as companions, friends and family members. We believe all dogs and pets, whether purebred or mixed breeds, deserve to be happy, clean and indulged via accessibly priced premium products born of good science, love and fun.

We offer a luxury, eco-friendly pet salon and showroom filled with products for pet owners, spa and grooming salons, and veterinarians.

Manufactured in the United States, all of Shaggy Chic’s signature salon products are human grade and human tested.

Who are your customers?

At Shaggy Chic, we believe that every dog deserves the good life. Whether you have a top-winning show dog, a rescue beauty or a lovable hybrid, they all are beloved family pets, and they all are Shaggy Chic clients.

What is your business philosophy?

Always lead with customer service. I have owned multiple UPS stores for over 12 years, and the care and consideration that we give to each and every customer shows in the longevity of our stores.

Customers have a lot of options, but I have always believed that bending over backward for people makes all the difference. If your baby is sleeping, we’ll take your mail to the car. If you have the flu, we’ll deliver your packages to your house. This type of (now) old-fashioned customer service still matters to people, and we are happy to provide it in any way that we can.

Shaggy Chic incorporates the same philosophy in its business model. Today, we had a client that was barking and barking and barking. Suddenly it stopped, so I looked through the glass and what did I see? Vanaley, one of our star employees, carrying little Tess in her arms.

What’s the most important part of your job?

Keeping our clients happy, both human and canine.

We accomplish this not just with top-of-the-line, human-grade products but with the love that each and every canine client receives. Instead of crates, we have lounges in the open showroom for our canine clients to wait for mom and dad. We even have hitching posts for the pups that don’t want to wait in the lounge with the comfy beds with toys.

What is the hardest part about doing business in Las Vegas?

The hardest part was selecting a location, since Las Vegas is a mecca for fabulous retail options. We had so many great options, it was tough to choose. But once we really sat down and started to make decisions, it was easy to settle on Tivoli Village. The place is filled with amazing retail shops, offices and restaurants. And it has family-friendly activities almost every weekend.

What is the best part about doing business in Las Vegas?

Las Vegas is an adventurous and hospitable city, so being an over-the-top dog lover doesn’t surprise anyone. In fact, I continue to find more and more closet whackadoodles like myself who treat their beloved pets just like family members.

Our clients and sister businesses are worldly, fun-loving and fashion-forward in all the right ways. We also seem to maintain a friendly, neighborly attitude that makes doing business in this city unique.

What obstacles has your business overcome?

Creating a line of salon products for pets comes with a lot of challenges. But having dogs in the show world, we have little tricks and secrets to making our pooches perfect.

I developed the Shaggy Chic salon products as an outgrowth of those tricks of the trade. I found a fantastic company in Tennessee that is a small business owned by a husband and wife who are both cosmetic chemists and started with trial and error and a lot of testing on our own pets and ourselves.

All Shaggy Chic products are not only human tested, they are Kelly Petersen and family and friends tested.

Once completed, the biggest challenge comes from competing with the big retailers in both Google placement and online retailing. The brand is intended for the national marketplace, and breaking through the big box retailers’ hold on the market can be tough.

How can Nevada improve its business climate?

By continuing to build upon the good foundation that we have created, by striving for better and fighting hard for it.

Through my work with Nevada Women’s Philanthropy (I am an executive board member), I am privy to the most pressing needs in the community that we face each year. I feel honored to be a part of this magnificent group of woman who make one impactful grant each year. This type of community giving strengthens our city and allows us to grow as we recognize needs and come together to serve.

What have you learned from the recession?

Affordable luxury. Two words explain it all.

We can, and need to, be able to create fantastic, trendy, modern and chic products that are affordable for all.

My goal for my product line is Shaggy Chic for Target. I would like to join the many high-end designers and artists who are making the transition into affordable and accessibly priced premium products.

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