Business: Sudzy Puppy
Address: 417 E. Ogden Ave., Naperville
Phone/web site: 630-778-7297, www.sudzypuppy.com
Owner: Anna Pechin, of Lisle
Manager: Shelley Heyden, of Naperville
Years in business: 3
What does your business do? “We groom dogs,” Pechin stated. “Cats only on Sundays. Cats are a challenge.”
What occurs when somebody is available in? “The groomer will talk with them. See exactly what they’re looking for. How often is the dog groomed? What length of coat they’d like?” Heyden stated.
“Our groomers are very hands-on compared to other pet grooming places. All of our groomers here are experienced. We value quality over quantity,” Pechin stated.
What lower is greatest? “It depends on the client, the groomer and the dog. Some people think shaved short is easier. For me, it’s easier to do longer,” Heyden stated. “A dog with a lot of undercoat will take longer. The longer since they had a cut, the longer it may take.”
How do you get a big canine on the grooming desk? “We have tables that go all the way down,” Heyden stated.
How many workers do you have got? “Four groomers and one bather,” Pechin stated.
What’s the background? “This business opened in 2012. I bought it in January 2020. Nice timing, right before the start of a pandemic,” Pechin stated. “We were closed a month, then we were swamped.”
Why did you purchase it? “I was impressed with the business. … Shelly was one of the managers who had been here a while. I was a CFO before. I had just had a child, I have two younger children now, four kids total. My career was so demanding. I knew how to run a business from being a CFO. … I had to do something where I was around (home) more. And I didn’t want to be a stay-at-home mom. … Shelley pretty much runs the day-to-day operations. I do a lot of the back-office stuff. Ordering. Marketing. Scheduling. Bookkeeping. Payroll,” Pechin stated.
When are you open? “We are open (for dogs) every day except Sunday,” Heyden stated. “We’re open as early as 7 a.m. most days until 6 p.m. or 8 p.m. depending on the day.”
How’s business? “We have a big clientele. We do a monthly email blast about the different services we offer. Mud baths. Aroma therapy,” Pechin stated.
How a lot does grooming cost? “That’s such a wild question. It depends on the dog, the breed, and how often the owner brings them in. What kind of cut do they want? It’s a range based on breed and weight,” Pechin stated.
What’s it’s like working with purchasers? “There was one guy who wanted to see a photo of his dog in the tub. So, I sent a picture,” Heyden stated.
Is Naperville good for business? “Yes. People in this area truly care about their animals. They are a member of their family. It’s great to see. … It’s like (having) a child. Especially elderly people. Their children are grown. They’re lonely and the dog becomes their child. They really care and dote on their dog as they probably did on their kids,” Pechin stated.
What units you other than different groomers? “We’re not the cheapest shop on the block. We’re not like (a national chain) and we don’t sell ourselves as that. We specialize and focus on the love and care of the animal. We don’t churn and burn. In and out. We focus on the dog wanting to come in here and having a good experience. … A quality groom from experienced groomers. That’s our goal. We care about our reputation,” Pechin stated.
Any favourite tales? “I did someone’s dog for the first time. A mini sheltie. Long hair. They asked me for a certain cut. It’d hadn’t been groomed for a long time. I wasn’t really sure what they wanted. So, I cut it. It looked like a big ball. They said, ‘You gave my dog a bubble cut.’ I thought it was funny. Later on, they said, ‘I like it. Can you do it all the time?’” Heyden stated.
What do you want greatest? “I’ve learned so much about dogs. I’ve always been a dog lover but I never knew all the details about dog grooming until I took this on. I love seeing all the different varieties of dogs. It’s a whole new world for me,” Pechin stated.
“I like the dogs. I miss them legitimately when they move,” Heyden stated. “It’s not a desk job. Every day is a little different.”
What’s your recommendation for somebody beginning a business? “You can learn anything. You need to understand the little nuances of everything. How to do payroll, taxes.”
If you understand of a business you’d prefer to see to profiled in Down to Business, contact Steve Metsch at [email protected].
Steve Metsch is a contract reporter for the Naperville Sun.
