Tuesday, October 19, 2004
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Dogs have their day at Puppy Enterprises

Company a finalist for innovation prize

Tammy Mathews, right, on Wednesday inspects Colette, a party poodle who has come in for grooming at Puppy Enterprises. The business recorded $200,000 in revenue in its first year. Photo by RONDA CHURCHILL/REVIEW-JOURNAL Husband and wife Phillip and Tammy Mathews tend to customers and the scheduling book Wednesday at Puppy Enterprises. Photo by RONDA CHURCHILL/REVIEW-JOURNAL

In the spirit of Halloween, dogs come home with skeletons dangling from their collars and bats clipped to their hair after being bathed and groomed at Puppy Enterprises.

It's those little touches that helped Tammy Mathews' company top $200,000 in revenue last year.

The majority owner of the startup Las Vegas business is also getting some national recognition, being named a finalist for most innovative company of the year in the 2004 Stevie Awards for Women Entrepreneurs.

Mathews is flying to New York on Wednesday to participate in the awards competition sponsored by Advanta Corp. to recognize the accomplishments of women small-business owners.

Puppy Enterprises Dog Salon and Bakery opened at 1780 N. Buffalo Drive in January 2003 with a $50,000 small-business loan from Bank of Commerce.

The shop offers bathing and grooming services ranging in price from $20 for the smallest dogs to $36 for large dogs, nail trims, nail painting and teeth brushing, along with baked treats and a French-style boutique of dog products.

"We're selling a lot of Halloween costumes," Mathews said Tuesday. Among the store's doggie costumes going for $20 to $25 are Elvis, Beauty and the Beast and Dogzilla.

Mathews said sales are up 50 percent so far this year as the staff has expanded to five full-time groomers.

Prices have remained pretty much the same, although the shop has added a la carte services such as color highlighting for $20.

"I'm the only dog anything in the finals," Mathews said of the Stevie Awards. "New York City's got some serious doggie boutiques. New York's got things we don't have here. New York's got character in a place before you ever walk in because of the old buildings. You can build a business from the outside in."

Mathews and her husband, Philip, have been talking about opening a boarding center in the next six months to a year somewhere in the master-planned Summerlin area.

"We've got five to 10 people a day asking if we board. I'm tired of giving that business away," she said.

Mathews said she owes her success to "all of our amazing clients for believing that their pets deserve the best treatment available to them."

Advanta Corp. was founded as Teachers' Service Organization, originally providing needs-based loans to teachers, mostly women, at a time when banks often did not.

Las Vegas ranks second in terms of the percent growth in the number, employment and sales of women-owned firms between 1997 and 2002 and 15th in terms of percent share of women-owned firms among all privately owned firms in 2002, according to the Center for Women's Business Research.