Salon Spotlight
is Going Places!
besides the positive landlord, including being
Pictures by TB Photography
a former hair salon, which worked in Voegtli’s
D
favor: “This saved me money on the build-out
passionate about it, it’s possible. I wish I’d done it sooner,” she shares about
County supports small-business growth with-
her journey to becoming a salon owner.
in the county,” she continues. “They also have
og groomer and salon owner Colleen Voegtli was nervous about
because the plumbing, electricity, lighting, and
opening Bark and Bath Pet Salon. Yet, seven months later, she has
layout were already in place.” The licensing and paperwork for the dog
three employees and over 1,000 clients.
“I don’t want to say it’s simpler than I thought it would be, but if you’re
In the summer of 2021, Voegtli started looking for the right location, and she found it! Bark and Bath Pet Salon is located in Lusby, Maryland, about 20 minutes away from the salon in Prince Frederick where she’d
grooming salon went smoothly, too. “Calvert
support staff in place to encourage businesses to start, grow, and flourish.” Voegtli shared that her biggest obstacle was leaving her old job: “I started at Rita’s Groom-
gotten her start and worked for fourteen years. “I wanted to be respectful of my mentor. Plus, I thought there was a
ing in Prince Frederick, MD as a bather when
demand in Lusby. There was no other pet groomer there,” she continues.
I was 14 years old. I started out prepping the
“I started looking at shopping centers. Some landlords don’t want dogs in
dogs for the owner, Rita. She then taught me
their space, but Town Square in Lusby worked out. The landlord was very
how to perform shave-downs on the dogs, and
accommodating and fine with dogs.”
later she taught me breed standard haircuts
With a positive landlord on board, Voegtli felt good about the space,
18
The location had other things going for it
by Jen Phillips April
along with scissoring skills. I couldn’t have
but there was an obstacle…It was big! “It was over 2,500 sq. ft. It was
done any of this without her. I’d like to thank
intimidating. But my husband was optimistic. He helped me see that it
Rita for being my mentor and introducing me
was a space I could grow into it,” she shares.
to the world of grooming.”
Groomer to Groomer • Vol 41 Ed 7 • July 2022
GroomertoGroomer.com