GUILFORD — A pet grooming business has won the Windham County Business Plan Competition, earning $20,000 for business expansion.
“I entered last year, didn’t win and thought I should win,” Katie Stalder said.
Stalder turned the garage at his home in Guilford into a workplace when he started Wicked Clean Grooming in May 2021. Mostly, he grooms cats and dogs but sometimes rabbits and bird hooves.
This time, for the contest, he spent more time developing a business plan.
“It’s a very time-consuming processing, writing a business plan,” he said.
He saved some information from last year and updated some numbers. He also took advice from the judges last year.
The Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation competition began in May, with 14 registered businesses providing an initial pitch. Eight went on to write a business plan with the goal of starting or expanding their business.
Five semi-finalists were reviewed by the judges. The other two finalists are Super Snowflake, an apparel printing operation in Wilmington, and Vermont Vines on the River, a vineyard and winery in Rockingham.
All three were given 10 minutes for a final pitch at Next Stage Arts in Putney on September 14 followed by five minutes of questions from the judges.
“The participants have put in an enormous amount of work and the bar has been set very high,” said Nathaniel Hussey, capital development and investment manager at BDCC. “Participants cool off, then write a comprehensive business plan that effectively articulates the business’s impact on the region, with a focus on job creation and higher wages. That plan will be evaluated by a panel of judges, and if selected, the participants pitch again in the final event.”
Hussey said BDCC supports participants by providing free access to software for writing business plans and regular check-ins during the competition.
“Still, the bar is set high, with participants required to motivate themselves,” he said.
Twice in the past two years, a contestant bowed out of the competition, saying they needed to spend time running their business.
“That was a tough decision to make, but we applaud people who recognize that they can’t spread themselves without jeopardizing their livelihoods,” Hussey said.
He noted that the contest is funded through the Windham County Economic Development Program, which aims to work toward filling the job market with job opportunities that command higher salaries. The program was developed through funds from an agreement with the state and Entergy, the owner of the decommissioned Vermont Yankee nuclear plant in Vernon.
“The underlying goal is for entrepreneurs to carry out the same goal so that on a small level they can take ownership of building a resilient regional economy.” Hussey said.
Pet grooming is in high demand. Stalder said he receives calls day and night, although half of them are solicitors.
“It’s crazy,” he said.
A waiting list he maintains included more than 90 people at the time of last week’s interview.
Stalder decided to go into the profession after being a licensed veterinary nurse for nearly a decade. He said he needed a break, especially after COVID-19, and wanted to be closer to his family.
With the $20,000, Stalder plans to open a doggy day care that his wife will run. He warned that it would take several months to begin.
“It’s a huge need and we can do it with another repairer in town,” he said, hoping that another local business will come to repair as planned.
Grooming can be a medical issue for many animals, Stalder said. Pet owners don’t have time to do this or the animal doesn’t want to let them groom them.
“It’s a very underserved sector,” Stalder said.
Currently, he has two full-time employees and two part-time employees. Another employee was described as “very, very little part time.”
Joining the competition forced Stalder to “take recommendations and take the business aspect of it seriously,” he said. “Very helpful.”
