My Biz: Iowa City entrepreneurs consult on their stores’ decisions

Connie Parsons spent 20 years working as a dental hygienist. Michelle Galvin was an alum of the University of Iowa and worked in retail.

Coming from two different backgrounds made these owners a good retail team for their business, the Velvet Coat, an upscale women's boutique in downtown Iowa City.

“We've been doing this for 13 years, so there is a nice balance of ‘You do this and I do that,'” Parsons said.

“But we try to get a mutual decision on everything that affects the store. We are pretty like-minded after all these years.”

Galvin said the time they spend on selecting products for Velvet Coat sets them apart from other local retail shops.

“We both go to market and discuss it a lot,” she said. “We spend a lot of time and energy on our buy.

“We want to edit it down to the best from each vendor because women are really busy. We really try to bring the trends here and translate them to the Midwest.”

Velvet Coat carries more than 30 designer brands, including Rag & Bone, Diane Von Furstenburg, Tory Burch, and Pink Tartan.

“We strive continually to carry a product not carried in other shops here,” Parsons said.

“We have something for working women, women looking for something to wear to an event and even a casual selection for stay at home moms,” Galvin said. “We cater to a variety of life styles.”

That variety of fashion selections carries over into their daily duties and routines.

In 2007, Parsons and Galvin decided to open a second location, in Des Moines's East Village.

“Figuring out how to operate a business that is two hours away has been a really big change,” Galvin said.

Parsons noted the two venues are each housed in refurbished old buildings.

Perhaps the biggest change was the shop's move this past April to a new location, across East College on Iowa City's pedestrian mall.

“The new space is bigger and has better visibility, and we are really excited to watch this building develop,” said Galvin.

• Name: Michelle Galvin and Connie Parsons
• Title: Owners
• Company: Velvet Coat
• Address: 118 E College St., Iowa City
• Phone: (319) 887-7151

• Website: http://shopvelvetcoat.com

Know a manager or company in business for more than a year that should be considered for “My Biz”? Contact business editor Michael Chevy Castranova at michael.castranova@sourcemedia.net.