How to start up a dog grooming business

Dogs are a beloved part of many families, and as any pet owner knows, they require a lot of care and attention. From feeding and walking to bathing and grooming, pets need regular care to stay healthy and happy.

For busy dog owners, a pet grooming business can be a valuable asset. By providing professional grooming services, dog groomers can help keep pets looking their best. In addition, groomers can offer advice on care and nutrition, and they can provide a safe and clean environment for pets to play and socialize. For pet owners, a dog grooming business can be a one-stop shop for all their pet care needs.

It is not uncommon for people to spend a lot of money on their pets because they are often considered a member of the family. This is partly why the pet grooming sector has brilliant potential. This handy guide to starting up and running a dog grooming business will teach you everything you need to know to get started.

Research your target market

It’s vital that you consider how much demand there will be for your services and identify how much competition you will face when setting up a dog grooming business.

Your market

It is important to consider your ‘customer profile’ from two perspectives: your human (and paying) customers and your animal ‘customers’. Human customers may include:

• Owners of breeds that require regular grooming. The majority of dog owners don’t have the time or skills to groom their pets regularly, so they hire a professional to do it for them
• Professionals and enthusiasts who breed and show animals – especially the likes of dogs and cats
• Owners who are not physically able to groom their own pets – such as the elderly or the physically disabled
• Owners of animals in need of flea treatment or microchipping (if you provide this service)
• Boarding kennels and pet shops that offer grooming services to their customers but are unable to perform the grooming themselves
• Veterinarians who refer their animals to you for grooming

You should always remember that customers are entrusting their beloved pets to you, so ensure that you treat them with respect at all times and never make any negative remarks about their animals.

Dogs of all breeds are likely to be the majority of your animal clients – you may actually accept only dogs. Alternatively, you can offer grooming services to cats, rabbits, chinchillas, and other long-haired pets.

Research the types of people living in your area – as well as their pets – as part of your market research. Family pets are popular among older people as well as with families. Are there any popular dog-walking areas nearby? It might be worthwhile to leaflet cars parked there periodically if this is the case.

Estimating demand

The demand for dog grooming services in your area is very important to consider. As a result of recent competition in the sector, you may encounter the following competitors:

• Other established grooming parlours, including mobile businesses and franchises
• Boarding kennels and pet shops that offer a grooming service

Identify how many other pet grooming businesses are already offering a service in your area by checking out the competition. Try Yell.com or other similar directories to identify the number of competitors in your area. It can be helpful to take a look at the other businesses you will be competing against once you have determined how many there will be:

• The level and range of services that they offer and the prices that they charge
• How well qualified, knowledgeable and helpful their staff are
• Whether the premises and fittings are modern and smart

There are over 290 Pets at Home stores that have a grooming room, and this number is likely to increase in the future (Pets at Home has over 440 stores).

If your animals are going to be shown, you may decide to offer grooming services. In this case, you might be able to get an idea of the level of demand for this service by finding out how many shows typically take place in your area.

Why will customers choose your business

Your competition needs to be unable to compete with you if you want to become successful. It might be possible for your business to fill a gap in the market based on your market research. Perhaps no one offers a mobile service in your area, or perhaps existing outlets only groom dogs, and you believe there is a market for grooming other species of animals.

You may also be chosen by customers for the following reasons:

• Your prices are lower than your competitors’
• You provide better service than your competitors
• A grooming service will be offered for show animals. Consequently, many professional groomers refuse to groom show animals due to high standards demanded by pet owners. If you feel that you have the necessary skills and experience, you may find that you are able to take advantage of a lucrative niche market.
• Both you and your staff are well trained and qualified
• Your premises are conveniently positioned

Find out what people want

Consider finding out what customers want for their pets and whether there are particular services you can offer to make your grooming parlour more appealing to them. Consider animal boarding establishments if you plan to conduct a local survey.

Decide which services to offer

Your business will primarily groom pets – most likely dogs and cats – and this will likely include:

• Bathing the animal
• Clipping, brushing and detangling the coat. You may offer a choice of a full cut or just a trim
• Hand stripping (where appropriate)
• Nail clipping
• Ear plucking and cleaning
• Teeth cleaning
• Expressing the anal glands (dogs)

Before grooming an animal, you should fully understand what the owner wants the animal to look like after the treatment. Calculate the maximum number of groomings you can do in a day by estimating the typical amount of time it takes to groom an animal. The maximum number of animals you can groom per day is seven, assuming you work seven hours per day, assuming you are fully booked. Providing a mobile service and traveling between appointments will reduce the maximum.

Other services

Your business may also be able to attract customers if you offer additional services. Among them could potentially be:

• Offering a free collection and drop-off service to customers within a certain area
• Offering a mobile grooming service
• Treatment with rinses for ticks and fleas
• Implanting identification chips
• Offering grooming training, either to pet owners or to people that want to get involved in the grooming industry
• Offering dog obedience training

In addition to full grooming, puppy grooming, cat grooming, nail clipping, and microchipping, Pets at Home also offers:

• Bath and blow dry
• Spa treatments

There is also the possibility of selling pet grooming products.

Advertising and marketing your business

Your potential customers need to know about you and what you have to offer, regardless of what your business is.

To promote your business, you can do the following:

• Be a member of the British Dog Groomers Association, part of the Pet Industry Federation (PIF), and display their logo and membership badge
• Advertise in your local newspaper and local directories
• Launch a website for your business, displaying all the features that will attract customers
• Print leaflets, perhaps with grooming tips
• Sponsor or organise a local dog show
• Provide details about your services and your pricing structure to local boarding kennels and pet shops – you could leave some business cards on their counter or a flyer in their window
• Connect with other trade contacts, such as vets, so that they can recommend your business to others
• Advertise your window discounts for certain services or for grooming more than one animal

Price your services

It is very important to get the price right. To make sure your operating costs are covered, including wages and your own drawings, you need to charge a sufficient amount. With the grooming industry being quite competitive, you may need to match your competitors’ prices.

Depending on the breed and size of the animal, the service provided, and the difficulty of grooming, you will set a tariff of charges. For a small or short-haired dog, a full groom might cost between £20 and £25 with a large or long-haired dog costing upwards of £40. The price you charge for grooming cats, rabbits, etc., may be similar to that for small dogs.

It is possible that you will offer different levels of service at different prices, such as bathing and drying, clipping only, and full grooming. Whether you will charge extra for certain services, such as nail clipping and ear plucking, will depend on your basic grooming charge. You should remember that the prices that you charge for a mobile grooming service must cover the operating costs.

It is important to decide the price you will charge for grooming products if you choose to sell them. Contact your suppliers to get recommended retail prices for their products if you’re not sure how much to charge.

Special offers and discounts

As a matter of course, you might offer a discount to trade customers such as animal boarding establishment owners. Discounts will vary depending on how much work you get from them, how competitive the local market is, and how much work they give you.

Additionally, you may decide to offer discounts to certain customers. You might, for example, do the following:

• Reduce the cost of grooming if an owner brings in more than one animal
• Reduce the rate for pensioners
• Occasionally offer discounts to loyal customers, for example, a free grooming session after five sessions at full price

Buy an existing business

You might consider buying an existing farm supply business rather than starting your own. It is possible to buy a going concern with products, customers, regular sales, staff, premises, and equipment already in place.

If you don’t have the right skills and experience on your team, including legal and financial expertise, buying a business can be a hazardous, expensive process. Ensure the business has a genuine trading and financial position before you pay