Anyone can start a pet care business, but perhaps animal lovers will enjoy a pet grooming business more because of their love and passion for the animals and their welfare. Among the most successful pet industries are pet services such as dog grooming, delivery, or mobile dog grooming. The average profit margin of pet professional grooming services can be as high as 68%. Still, like every small business, a successful dog grooming salon requires a great business strategy and plan.
You may ask how to start your dog grooming business at home. Here are the areas in a pet grooming business to map out a plan for your dream dog grooming salon:
Conduct Market Research for Pet Grooming Businesses
Research your local competition, customer needs, and industry trends. Join professional pet business associations and subscribe to pet industry newsletters and blogs. Through these channels, you may also be part of community conversations to get insider knowledge about the pet care business. For example, talking to customers and pet owners will allow you to determine which services and products they prefer when grooming their pets.
Visit your competition as a customer and take notes on what services they offer. Then, differentiate your services to set you apart from the other pet grooming business enterprises.
Try the mobile pet grooming business if your local area has stiff competition. After that, you can integrate pet grooming booking software into your services to add to your advantage.
Pet Grooming Business Licenses
Getting business licenses and permits can increase the credibility of your pet grooming services. You must also acquire dog grooming certification and professional training. Check your state’s business regulations and required permits in your area.
Developing an Integrated Marketing Plan
The dream of any small business start-up is to earn a profit while offering quality service. Combining the four core components with marketing plans can help your pet grooming business achieve success.
Here are the four core business components integrated with a marketing plan:
- Products and Services
- Promotion
- Price
- Distribution
Having a laptop, regardless of the operating system, will also be easier. After that, integrate effective software, like grooming software for Mac, to boost your market sales and audience.
Products and Services
When starting your pet grooming business at home, consider what specific services you will provide. You can offer primary services such as bath, cut, dry, and nail clip services. You can also differentiate by including more trendy, stylized services like fur dying.
Your market research can help you determine these decisions. Consider the equipment, venue rental, and overhead costs to provide these services. Adding pet products to your grooming salon can also increase your revenues. You can invest in grooming software to help you efficiently manage your products and services.
Promotions
Getting the word out about your pet grooming business entails using traditional print media, such as flyers, brochures, business cards, and current marketing promotion strategies, such as digital marketing tools.
Post flyers in vet clinics, pet stores, and pet communities to directly reach customers in your neighborhood. Publish relevant content on your website, including social media channels like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. In addition, some digital marketing companies provide small businesses with a complete online marketing plan to facilitate coupon promotions, SEO marketing tools, customer loyalty programs, and appealing virtual storefronts to bring you more customers from the internet.
Price
Setting the price for your pet grooming services does not necessarily need to keep up with the costs of the competition. But you also don’t want to price your services too high or too low.
Setting a high price on your business can drive away customers unless you offer something unique that differentiates you from competitors. For example, your pet grooming facility is located in an area with enough clients to support the business at the price point level.
However, you need to avoid pricing your services too low. In this situation, most customers will consider the quality less and focus more on the price. Thus, they tend to be less loyal to your business. Focusing so much on the price is a poor business strategy for developing. The customers you attract are probably just hopping from salon to salon and looking for promotional pricing.
The best price level to set for your pet grooming services is to establish a “healthy” margin. You can do this by calculating the operational costs and allowing the profit needed for the business to grow. So study the competitive pricing, but don’t make it the primary basis for setting your price.
Distribution
Distributing your pet grooming services to your clients will depend on the needs of your location, the type of pet grooming services you offer, and the kind of customer service you want for your grooming salon.
If your house is accessible, renovate the storefront to help people see your business. Establish a good partnership with a vet clinic, pet shop, or mobile grooming businesses that complement your services.
Understanding the Trends in the Pet Grooming Industry
Is dog grooming worth it? The pet grooming industry is rocketing to the sky thanks to the increasing pet ownership rates, shift in consumer behavior regarding pet care, and economic factors. According to the US Pet Ownership and Demographics Sourcebook, over 60% of pet owners consider their pets part of the family. The increasing industry revenue in the pet grooming industry complements this finding, as more households spend their extra income on premium pet grooming services.
According to a Forbes article, almost 85 million US households are pet owners. The number of households owning pets rose from 56% to 68% within 30 years.
However, because of the low barrier of entry into the industry and high demand for pet care services, business competition has become stiffer over time. Therefore, a comprehensive business plan with integrated, cost-effective marketing strategies is vital for long-term business success.
Education, Experience, and Skills Execution For a Successful Pet Grooming Business
Although no strict regulations require pet care businesses to get certified or get a formal education in pet grooming, it can put your business at a great advantage. Remember that most households consider their pets to be part of the family. Thus, they want to trust their pets to people who know what they are doing and have received proper education, training, and certification. Therefore, it can boost your business credibility to great lengths.
In addition, having the proper knowledge of pet care can be beneficial in handling pets in a grooming facility. Getting your Pet First Aid and CPR certification through organizations like the American Red Cross can benefit your pet care facility in an emergency.
Pet owners perceive pet grooming as a luxury service they want for their fur babies. The most common reasons pet parents bring their pets to the grooming salon are busy people who don’t have the time, knowledge, experience, and skills to groom their pets at home, so they seek professional services. It gives trained groomers excellent opportunities to start a small business in pet grooming and serve their fellow animal lovers.
Fortunately, there is also a demand for professional pet groomers. In a study conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the need for pet care workers grew by 20% from 2016 through 2026, compared to other skilled workers, with an average of 7% growth for all industries.
The Pros and Cons of Starting a Pet Grooming Business at Home
Now that you know about the business and how to start dog grooming at home, you might also learn about the pros and cons of establishing at-home grooming services.
The Pros
There are multiple benefits of owning and running a pet grooming business at home:
#1. Suppose you are an animal lover passionate about improving their welfare. In that case, you can both enjoy running a pet grooming business in the company of animals daily. Getting proper training can benefit you in the long term. Many pet owners consider their pets to be members of the family. Therefore, they’re looking for other dog lovers who can manage their four-legged companions with the same care you can provide.
#2. Pet grooming gives you much flexibility in completing the tasks and managing your time. You can run your business out of your house if you have the means. You can work your time reasonably in an area you are most comfortable in, especially if you have the supplies and equipment needed to run the business in the convenience of your humble abode.
#3. There are several choices for marketing and growing a customer base for a pet grooming business at home, just as there are for operating one. You may satisfy a need in the community, locate possible clients, and make it easy for prospective customers to find you by forming a cooperative partnership with other pet-related businesses in your neighborhood. For example, a local kennel software may not provide canine grooming services; this will allow you to reach out to the clients in your community.
#4. These numerous possibilities you can attain when you offer pet grooming services at home will also allow you to grow your business. Since you have the essential skills to work with various breeds and personalities, you can expand your services to include pet watching, dog walking, or even operating a kennel if you have room.
The Cons
Being a pet lover isn’t enough for a pet groomer to succeed. The job comes with its own set of difficulties. While there are benefits, you must also deal with the disadvantages of operating a pet grooming business at home. The following are some of the challenges you may encounter in your journey.
#1. The number of pets you can groom at one time is limited.
#2. Take into account the environmental impact of disposing of your at-home grooming waste.
#3. You’ll be spending a lot of time in a narrow space.
#4. Unless you invest in a salon, your expansion opportunities are limited.
#5. Because you only groom one pet at a time, expenditures must be high to make it worthwhile unless you hire extra groomers.
#6. Be mindful of your neighbors and ask them before making any modifications.
#7. You’re rearranging your living quarters.
#8. There is no distinction between work and home life.
#9. Your clients will know your home address. This setup means less privacy than conducting business in a rented space.
#10. It would help if you also consider planning authorization for any adjustments you may want to make.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Work from home and make a good livelihood, you must know everything to establish your home-based dog grooming business. Indeed, there are advantages to becoming a dog groomer or setting up a grooming business. However, weighing the benefits and drawbacks before choosing whether this is the correct career route for you is critical. Now is the time to let your business thrive and be known.
