Alexander Sunday Odidi

How To Start And Run Your Own Pet Grooming Business! If you've ever being constrained and pressed for time, then you probably have an idea of what pet owners go through virtually everyday. They have to do a whole lot and then care for their wonderful creatures. Sometimes, they barely have the time, and proceed on their busy schedules without so much of a thought to the needs of their pets, including cleaning, general health and grooming. To that end, a place where such pets can be looked after, maintained and watched, is important. This has led to the establishment and growth of the pet grooming business. Modern day society has seen a real boom of grooming homes and businesses, not least because pets now form an interesting part of some families and now have fancy accessories including clothing and jewelry to go with their looks. Further, everyone wants their pets looking healthy, as cool and welcoming as possible, hence, taking them to a grooming business, which can be compared to adults going to a spa, or kids going to a daycare facility. The grooming industry generates in excess of $5 billion every year. While that's a mind-numbing figure, most people start-up one because of the sheer thrill of being a legitimate business owner, one who calls the shots, and basically their own boss. That is an incentive in itself. Again, it's not as impossible as it sounds to begin, requires no professional education and the start-up cost is something many entrepreneurs can cope with. The following guidelines will help you start and run your grooming business. Learn From The Best There are innovations everywhere but most businesses today are the exact imitations of those who were first successful at it. That's why in a bid to run your own grooming business, you'd have to take out time to study the basics and learn how things are done. This is a general requirement for most enterprises because without understanding the industry, you're setting yourself up for failure. Also, go on a sightseeing trip to various locations and see how pets are treated, the animals that make for the most frequent and best customers, tools involved, the kind of services offered, etc. Since you're focused on pets, what kind of clients do you expect? And do you have certain limitations towards certain animals? These are all part of learning from the best, so you should observe all advantages and disadvantages. Furthermore, there are different service models to follow. A self-service model which isn't labor intensive; a mobile service though cheaper, may be a bit limiting when it comes to the number of pets you can handle a day; and a full service which is definitely time-consuming, but has more appeal and generally generates more than the previous two models. As you soak up every information, you'll be better prepared to effectively run your own. Design Your Business Plan There are some businesses that appear great and healthy at first, but eventually crumble to an abrupt halt within a short number of years. It's not hard to see why too. They lacked a proper plan, didn't design any from the offset, or realized too late how important a plan was to running their business. Further, a plan needn't be something a fortune 500 company would be proud of, neither must it have a global appeal to meet professional standards. It just has to exist before you begin your business and be as effective as possible. If you go in head-first into the pet grooming business without any sort of plan, things might get overwhelming and you'd have to quit without finding some fulfillment. In lieu of that, design a plan with information such as your target market, marketing, the service model you offer, staff, and much more. Also, if you don't have an idea where to begin, there are tons of examples online, coupled with the information you glean observing and learning from others. Have every bit written and outlined without any emphasis on perfection. Create A Budget Budgets are the norm in the business world unless you feel you don't need one, or have a super computer for a brain. But it's obvious that running a business without a budget is typically sailing against a strong tide. Your budget keeps you grounded and focused on things you've planned for. It helps you keep track of the finances you expend for each and every part of your own pet grooming business. Further, your budget reflects the understanding of the cost involved in starting and running the business. As with the models mentioned in the first point, after deciding which to go with, you'll have to match that with the appropriate cost. Again, as your business grows with profits and necessary expansions, so do expenses. You'll have to figure out ways to plough back into your business and stay above floating levels. Some of the important factors that should make up your budget include: Grooming salon space/location or office Supplies Vital equipments including, brushes, scissors, etc Promotions, marketing (including ads) Hiring employees These are not the entirety of what you need, but you get the point. As you create your budget, always stay within your means and do your best to minimize costs. Again, there are a handful of tasks you can obviously do on your own, or supplies you can get on your own. You'll be amazed at how much you save from doing bits and pieces yourself. Along with your budget, make an accounting plan or have an accounting software to help you track revenue, have an idea of incoming supplies, and also prepare for audits and taxes. Things are more formal with a functional accounting plan. Products And Services You'll Provide The choice of product or services is not as straightforward as you imagine. Costs is something you have to give a thought along with the general package that comes with your service. To that end, you should make learning from other grooming services a habit. Get a feel of what goes on around the country, the services offered, how much they charge and the costs they had to pay to set up a facility as successful as theirs. Another thing to keep in mind, is what aspect of the business you're actually good at, or an aspect you want to specialize on. Take a look at some of the services you may likely want to get into: Eye and Ear Cleaning Hand Blow Dry Body Brush/Massage Hydrobath Towel Dry Face Trim Paw Pads Clip Nails Pad Treatments Therapeutic Shampoo/ Flea and Tick Shampoo De-shedding and De-skunk Treatments Puppy Cuts Brush Outs Knots and Debris Initial and Final Rinse Clips These are some of the services you can think about but the list is not exhaustive, not just because pets deserve better care but the business keeps evolving to new levels. Hook Up With Suppliers Many people figure this part should come after you've gotten a place, or even engaged staff. But the fact is it shows your depth of thinking and foresight geared towards running your own pet grooming business effectively. By now, you'd have settled on a business model to pursue and services you wan to render to willing customers. Let the suppliers you pick understand your need to always be in stock. Here are some essential things to help you start and run a grooming business: Tools - tools are important and can add definition to your business. No one will trust you with their pets if you don't have the proper sets. More so, word gets around quickly. Tubs - no grooming spot can do without one or several. Cages - as temporal as this sounds, you wouldn't want pets flying around an doing the dance about, or getting in fights. Aprons for staff (and you) - you're dealing with pets here, so an apron will help protect you and the pet, as well as convey an air of professionalism. Cash register - you do need to keep track of who pays for what. It helps you plan better. Treats - imaging having kids waiting for their pets to have a do-over or go through some process. They can use some sweets, candy or cookie. Pets need them too. Other equipment you need include: Tables Shears Nail clippings Towels Furniture It's very important that you don't run out of supplies. How else will a client know you're ready for business? Make no mistake about the bad effects you’ll experience if you can't perform a service you have listed. Get A Good Location With more emphasis on good. Although this aspect can fall under your business plan and your budget, you should isolate it and focus on getting somewhere that has reach and is befitting of your pet grooming business. Most people only give thought to spots they like. While that's not an entirely unusual thing to do, it's best you consider other important things, especially those that can make or mar your chances of succeeding. As with everything else, make sure the location you decide on blends with everything else, including your budget and model of service. Further, consider whether where you want is a huge hub of animals and general pet keepers; if there are businesses like the one you hope to establish; if there are public facilities around there that serve as crowd/people pullers; including parks and other recreational facilities. Some people even consider spots where pets are likely to get dirty. For the ideal location, a place that's easy to locate and get to is great, coupled with visibility. You want people to immediately recognize what you do and and give you patronage. Also, you know who your target customers are, so you should put that into consideration. Don't forget costs too; let it be in line with your budget. Your Staffing Needs The number of staff ideally shows how much your business has grown, or how much business is coming your way. That said, it depends a lot on the number of animals your business can service per day. If you can service more than 20 animals a day, you obviously need more hands. On the flip side, if business isn't all that rosy, then you'll know just how much that would cost you with idle staff around. There should be a balance between the number you want to hire and what you have on your budget. Another thing you should consider is their expertise, and in some cases, experience when it comes to grooming. Again, features you'd want a potential staff to have include, some kind of affiliation to animals, knowledge about animals and how to groom them, and a professional attitude. Staff don't come cheap but you should have a good recruitment plan. If costs will be an issue, consider reaching out to volunteers and vet undergrads. Get Your Business Out there With Publicity You still need to give your business some promotion and publicity so that you attract more customers. There are many places and mediums you can use to achieve that purpose, including parks, schools, work places and social media. You can hand out flyers and bills to the public, and to pet owners anywhere, particularly if they're outdoors with their pets. Also, attend local events and programs centered on animals, thus increasing your reach and target customers. You could also volunteer for public services when it's called for in the locality where your pet grooming business is based. Social media is a great tool and chances are you already use a platform like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter; you can use them to put your business out there, and also have customers post their reviews about your products and services. Things you should do for more publicity Create or build a design that represents the style and purpose of your business. Have a logo or trademark and uniforms to go with those. You and your team can have matching aprons. A bandana or bow won't be a bad idea for groomed animals. Have a great working atmosphere, coupled with an air of relaxation for customers. Couches, dispensers, a TV set, cool music system etc. In conclusion, everything takes some getting used to, and running a pet grooming business is one of them. Never stop learning, join professional bodies/communities, follow pet grooming accounts online and maintain a keen passion for what you've chosen to do.