Mobile Businesses

How To Set Up A Mobile Pet Grooming Business | Pet Groomers

Our Best Friends Business

Owning a pet can be a time-consuming affair for busy people. Sometimes we cannot do everything we want for our pets, like taking them regularly to the vet for a check-up or having a mobile dog grooming or exercise company drop by. Thankfully, today there is a doggie day spa or mobile pet grooming business, or a grooming salon most everywhere that offers tremendous convenience and saves you time. The demand for mobile pet grooming businesses is slowly growing in most cities because of our increasingly busy schedules and lifestyles. For those considering a life in the pet grooming business, here are some helpful, practical tips:

Teach Yourself The Mobile Grooming Business

Mobile pet grooming may sound fun and exciting as a business, but most people have no idea what it involves besides just grooming the animal. If you have no experience with animals or grooming or have not worked in a pet grooming store, you must spend a few months as an intern at a grooming center to know what is involved. This way, you will acquire experience, develop helpful knowledge, and become acquainted with the instruments and supplies needed to run a successful mobile pet grooming business. Most important, you will become familiar with different breeds of dogs, their temperament, and how to handle them.

Here are a few handy links to get you started

Pet Grooming Home Service

Pet grooming usually involves the following services:

A shampoo bath followed by a blow-dry
Brushing (fur)
Dematting
Light or heavy hair trimming
Trimming of nails
Cleaning of ears
Shaving the pads
Sanitary trim
Cleansing of the anal glands

Dog Spa Near Me

While millions of Americans own pets, only a select few regularly take the animal for grooming. Most owners who take their pets for grooming are very devoted to their animals. These folks usually live in the more affluent areas of town. Many of these individuals are busy professionals who can not regularly take their pets to a grooming center.

What Should I Name My Doggie Day Spa?

Selecting the correct name is essential, but it can be challenging. Get some ideas from friends and browse the internet on what other pet grooming services are named. Perhaps you can call the business after your pet or your name. Either way, it should be simple and easy to remember.

Love Animals

The key to success in the grooming business is loving animals. Secondly, it is crucial to have considerable experience in handling animals. When a dog feels comfortable with you, the owner will feel comfortable, So you must know how to handle animals and how they think.

Today there are several types of animal grooming classes available. If you lack experience, you should register for one of these classes- which usually provide good practical knowledge about grooming and working with different dog species.

Mobile Pet Grooming Business Plan

After your short internship, you’ll need to make a solid business plan which will provide you with a road map to success and also help identify any future issues that may come up. The plan should include the following:

What is the cost of the startup?
Will I offer mobile cat grooming?
How will I fund the business?
How many employees will I need?
Do I need a license or permit to operate a mobile pet grooming business?
What sort of appliances will I need?
What type of truck or van will I need?
From which location will I run my business?
Who are my customers?
How will I market the business?
What other expenses occur to run the pet grooming business daily?
What will I name my business?
Do I need insurance for my mobile pet grooming business?
Where will I dispose of the animal waste?
What will I charge for my services?

Check out these helpful links.

There are some handy services available online

Some business plan templates that you should consider include:

Pet Groomer Business Identity

If you are going to be starting a mobile pet grooming service, you also need to do the following:

Obtaining a dedicated bank account will ensure the separation of your assets and make it easier to file the annual taxes at the end of the year
Register your business with the state and federal tax office
Obtain an EIN

Check out these few companies that can assist you in getting your LLC started.

Here are a few government links you might want to visit

IRS Website

This site by the IRS is a must-see when beginning your LLC

Pet Grooming Company Insurance

Obtaining business liability insurance is highly recommended. It will protect you and your business from lawsuits if anything happens to the pets under your care, damage to your truck or appliances, vandalism, theft, or fire. There are several types of business insurance policies available. Also, you will need workers’ compensation insurance if you employ more than two people.

Here is a list of some standard insurance companies

Best Places To Get Small Business Insurance

Pet Grooming License

It depends on where you live. You will require a license in some states, and in others, there is no requirement. You need to check with the local Chamber of Commerce if a permit is necessary to start and operate a mobile pet grooming service.

How Can I Fund My Pet Salon?

To start a pet mobile grooming business, one may need anywhere from $10,000-$100,000. The most significant expense is buying a truck with all the appliances. If you do not have that kind of money, then funding options include:

Get a loan from the bank. But the bank will ask to see your plan first, and you should have a good credit score
Partner with a pet business or a veterinarian
Look for an investor
Ask family or friends for a loan

To protect you and your business from litigation, you should form a legal entity such as a sole proprietorship, corporation, or limited liability corporation. These legal entities are inexpensive but need annual renewal.

Here are a few of your funding options

Small Business Administration

The Sma ll Business Administration, SBA has a program to fund new startups, and is worth a look.

Is There Growth Potential For Mobile Pet Grooming?

If you plan the right way, the potential to grow the business is excellent. Today most pet owners do not have time to drop off and pick up their pets from a grooming center. So if you can provide a mobile service, do a good job, and are reasonably priced, the business should expand.

But you have to remember, dog grooming is time-consuming, and doing a good job, you can only groom 4-6 animals a day. So if you get dozens of calls daily, you may have to open a second mobile unit or consider moving into a physical location.

How Should I Promote My Pet Salon?

To promote your business, you will need to do the following:

Create a website and explain your business. Add photos, what services you offer, contact information, etc. Always state what area you will be operating the next day on your website.
Be active on social media, interact with visitors, and show before and after photos.
Create a logo that you can paint on your truck and stationary
When starting out, offer a free promotional service to show your skills. If you do a good job, then word of mouth will help spread your business.
Leave your business card with local veterinarians, the pharmacy, pet stores, and dog breeders.
Consider placing flyers in different locations in the city.
One of the best places to start is in the parking lot of a veterinarian/pet center. This is a practical way of starting your business.
Consider volunteering at a local shelter one day a week and, at the same time, let everyone know about your business. Further, people who adopt pets will get to know you and most likely contact you for grooming services.

Build Your Own Doggie Day Spa Website

Your pet grooming company domain name protects your website address on the internet. You can register a domain name with any hosting company you choose.

Some of the common domain registrars include:

Here is a list of some options for building a regular website.

Here is a list of drag-and-drop page builders for WordPress.

Equipment For A Mobile Dog Grooming Business?

An adjustable grooming table ($200-$500)
Bathing sink ($300-$500)
Brushes ($5-$50)
Clippers and clipper blades ($100-$400)
Combs ($5-$50)
Dryer ($50-$100)
Detangling spray, shampoo, and hair conditioner ($10-$25)
Shears ($50-$300)

Here are a few online pet grooming supply companies

Do Mobile Pet Grooming Businesses Make Money?

Making money as a pet groomer depends on where you operate and the competition. In any case, most mobile pet groomers make a decent living. They have very low overhead, no rent, and pricier services because of the portable convenience factor. In a week, a mobile pet groomer may profit anywhere from $1300 to $1600, assuming they regularly groom 4-6 animals daily.

What Should I Charge For My Mobile Pet Grooming Business?

Pricing is always the tricky part of the mobile pet grooming business. If your prices are high, customers may not be inclined to utilize your services. If your prices are low, the owners may think you are a second-rate service. The key is to find out what other pet mobile grooming service charges and then offer a slightly lower cost when starting the business. Overall mobile grooming services tend to be more expensive than physical stores because they provide their clients the convenience of a home visit.

Mobile grooming prices should depend on the size of the animal and breed. General prices vary from $50-$100, but the full-scale treatment may cost $200; hence, if you groom 4-6 dogs a day, that is close to $1,000 in gross income.

Retaining Pet Lover Customers

To retain customers, you will need to do the following:

Do not nickel and dime your customers for every service. Every once in a while, offer a discount or a free service.
Maintain a solid reputation and be honest. If a customer is unhappy, find out why and do not argue. One bad interaction can spread like wildfire and ruin your business.
Treat animals with care and love. This is key. When owners bring their pets to you, it is the first interaction to tell them how well you handle pets. Rest assured; they will take the animal elsewhere if you are rough and sloppy.
If you are busy with pet grooming, always have someone answer your phone calls, make an appointment, and accept the payments.

Make My Mobile Dog Grooming Business Profitable?

To increase profits, besides grooming, you can also do the following:

Buy shampoo in bulk
Add extra treatments to your essential grooming, like a spa treatment
If you reside in the same general area as the customer, you can offer pet boarding and sitting services
Offer grooming training services
Work weekends

What Are The Costs Of Starting A Pet Spa Business?

Startup costs are reasonable for starting a mobile pet grooming business. The following items will be required when starting the business:

A mobile truck with the following appliances

Dryer
Extra Lighting
Grooming appliances
Sink
Adjustable table
Water heater
Water tank
Waste container
Power generator
Ventilation
Proper flooring

Today one can buy a fully customized truck with all the above appliances already fitted, or one can buy a basic truck and then choose to have select devices installed. The cost of a fully customized truck can range from $80-$150K, depending on your needs.